Heightened Anxiety

My anxiety is sky high right now. My heart is pumping away, I'm getting tunnel vision, I'm getting hot flushes, constant need to go to the loo, aches in joints, the works. 

It's all to do with this pending diagnosis. Having read about autism I now want the diagnosis but am anxious that I won't get it for some reason. Maybe I didn't tell them enough or there's some detail that they didn't ask about in the assessment that I'll rely upon for the diagnosis. Being high functioning I think it's going to be touch and go whether I qualify for a diagnosis or not. But having spoken to work I know I will be relying on a diagnosis in order to get the help that I need before things start to go wrong again.

And now I can't sleep because I'm too anxious. What can I do to relax?

  • P.S. Almost completely forgot to mention ~ when doing pelvic breathing; pull the 'energy' of the breath down when breathing in, and push the 'energy' of the breath down when breathing out, gently and evenly in both cases.

  • octanol, said:

    "Trying to practise that when being calm sounds like a good idea, it's also been recommended before, but so far I've not really felt calm enough to bear focusing on it for more than 30 seconds or so, and even then I focused rather on the thought that I can't wait to stop this because it is so unpleasant instead of on the breathing itself..."

    Focusing on the pelvic breathing for thirty seconds is actually a huge achievement when beginning, and the trick of it is learning not to focus on your thoughts ~ but rather progressively more and more just the action of the breathing itself.

    The unpleasantness of focusing on the the deep breathing is due to the negative associations involved with the anxiety attacks, hence only practice when you are calm ~ mess not with the dark side of the force Jedi Octanol until you are strong with the light side and all that sort of thing.

    The simplest technique is to end and begin the day with seven pelvic breaths, for six days a week, every week. The day off, such as on a Friday or Sunday allows for the habitual action to display itself to some extent, and eventually as such to allow it to auto-activate when your have anxiety attacks ~ given enough practice.

    If you feel inclined to work towards this daily routine, take days off if you are particularly stressed, and forgetting to do the seven breaths morning or night is completely and utterly forgivable. Once you get the hang of it, do a mid-day slot or another slot, and add to it as you go along.

    Recall always in this procedure to develop the deep breathing as gently and evenly as you possible can, and try not to be too surprised if powerful deep breaths come on by themselves during the exercises - or at other times as the process develops.

    Obviously, if you want to just get the hang of this breathing technique to manage the anxiety attacks themselves ~ rather than becoming a full time deep breather, that is absolutely fine. Also, if you have any questions or want to discuss this matter any further ~ feel entirely free and welcome to do so.

  • Guess they'll give you some valium or something of that sort - if you just want something to get you through the next days and calm down a bit then that is quite likely to work, if you feel the need to talk to someone about all the stuff on your mind (which I guess is what many feel a need for in that situation, I certainly did) then chances will be a lot lower. The GP may send you to some crisis team (or whatever it's called in your area) because they (the GP) may really think that you need help and need t within a lot less than 5 months, and there they decide it's not serious enough for them (which is probably also true) and you will be fine, so you end up with nothing because somehow there is nothing between emergency and being fine.

    Sorry, it may be totally different, it's just one experience really. 

  • Yes, guess I agree with that in a way, but in order for it to work you have to manage doing it first. I don't - just focusing on my breathing makes it worse, if I then keep trying anyway I get angry with myself and after being told off (by myself) for being so stupid to not even manage to breath normally I feel even worse, and so it keeps going... 

    Trying to practise that when being calm sounds like a good idea, it's also been recommended before, but so far I've not really felt calm enough to bear focusing on it for more than 30 seconds or so, and even then I focused rather on the thought that I can't wait to stop this because it is so unpleasant instead of on the breathing itself... 

  • Grahem357, said:

    "I've tried mindfulness a few times before and it doesn't seem to work for me. I need to be sat in complete silence or I struggle to focus on my breathing."

    I got into it through doing singing bowls and tonal chanting ~ which I found really uplifting through some extremely dark times. The habitual pelvic breathing took me ten years to get on the go ~ but it has been really worth while as I can handle anxiety attacks so much the better now, and rather than having grand-mal seizures along with them ~ I just have the petite-mal ones; even without going fully subconscious now also.

    Grahem357, said:

    "In order to calm myself down from a panic attack I have to do something - writing or solving puzzles are most effective."

    There is always alot to be said favourably about Sublimation therapy - i.e. putting undesirable behaviourisms to better use, or making chaos into order as the expression goes. 

  • Glad to have been of assistance, have a good one ~ and many more.

  • Thank you kindly...all exceedingly good recommendations.....I think my inner child is still shaking the nursery....and my past studies in philosophy and psychology give me plenty here to get my self into..  thank you x

    still loving your work....now pardon again this interruption! 

    From the nasally challenged self.....thank you for spotting me in the room! 

  • I've already had the assessment. I'm now waiting for the result. That's what is causing the anxiety.

  • I've tried mindfulness a few times before and it doesn't seem to work for me. I need to be sat in complete silence or I struggle to focus on my breathing. In order to calm myself down from a panic attack I have to do something - writing or solving puzzles are most effective.

  • Elephantintheroom said:

    Psst....sorry to interrupt...but can I ask a favour.....as a much respected and well read cerebral cortex...would you be kind enough apto recommend some deep thought reading for this miswired elephant...stocking up on Xmas reading....

    thank you x 

    No need to apologise for joining in and not as such therefore interrupting, although off-topicness may apply, and perhaps you are rather more in fact a perfectly wired elephant ~ if you do not mind me suggesting as much?

    Well here is short list of books I am rather glad I read, just to test the waters regarding your reading tastes:

    THE HERO OF A THOUSAND FACES - JOSEPH CAMPBELL (418 pages)

    C. G. JUNG - Memories, Dreams, Reflections - Recorded and edited by ANIELA JAFFE (420 pages)

    THE CONSCIOUS MIND - In Search of a Fundamental Theory - DAVID J. CHALMERS (414 pages)

    THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION - Tthe World in the Time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucious and Jeremiah - KAREN ARMSTRONG (399 pages)

    THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ASPERGER'S SYNDROME - TONY ATTWOOD (359 pages)

    STRAIGHT & CROOKED THINKING - NEW EDITION - R. H. THOULESS & C. R. THOULESS (170 pages)

    PARTNERING - A NEW KIND OF RELATIONSHIP - How to Love Each Other without Losing Yourselves - Hal Stone, PH.D. & Sidra L. Stone, P.H.D (253 pages)

    HOME COMING - Reclaiming & Championing Your Inner Child - JOHN BRADSHAW (288 pages)

  • Psst....sorry to interrupt...but can I ask a favour.....as a much respected and well read cerebral cortex...would you be kind enough apto recommend some deep thought reading for this miswired elephant...stocking up on Xmas reading....

    thank you x 

  • Grahem357: said:

    What can I do to relax?

    Aside from or along with the deep gentle pelvic breathing as suggested previously, you could try one of the 'tech-support' options that are available such as Binaural Harmonics ~ "Focus at Work - Relax at Home - Sleep at Night" ~ at https://mynoise.net/noiseMachines.php, providing you have or can get some earphones, of which I find the ear-plug variety work the best for me.

    Here are a few testimonials about particular soundscapes from the site:

     It radiates harmony and balance, and provides an incredibly calm sensation. I wish I could tell the whole world about this! ”
    .
    “ This is probably my favourite noise generator so far. I live with ADHD and sensory processing issues that can get quite severe sometimes. This is the perfect compromise when my ADHD requires distraction in the form of background noise but my misophonia makes me extremely picky about what sounds I can stand at that moment. Thunder always works. Very helpful for studying and falling asleep, too! ”
    .
    “ I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping after moving to a really busy street recently. I thought I'd never get proper sleep again... until I discovered this site, and specifically this generator. It drowns out almost all the noises without being too loud on the ears. I've never had a more peaceful sleep in my life. ”
     
     
  • Given also that you state:

    Grahem357: said:

    My anxiety is sky high right now. My heart is pumping away, I'm getting tunnel vision, I'm getting hot flushes, constant need to go to the loo, aches in joints, the works.

    These symptoms are pretty serious, physiologically speaking, so make sure you mention them, as they are a significant factor in respect of a diagnosis for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (A.S.D.), or Asperger's Syndrome (A.S.), and of course your long term health.

    Might I also suggest that you speak to your G.P. about this as soon as is possible, perhaps?

    Maybe write a letter or an e-mail of explanation before making an appointment with your G.P., so that they know what is about it, and this issue can be dealt with directly without going off track due too anxious deviations and what not.

  • At my diagnostic interview, I simply couldn't stop talking.  She did note in the diagnostic report that I went into huge amounts of detail about things - at the same time as just looking at either the wall or the desktop in front of me.  It was cathartic to get that stuff out.  I was also conscious of being very anxious.  None of it was an act.  If it's genuine - and I'm sure it is - you won't be able to cover it up.  Just be yourself.  Try not to worry.  I've been constantly surprised to find that 'me behaving normally' (or what I think 'normal' to be) is nearly always picked up as eccentric by other people.

    Good luck with it.

    Tom

  • octanol: said:

    Although these breathing techniques are recommended by many and presumably work for many you have to try for yourself if that's something that helps or makes it worse. For me it makes anxiety worse, concentrating on my breathing when I'm already very anxious has the potential to get me to a proper panic attack. I find focusing on my breathing generally unbearable (and you have to focus on it because if you are anxious you probably don't breath that way).

    You could perhaps try pelvic breathing regularly when you are calm, in order to pre-emptively habituate it as a process, and progressively as such learn to have more influence over reducing the effects of anxiety attacks.

    octanol: said:

    It's certainly worth trying breathing in ways supposed to make you feel calmer, but if it doesn't work for you try something else, it's not a one-fits-all thing, nor is there anything else that works for everybody.

    Believe it or not ~ pelvic breathing is a one-size-fits-all process, in the physiological 'as-nature-intended' sense, only stressed out cultures became habituated in using the diaphragmatic 'short-shallow-rapid' breathing of the 'flight-or-fight' reflex, instead. The more habituated this breathing pattern is of course; the more practice it takes to return to the more natural 'long-deep-slow' process of pelvic breathing, and calm mindedness, if so inclined.

  • Although these breathing techniques are recommended by many and presumably work for many you have to try for yourself if that's something that helps or makes it worse. For me it makes anxiety worse, concentrating on my breathing when I'm already very anxious has the potential to get me to a proper panic attack. I find focusing on my breathing generally unbearable (and you have to focus on it because if you are anxious you probably don't breath that way). For me distraction works by far better, not only the moment I'm doing it but if if was strong enough then the effect will also last for a while. Something practical that requires the right amount of concentration and is fairly quiet, arty stuff for example. For me it's needs to require being active, passive things can easily coexist with anxiety (but that's also quite different for different people). 

    It's certainly worth trying breathing in ways supposed to make you feel calmer, but if it doesn't work for you try something else, it's not a one-fits-all thing, nor is there anything else that works for everybody.

  • When you go for a diagnosis.  The more anxious you are the better.  They need to see you at your worse.

  • Graham357 said:

    Being high functioning I think it's going to be touch and go whether I qualify for a diagnosis or not.

    Well, I am high functioning myself, and I was diagnosed as such ~ as have many other people been, so perhaps rest assured on that count.

    Graham357 said:

    And now I can't sleep because I'm too anxious. What can I do to relax?

    Deep slow and gentle pelvic breathing helps rather alot to relax, whereby in a sense you imagine your bladder as being your lungs and breath as if into and out from there gently and slowly.