How long have you been feeling like this?
I agree with cj29.
I am a veteran here on medhelp. I was thrown right on pills immediately about 8 years ago or so when I first started having extreme anxiety.
Looking back, I never would have taken that approach FIRST before medication.
But I was uneducated back the, and just took my Doctors word for it that I needed medicine to keep my anxiety at bay.
Years later, I realized my meds were making me sicker, so I found a specialist who helped get me off my meds.
It was a life changer.
I then did counseling/therapy, and I now even though I still have bouts of anxiety and symptoms, I am learning each time how to accept it for what it is, and be strong and move past each episode.
I figured, medication was only a band aid for my episodes years ago, which helped, but then only caused dependence.
So why not do therapy, learn how to cope THROUGH the anxiety spell, because, for me, the anxiety spells eventually ALWAYS leave.
Keep in mind this is my story. And we are all different. :)
I do know, whichever route you decide to take, you will be okay either way, and anxiety will pass.
I just always advise my friends who are experiencing anxiety for the first time to work your way UP the chain.
Try counseling, diet changes etc. Then, if all else fails, try the medication route as a last resort.
God Bless! Take care!
When I went through my experiences with anxiety and panic, I tended to follow two "patterns" that seem to be frequent for many of us here in this community. First, I became oversensitized to basically every physical 'symptom' that felt out of the ordinary. For example, normal everyday aches and pains became magnified and much more noticeable. Second, I also misinterpreted these symptoms as something catastrophically wrong with me when the opposite is true.
The best of piece of advice I can give is to go get into therapy if you can. For me, learning about it, gave me the tools to confront it and deal with it long term.