u/Comprehensive-Fly684

I am 20 years old and I have suffered from anxiety for most of my life. I have noticed that after very anxious days or bad panic attacks, I usually calm myself down with a few drinks. I don’t want to make this a habit that takes over my life. My mother is a bad alcoholic because of her own anxiety disorders and I worry I am going down the same path.

What helps you personally when you are experiencing heightened anxiety or panic attacks? How do you deal with stressful days?

I was supposed to go to sleep about five hours ago. Now it is 4 in the morning and I am just really scared. No one I know is awake right now so I am here.

I hate physical anxiety symptoms because they cause me more anxiety. I have bad health anxiety so I notice every little symptom I get and I tend to spiral like this. Right now I am anxious because of my dizziness and racing heart. Which of course only makes me more dizzy and my heart race more. I get chest pain because I have costochondritis so that also makes things worse. I think I’m going to end up being awake until sunrise.

When it’s really bad like this, I can barely focus on anything. I usually calm down at night by watching youtube or something, but it just isn’t working out tonight.

What do you do during nights like these?