Hi Beth How have you been doing? Most of the relaxation breathing techs. that I've heard of are pretty much the same.~ slowly deep inhale thru the nose.. hold for a count of 3 then exhale slowly thru slightly opened lips. for like a count of 5.... The other thing is to use imagery. put a time and a place in your head.. I do it something like this: Lie down someplace comfy and quite.. loosen any restrictive clothing, remove shoes, watches etc.. rest your arms down at your side, uncross your legs, and slowly breath in and out. start to picture yourself on the beach at dawn. You€™re lying on the soft sand. The sound of the seagulls, the slight ringing of a buoys bell, Picture your breathing as becoming the rhytmatic motion of the waves coming and going.. in and out.. breathing slowly, picturing the waves.. how they look, how they sound. Breath in and out.. and as you exhale, release your face of emotion.. try to relax your eyes and mouth. breath, loosen your neck and shoulders.. and breath, exhale and loosen your arms and hands. Uncurl and relax fingers. Breath, exhale. Loosen your legs and feet, allowing them to fall to the side€¦ feel your body as it sinks into the sand. Continue to breath slowly and continue to loosen and relax your body. Then picture the sun starting to come up over the horizon.. as the suns ray start to chase the shadows away.. and you lie in the soft sand listening to the rhythm of the waves. and the sun approaches you.. it starts at your feet. Warm and moves slowly to your ankles. And breathe.. the sun starts to feel warmer as it travels slowly up your shins and thighs€¦ you feel your finger tips in the warm sun as it continues onto your forearms and chest.. Breathe in and out, hearing the waves€¦ and continue to picture the warm sun making its way to your shoulders and neck. Until finally you feel the warmth of the sun all over your body.. and as you breathe in and out.. picture your self as breathing out the anxiety just a little bit with each cleansing breath.. I have some really great tapes that are very soothing music set to the sound of the ocean. I find listening to these tape while doing this imagery and breathing can really help.. get yourself some €˜sea€™ scented aroma candles.. Heck put the fan on low so you can feel them t

My Coping techinque at this point is simply distraction. If I were in counseling, it would be more pro active I am sure.. but for now.. What gets me through.. i I HAVE to do 5 things/// thats it more later.

Hi Everyone, First of all, i'd like to say how wonderful i think this site is. Its really nice to have the support, and also so many people who share the same experiences, who I can ask for advice from. I was thinking that it might be nice to start a discussion about coping techniques, and other such tips that people have collected over time. This way we could all benefit from. To be honest, i've never really been told any, so I would love to have some ideas. (I mean things like breathing techniques, distractions, coping strategies, relaxation, etc.) The only one i have to offer, is to wear a rubber band around your wrist. When you have an anxiety or panic attack, snap it, and this will get the blood and adreneline flowing, it also distracts away from what is going on in your mind. Hope this works for others! So, if people wouldn't mind posting their tips, that would be great! :)