Thread by @shondradanielle

Back on the #30DaysofThreads train 3/30

I've had anxiety and anxiety attacks for years. A few years ago it got really bad - to the point I could barely leave the house and I've finally gotten to a place where it's manageable....

Here's how to manage anxiety attacks:

1.) First thing is to acknowledge your attacks as they are happening. Don’t fight them or try to stop them happening by clenching up and fighting with yourself.

Give yourself space to realize this is a physical reaction to a build up of energy.

Tell yourself this isn’t the truth. Your thoughts aren’t facts and right now you’re thinking irrationally.

Accept that. Understand what’s happening and if you do have emergency medicine take the damn medicine and stop trying to be strong.

2.) Like I said anxiety for me was just me realizing that it’s just an influx of energy.

So after you’ve accepted what’s happening. And can identify when your attacks are coming you can start to ask yourself WHY they’re coming.

What are your triggers? What were your thoughts right before the attack?

Mine were enclosed spaces and too many people and their energies and thinking about things going really well in my life.

A little more on this later.

For a while I just avoided my triggers. I didn’t take public transportation, worked from home, avoided conflict with certain individuals but this isn’t the solution.

3.) So I learned a few coping techniques:

Visualizations
Shaking my hands out (to release energy)
Listening to certain types of music
Self-talk

4.) But I think what really did it fit me was improving my self-talk.

If my thoughts start to race I stop myself cold and say “is this true” or “has this happened yet”

I also say to myself that this is my ego talking trying to protect me from something and that’s ALL it is.

I repeat that over and over. I tell myself I’m stronger than my anxiety and dig deep into that belief.

I also ask myself if the thing I’m scared of has happened before? So what are the odds of it happening now.

I reason with myself until my anxiety eventually subsides.

I know harder said than done.

My anxiety was bad when my boundaries were nonexistent. I’m an empath and super sensitive to energy and my anxiety would hit me when other people’s energy did hence the enclosed spaces thing.

Realizing that I had fluid boundaries and shoring those up.

GAMECHANGER.

Other things that worked in the moment:

Going outside. Immediately. Especially when it’s cold.

Taking a walk

Doing exercise. I know if an attack is coming on I can do push-ups or sit-ups as a way to distract my mind.

CBD Drops