Tuesday Pep Talk...

I am sure many of you can agree that we are all in need of a pep talk once in a while. I know myself suffering with anxiety I feel better once I have spoken about how I am feeling or what I am worrying about with someone else, whether it's just to put my mind at rest or to give more a more rational answer to a problem.

Being in a reflective mood I have been thinking about how things have changed since starting with bad anxiety and how they are now. The answer is, that lots of things have changed massively and that is a combination of things such as, getting older, leaving Uni, moving house etc.

I still feel annoyed and sometimes disappointed  with myself when I have one of those random anxious days, which luckily I can recognise much more easily and do something about it sooner. I have to remind myself that its fine to have those kind of days and we wouldn't be human without them. Its completely normal to have some anxiety when there are big changes happening in your life.

Think about those days when you have felt completely overwhelmed with anxiety and worry but it still didn't stop you from doing what you wanted to do, they are the reason you are where you are now. Anxiety does not define you it is just a part of you, it doesn't mean that you don't have aspirations and passions. You are still you, you still have your own personality and you are just as able as everyone else to enjoy your life!

I find pushing yourself to do something which you thought you would never be able to do helps so much. Doing something (no matter how small) which you previously thought would cause you to freak out and realising that you can do it just fine can fill you with confidence and make you so happy! Even if you do have a little wobble whilst you are doing it coming out the other side and realising you can do it, and it wasn't so bad after all is so worthwhile.

Remember you are not the only person feeling like this, whatever situation you are in I am sure there are multiple people who feel just the same as you do, you aren't alone.

Understanding Anxiety - Unhelpful Thinking Styles...

Like I mentioned in my previous post Anxiety has been said to be a product of unhelpful thinking styles, which in most cases people see them as being unchangeable. Note, these ways of thinking are not labeled as 'Bad' but unhelpful, these thinking patterns are usually exaggerated due to the individual suffering from them not having the belief or strength that they can actually change them.

These thinking styles are unhelpful because of the impact that have on your thoughts and feelings about certain  things and how you respond as a result. Even if the root cause of your anxiety is not down to this, having unhelpful thoughts will intensify your anxious feelings and alter the way you act or behave.

Negative
Anxiety revolves around dwelling on what has happened in the past and worrying about what could happen in the future. Thinking in this way encourages negativity because we tend to only focus on the difficulties and bad times we experience. Having negative thoughts only increases anxiety but you have the ability to change how you think about a situation. Overall having anxiety isn't a very nice experience but try not to make it even worse by thinking negatively about it. It is common for anxiety sufferers to use one negative experience of something as a warning that something negative will happen every time you are going to do the same thing again.

Paranoid
Someone who usually worries a lot is likely to take things which other people say or do to heart or personally and will be quick to make assumptions about what people think of them.

Catastrophic
Catastrophising is the irrational thought that everything is much worse than it actually is. This is extremely common with someone who suffers from anxiety. Like I have mentioned many times a huge part of anxiety is spent predicting what might go wrong in the future and it is likely that whatever you have in mind will be the worst case scenario.

Black and white thinking
This kind of thinking is believing that something is all or nothing. This can lead to people with anxiety to put a large amount of pressure of themselves to be/do something in a certain way. As a result people usually become extremely self critical when little things go wrong or they don't quite feel right.

Like I said our thoughts can have a massive impact on feelings of anxiety, stress or just our moods in general.
Many of these thoughts take place without any control so therefore it is important to recognise them as just being 'thoughts' and the majority of the time are not based on facts.
Once you can identify the various unhelpful thought patterns which you can have you can begin to challenge them when they occur. The more you have the same unhelpful thoughts the more you start to understand why you are having them. If you can categorize your thoughts within the different thought patterns it becomes easier to manage them. If you get into the practice of writing down when you have one of those unhelpful thoughts seeing it written down also helps to put things into perspective. Seeing it written down on paper also allows you to create a contradictory thought which will help to prove how unrealistic your thoughts actually are.

Recognising when you are having the unhelpful thoughts and confronting them will have an impact on how you are feeling.

Understanding Anxiety - Physical Symptoms...

It is definitely true that the more set backs you have with anxiety or any mental illness, sooner rather than later you become able to recognise when the feelings are happening. Understanding what those feelings are is a massive step in the right direction. I am in no way claiming that what I am saying is 100% accurate and the same for everyone who has anxiety or I am trying to say everyone who suffers from these symptoms they definitely have anxiety. I am just using my experience and knowledge I have gained myself to try and help other people understand. If you think you are suffering from Anxiety or any other kind of mental illness I would still recommend that you speak to someone else and arrange to see a Dr or other professional.

Although Anxiety is under the mental illness umbrella a lot of the symptoms are physical and more importantly everyone and anyone has the capability of feeling anxious at any time in their life. Anxiety is largely developed from unhelpful thinking styles and as a result worry may become disproportionate to the actual situations. There can be many reasons that people suffer with anxiety but in some cases such as mine my anxiety is 'free floating' and naturally in my body so therefore it can be triggered more easily than other peoples and doesn't necessarily have to be due to a stressful situation, in fact I find that serious situations and things which are 'normal' to worry about I am actually fine with . Everyone's body has the ability to react to extreme situations and the flight or fight adrenaline response kicks in which is actually very useful. Initially for someone suffering from anxiety these feelings can be very daunting because when they take place they are usually aren't in a frightening situation. Being able to recognise and understand the symptoms which can occur during periods of high anxiety allows you to realise that, that is what it is and not something abnormal. This has helped me tremendously and the more times I have felt them I have managed to notice them sooner and calm myself down. It has taken me two years to get to the point where I am able to understand my anxiety and not completely freak out every time I have the same feelings, this is disappointing in contemporary society and I really want to help people realise that what they are feeling is completely normal.  I read somewhere that a helpful way to view anxiety is that it is a defense mechanism and is in no way trying to purposely harm your body.

Physical symptoms of anxiety

Racing heart or palpitations
This is one very common symptom of anxiety and equally scary if you don't know why you suddenly feel like your heart is racing. Your heart beats faster because your body realises adrenaline and therefore blood is pumped around the body quicker to prepare your body in the fight or flight response this makes perfect sense when you read it like this but when it happens from the tiniest trigger it feels much worse.

Body Temperature
Your body temperature usually rapidly changes when you are feeling anxious. Initially you will feel very hot and probably start sweating as a way of cooling down (very glamorous I know) Once you reach the peak of the anxiety attack you may start to feel shivery and shaky this is a result of your muscles contracting because you will naturally tense up during this time and also your body will start to cool down after a short while.

Fuzzy head/headaches
As a result of all the adrenaline pumping around the body and your heart beating faster, it is likely that you will feel faint or dizzy. This again is a perfectly normally response to feeling anxious.

Tummy trouble
During a period of feeling anxious your body is concentrating on your heart and getting the blood to the right places as a result your digestive system temporary shuts down. This can lead to feelings of butterflies, sickness, churning, poor appetite and going to the toilet frequently. Having these kind of symptoms aren't very nice but once you understand the reasons why you are suffering from them it makes it just that little bit easier to deal with. You may also notice that tummy problems stay around even after you aren't feeling particularly anxious.

Tiredness
My doctor said to me that every time you have an episode of anxiety or a panic attack your body produces enough adrenaline to be able to run a marathon, no wonder you feel tired afterwards. Being tired can therefore have an impact on your thought patterns and a result become more negative which will have a knock on effect on your anxiety.

Rapid breathing
As the blood in your body is been directed to all the vital organs this may increase your breathing. Over a period of time in your body being used to taking short sharp breaths it may lead to hyperventilation. This again is pretty scary at the time and more than likely will make you freak out even more. Once you begin to understand the reason behind you feeling this way the easier it is to manage and eventually calm down. I went through a bad spell with thinking I couldn't breathe and as a result thinking it was something to do with my heart at the time I was at my fittest and could comfortably run just over 6 miles, this made me realise that if it was something more serious wrong with me I definitely wouldn't have been able to do that.

Derealisation
I have had this symptom numerous times during when I have felt anxious or had a panic attack and it can be quite difficult to explain to people who have never experienced it. Basically, derealisation is the feeling as though what you are experiencing is a dream and it doesn't feel real. Having anxiety you are constantly aware of how you and your body feels and therefore, sometimes you aren't really paying attention to your surroundings and whats going on around you, this can make you feel like you aren't yourself at times.

I want to do a couple more posts surrounding Anxiety and helping people understand it a little bit better, so next time I will cover the unhelpful thought patterns which can be created as a result of having Anxiety. Remember anyone can experience Anxiety whether you are actually suffering for a short or long period of time.

Chunk Days...

I am just writing this blog post whilst in sunny Bournemouth, it has been really nice to get away from everyday things and have a complete change of scenery. This post is more of a short but sweet one compared with my usual ramblings.

Anyway, here is some more valuable advice from my Auntie I wanted to share with you all because I have found it really helpful myself. I am sure many people with anxiety or the tendency to over think and worry will be aware of getting that overwhelming feeling when a big/important day is coming up or maybe you are going to have to do something which you are afraid of. 

It is pretty easy to get yourself into a huge ball of anxiety and panic before that day has even arrived and so when it does actually happen you feel horrendous and it just reinforces the fact that you are scared of that thing in particular. I can feel quite anxious if I have a day where lots of things are going to be happen and I am going to be really busy. I tend to see the day as one big mix of all the things together and as a result begin feel under pressure to feel OK for the whole day. Busy days can be stressful even for those who don't worry very much. 

Basically, if you have one of those kind of days coming up you should try to break the whole day into small manageable chunks and therefore each little thing doesn't seem so overwhelming. Each time you achieve or complete one of the chunks you already feel better about the day and realise it isn't going to be as bad as you thought it was going to be.  

It may even be helpful to make a list of the different chunks of your day and tick them off as you have done them, this also helps to see how far you've come and that you were perfectly fine whilst doing so, which in turn gives you more and more confidence when you have another big day coming up. 

I have used this method in a number of different situations and it really does help!

You are stronger than you think...

Day Number 2 of Mental Health Awareness week.

I'm definitely not saying it is easy, taking the first step is the hardest but also the greatest thing you can do. 

Are you Anxiety Aware?

So, this week is the start of Mental Health Awareness week and the theme this year being Anxiety I obviously couldn't ignore it. I have had quite a tough time recently with my own Anxiety, following numerous chats and pep talks with my wonderful family and friends, I have woken up this morning and feel a bit better!

Not only do I want to help myself but I want to help other people who are struggling or who have struggled in the past. So, in return of people being kind, supportive and staying positive for me, I am going to share a quote, saying or picture everyday this week in aid of Mental Health Awareness week. 

Here is my first quote, I hope it helps! 

Pinterest

Things to do when your having a rubbish day!

Everyone has down days or 'wobble' days as I like to call them. This includes every single person whether they have been diagnosed with some kind of mental illness or not. If like me you are very self critical when you do have a 'wobble' day you will blame yourself and in turn make yourself feel 10 times worse about not feeling 100% OK.

But we have to remember its normal to have these kind of days, its just part of life and ladies in particular you will all understand what I mean when it comes to our monthly occurrences.
So I think it is important that instead of making yourself feel worse you should make an effort to do little things you enjoy and treat yourself.

I have made a list of a few things to do when you happen to have one of those kind of days.

1. Listen to your favourite songs/music, maybe even make a playlist with all those random songs (make it as cheesy as you want to).
2. Put on said playlist and dance like an idiot. (Preferably Now That's what I Call 90's)
3. Actually have a cry, let it all out. 
4. Read, a great book or magazine
5. Get in touch with someone you haven't spoken to for ages. (use wisely)
6. Be selfless, think about other people instead of your own situation, put things into perspective. 
7. Wear your favourite outfit. 
8. Have a duvet day.
9. Have a nap. 
10. Make your own list like this one.
11. Watch a film, again as cheesy as possible. 
12. Be organised, sort out your wardrobe, make sure your diary/Filofax is up to date. 
13. Set yourself goals, then reflect on them after a certain amount of time, see how well you are doing.
14. Wear your favourite bright lipstick, just because. 
15. Eat comfort food. 
16. Meet a friend for tea & cake = the best pick me up! (Rebecca Dilks, you know who you are!) 
17. Just drink tea in general. 
18. Have a bath
19. Catch up on your favourite TV programmes. 
20. Indulge in your guilty pleasures, = more cheesy films.
21. Look at old pictures. 
22. Go to the cinema and have pop corn. 
23. Get some fresh air, go for a run or a walk. (Weather permitting)
24. Have a pamper sessions, face mask, nails etc. (You too boys)
25. Have a take away. 
26. Do 100 happy days challenge. (Not everyday is always good, but there is something good in everyday)
27. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for. 
28. Go on Pinterest!
29. Do some exercise. 
30. Have a make up free day. 
31. Wear your comfiest clothes. 
32. Have a rant. 
33. Do something childish. 
34. Eat Jelly. 
35. Have a hot choc, with cream, marsh mellows, all the works. 
36. Do something creative. 
37. Do someone a favour. 
38. Hug your pet. 
39. Make notes about your worries/problems, share them with someone else. 
40. Get a Pick 'n' Mix with all your fav sweets. 

So there are just a few random things, but I am sure the list can go on and on and is probably different for every one of us. What do you like to do when you are having a rubbish day? 

Self-Help

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when I wrote about Panic Attacks I said that I would share some of the ways and techniques which I use to help myself with my anxiety.

I am in no position to tell people what to do and I am not saying these things will definitely work for everyone but they are just small things which I have picked up from different people, books and from the internet which I feel have helped me.

Firstly I don’t take any prescribed medication for my anxiety as my doctor didn't think this was the correct approach for me personally. These are just a few small things which I do for myself personally which I can do whenever I feel I need to.

Reading

I have read numerous amounts of books and internet articles and I have been given different bits of information booklets by the lady who I saw at the end of last year. I do find it easier for me personally to have a hard copy of anything which I have read and I feel it has helped me, just so then I can refer back to it whenever I need to.  One book I have was recommended to me by a lady my mum works with, (I mentioned it in a previous post and completely forgot to tell you the name of it etc ) , so it is called ‘Self-Help for your nerves’ By Dr Claire Weekes, I was a bit skeptical at the time, because it was when I was in the ‘nothing will help me’ mind set. However I sat down to read it and it was as though someone was writing about me and exactly how I felt. It helped me to start seeing things in perspective, with it being written down and by a complete stranger made me feel like it was something real. My mum also read the book and it helped her understand a bit more too. 

I liked it so much I bought the newer addition ‘Essential Help for your nerves’ By Dr Claire Weekes. These books aren’t just for people who have being diagnosed with anxiety disorder or any type of mental illness. They are helpful for anyone and can help with so many different things, from stress to someone who just has a nervous personality. So whenever I feel a bit down or ‘wobbly’ I like to read different chapters in the books which I found helpful and I have also written down some of the most important quotes and phrases to help me remember.

Breathing/ Yoga

One thing I learnt from the therapist lady I saw, was about all about breathing and teaching yourself to breathe correctly.  Through having panic attacks I got used to breathing too fast and trying to take in more oxygen than my body actually needed. One of the first things she told me to do was listen to some podcast's which are available on iTunes which teach you to be aware of how you breathe and how to do it properly. I found these podcasts very helpful and still listen to them occasionally.

Since then I have started going to a Yoga class and have been every week for about 10 weeks now. I am going to write another post about Yoga in more detail at some point so I won’t go into too much detail now. As part of the class we do breathing exercises/meditation and again we have been taught how to be aware of how you are breathing and how breathing correctly can keep you calm or calm you down.  Now, whenever I notice myself feeling slightly anxious I remember the breathing techniques I have learnt and it is a quick remedy to help me feel calmer. I sometimes use calm.com which is a great website to use to do your own meditation. 

Exercise 

In addition to doing yoga, physical exercise is something I use which helps me to fight off any anxious thoughts and feelings. If you are a worrier you waste a lot of energy in a negative way which the majority of the time is unnecessary. It is good to use this energy doing something worthwhile which will make you feel much better in the long run. Exercise can vary from a walk with the dog to a full on circuit training class, its entirely up to you. 

Take note 

I have briefly mentioned before about the therapist lady I used to see getting me in the habit of writing down and making notes whenever I felt anxious or had a panic attack. I don’t feel the need to do this as often anymore but it really did help me in getting out of the downward spiral I felt like I was in at the time. I had some work sheets which she gave me where you write down the reason, situation or thing which had made you anxious, write how it made you feel and then what the worst thing which could happen could possibly be. This allowed me to see things in black and white and it became easier for me to put things into perspective. This is a great technique to use to help you become more in control of your problem and for it not to take hold of you. 

Personal Space

I am the sort of person who likes their own space and I sometimes need to just get away and be on my own once in a while. Although being all on your own can sometimes make you feel worse and that was the case for me when my anxiety was very bad. But now I know the reasons for me feeling rubbish sometimes, I do find it very helpful to have time to myself. Everyone deserves a bit a break from things from time to time and should have some time to yourself even if its just half an hour or so.

 I like to read, so reading a magazine or book is always good, but I am not doing very well with reading books recently. However I do read other peoples blogs a lot obviously. I watch YouTube videos as something to do for ‘me time’ and keep up to date with the people whose channels I watch regularly.  

Doing anything girly like painting my nails or putting on a face mask I find can always be quite therapeutic. Those sort of little things are especially helpful if you have had an anxious or stressful day or you just want time to relax. 

Blogging
Writing this blog has been a massive help for me and given me the opportunity to share a lot of things which I have kept to myself for a very long time. I have already had positive feedback from a range of completely different people and it is so great to hear that I am actually helping people whilst helping myself!!

I saw this picture on Tumblr, I really like it and think it is relevant to everyone and fits in perfectly with this blog post! 

And in time, this too shall pass...

Now after being ‘diagnosed’ with some kind of mental health issue, be it anxiety, panic attacks, depression or perhaps you are just a negative or shy person once there has been a label given to you it can suddenly feel like people expect you to wake up and it have disappeared overnight. It isn’t something you can cure, but there are ways which you can help yourself feel better.

You start to get into a routine in which your mind has controlled which makes doing anything outside of your comfort zone seem terrifying. So many times I have stuck to doing things and being in situations which don’t scare me. In the past as soon as I have taken a foot outside my comfort zone I have felt anxious. This has led to me being scared of doing and going to simple everyday things. If you are reading this and suffer from any of those issues mentioned above you will understand that just the thought of doing those things genuinely scares you. You wish you could and want more than anything to be able to say yes to an invitation or just simply go to that place which terrifies you.

I have spent the last few years in the same mind set. But it recently got progressively worse to the point of me refusing to go to see James Bond at the cinema with my boyfriend and instead him having to take my little sister because I was too ‘scared to go. At the time it felt like the only option was to run away from it all and say no instead of facing the situation. It is easy for people to say ‘lifes too short’ or ‘don’t worry, you’ll be fine’ but once your brain has gone down that path it seems like there is no way out.

Getting to how I feel now hasn’t been easy. It has taken quite a long time for me to change my thought patterns and it is very difficult to force your brain to think differently after it has believed certain things for the length of time that it has.

Only recently, after getting some help and being in more control of my anxiety I have been thinking I never want to have the feeling of regretting not doing something or never enjoying every day things because I was too scared to do them. The lady who I saw for the therapy sessions taught me how to put things into perspective. Using this technique every day has already made a massive difference to my life. If I start to feel a little bit anxious about something or a situation I remember her saying to me put it into perspective. Now instead of avoiding a situation to prevent myself from feeling anxious or having a panic attack, I try and tell myself it will be OK if I do feel anxious or panicky but nothing too serious will happen. It feels better to be able to say you tried to do something which made you feel anxious instead of wondering what might have happened if you hadn’t gone or done it in the first place.

Another very important thing is to start taking control of your problem rather than it be in control of you. It is more than likely that it is something which you have to live with and therefore accepting that fact is a massive step. For a while after being told that I had some kind of anxiety disorder I found it hard to accept that some days I felt fine and only the next day I felt completely awful. I decided to start calling my bad days ‘wobble’ days because then I know that’s all they are and I know I can feel better again. You should never ever be discouraged by a ‘wobble day’ and they are only as severe as you let them be. I have read a very good book which I would recommend to absolutely everyone. One thing I use to encourage myself on a ‘wobble day’ is that there is no such thing as no point of return. Once you understand where those awful feelings have come from you can  move forward.   For people to say ‘There is always tomorrow’ it can make you angry when you have suffered from anxiety for a long time. When you are in that specific mind frame you think you will feel awful forever never mind tomorrow. My auntie has always said this to me and it is a very helpful thing to say to yourself to see things in a more positive way. Remember that if you have a bit of a ‘wobble’ you can use tomorrow as a fresh start and no matter what happens you always have that opportunity to forget about yesterday.

Anxiety and panic attacks are really really horrible but it is important to never look back on the times when you have felt at your worst and never compare yourself other people. You must try and use your new ways of thinking to your best advantage. Why should you miss out on all the little things in life which you haven’t been noticing because you feel afraid.

For me it wasn’t about completely changing as a person and all of a sudden becoming some kind of adrenaline junky. It was important for me just to enjoy the everyday situations which I hadn’t felt comfortable in for a while. Going on public transport without feeling anxious has been a massive step for me because I had started to actually feel scared of catching trains. Going to the cinema and out for tea without feeling anxious was another thing which I felt very proud of myself for doing last month. Now, they may seem like insignificant things to other people but they were things that I was afraid of. 

So, no matter how big or small your fears are once you start to face them you feel so much more confident and feel happier in yourself. Once you feel like you can do those little things without your anxiety creeping up on you it gives you a boost to do more things, perhaps things which you wouldn’t have even dreamt about doing before. One night last month was the first time in a verrrry long time that I went to an actual pub surrounded by drunk people and even had a couple of drinks myself without feeling an ounce of anxiety and afterwards I felt so happy with myself that I could actually do it.

You should take this part of your anxiety or any other kind of issue at your own pace and take each step as quickly or as slowly as you feel comfortable with. This time it isn’t about people telling you what to do it is about you being in control of your own personal situation. You only have one life, but it is yours so don’t let anyone or anything take over the control which you have. 

Panic Attacks

Unless you have ever experienced a panic attack yourself, it can be hard to understand exactly what they feel like. Anxiety is a normal feeling which everyone will have experienced at some point throughout their lives. The extent and causes of the anxiety can affect people in many different ways. Some people have a low threshold of anxiety and manage to stay calm by keeping things in perspective regardless of the situation and others, (like me) don’t.

Not only is it important to provide advice and information for people who feel the same way as me or those who perhaps think that they are experiencing panic attacks and anxiety but aren't quite sure, but also to provide a better understanding for people who know someone who suffers and don’t really know anything about it or what they can to do to help. 

Panic attacks can happen to anyone whether you are aware that you have anxiety or not.

Since I have being suffering I have realised how very little people do actually know what a panic attack truly is and it does make it extremely difficult to explain to people exactly how you do feel. No matter how close people are to you or how many hours you have taken just trying to explain how you feel they will never fully understand.

Although people experience a variety of symptoms and different intensities of these symptoms, there is still a generic explanation for what a panic attack is. I am going to do my best to briefly describe what panic attacks are, reflecting on how they feel through my own personal experience.

Basically, when you begin to have a panic attack you will usually get a sudden extreme feeling of dread and panic. I usually feel very claustrophobic and as though I need to get out of the space I am in at the time. It can feel like everything is closing in on you and you feel as though you are trapped. During this moment your body realises that something isn't quite right and that you are panicking and therefore begins to release a shed load of adrenalin. Our bodies, being the amazing machines they are, are programmed to release adrenalin when it feels it is at risk or in danger.

Many of you may have heard of the ‘fight or flight response’. Like I mentioned earlier, if your brain believes that your body is in danger it naturally releases adrenalin. This is in preparation for you to make the decision of staying strong and ‘fighting’ or running away from a situation.

As soon as the adrenalin is released it causes your heart to beat much faster than usual and people start to worry that there is actually something wrong with their heart. When my anxiety was very bad I went to the doctors because I thought that I had something wrong with my breathing. If you have anxiety and panic attacks you try to breathe in more oxygen than your body needs which causes your chest muscles to feel tight and it can be painful. If someone is breathing more heavily or quickly than normal it can be a sign they are having a panic attack. 

During a panic attack the combined overload of adrenalin, heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat can make feel very weak and lethargic, after your panic attack you will usually feel exhausted. All your senses become heightened, with me in particular it is as though everything becomes louder than normal and I am aware of every little sound around me, this makes me want to get out of the situation even more. Other symptoms I have had include, shivering, sweating, feeling sick, needing the toilet, feeling dizzy, ringing in your ears, having extreme emotions.

One symptom of a panic attack I have found particularly scary is the feeling of depersonalisation, this is when it is as though the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing aren't reality and you are looking down onto somebody else. It is an extreme feeling of not being in control of the situation which in itself can make you panic.

Panic attacks can come on very quickly and can last for a specific amount of time. I find that once I have had a panic attack I can feel anxious for the rest of that day.

People can have a panic attack once and then never have another again in their life. They can be caused by high levels of stress/anxiety or traumas in your life.  The problem with having an anxiety disorder or being an anxious person in general is that it is likely that the experience of having a panic attack will become stored in your memory. Therefore whenever you are in similar situations which previously triggered your panic attack your body learns to respond in the same way as before. You begin to feel afraid of how you felt whilst having a panic attack that you avoid any situations which reminds you of having them. 

There isn't much advice available for people about how to help someone who is having a panic attack or suffers from them regularly. This makes it harder to understand how that person is feeling and to know what to do in those situations. My initial advice is to be patient at all times, I know it can be frustrating because you feel helpless but getting irritated or freaking out at the same time as someone is panicking themselves will not help one bit. Stay positive and reassure them that everything will be OK, tell them what they are experiencing are just thoughts and feeling about a situation and it will not last forever. People who do suffer panic attacks and anxiety feel angry and disappointed with themselves after they have panicked  because they feel like they didn't manage to remain calm and in control of the situation. Therefore it is very important that you do not show any annoyance when they fail to do something which may seem like a simple task to other people.   

I have discussed in my first blog post some of the situations which  triggered my panic attacks. However, I don’t feel comfortable discussing all the ins and outs to every panic attack I have ever had on my blog.  So, I hope it has been helpful to provide a brief overview of panic attacks and what they can be like.

I have written another post which I will be sharing soon about how I have moved forward and will be writing another post about the different techniques and methods I use, which have helped me control my anxiety.