Sunny - your response about how to handle the dizziness was so helpful! You know I've been practicing progressive muscle relaxation quite a bit - and here you've helped me to connect-the-dots and to understand how to use what I've been practicing so much!
Bren67 - I sincerely wish you well and hope that you will keep us updated. I am grateful for your posting.
Deborah, I wanted to tell you that I thought of you when I went to get my mammogram this morning! I very nearly had a panic attack. I had to spend a lot of time in the waiting room (they took pictures...I had to wait...they took more pictures...I had to wait). While in the waiting room, I was so anxious that I broke out into a rash but it never became a panic attack (Thanks to what I learned at my therapist, from doing my homework, and most importantly from everyone here!!).
I don't know if you've had your first ever but I am told that they very often have you back (because they need to establish a baseline and to understand what is normal in your body). So I have had to return several times while they look at certain things and re-look. Well, as you can imagine it is a challenge for me to handle.
I will share the techniques I used in the waiting room. I started to do Progressive Muscle Relaxation - wasn't helping. Then I tried box breathing - that helped. Then I took a mental vacation off to a beach in Puerto Rico - that was fantastic - and then the nurse returned! I alternated between trying to relax and sometimes just giving in to the fact that my body was in panic mode and had to do what it wanted to do - I allowed it to do so and soon the physical symptoms disappeared.
This is lengthy and I apologize - I did want you to know that thinking about telling you later what worked for me - helped me! I hope your day improves!
Shari, thanks for the reminder about the Omega IIIs! I got out of the habit of taking them and even brought my bottle in to work so that I might have a better chance of remembering - and it's been a week or so - and I can notice the difference, too! Today I had two very anxious periods (that thankfully never turned into a panic attack - although this evening my anxiety had me on the verge of tears.). I am so grateful to have CBT and this community
Debora, I will keep you in my prayers and I have every confidence that you can get through this. I have to be better about doing my homework on this program - how about you? When I am having anxiety, I always forget to get my homework out! I will make an effort to do better these next few days - I think it will help. How about you?
I have a difficult time with compliments, too, hugs and I also lost a lot of weight over the last year. I think about how I feel when I give people complements - I want people to accept them. So, now, if people pay me complements, I say "thank you" because I know they don't want me to disagree with them on their complement. And sometimes...it feels really nice!
Thank you. I have to work on my anxiety where it is related to sickness, too. In my less-than-wonderful times, I have had panic attacks that began with something as little as a twitch in my eye or a pinch in my chest. And heaven help me if I go onto the symptom checker of a certain "helpful" website.
Yesterday, I watched an amusing television program about people being motivated to step outside of their respective "boxes". There was a woman who stopped going to events because she had a very poor image of herself and thought that she looked fat and ugly in every outfit she might have worn. She decided to walk down her street in a bikini and to knock on her neighbors doors. Can you imagine?? I don't think I will be doing that but she found it to be the most liberating thing. The moral behind the show was that you will we will never get different results if you keep doing the same thing. My new goal is to think of something/anything that I can start doing differently - I suppose this is the Exposure work in our homework - so I will have to give a try.
I've been more concerned with being anxious than usual. Sometimes, I'll think - "Hey, it's been a great day today" and other times I will be worried about being worried. I miss the days when I could focus on other parts of my life. I'm sure that day will come. I am also watching my 11-year old navigate the 6th grade. When she is happy, I seize the opportunity to be close with her and when she is in a bad mood - I get as far away as possible!
Sunny, I love your words of wisdom. One of my favorite qualities in my husband is that he always points out beautiful things so that I can also enjoy them - "Look at that tree...look at the sunset...look at the ocean." I love how he reminds me to see the beauty in my surroundings. I think that is when we look our best - when we are taking in beauty. They say that we reflect what we see. Taking a really short walk and finding something beautiful to take in could be better for you than any make up or cream. Take care - I hope you find beauty in yourself and your surroundings this weekend!
I would like to share that my therapist gave me an article written by Andrew Weil. It happens to be his method of breathing that I use to relax.
Here is what I've learned and what I believe about Forgiveness. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself. When we are angry at someone, it doesn't really hurt the other person as much as it hurts ourselves. If someone has done something truly bad and we forgive them, it doesn't mean that we condone the behavior. It means that we accept that the past happened.
Speaking of forgiveness, my son and his friend are starting to argue about their game - I'd better go before someone has to forgive someone!
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