Malloy:

I am not a doctor, but some recommendations based on my personal experiences (outside of meds):

Do you drink coffee? If yes, stop

Do you eat a lot of sugar or salty foods? If yes, stop

Do you exercise daily? If no, start exercising

Do you eat vegetables and fruits regularly? If not, start eating them

Do you eat late at night (e.g. after 8:30/9pm)? If yes, stop

Do you do things outdoors, and see green plants, trees, and grass? If no, do more things outdoors

Do you play an instrument? If no, try to learn one. Even if just beating a drum

and when the panic attacks come, breathe deep in through the nose, out through the mouth

and rotating your palms to the sky

After my panic attack years ago, and struggles with anxiety in general around that time, a tool that finally helped me manage my anxiety was a 1-10 scale. The 10 would be the worst you’ve ever felt - in my case the panic attack I’d had - and I found comparing any current anxiousness on that scale would often come in around a 3 or 4, maybe even a 6… but it immediately helped me put my current state into an overall context, and gave me the perspective needed to help me realize it was all in my head. I’d calm down immediately. Might not work for you Malloy, but always good to have different tools to work with.

This sounds a little dangerous my man.

ill add to the suggestion malloy

back in 2020 i had afib, aflutter and high blood pressure. put me in the hospital overnight and got put on meds. it took a solid 9 months, 2 cardioversions and a ablation before it got under control. my heart rate when not on meds was sometimes as high as 170 bpm. this lead to me having anxiety which you guessed it, shot my heart rate up.

now was it the aflutter or anxiety. twice went to the hospital via ambulance because i was so high strung. i used an app called head space that had specific programs for anxiety that you could listen to. a soft voice giving you instructions on looking for something green. something made of fabric and other specific items just to get your mind thinking of other things than your anxiety.

i have also used a cold washcloth on the back of my neck. i still take anxiety meds but more for a habit than needing them and i still get a mild case of anxiety from time to time thinking im going to die in front of coworkers or on my way home but i quickly think of other things to battle it.

before all this i had mild anxiety and found cbd oil really helped.

i hope you find something that helps you and gives you peace of mind

I resent the idea you could play an instrument OR the drums

malloy, I have been there.

What helped me (I was having panic attacks, thinking I needed to go the hospital, etc) is getting off a bunch of my meds (I only take prozac now). That, plus exercise and a new job did wonders for me.

Finally, if you are having an anxiety or panic attack, someone once told me to pinch your inner thigh really hard. I guess the marines are trained to do that in stressful situations. I actually think it works a bit; the pain takes your mind off things. Just go gentle.

My tummy aches a little bit. Too many carbs I suspect.

my ride cymbal arrived

but there is a space that demands a third (non-hi hat) cymbal

i must ponder this

a
drum

did you ever notice how expensive a steelpan drum is? let alone a couple

i need to ponder this

Completely absurd how expensive drums are in general

i agree

i bought a set 20 years ago from some guy and just 1 of the cymbals alone (lent to a friend 10 years ago) is now worth what i paid for the entire set

our building has peregrine falcons nesting on one of the upper floors. every so often i'll see a shadow of one of them dive bombing (they move very, very fast). this morning one landed on an outcrop on the corner of my floor outside my office, and we had a staring contest. he/she won. (they're smaller than I imagined).

Rad

Stick your finger down your throat to throw up and take a water pill, you will be good to go!

My GF earns her associates degree next month, so I am helping her build a LinkedIn profile today to find work!

Do not take this advice.

Or, turn up the heat in the gym, wear a plastic garbage bag and work out for hours. Sweat it off!

Come to Weight Loss thread.

We can help.