minou: hotblondecocktail: My anxiety, and I said that like I’m a relationship...

hotblondecocktail:

My anxiety, and I said that like I’m a relationship with it, has been so bad that I’m dropping weight like crazy because for three weeks I’ve felt like jumping out of my own skin and not really eating, sleeping, functioning properly, etc. I started a new medication on…

Ditto everything Minou said. I will add (and YMMV):

• Think up jokes, witticisms or devastatingly incisive things to say about your anxiety/panic attacks. Or, narrate to yourself the story of your anxiety/panic attacks, the experience of them and what is causing them, but not in a “help!” or “I’m so scared!” voice—more in a “can you believe this shit?” voice, or a “what is up with that” voice. You don’t have to share any of it with anyone, if you don’t want to. I’m not sure if this makes sense; I suppose I’m getting at something involving perspective and a sense of control, recasting the situation so you can feel like it’s not overpowering you. Also this reblog bulletpoint is the most personal and embarrassing thing I have ever put on the internet, so.
• Identify the things that comfort you and do not be afraid to let yourself have them/do them. At the same time, identify your own personal boundary between self-comfort and counterproductive wallowing, and respect it.
• Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell any co-workers or classmates with whom you have a trusting relationship. Make sure you have someone you can text, email or call in the middle of the night when you’re freaking out—if you have not done this yet, you will be surprised at how little people judge you and how much people support you.
• Mantras can be helpful, as can tangible objects that you can touch or hold when you need to calm down—if there is a rock, pen, piece of jewelry, etc. that has a good memory associated with it, keep it with you. 
• Besides remembering to breathe, or practicing breathing exercises, you might find guided meditation helpful. I downloaded this from Amazon a while back, I never have more than five minutes (or so I tell myself) but you can just listen to one track at a time. The “affirmative meditation” one is nice and not New Agey.
• Do the work you need to do to deal with it, but remember that you’re more than the sum of your anxieties. Even if it occupies 90% of your brain, the anxiety is not your identity. 
• Yoga. Or walking. Or swimming. Movements that are engaging but not jarring, and a little repetitive.
• Acupuncture helps me A LOT but I know people for whom it is less effective. Bodies are so mysterious! It’s worth a try, though, you will know after one session if it’s worth going back for more. If you live in a big city, there may be a community clinic that has a sliding fee scale based on income (which is what I do). If you do not live in a big city, private practitioners may be more affordable or may be willing to work with you if money is a concern. Just ask.
• Go outside.
• Seriously, go outside.