The mints were the last to go as I used to get a very dry mouth (I had sugar-free mints so that I didnt get a sugar rush). My main coping skills are relaxation, and meditation, which stops the internal chatter. My coping skills are: controlling my breathing, regular exercise, music (I put on headphones and block out anxious thoughts), making myself socialize even when I feel I cant be bothered and asking for support from friends. My main coping skill was using my bike - you can always escape and come back quicker. After reading this section you should understand how to do exposure work to change your Anxiety driven behaviour in small, manageable steps.

Instead look for ways of reducing the amount of time you sd with them, or reducing the number of times you need to do them. Dont, whatever you do, belittle your achievements. Make your own list of five goals in your notebook. Except it was always going to stop whatever you did - fight-or-flight is a short term reaction remember. Many of these are automatic and arise so quickly that we are hardly aware of them. Not bothered/fairly unhappy/find it unbearable Are you ready to face up to what needs to be done? Breathe out. Emotional: as well as the dominant emotion of fear you may also feel shame and lack of self-worth. Even going on holiday or preparing for Christmas can involve a measure of anxiety. Id tell them not to be so hard on themselves. Never mind. In England we dont have many thunder-storms so I got a tape of a thunderstorm from First Steps to Freedom. The surge causes physical sensations that increase dramatically as the attack progresses. Your helper If your helper has read Chapter 25 they already understand what they can do to help you. The trouble is, deep down, you will still be afraid of having another panic attack. You believe that the behaviours are holding Anxiety in check, but in fact you never get to test that out. Without warning. There are also sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea, which need medical help. This will help you to feel confident and motivated to work on your thoughts. Whatever you do, dont give up.