Anxiety, Depression and Panic Attacks

Anxiety, depression and panic attacks can happen any time, but often we experience them more around the holidays. Sometimes these seem violent... a panic attack can even feel like a heart attack. Other times, we just sit.. or stay in bed... or don't even get dressed as we feel so depressed.

Many times there is a self esteem issue -- you don't feel good enough or smart enough or pretty enough. At times we can be overwhelmed by all the things we think we have to do...

I have been dealing with panic attacks and anxiety for almost 30 years -- and the good news is that you can get through them....

I was left alone with four young children ages 2-9 and a mortgage and got a flip "By the way, you aren't getting any child support". I already had the self esteem issues - and this just pushed me over the top. With the help of my family I handled the financial issues - but the personal ones I needed to learn to deal with myself.

I found a few things that really helped. When I came up against something I knew I was not able to do -- perhaps like clean the house, I just acknowledged that I wasn't able to do it now and that didn't make me a bad person. Then the most important part -- I said to myself "OK, I can't do that now -- but what CAN I do?"

Only a person who has been there -- through the anxiety and panic and depression -- would know what an effort it can be to push yourself when you feel so frozen from anxiety.

Sometimes I would look around the room and say "I think I can pick up that sock and put it away". And that's all. Just do ONE thing. Then, if you can, do another. Baby steps back to life. One step at a time....

Things are much easier now and I don't have the severity of anxiety that I used to have -- but still some days are over whelming... so I write down everything I think I need to do and then choose only three things that will make the most difference in my life if I accomplish them -- and I forget about the rest of the list.

One other thing if you are in panic -- it often helps to have a cup of coffee or tea - something with caffeine. Yes I know caffeine is a stimulant -- but when the brain and body are in panic, the caffeine often has the opposite effect and helps to calm you down.

Just remember you are a person of worth - that just happens to have anxiety or depression or panic - just as some other people have allergies. It doesn't make you better or worse -- just we each have different things to deal with.