Originally Posted by peppermintpatty

I suffered from anxiety before my injury, but it became significantly worse afterwards (I've actually been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of it).

Of everything I've done, the therapy definitely has helped the most, along with really becoming proactive in my care. It's still a struggle, though, I won't lie. I have medication I can take for panic attacks, but the techniques I've learned are usually successful in helping me to calm down.

I've also modified my actions, i.e. - I don't go into crowded stores, try to keep my bedroom very serene/uncrowded, those types of things.

I suffer from the "vicious cycle" that Dr. Smith referred to. I've been unable to beat it, but accepting it DOES help me somewhat in that I know I have a good day coming around the corner.

(And if you wonder why I didn't answer before, it's because I couldn't have answered this cheerfully when I first read your post the other day. Trust me, I'm NOT this positive all the time, just keeping it real! )