When I was 18 I suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, began to get reoccurring powerful episodes where I would become overwhelmed with fear. I did not know where they came from and why this was happening to me, all I knew was there was a very terrifying change in me and the way my mind seemed to work. I was completely freaked out. To make things even worse there was no one that I trusted that I could go and talk to. I was afraid if I told anyone they would think I was crazy. I was overwhelmed with thoughts that I was losing my mind and that I would end up in a mental hospital. Each attack seemed to get worse and soon I was living in the terror of not knowing when the next one would strike. I was already thin at the time and I completely lost my appetite. For three weeks I seldom ate and I lost some serious weight. I was afraid of the thoughts I was getting. I was afraid of what was happening to me. I was losing hope that I would ever be normal again.
Lies, Lies, Lies
But it all turned out to be a bunch of lies. I did get better. I recovered 100 %. I did get normal again. I did not know it then but I was not alone. There are multitudes of people who have had similar experiences. There are people that understand, people who are safe that I did not have to hide from, people that could help. The worse thing that I could do was isolate myself and let my fears overwhelm me. The problem was that at that time I could not find anyone that I felt safe enough around that I could confide in. If you feel like you can not find anyone who is safe right now don't worry, you will eventually. Bookmark this page so you can come back to it. Here are two places that can help: Panic Away and Spiritual Crisis Management. If you do not think these are right for you then keep looking. I promise you, if you do not give up, you will find the help you need, your hope will be restored, and you will live a normal life. I know this is true because this is my story. I overcame my panic attacks / anxiety attacks before I turned 19 and never had another one. I am in my 60s now. Let me repeat that so it is perfectly clear: After I conquered my panic attacks I NEVER had another one and I live a normal life. You must believe that there is hope for you too and you need to take some kind of action to address this issue.
Tips / Anxiety Help
- First recognize that you do not have any power over your feelings, you just get them, good feelings and bad feelings. Especially a feeling of fear. Don't try to stop your feelings or push them down. If you push them down they will come back sideways (in some hurtful way) or come back stronger than before -- they will not be denied. It is OK to feel your feelings. If you are afraid that is fine, it is OK to be afraid. Your power lies not in controlling your feelings, but rather what you decide to do in response to your fears or your feelings. You can choose just to let them pass through you and do nothing, especially you can choose not to do any self destructive or harmful negative actions directed at others.
- Recognize that you do not have any power over your thoughts. If you have thoughts that frighten you don't fight them. What you resist will persist. Let them come and let them go. Again your power lies in what you choose to do in response to your thoughts. You can just let them come and go and choose to do nothing. If you want to direct the flow of your thoughts ask yourself questions, your mind is like a computer and will start answering your questions. So ask yourself positive questions. Ask yourself, "How can I benefit from this situation? How have I been strong in the past? Who do I know that has gone through worse things than this and come out on top (I like to remind myself of bible characters like Joseph, David, and others)? What can I feel good about? What can I read or where can I go for positive inspiration?" I use this whenever something happens to me that I feel is really bad. I remember Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God ..." I ask myself, "How can this work out for my good?" You can change the flow of your thoughts from negative to positive.
- Understand that you only need to get through today. If you are getting overwhelmed with fear of the future recognize that you only need deal with today. You just need to take one day at a time.
- Another place where you have power is in what you choose to believe. Regardless of how you feel, regardless of what you think, make a decision to believe that everything is going to be all right. Read Chapter 2 (The Secret to Finding Strength in Your Greatest Crisis) of Spiritual Crisis Management.
- If possible, try to determine the root cause of your attacks. If you have been on some kind of prescription medication and suddenly stopped or cut back, talk to you doctor. If this is a possible cause then ask him if he can cut you back slowly. If you have been medicating your feelings with alcohol or illegal drugs (if you have been taking them because you are unhappy or depressed or to have "fun") then understand that medicating your feelings does not make them go away, it just pushes them down and when they come back they are even worse than before and harder to deal with. If this is the case for you then that is OK, don't beat yourself up, but recognize that this kind of behavior is destructive for you and has negative and painful consequences. Check your phone book or the Internet for places like Alcohol Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous which are safe places where you can get some healthy support. You do not have to go through this alone and you can get anonymous help without getting into trouble. If you have no idea why this is happening then that is OK, Don't let that be an issue. Make a choice to believe that you will get any knowledge you need when you are ready for it.
- If you believe in God or a Higher Power then humble yourself and recognize that you do not have all the answers and ask for help. Be still (quiet yourself as much as possible) and ask for peace that does not depend on your circumstances. If you do not believe in God or a Higher Power, or wish you had a stronger connection and are open to receiving spiritual help, the read Chapter 1 of Spiritual Crisis Management.
If you found the Chapters of Spiritual Crisis Management helpful and you want to read more, click here.
