Feeling drained and ashamed, anxiety wins again...

[Moomin]

Today my anxiety has been pretty high. Unfortunately, even if I’m having a not so good day, I still have to try to function. I’m feeling drained and rather down at the moment. I had an anxiety attack, I even recognized that it was building up to pressure point, and I was not able to take myself from the situation. I’m okay now that I’m calm again, and obviously away from it all but I’m now feeling drained, tired, ashamed and down...i like to call this the aftermath.

I realize that it’s not my fault, that it was just a bad day but I feel like I should have handled myself better. Recognized the built up better and handled it better. Fortunately, I didn’t do anything to hurt myself. Just emotionally depressurized....

Does anyone else feel emotionally drained after an anxiety attack?

 

[Fino]

Take a nap, bath, shower, or participate in some other sedentary and relaxing activity, if you can and want to!

 

[Onna]

Yes, I can easily spend the day sleeping on and off after bad anxiety.

 

[BraidedPony]

Oh yeah, very drained after an anxiety attack.
It’s hard to control an anxiety attack once it starts, the brain doesn’t make good decisions under stress, so instead of doing something brilliant to ward off the attack, we just kind of go with where it takes us.
I think it’s normal. But still worth trying to do something better in the future.
The self care after is what is important. Like Fino said.
For me I usually eats sweets and brush my dog and watch a comedy.

 

[Sab]

I feel super drained after anxious situations. It's really hard to keep track sometimes of how we're feeling and recognize that anxiety is building up, especially when trying to juggle every day life and expectations. It's really not your fault if situations/spaces are not accessible to you and feel draining. Take good care!

 

[Graphin]

I barely could do very basic calculations in school today with the anxiety, and I was stuck there for far too long

 

[Autistamatic]

Absolutely exhausted! I normally like to do creative things or read when I'm stressed but in that condition I just can't concentrate on either.
I'll generally take a long bath then settle down with some favourite, good natured comedy or a "comfort movie" - something very familiar but still engaging like "The Matrix" or "Starship Troopers".

 

[Skids]

I fully appreciate and sympathize as i am constantly bombarded with anxiety every day too.

Today for example i had a hospital appointment. Sat in the waiting room where the lighting was brighter than the sun. The seating arrangements were such that i had people sat waiting who were facing me and people at waiting either side of me. There was a TV rambling on at full blast on the wall in the background. The nurses were all chattering. There were people coming and going, doors slamming and i got overwhelmed.

I had to sit through this for an hour as the consultants were running late. Quite how anyone can be running an hour late at 10 in the morning is anybody's guess but that's what happened. Then i had the old lady sat next to me start talking to me.

It was pretty distressing overall but i had no choice. I got home after and the rest of the day is spent recovering.

The positive is that i have contacted the hospital and highlighted the fact that waiting areas were not autism friendly and that i struggled to the point that i nearly panicked and left. I recommended they pilot a new scheme where people with anxiety / autism are able to wait outside the hospital and free from restrictions and thus reducing the stress of enduring a forced prolonged waiting room experience and they receive a text when their consultant is ready to see them.

I'm anxious about tomorrow too and it's not even tomorrow yet. I am going to a football match which is in the evening and i am nervous and know i will find the whole experience challenging. As football is my obsession then it has to be overcome.

Anxiety eh? Who needs it?!

 

[Tom]

When you use up all your fuel on imaginary threats, yes there is little left for actual driving.

 

[tducey]

I dealt with anxiey this fall, wasn't fun. Focus on the positive, find something that makes you happy, talk with someone. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Joshua the Writer]

I used to deal with amounts of anxiety and stress that were pretty close to where it is for you. Just play videogames, read a book, watch funny videos or something, maybe even watch your favorite TV show, movie, anime, or whatever you like to do in order to relax. Playing videogames, especially shooters, is a good and safe way for me to quickly relieve stress (given there isn't any hackers/campers/people exploiting glitches during that particular session). I prefer not to have too much stress that I end up hurting myself or other people for real. I can just take it out on the newbies who are not good enough to handle my skills.

 

[Fitzo]

Yes I always feel absolutely wiped out for at least 24 hours or maybe longer. All you can do is be kind to yourself and try to do whatever works for you. Music, movie, sleep, read, dance, paint or worst case take a Valium. These are some of the things I do to try and get back my equilibrium. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Mattymatt]

Today my anxiety has been pretty high. Unfortunately, even if I’m having a not so good day, I still have to try to function. I’m feeling drained and rather down at the moment. I had an anxiety attack, I even recognized that it was building up to pressure point, and I was not able to take myself from the situation. I’m okay now that I’m calm again, and obviously away from it all but I’m now feeling drained, tired, ashamed and down...i like to call this the aftermath.

I realize that it’s not my fault, that it was just a bad day but I feel like I should have handled myself better. Recognized the built up better and handled it better. Fortunately, I didn’t do anything to hurt myself. Just emotionally depressurized....

Does anyone else feel emotionally drained after an anxiety attack?

It is quite common to feel emotionally drained and exhausted after an anxiety attack. An anxiety attack is basically the body going into fight or flight mode so heart rate and blood pressure increase. Also, adrenaline is dumped into the body's blood stream. The post fight or flight period is characterized by exhaustion. This can be seen in cats. When cats become stressed and go into this mode, once they become safe, they usually fall into fairly deep sleep to recover.

 

[SusanLR]

Sleep, music, a little TV if I feel like it, play around with my PC.
Those are the things I do to recover.
A lot of rest and hydration afterwards is the only way to recover for me.

 

[Progster]

I fully appreciate and sympathize as i am constantly bombarded with anxiety every day too.

Today for example i had a hospital appointment. Sat in the waiting room where the lighting was brighter than the sun. The seating arrangements were such that i had people sat waiting who were facing me and people at waiting either side of me. There was a TV rambling on at full blast on the wall in the background. The nurses were all chattering. There were people coming and going, doors slamming and i got overwhelmed.

I had to sit through this for an hour as the consultants were running late. Quite how anyone can be running an hour late at 10 in the morning is anybody's guess but that's what happened. Then i had the old lady sat next to me start talking to me.

It was pretty distressing overall but i had no choice. I got home after and the rest of the day is spent recovering.

The positive is that i have contacted the hospital and highlighted the fact that waiting areas were not autism friendly and that i struggled to the point that i nearly panicked and left. I recommended they pilot a new scheme where people with anxiety / autism are able to wait outside the hospital and free from restrictions and thus reducing the stress of enduring a forced prolonged waiting room experience and they receive a text when their consultant is ready to see them.

I'm anxious about tomorrow too and it's not even tomorrow yet. I am going to a football match which is in the evening and i am nervous and know i will find the whole experience challenging. As football is my obsession then it has to be overcome.

Anxiety eh? Who needs it?!

I have regular hospital appointments too, and the waiting room is similar to what you describe. I find it very challenging. I always take earplugs and music to listen to, it helps. If you are light sensitive, then sunglasses are a good idea.

I once did leave, because the doctor was called away to an emergency and I hd no idea when she would be back, so I just gave up - not such a big deal, because I can see her the next day, but the other consultant I see has a three month waiting list before you can get another appointment, so cancelling or leaving really is not an option.

Visiting the hospital does leave me feeling drained, it takes a day or so to recover.

 

[Autistamatic]

Hospital & GP waiting rooms are a common trigger for me. Thankfully the waiting area for my weekly hydrotherapy is quiet, subtly lit and well away from the busy parts of the hospital

 

[Gracey]

I believe feeling drained after a period of anxiety is usual.

The body is put under immense stress for a short period of time. (Triggering an effective survival response)
Using up its ‘fuel’ and then some.

Listen to your body. If it’s tired, rest or sleep.
Eat something and rehydrate.

Feelings of guilt and disappointment over not holding it together are things I also experience.

No one or thing has won or lost

I try to ask myself what I can learn from each episode,
because I know there will always be more to follow.

What if,
I’m not trying to eradicate anxiety altogether but learning to lessen its physical effects?

That is to say, identifying triggers and purposely attaching a different habit.

It’s a long, slow process made easier by not beating myself up when I ‘lose it’ - which I often do

 

[Moomin]

It is quite common to feel emotionally drained and exhausted after an anxiety attack. An anxiety attack is basically the body going into fight or flight mode so heart rate and blood pressure increase. Also, adrenaline is dumped into the body's blood stream. The post fight or flight period is characterized by exhaustion. This can be seen in cats. When cats become stressed and go into this mode, once they become safe, they usually fall into fairly deep sleep to recover.

That’s pretty much what I have done. To the point where I’ve just woken up after a deep sleep. Hasn’t really helped much, although I think maybe I’m a bit annoyed that I’ve woken now and it’s messed with little routine ....good thing that I don’t have work until Thursday.

 

[Moomin]

I have regular hospital appointments too, and the waiting room is similar to what you describe. I find it very challenging. I always take earplugs and music to listen to, it helps. If you are light sensitive, then sunglasses are a good idea.

I once did leave, because the doctor was called away to an emergency and I hd no idea when she would be back, so I just gave up - not such a big deal, because I can see her the next day, but the other consultant I see has a three month waiting list before you can get another appointment, so cancelling or leaving really is not an option.

Visiting the hospital does leave me feeling drained, it takes a day or so to recover.

I visit the hospital once every year, as the check up is pretty invasive anyway I’m already anxious about it. The waiting room leads a lot to be desired. I’m not a fan of enclosed spaces, after being “mistakenly “ put into a small room at school during another anxiety moment I ended up badly hurting myself....so with that and the anxiety before I even leave to go, it doesn’t make it easier when I have people sit next to me (I usually chose a corner), out of all the available seats...sometimes they’ll talk...but it’s still pushing it if they just sit near me.