Silvana -
I just wanted to follow up on Ashley's suggestion that meditation could be helpful.
From my personal experience, I would highly recommend trying to incorporate meditation practice into your coping strategies. I kind of fell into practicing regular meditation as a result of intially using different breathing techniques to cope with panic attacks that came out of nowhere. I found alot of benefit with the breathing techniques and mediation is really just a deeper dive into breathing practices ... focusing on the breath and clearing the mind. In retrospect, I think my panic attacks were in part manifestations of an anxious mind - worrying about the past or the future but not spending enough mental energy in the present. Meditation has helped me with this ... it's about being in the moment, relaxing the mind and body (things that are all helpful in dealing with panic). I typically do about 30-40 minutes of yoga - which I would also strongly recommend. From my reading, part of what affects those of us with PD is a misinterpretation of what are otherwise benign physical sensations in the body ... ie, "my heart is beating fast, I must be having a heart attack, oh sh*t ... this is never going to end and I'm going to die". Well for me, yoga incorporates doing something physical (producing some of those misinterpreted body sensations) with a focus on breathing and staying relaxed. After I've done a little yoga, I'll do about 15-25 minutes of meditations. I've found this routine to be very helpful in that it helps train the mind and body to better confront/prevent those panic attacks that come out of nowhere.
Sorry for the long email ... but I just wanted to let you know what's helped me. I think my meditation/yoga have been more helpful then my meds, regular therapy sessions, etc. Not to mention, the physcial/mental benefits associated with these practices extend beyond their role as coping mechanisms with anxiety.
Give it a try ... even 10-15 minutes a day can go a long way. And believe me, I thought yoga and meditation were 'too out there' and couldn't possibly help me ... it may seem silly initially but I think it can really work if you stick with it.
As you can see, my practice hasn't helped with my tendency to ramble.
