Oddbean new post about | logout
 I've been dealing with this since 2009.
Meditation, breathing exercises, a strict sleep routine, and nutrition didn’t help me. I’m not saying these things don’t work in general or that they made things worse, but they didn’t have any effect on my anxiety or panic.

Quitting caffeine helped a bit. The same goes for nicotine, but only when it came to anxiety that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Panic attacks are the worst. For years, I just endured them when I had to and avoided triggers whenever possible. Recently, I’ve started taking a more proactive approach, diving into understanding it better. 
I’ve been doing exposure training, deliberately confronting situations that trigger me, trying to learn to deal with it that way. 

Hypnotherapy has helped many people, so it might be worth looking into. Didn't help me though. 
You could also try the oVRcome app, which uses VR to simulate challenging situations. It’s a bit pricey, but it might be helpful.
If you’re open to alternative approaches, check out Mindful Remedies.

I’ve spent a lot of money trying to tackle this issue, and I’ll keep experimenting with different methods while sticking to my exposure therapy. I'm very done with letting it control so much of my life. 

DMs always open if you need it, brother. 
You're certainly not alone.