I find that if I am feeling strange, hot flushes, cold chills, anxious inside that I have to just tell myself things like this:
1. It is okay to feel this way.
2. I have felt it before and it didn't hurt me.
3. This doesn't mean there has to be panic.
Rationalizing helps me, maybe it will help you some. Sometimes I find that if i analyze things too much I will just obsess over it until i get myself worked up and don't even realize it. I dunno how it is for you but maybe trying something similar will help. I wish you the best!
I am really trying to journal my thoughts, and life is just so busy.... I can't even remember to log into here these last few days. I work full time, and have 2 kids under 3 years plus a fulltime stepkid, so it can get hectic. But I will keep at it. If it takes me years, I will do this!!!
I have been lowering my dosage to let the anxiety surface a bit stronger so I can try to understand my thoughts... I will keep doing this. I'll have to download a notepad app to my smartphone so I can do it when and where I get them. That should be helpful!
And I want to thank you for your advice in the other post (in Mod's corner). I believe in God, and I know that God is good. And I have been a christian all my life. Now I know that I have not lived a sin free life, and noone except Jesus has, and I know I've been forgiven. And will continue to receive forgivness when I seek it. I have to try to figure out where the root is for my anxiety, and I think it roots in my beliefs somewhere...
Are you journaling your thoughts. This is so you can tell the difference in thought pattern between anxious periods and non anxious. Now if it is something that happens when you are asleep it will be hard to find. It is possible to get rid of anxiety with just relaxation and coping skills, but it takes longer.
No, Davit, I am not on beta-blockers. I have a low blood pressure (usually around 100/55) - I know I faint easily because my blood doesn't travel fast enough at times. So I don't think that had anything to do with the heat. I think the heat was there because I had just been dancing...
And Ashley, I have been trying to pinpoint my triggers, but after 3 months in the program, no luck yet. That's why I was trying to see if anyone out there could help me to understand why - because I'm not having any luck yet. I just do - I wake up, and my first thought is "why am I feeling anxious?"
One of the things we don't often notice with panic but is there is lack of efficiency. It is hard to get things done. Most of the time it gets wrote off as fatigue. Some times as depression. The body under reacts so to speak. Breathing slows, and your ability to cool or get warm is just one of these things. Some times it cycles, first one then the other. (like hot flashes)
You don't do exposure to being hot by being hot if it is uncomfortable. You want to do thought exposure to the fact that this is normal for your level of anxiety. Some one else posted here to run cold water on your wrists. By all means help out your body in times of anxiety when it is less efficient but keep reminding yourself that this is okay for your condition and it will go with the anxiety. One question though. Are you taking a beta blocker. It will lower your bodies ability to shed heat by not allowing your pulse to go up and circulate blood faster. (your cooling system).
How would you answer those questions you just asked? When you were feeling warm after dancing, what was wrong with you? Or to reframe; what was making you feel warm? When you woke with a panic. What was making you panic? Pin pointing the triggers or reframing thoughts (challenging negativity) will help you here. Start by answering these questions and we can go from there.
I awoke from my nap yesterday afternoon and shortly afterwards I started feeling anxious. I was dancing in the living room with my 17 mo old daughter and felt warm afterwards. I even opened a window (it was snowing outside) to cool off. My hubby came back and thought it was too cold. As soon as I started feeling warm I started feeling anxious "what's wrong with me?" My panic stayed with me for the rest of the evening and got a bit higher when I watched the news (as it always does) but especially now with us at war in Libia (which I don't necessarily agree with) - either way, I awoke with panic again this morning, and again wonder "what's wrong with me?"
I don't see how I can do exposure work to get over this? Any suggestions??
