Hey there, NEEDMOREBLAZE!
Sorry for the vagueness, lol!
So here's the deal. That first panic attack I had came on by my unhealthy lifestyle. At the time, I had NO idea panic attacks could be brought upon by unhealthy lifestyles. That was somewhat of a relief as unhealthy lifestyles are modifiable.
But my anxiety persisted even after the panic attack because I was worried about my health. And coming from a nursing student, saying I was "worried about my health" is an understatement, lol.
I mean, you would think we wouldn't be as concerned about our own health in comparison to our patients. I guess I have yet to strike a somewhat perfect balance between the two.Anyway, I would say the underlying cause of my anxiety was an unhealthy lifestyle because before the panic attacks, I never really worried too much about my own health. It was until I noticed my weight gain over the past couple years that made me realize, "Hmm, I need to do something about this," :huh: DUH!! LOL!
The intrusive thoughts, the DP/DR, and all that other good stuff was brought upon when I kept being anxious about the anxiety attack. When I got hit with the second anxiety attack, that's when the DP/DR set off and that opened up the flood gates to the intrusive thoughts, the thought of whether or not I was dreaing, etc.
With regards to tackling the anxiety, I simply went on a diet and started working out and eating less. I tried to cut out my sedentary lifestyle. While that took care of the weight, my anxiety persisted secondary to the DP/DR. That's when I implemented my coping mechanisms listed above.
Hope that answers the question!
Hey miabella!Thanks for contributing! It's so helpful to see that others have experienced the same things. You're right, tackling the anxiety is tackling the exact root of the problem! The problem with me is, I'm just an anxious/obsessive thinker.... so it's hard to pinpoint where the anxiety starts and where it ends!!
Glad I could be of service.
You're probably gonna wanna jump at me through the screen and strangle me for telling you this :angry:, but time brings healing to a lot of things. (I know what you're thinking; Time? What planet this guy from? But bear with me
). With regards to your DP/DR, time does help. Take it one day at a time. Spend time with friends, family, etc. Even if they don't understand what you're going through, they will ALWAYS be there no matter what. It's up to you to find that special connection with them and hold on to it. Whatever little moment of relief (smiling, laughing, connecting) you find with them, grab hold of it. DON'T ISOLATE YOURSELF! Isolation WILL exacerbate your symptoms of anxiety and DP/DR. You see, nothing's changed. Just your PERCEPTION of things have changed.With regards to your anxious/obsessive thinking, I can answer you from personal experience. Those obsessive/anxious thoughts simply feed the DP/DR. I had never had anxious/obsessive thoughts before the panic attacks, so the thoughts came about from the panic attacks that caused them, which in turn caused the DP/DR. I personally challenged my thoughts and that, in time, suppressed that thought process.
However, if your anxiety is interfering with your life and is becoming unbearable (and I mean: unbearable), then don't hesistate to seek professional treatment (again, you proabably wanna strangle me, but hear me out :angry
. These professionals can help you pinpoint the origin of your anxiety through questioning your past, your signs and symptoms, what exacerbates them, etc.I hope I was of some help! I apologize for my limited support, but if you ever need anything, we're here to support you!
Let's regain reality!
Ziad
Good point! B)
