I have often read that anxiety affects only very intelligent people. I have to admit that the first time I read that I felt kind of cool or relieved.
Statistically, some of the people reading this post are suffering it currently. So, what I want to achieve with this post is just a feeling togetherness and calmness addressed to them. At the same time I want people to understand how it is and how the people feel when they are having the episodes. Not just the precisely moment when the attack hits, I want to describe also the social aspect of it and how it affects your life and your confident somehow. And of course, through my experience I want to help people to get over them the same way I did eight years ago when I dealt with it.
You are not alone
We actually could be talking about the epidemic of this century. 30% of the people have suffered or are suffering it. That means that some of your close friends have been there where you are right now.
Physical symptoms
I remember as a formal hypochondriac (lol) reading a lot in Internet about it the first time I felt something weird was going on.
My personal experience was related to my heartbeat. I was obsessed with my heartbeat. Every day when I went to bed I started listening to it and I started analyzing. That led of course to an increase of it due to nervousness. Of course when I felt the increase I got scared while feeling that it was going up and that has the consequence of a bigger increase on the heartbeat. I remember reaching 170 bpm before having difficulties to breath. You feel dizzy and your vision becomes a little bit fuzzy.
That doesn´t last more than 10-20 seconds. Then your heartbeat decreases and you feel better.
Mental symptoms
I remember I read a lot about this because the first thing you think when you get the attacks is that you are literally going crazy. There are many documentation and research on it but I would say that all of them can summarize in a single one:
Social symptoms
Isolation would be the first word that comes to my mind. You don´t want to meet people. You don’t like to be with a lot of people or in places where there is a lot of people. That is completely normal. The fear of having an attack when there is a lot of people around is huge, that’s why avoid social interaction becomes a daily routine.
First step
Talk about it with someone really close to you, family or a close friend. It took me a while to talk about it but the minute I did I instantly felt better. I had the “luck” that the first person I share it with also had similar episodes in her past so I could totally relate and I had again a feeling of normality.
Second step
This is what worked for me:
Convince yourself you are not going to die anytime soon. You will never have a heart attack caused by your nervousness or caused by your own demons. It is just impossible.
If you feel your heartbeat increases it is completely fine, after one minute it will regulate by itself again.
Focus on that thought: Your body knows what is best for you and it will calm down in some seconds. Take a deep breath twice and countdown in your head from ten to cero.
Third step
Get out of your room and run.
No matter if it is ten minutes per day or one hour, no matter if you run quick or you almost walk. Just get out and get some fresh air or fresh rain in your face. Doing any physical activity will reset your mind every day.
