Hi there… You are not alone in this. I’ve been dealing with anxiety for over a year now and there are some things that you can do to minimize it, you can try breathing exercises, aromatherapy, meditation, etc…

There is an online radio “LIVE365” that plays a channel called “Healing and relaxation” you can try that and drink some 12 flowers tea…believe me, it helps.

Hope you are feeling better 🙂

Hi Switch….you are not alone! I am an anxiety survivor still learning to walk my new path. Your story really hits home with me. For me I had two main things help me and many life changes that combined not only help me feel like myself again it helped me find a life that is more peaceful then I have ever known. When I first noticed my anxiety it was small things, that twinge in my chest, my body would be tense. As it progressed I stopped engaging in the things I enjoyed in life. Then it seemed to grow into a monster inside me with a mind of it’s own. The most simplest of things would take everything I had just to try and make it through. It got to the point that I didn’t do anything that wasn’t a “have to” and driving was the worst!! I ended up being scared to just leave the house never knowing when the anxiety would show up. I have always felt that I am a very strong person, I’m the rock that everyone leans on. I knew I could accomplishing anything I set my mind to. But this……anxiety, panic and fear, I had no idea what was going on with me and I was paralyzed buy it. I finally got the courage to go to the doctor and doctor after doctor but they just wanted to give me medicine to deal with the symptoms and nobody seemed to be willing to help dig for the root cause. I have severe allergies to most medications and choose not to take them. Just like you I knew it was internal and I thought I should be able to handle it and I would get disappointed at myself for even having anxiety and angry with myself that I couldn’t control it. For months I fought a battle with doctors that didn’t want to help me. I was actually told it was all in my head and if I didn’t want to take the meds I was just wasting their time. After months of this a friend suggested acupuncture, not a fan of needles but I was willing to try anything. It was the best decision that I made and the events that followed have totally changed my life. I sat and talked with the acupuncturist about my symptoms and she asked me to take an adrenal test and when we received the results I finally had an answer. I had adrenal failure and the treatment was holistic and we used amino acids that I took for 7 months. So I would suggest getting your adrenals tested, saliva test are more accurate. I also went to a qigong energy healer an not only did it help physically but mentally, emotionally, spiritually. The difference I saw in myself was amazing and the simplest and best explanation I can give is that I not only felt like myself again but I was even better!

There are many other things I have learned and changed on the path to getting rid of my anxiety ultimately my goal has become to get healthy with my body, mind and spirit. Because it wasn’t just my adrenals that were giving me the anxiety it was my life and the people and things around me. My intuition was telling me the life I was living needed to change and I didn’t listen and It kept pushing until it presented in the physical with anxiety and panic. As I reflect back I can see so clearly things that played a roll in it that I wasn’t able to see as I was going through it. I got my vitamins and minerals balanced, and cleaned up my diet and have learned a lot about nutrition. I learned about energy healing through qigong, I removed toxic people from my life, learned to let go, I use to have severe monkey mind that would have me floating ten feet off the ground at any given time and if you have experience monkey mind you know exactly what I mean. So I learned to meditate which has taught me to calm my monkey mind and Yoga keeps me grounded and connected with myself and the earth. I’m still learning to hear and listen to my intuition…this is a huge one for me. I have learned I am a HSP and I physically get ill if I let it go to long without making a change. But it is teaching me to trust myself again and to know that If I listen it will continue to guide me to my greater good. It helps me find my purpose and direction and with that comes a wonderful feeling of fulfillment. I am still learning everyday but I am no longer scared of life or how I “may” react to it. I am excited to get up and out of the house everyday and experience life.

This is the first post I have ever done and I felt compelled to because I felt so alone when I went through it and was scared to talk to anybody about it fearing they would judge me and think I was weak. I really wanted you to know that your not alone and that you can make it through this….You can do this!!!

Hi Switch (and anyone else who may be struggling with anxiety),

I’ve suffered with anxiety on and off since I was nine years old. I won’t say it’s ever really gone away – it seems to come and go like waves. I’ll go months and months feeling normal – if any anxious thoughts come, I’m able to disregard them easily. But then, at some point or another, my wave crashes and the anxiety comes rushing in again. I can’t explain how or why. I don’t know why I can handle it sometimes and other times I can’t. But you are not alone.

Suffering with anxiety feels so messed up, I know. We think, why me? No one else has this problem. Why can’t I just live my life? It’s hard because you know you’re being dumb. You know there’s nothing actually wrong, you know you aren’t going to die. Yet, we feel anxious and scared anyway, even though there isn’t real danger. It’s easy to get upset at yourself and think you’re just screwed up and will never change. I’ve felt like that too. But I never give up, and neither should you. We’re strong and we can overcome this struggle.

It helps to slowly challenge yourself. Slowly do the things you’re scared of. The more you do them, the more you’ll prove to yourself that you can do them, and you’ll build up your confidence. When we feel anxious we’ll as, is this a reason to be scared? No, because I did it the other day and it was fine. I know that it’s easier said than done. When anxiety is at a peak, many things are scary – I recently got scared to drive to a nearby town 30 minutes away! I never realized how much it had taken over my life. It made me scared of things I used to do without thinking. We don’t have to let it control us, though. We are in control of our own minds. That’s the most important thing to remember. We have the power to choose whether we want to feel anxious or not. We can change our emotions, and in turn, our experiences and our life. It takes patience and time but the truth is, we have the power. That means there is always hope to overcome it.

It’s easy to feel like anxiety is a monster that you can’t control – it just pops up whenever it feels like it, and you have to fight it off or hide from it. I think that’s where we develop our idea of ‘safe places’ and ‘safe people.’ But we need to realize that everywhere is safe. Everywhere is safe, as long as we’re there because all we need is our minds. We are all Dumbledore – we just have no idea how powerful we are (I hope there are Harry Potter fans out there). Anxiety is something we create – that means we can un-create it. Stay strong and believe in yourself. Life can be amazing if only we let go of our fears.

Dia
Hold on tight – perimenopause is a process that begins well before menopause and many are shocked to learn of the testing of strength to get through it.

I am annoyed by jokes made by those who have not experienced these hormonal shifts at the expense of the sufferer. The symptoms are vast, numerous and frightening at times.

Join a forum such as menopause chit chat for more sisterhood talk that will help you navigate this life changing event.

You will find many women who also face challenges such as yours – being caregivers and losing a parent or both as mid life is usually when many experience this.

It is also a time when we re evaluate ourselves and surrounding, thinking about the meaning of life and the human experience. Now that your mum has become part of a larger and magnificent force of light, you find yourself focused on the person you set aside while being a caregiver: YOU. It can be scary to wake up and see you need care as well. Getting the weeds out and sorting through the piled up years can be overwhelming.

Google Claire Weeks anxiety help and meditate. Many groups can be found on meet up dot com.

It is time to rediscover and face you now that your attention is not on mum now.

My sibling passed away a bit over a yr ago and my GAD and panic attacks plus peri etc., put me in a similar mindset.

Look for you on the other forum.