Anxiety and seizures

[jane54]

Hello Everyone
Can anyone recommend ways to lower anxiety when seizures get triggered again to prevent/manage getting caught up in cycle of getting too anxious/upset and this then triggering more seizures
Jane

 

[Heavy Kevy]

Being prescribed an antidepressant worked best for me.

 

[CQ:)]

I see a psychologist who helps with the anxiety, stress etc via telelink.

I also have a neuropsychiatrist who works at the hospital where my neurologist and other epilepsy team are.
It was she who diagnosed me with depression last year and put me on anti depressant meds.

 

[jane54]

Thank you for your replies Heavy Kevy and CQ. I will need to speak with my g.p. if I go this route.

Jane

 

[Heavy Kevy]

Keep in mind all the natural ways as well.
Meditation
Sleep schedule
Diet
Exercise
Blah, Blah, Blah….all the things you should do for better health in general.

 

[jane54]

I am more drawn to natural ways if possible; yet to get confident enough to go out walking again, but that will come in time, even if I wear a "Hat" for a while, so thank you for your advice Heavy Kevy. Agree with you CQ about the importance of laughter and including positive things as helpful.

Jane ;-)

 

[Matthew74]

Stress and anxiety are really hard to control. You can do things like exercise and using coping strategies.

IMO, I have a hard time with it because my brain is messed up and it can only handle so much. I don't have the same ability to put up with nonsense that a healthy person does. I'm "maxed out" with normal everyday life so my brain just doesn't have the extra capacity. It's like when something annoying is going on, or you have too much work. Sooner or later everyone reaches their limit and they get irritable. I get to my limit sooner. So, I try not to judge myself for it, and that takes some stress off.

You can always get better at dealing with things. You can't always control your circumstances, but you usually modify them somwhat.

 

[jane54]

Thank you Matthew74 for your reply. Walking does help me - I need to build up confidence to go outside walking again as still a bit shaken up since fall. I will. And I find talking for a short while about what happened helpful so thank you everyone for giving me the space to do that. I am beginning to feel that I am going in right direction re reducing stress and anxiety.
Jane

 

[Nakamova]

Different things work for different people, so you may need to try a few things before settling on what works. Walking in nature -- or even just viewing nature (from the safety of a porch or window) -- has been found to lower physiological stress, so I recommend that you try to get a daily "dose".

Meditation can be as a little as 5 minutes a day where you focus on your breathing. A key is to try and do it at the same time(s) every day -- even just knowing that you have a break coming up to look froward to can lower stress levels.

 

[Music36]

Exercise and meditation have greatly helped me with managing my mental health issues and my chronic pain. I have generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar. I speed walk and run. It also has helped me in staying calmer when I have seizures.

 

[Music36]

As Nakamova mentioned, enjoying nature also greatly helps. I take it all in when I’m walking and running. I also enjoy hiking. I, usually, walk/run 3-4 days a week. I average about 15 miles a week.

 

[jane54]

Thank you Nakamova and Music 36. I have a bird feeder in my garden that I enjoy watching and am lucky enough to have a nice garden do enjoy nature. Walking is a double edged sword at moment, I know it helps and am still working out how it affects the reactive hypoglycemia I am learning about which can trigger a seizure if blood sugar levels drop too low. The more understanding I get the more confident I will become - in the meantime I walk wearing a hat, until ready not to. Imagine myself as a bike rider wearing a hat, just without the bike. Jane

 

[Sabbo]

I know stress & tension are major factors in causing seizures for me.

 

[Music36]

Jane,

I understand our experiences and journey with epilepsy differs among us. I am fortunate to have only had a tonic clonic twice in my life that I’m aware of. I had complex partials most of my life, but thanks to surgery in 2015 they are now under control. I only have simple partials now. You do what is best for you which may include having someone (family, friend, neighbor) walk with you.

 

[breepea]

I have terrible anxiety which is one of my biggest triggers (although, realistically anything that throws me off can be a trigger). I've been on depression/anxiety meds most of my life but there are times that they just don't do the trick for me. I'm practicing grounding exercises...also yoga, or low-impact exercise is also helpful for me. I try and avoid caffeine on my anxious days. Above all else, prayer can work wonders.

 

[jane54]

Thank you for your reply breepea, It is helpful to hear what works for others as I can try out new things that have worked for others, as well. Nerologist I see is on the ball with connection between anxiety and seizures and seizure medication I am on also lowers stress so I am not looking to use further drugs for lowering anxiety. When I get more anxiety they are to out of the ordinary situations that occur where it is normal to have anxiety. I have also beein in touch with an organisation in u.k. called Headway where they have good information about mild brain trauma and seizures and as well as shock of the head injury people can get some more seizures for a while following this, also blurred vision briefly, also need to sleep a lot in the beginning. This was helpful as normalised what I had felt. At present am trying to get neurological referral as recommended by A & E to check out any damage done. Natural ways that seem to be working for me re anxiety to life events and trauma are doing things I am anxious about, bird watching, interacting with others.

 

[CQ:)]

I used to enjoy walking especially when stressed but last couple of years haven’t walked as much so trying to get back into it.

Stress is my main trigger, I get fairly stressed in my current job and am in process of finding another job. But while at work I have stress / relaxation music on, even my boss finds it relaxing .

When I’m at home I enjoy watching my bird and her antics