I was unsteady on my legs and would often feel as if I was going to fall through the ground.

But still, undertaking the programme will feel risky. You need to weigh up whether they are helping against the disadvantages. You can start by cutting down on the number of times you repeat a compulsion, or by increasing the time between exposure and starting the ritual. However, not all the factors are of equal importance, and you can reflect this by weighting each item. YES/NO Youll become self- protective and afraid to take on anything new in case it makes your Anxiety worse. I still monitor my breathing on bad days and now its much slower! Ive worked on my breathing - the hospital taught me to blow bubbles. What about if youre disappointed? It mustnt feed into your Anxiety (such as saying a prayer if you have compulsive thoughts around prayer). Dont ever just stop taking them. Oh no! Always make goals small enough that you have a good chance of succeeding. Ask yourself how much you believe it to be true, and how important that is. While you may BELIEVE this to be true because you have never yourself experienced the unrelenting terror of an Anxiety attack, that doesn't mean that it isn't happening to someone you care about. Another good technique is to work with another person and ask them to repeat your counter statement to you, while you return the favour and repeat their counter to them. Sometimes its entirely appropriate to do this, for instance in the area of personal relationships. If you were discouraged from expressing them you might, over time, reach a point of deliberately avoiding these feelings. I am now trying to find healthier, more positive outlets. Ive always eaten well, when I was on Valium I didnt put on any weight at all, I was constantly hungry but I was underweight. More about Diet Understanding the effects of caffeine Caffeine is a mild stimulant that raises your heart rate and creates a short-lived burst of energy. The speed of breathing isnt important; what helps me is the awareness of the rhythm of my breathing. I know that I breathe badly when Im tense, I need to work on that.I learnt how to control my breathing and Ive found this really helpful. Wishful thinking By whose standards are you judging yourself?