Anxiety attacks--I mean, when something really hits your core fears, and you feel hot

all over, and almost physically ill--almost like you're nauseated--anybody else have these?

Other than remembering to breathe and taking deep breaths, what helps you deal with them?

I was given xanax and psychotherapy and it worked...I was on xanax and then something similar for a couple of years and then they stopped.

others take meds.

I don't think there is a set answer.

Seriously. It's in the Xanax family, but it works slower and lasts longer. I have infrequent anxiety attacks, usually triggered by something predictable--public speaking, air flight, etc. I take half a pill when I think there may be a problem and it prevents the fight or flight response, but my thought processes are not impaired and my emotions are still there. I think you can develop a dependency, though, if you take it all the time for chronic anxiety problems. Talk to your doctor.

and I never wanted another one.

You really do feel like you're going to die. They're terrifying.

People with anxiety disorder often associate the attacks with places and can become housebound with agoraphobia.

One coping mechanism is a mantra, "I'm not dead yet!" It popped into my head during mine and stayed with me. Another is reminding yourself that the attacks only last for a few minutes. Another is reminding yourself that nobody knows what's going on in your head. Deep breaths, in your nose and out your mouth, Yoga breathing, can help relax tight muscles.

The best idea is prescription drugs to help reduce the number of attacks. If certain places or things tend to provoke them, then professional help to desensitize yourself to them is in order.

Alcohol doesn't work. You need a doctor's help.

Anxiety disorder is a horrible one and gets little sympathy from civilians. Good luck on finding a treatment plan that helps yours.

Slowly facing my fears. What I have learned over time is that as terrible as anxiety feels, it will not kill us... Anxiety can be overcome without medication, though meds can help...If you have the opportunity to seek out a therapist who specializes in anxiety you would probably find it helpful....

For me, feeling better has involved slowly exposing myself to the things I feel anxious about. If, for example, you feel afraid of..spiders (just an example)...you could start by reading the word spider...letting your anxiety rise and fall...and recognizing that it eventually gets better. Do this easy task until it no longer bothers you...and then move on to something a little harder like...looking at a picture of a spider...do it again and again letting yourself feel anxious and then recognizing that eventually the anxiety crests and gets better....keep it up until you can look at those pictures without feeling anxious.

It's kind of a desensitization process and you can apply it to anything, really.

If it is interfering in your life, I would truly suggest finding a qualified therapist trained in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Honestly, usually it is a combination of things that address these. So, yes, the breathing, using medication, etc.

There are some studies from Israel on the use of myoinositol for panic attacks. You can look those up on PubMed.

Also, though, there is information on Emotional Freedom Technique here.

www.emofree.com

(tapping on acupuncture points while doing affirmations).

But my favorite, is using CDs with binaural beats, to entrain brainwaves, taking them down from beta to theta or alpha. You can do a google search for various examples. The Monroe Institute sells some individual CDs that are "programmed" to have various effects. I've tried them and they are very calming. I guess I cannot recommend their various expensive sets of CDs for astral travel, LOL!!

her experiences of being bullied: the two times she was boo'ed on stage - it happened once on the BGT tour and in the scuffle in the hotel with the two reporters who, according to witnesses, deliberately provoked her.

Reading all the 'she's so ugly' shit could not have helped.

She wasn't just bullied as a kid, but also as an adult. Evidently, not too long ago some teenagers were razzing her and she picked up a bicycle and threw it at them. On film, her life story could be Trainspotting for women.

and the flying bicycle story confirmed it. Good for her. The only way to get rid of bullies is to stand up to them.

She's really got a glorious voice. She needs to concentrate on recording, though, rather than touring. I think the worst venue for her is the monster concert. Her vocal style is much more suited to a more intimate venue.

I'm looking forward to the release of her CD. She's such a pleasure to listen to, she could do the telephone directory in plainsong and I'd buy it.

evidently on the Britain's Got Talent tour she "went down a storm" in the huge venues. In Dublin's 20,000 seat arena, it was so noisy that you couldn't hear the music, yet, she kept on pace, sang on key and was able to project without shouting, the song. Vocal folks were really impressed.

I know nothing about music, but a few days after seeing the video had dins with several choir directors from DC churches. Boy, were they funny about the presidents' churchgoing habits and singing voices. Anyway, these guys - who also teach voice - said that you most certainly do NOT have voices like that in "any church choir" as doubters like to say. They explained why that song is so difficult and praised not just the precision of the key changes, but marveled that when she got to the highest note she still had gas in the tank. They mentioned that the power of her voice means she doesn't have to "belt" out a song. One voice coach I read said "she's a beast of a singer." More importantly, before Cowell singed her to SONY, the SONY folks said they weren't sure they were ready to drop $8m on someone so inexperienced, so they hired a big time vocal coach to go have a workout with Boyle. The coach reported that Boyle "was one of the most talented people I've ever worked with." So, there you go.

Folks that have worked with her say she's very easy going. A real joker.

Right from the get-go the London Times was flogging her to sing "God Save the Queen" at the London Olympics. The Guardian started the whole "she should sing the next Bond theme" stuff after hearing her "cry me a river." If she's smart, she'll also learn the Star Spangled Banner.

But she's had a shit life on several levels. Even some folks that admit to have hassled her when they were kids arent' sure why they did so. There was nothing outstanding about her to provoke such attacks. I guess not having any sibs in the same school to protect her didn't help. Her oldest sister is 75 years old. How weird is that?

Boyle's a true working class hero.

I have been a musician all my life, played three instruments and sang, been a church music director and choir director, and took voice lessons for two years (opera in German, French and Italian, mostly).

She has tone quality as well as HUGE lungs. Air is your fuel.

I am a small person (five foot three, small boned) but I have a 40 inch ribcage so I can blast with the best of them.

I wish her the best.

you're going to choose her just from looking at her. She's all chest.

A friend of mine that is a choir directer gets irked that while folks praise the precision with which she sings, no one notes the training that singing serious liturgical music gave her. It's not for sissies or dummies.

my triggers were public places, like grocery stores, restaurants, theaters, and churches. I went to a therapist and one of the first things she told me was to get off caffeine and that did help tremendously.

It also helped me a great deal just to talk about my anxiety with her. At one point I realized that I could throw myself into a panic attack just by worrying that I was going to have a panic attack. After much practice, I could finally just tell myself "no" when the anxiety level started to rise.

They eventually went away and I rarely have them anymore (and I'm fine with caffeine again). We recently did some cave exploring and I did get one in the depths of one cave that had many tunnels (I suddenly became very afraid that we were never going to get out), so I told my family that I was having a panic attack and that we needed to get the hell out of there fast, before I either screamed or fainted.

I really only felt completely safe and secure in my own home. Being out in public or feeling trapped and confined in shopping check out lines, at a restaurant table, or sitting in a theater or church would completely freak me out.

Now, I've learned to always sit near a wall or exit when I'm in public places and I do just fine. (I've solved the church problem by giving up religion!)

"At one point I realized that I could throw myself into a panic attack just by worrying that I was going to have a panic attack."

Yeah, that's how people can really get into a downward spiral--worrying about worrying. I finally learned this in my life as well.

bring it on.

That's been a life long lesson for me, too. It's a struggle for me not to worry.

if you're not anti-alt, is the Bach flower remedy known as Rescue Remedy.
Your health food store carries it.

...computer marble popper games do it for me.

I just get into something like that until the attack passes.