Starting Back From Anxiety Attacks

Bigger Stronger Leaner
462

Hey everyone,
Well, I made it through BJJ class with no injuries! We worked on armbars and armbar escapes tonight (figures since I have an injured shoulder), so to play it safe, I didn’t have my partner armbar the injured arm and things went fine. Had good stamina and technique was real good.

I ended up rolling with an advanced student who was there b/c he missed his class and he complimented me several times on my armbar technique, as did the instructor. Always nice to hear that.

Going to rest now but plan on hitting the gym tomorrow…still no chest or shoulder work (even though I have almost 100% ROM, I want to give it a full week) and then Saturday I’ll go to Muay Thai.

Take care,
Dan

463

I have been suffering from panic attacks for a long time and recently I have been hospitalized for them. I read your posts and want to tell you im another number to add to the statistic. I too practice MMA and noticed it has been helping me alot calm down every now and then. I do not take medication for it because my doctors are not sure how to treat it.

As messed up as that sounds, ive been keeping the ‘animal’ at bay lately, so Im not as worried as I used to be.

Im really glad Im not alone on this… I often feel like I am.

464

[quote]BluePfaltz wrote:
I have been suffering from panic attacks for a long time and recently I have been hospitalized for them. I read your posts and want to tell you im another number to add to the statistic. I too practice MMA and noticed it has been helping me alot calm down every now and then. I do not take medication for it because my doctors are not sure how to treat it.

As messed up as that sounds, ive been keeping the ‘animal’ at bay lately, so Im not as worried as I used to be.

Im really glad Im not alone on this… I often feel like I am. [/quote]

Hey man, thanks for sharing your story. Glad the MMA training is helping you relax. How long have you been doing MMA?

And, congrats for handling the situation w/o meds. I’m sure it’s been a battle, but you’re still here, and like you said, you’re not alone.

Thanks again for the post,
Dan

465

Quickly let me catch up to date:

Yesterday was a crazy day. Was on my way to Muay Thai class when my car started making a terrible grinding noise. Figured it was the brakes so took it in to get it checked out and sure enough, time to replace the pads…pain in the ass but at least I was able to get my car back in the late-afternoon.

So, I had to miss class but did get in a good home boxing workout. Ran 1.5 miles to start, then did a lot of punching combos and worked a lot of knee and elbow strikes in as well. Workout lasted about an hour, which included 10 minutes of work with the tennis ball at the end.

My rotator cuff is feeling a lot better. Still a little tender at times, but I have 100% ROM again. Am taking the day off today (we’re cleaning the apartment) but will go to the gym tomorrow.

Take care,
Dan

466

Hey everyone,
Just got back from the gym and had a great workout. Today was the first day of my 3-day split. I’m hoping the extra day out of the gym will help my recovery from not only lifting, but my MMA training as well.

Here’s the stats from today:

MOBILITY:
supine bridge
fire hydrants
cat/camel

PREHAB:
Medicine ball push-ups
External rotations

CORE:
Cable pullover crunch, 2x15: 130, 140
Crunches, 2x15: BW

RESISTANCE:
Sets: 6
Reps: 4
Rest: 60

1A. Squat: 185 (ass-to-grass)
1B. Good Mornings: 115
2A. BB Bench Press: 195 (2), 200 (4)
2B. Bent-over Rows: 155
3A. BB Curls: 80 (1), 90 (5)
3B. Cable Pressdowns: 150 (1), 170 (5)

ENERGY SYSTEMS:
Sprints 6x100 yards

FLEXIBILITY:
Stretching

Tomorrow I’ll be going to my BJJ class and then it’s back to the gym Wed.

Anxiety-wise I’ve been doing good. Still going without medication every 3-5 days, and haven’t noticed any ill side effects yet. Also been making sure to do relaxation techniques in the afternoon, even if it’s something as simple as lying down and closing my eyes for a few minutes.

Take care,
Dan

467

looks like a fun workout!

glad you’re still awesome :slight_smile:

468

[quote]Jinx Me wrote:
looks like a fun workout!

glad you’re still awesome :)[/quote]

Thanks, and I’m glad you’re still awesome, too :slight_smile:

469

So, I passed on BJJ class tonight. My motivation was zapped after getting more bad news from work. Late last week we lost a co-worker to cancer, and now we find out today that our publisher has an inoperable tumor in his intestine, and that the prognosis is poor. When you work on a small staff, you quickly form attachments to your co-workers, so this double shot of bad news is hitting all of us hard.

But, I know that they’d want us not to sit around and feel sorry for them…so I will respect their wishes starting tomorrow morning when I get back in the gym. I’ll hit BJJ on Thursday and (fingers crossed, I’ll be at Muay Thai on Sat.).

Take care,
Dan

470

Got some good news today. Turns out BJJ class was cancelled last night due to the weather (it was snowing out here in CO), so I didn’t actually miss my class! That makes me feel good.

Trying to finish up work early so I can get to the gym.

471

I have been practicing consistantly for nearly three years, four years total. I started training in a “watered down” Muay Thai program in High School, and decided I liked the sport, just not the place. I went to a much better gym and liked it alot, but later on I was reffered to my current gym by the owner himself.

I have been seeking therapy for anxiety for years on end, beginning when I started High school seven years ago (im 21 now). They have recently been getting so out of control, I had to leave my job as an Electrician and take a few months break from everything (except MMA teaching/training).

I wanted to ask you if you had seen your primary care physician regarding physiological and chemical/harmonal imbalances that may have been causing your anxiety. The reason Im asking, is because I have a huge, lurking suspicion that most of my anxiety comes from IMS (Irritable Male Syndrom) that I incurred in when I was going through puberty years ago, and never got it noticed or treated. Psychologists and Therapists have been trying to figure out what was wrong with me on a mental level, but never seem to quite get it right. Im certian if I went to a doctor to get a blood screening for it, they’ll probabally see a low testosterone balance or something.

Im not sure how much research is out on the subject, but I think it might have something to do with it, at least for me, maybe.

472

[quote]BluePfaltz wrote:
I have been practicing consistantly for nearly three years, four years total. I started training in a “watered down” Muay Thai program in High School, and decided I liked the sport, just not the place. I went to a much better gym and liked it alot, but later on I was reffered to my current gym by the owner himself.

I have been seeking therapy for anxiety for years on end, beginning when I started High school seven years ago (im 21 now). They have recently been getting so out of control, I had to leave my job as an Electrician and take a few months break from everything (except MMA teaching/training).

I wanted to ask you if you had seen your primary care physician regarding physiological and chemical/harmonal imbalances that may have been causing your anxiety. The reason Im asking, is because I have a huge, lurking suspicion that most of my anxiety comes from IMS (Irritable Male Syndrom) that I incurred in when I was going through puberty years ago, and never got it noticed or treated. Psychologists and Therapists have been trying to figure out what was wrong with me on a mental level, but never seem to quite get it right. Im certian if I went to a doctor to get a blood screening for it, they’ll probabally see a low testosterone balance or something.

Im not sure how much research is out on the subject, but I think it might have something to do with it, at least for me, maybe.[/quote]

You’re an old pro compared to me in terms of MMA training. I’ve only been doing it since the beginning of the year. I started out taking regular boxing, then moved on to Muay Thai and have been doing BJJ since August.

As for seeing my primary care physician, yes, I did do that. I had full blood work done and also did an EKG just to make sure there wasn’t an underlying problem with my heart. Everything checked out normal. I can’t say for certain since I’m not a doctor, but it is possible your IMS could be a factor.

Put it this way, it can’t hurt to make an appt. go in ask a few questions and get some blood drawn. I know for me, once I got all the tests done, I was able to relax knowing that there wasn’t an underlying problem.

Hope this helps,
Dan

473

Hey everyone,
Just got back from the gym and had a really good workout. Felt good and strong today, probably b/c I’ve been getting some good rest the past couple of nights.

Here’s the stats from today:

MOBILITY
Fire Hydrants
Supine Bridge
Cat/Camel
Double Neck Stretch

PREHAB
Lateral Raises (bands)

CORE
Weighted machine crunches, 2x15: 45
Medicine ball twists, 2x15: 10 lbs.

PLYOMETRICS
Line jumps, 3 sets

RESISTANCE
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 90

  1. Deadlift: 225
  2. Incline Bench Press: 155
    3A. Hammer Curls: 35, 37.5, 40
    3B. Lateral Raises: 25
  3. Standing Calf Raises: 270

ENERGY SYSTEMS
Skipped

FLEXIBILITY
Stretching for 10 min.

Nothing planned for the rest of day, so I’ll be doing some relaxation work, and hopefully catch a nap. Tomorrow’s BJJ class and I’m looking forward to it.

LET’S GO METS!!!

Take care,
Dan

474

Hey everyone,
Just finished up a good home boxing workout. Not going to BJJ tonight, since it directly interfers with Game 7 of the NLCS…no way I can abandon my Mets on the biggest game of the season! I’ll go to class tomorrow night, provided I get home in time from work.

Anyway, as for today’s workout, I did about 10 minutes of mobility work, followed by some medicine ball crunches and some external rotations.

Then, I moved on to the heavy bag, where I worked a lot of combos and then worked in some 1-2-kick and 1-2-knee combos. Did 6 rounds of bag work total, then freestyled for a couple of rounds.

I finished with 15 minutes of tennis ball work to loosen up my shoulders and upper-back, which had been a little tight.

Workout was just under an hour total.

As I said, tomorrow will be either BJJ or lifting at the gym, and Saturday will be whatever I don’t do on Friday.

Am meeting with my therapist tomorrow for our monthly meeting. I definitely have a lot to talk about.

Take care,
Dan

475

Hey everyone,
Got some great news today! Yesterday I spent all day covering the state softball tourney here in CO. One of my teams made the semifinals, so I was going to have to go back today (over an hour’s drive), but we got a snow storm last night and the tourney’s been postponed till Monday!

So, since my schedule was freed up, I was finally able to attend the Muay Thai class on Saturday mornings. It was a great class, I think 10 people were there. It was a technique class (90 minutes) and we worked on jabs, jab-cross combos and straight kicks. Finished up with some BW squats and streching. Definitely a good workout.

Tomorrow I’ll hit the gym, as I won’t be able to go Monday b/c of the softball tourney. Man, I’m just so pumped that I didn’t have to waste my Saturday and got to do something I enjoy instead.

Take care,
Dan

476

Hey everyone,
Just got back from an abbreviated workout at the gym. Had to cut out legs today b/c I was pressed for time (I have to go cover softball at 3 p.m. and it’s an hour away). I decided to skip legs b/c they were still sore from Saturday’s kickboxing class.

Here’s the stats from today:

MOBILITY
Cat/Camel
Fire Hydrants
Double-Neck Stretch

PREHAB
External Rotations, 2x15: bands
Swiss-ball push-ups, 2x15: BW

CORE
Cable Rope Crunch, 2x15: 130
Medicine Ball Twists, 2x15: 10 lbs.

RESISTANCE
Sets: 6
Reps: 4
Rest: 90

1A. BB Bench Press: 205 (felt good, can probably move weight up for first few sets next time)
1B. BB Bent-Over Rows: 165 (same as above)
2A. BB Curls: 100
2B. Triceps Pressdowns: 180 (2), 190 (4)

FLEXIBILITY
Stretching for 10 min.

Tomorrow I plan on going to my BJJ class in the evening. If I’m feeling engergized, I may sneak in some cardio and heavy bag work beforehand.

Take care,
Dan

477

Hey everyone,
Had a good day today. Took the day off from work, just to decompress and relax. Did some shopping for my upcoming trip to PA (more on that later) and then did some reading, followed by an unexpected 90-minute nap. I usually never nap for more than 45 minutes but must’ve felt really relaxed today, which is good.

Went to BJJ tonight. Worked single-leg takedowns, arm positioning on side mount control and defense, escaping side control and finally, keylocks. Good class and I noticed that I’m picking things up at a quicker pace…the instructor singled me out several times for having good speed and form.

Purchased some MMA gloves tonight so I can use them in Muay Thai class and also if I ever take a MMA class where I’d be working on grappling and striking in one session.

Tomorrow I’ll be back in the gym. It’s my 3x8 day, so shouldn’t be too long.

Take care,
Dan

478

Hey everyone,
Just got back from the gym and had a good workout. My left shoulder is acting up again…not as bad as last time but there’s a bit of soreness there. I think it’s from all the punching I did Saturday in Muay Thai class. ROM is fine but it just feels “worn out” is how I’d best describe it. Didn’t bother me at all in the workout, though, which was good.

Here’s the stats

MOBILITY
Fire Hydrants
Supine Bridge
Cat/Camel

PREHAB
BW Squats, 2x15
Side lunges, 2x15: BW

CORE
Weighted crunches, 2x15: BW + 25 lb. plate

RESISTANCE
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 60

  1. Deadlift: 235 (only got 6 on last set due to grip)
  2. BB Incline Bench Press: 165
    3A. Hammer Curls: 40, 42.5 (2)
    3B. Lateral Raises: 27.5

ENGERY SYSTEMS
Ran for 12 minutes (just over 1.5 miles)

FLEXIBILITY
Stretching for 10 min.

Tomorrow will be an off day, but I might sneak in some work on my heavy bag if I feel up to it.

Take care,
Dan

479

Every time I use the gym onboard the ship I get some kind of attack, I’m not really sure what to call it though. With no windows and a very limited amount of space to move, I think it may be akin to claustrophobia, perhaps an anxiety attack though.

The trick I’ve learned is to wear my Ipod and start my workout with the volume on full, as my heart rate picks up, and my anxiety about it increases, I lower the volume a tad. That helps to reduce my anxiety, plus I monitor my breathing really closely during workouts.

Montoring my breathing helps me concentrate and keeps my mind from thinking about things like panic and small spaces. Try to find something that will have the same effect for you and see if that helps. Let me know the result too if you can.

480

[quote]BlueMarlin wrote:
Every time I use the gym onboard the ship I get some kind of attack, I’m not really sure what to call it though. With no windows and a very limited amount of space to move, I think it may be akin to claustrophobia, perhaps an anxiety attack though.

The trick I’ve learned is to wear my Ipod and start my workout with the volume on full, as my heart rate picks up, and my anxiety about it increases, I lower the volume a tad. That helps to reduce my anxiety, plus I monitor my breathing really closely during workouts.

Montoring my breathing helps me concentrate and keeps my mind from thinking about things like panic and small spaces. Try to find something that will have the same effect for you and see if that helps. Let me know the result too if you can.[/quote]

I always take my iPod with me when I’m at the gym. I don’t pay much attention to my HR anymore, I used to a lot but now I don’t even think about it, even when I’m at BJJ or Muay Thai class and I’m not wearing headphones.

481

Hey everyone,
Just got back from the gym and had a great workout. No problems with the shoulder. I did some ice/heat yesterday and also did a lot of work with a tennis ball, and that seemed to really loosen things up, so I’ll have no problems making it through Muay Thai tomorrow.

Here’s the stats from today:

MOBILITY
Supine Bridge
Cat/Camel
Fire Hydrants

RESISTANCE
Sets: 2
Reps: 15

1A. Leg Press: 540
1B. Seated Calf Raises: 90
2. Leg Curls: 60
3. Push Press: 95
4A. Rope Pressdown: 60, 65
4B. DB Curls: 25

ENGERY SYSTMES
Ran for 1.5 miles (took about 11 minutes)

FLEXIBILITY
10 minutes of stretching

Take care,
Dan