My anxiety used to be very bad.  I would wake up every morning with a knot in my stomach, knowing something horrible would happen.  At its worse, I could barely leave my house.  If I could manage to leave my house then I could not leave a certain square mile area.  If any attempt was made to take me out of my safe area, then I would have a panic attack.  I even went so far as to arrange it so I did not leave my house for six months.  My imagination would also cause panic attacks.  I could imagine the most horrible things, and for me they would feel real.  

Everyday for me was a nightmare really.  My anxiety invaded every part of my life.  It clouded how I perceived reality.  

Once we finally found a set of medications that worked for me and I had been taking them for a while, and I had been in counseling for a while, I did start noticing that I had less anxiety.  I could leave the house more often, I still had to stay in the safe area.  I worried less.  I felt less tense.

I quit worrying about my anxiety.  It was not in the forefront of my mind all the time anymore.  One day when my mother and I were out to lunch together, I suddenly realized that I was outside of my safe area and I was experiencing no anxiety. 

I started taking stock of things.  It dawned on me that for the first time in years, I was relaxed.  The yucky feeling in the pit of my stomach was gone.  Even that horrible habit I had of imagining myself into a panic attack was gone.  The only symptom I have left is that I still startle easily.

Between my medications, and my counseling I have achieved a state peace that most likely I have never experienced in my life.  It feels good.

I want to say that, in my opinion, there is hope for people who have a debilitating anxiety disorder.  I know that it will take some people longer than it took me to get to a less anxious place, and it will take some people a shorter amount of time. It will not be easy, and having to go outside comfort zones will be important. 

Here is a list of things that has been working for me, when trying to get in control of my anxiety disorder.
 

1.  Being patient with yourself is very important when you are trying to recover from an anxiety disorder.  Recovering from an anxiety disorder is a long process, do not add to your anxiety by being impatient with yourself.  


2.  Take one day at a time.  Do not think about how you are going to deal with the tomorrow, just concern yourself with getting through today.  

3.  Do not be hard on yourself when you have a set back.  We are all going to have set backs.  I like to think of setbacks as just a little extra practice.  

4.  Keep or find a sense of humor, you will need it.  Remember laughter is good medicine.

5.  Frequently take big deep breaths in and then slowly let it out.  Believe it or not it does help.  It is like giving yourself a pause before you deal with something.

6.  Be up front with your family and friends about the things that trigger your anxiety.  Loud voices, crowds, and coming up behind me are just some of the triggers I have that will lead to me either having a panic attack or make me feel anxious.  

7.  Even if you are feeling better, take any anxiety medication you are prescribed and go to counseling.  One of the things the counselor can do for you is give you tools and help you find solutions to dealing with your anxiety disorder.

8.  Do not have unrealistic expectations for yourself.  I used to think that I would reach a point where I never having any anxiety symptoms again.  Now, I understand that in some areas I will probably always have some anxiety, however, I will know how to cope with it better.

9.  If one of the ways you experience anxiety is through excessive worrying, then set aside a couple of times a day where you are allowed to worry.  The rest of the time, no worrying is allowed.  I know this sounds weird but it was a home work assignment given to me by my counselor and it works.  I am allowed two times a day to worry.  In the morning and in the afternoon (not close to bedtime though) I am allowed to worry about anything I want.  It gets the worry out, but then does not allow it to take over your mind and day.

10. If you find your anxiety is overwhelming you, call your counselor.  If your counselor is not available call a family member, call a friend, call someone that can help calm you down and deal with your anxiety until you can talk to your counselor.