Topic: anxiety

Question: How can I deal with this anxiety that keeps me up all night?
I've been having horrible anxiety for the last week. I can't sleep. I get a sense of doom, and it's hard to breathe. I feel like nothing I do makes it better.

Answer (from Kaileen McMickle, MS, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor):
That really sucks to go through.  There are tons of ways to work with anxiety, both directly and indirectly that can help with what you are dealing with.Do you think you may be experiencing a panic attack?  Sounds like you are feeling some dread about what will happen to you and physical symptoms common with attacks.  Panic attacks are the body's way of trying to alert you to danger, whether that is real or perceived.  It's not something your body does against you, but instead to keep you safe by keeping you in a state where you could react quickly (run, fight, etc.).  This can happen even if there aren't any real threats and you logically know you are safe.  Even if you aren't having panic attacks, that heightened anxiety can still feel really awful and exhausting.What have you done so far that is not working?  When the brain is in that "danger" mode, talking it down tends to be unsuccessful--this is very evident in bounds of research we have on how the brain functions.  The part of the brain that senses threats and triggers anxiety responses reacts more effectively to body signals to relax---such as controlled breathing.  Mindfulness breathing techniques have a lot of value for this reason and there are many options available (apps like Calm and Headspace, youtube guided videos, etc).  Try to keep in mind that having anxiety doesn't mean that you are actually in any danger, and mindfulness is not meant to be an escape.  It does help to regulate and make you feel more in control of your body.  Your anxiety will always come back down--you can even track it to see the real-time changes that happen.  It's normal for it to rise and fall a few times during a panic attack, so if you notice a rise, it has no meaning other than that you're body is normally going through it's anxiety response.I think seeing a doctor is a great idea to rule out any other issues happening within the body.  Some medical issues can materialize as anxiety and depression.  Depending on your symptoms, they may even suggest a medication developed for these issues.Anxiety is one of the top researched symptoms, so we do have tons of research available on what works and what's less effective.  We know that talking alone doesn't reduce the body's fear response, unless talking is the method of exposure (talking about a traumatic experience, talking within a group if you have social anxiety, etc.).  For the brain to learn you are safe, it takes experience via exposure while riding the wave of anxiety.  For example, if you fear vomiting, you would expose yourself to things that remind you of vomiting and breathe through the anxiety you feel without avoiding the triggers.  That would teach your brain that those triggers are actually benign, and would no longer  create that panicky response. It'd be difficult to say what that may look like for you, or even if you need that, but it could be worth connecting with a counselor (even online) to discuss these options.  The brain is always flexible to some degree to change, so hang in there while you figure it all out!