I personally am on medication for mine XD it helps a TON.

I'm trying to do it without medication (bad past with meds), but it might come to that.
I'm glad it's working out for you! :D

Medication helps some, just trying to take your mind off of things is good too.

My anxiety issues are caused by things other people relax in, and vice versa. Math is relaxing for me, same process, different problems, over, and over. The higher my math goes, the less like studying the problems get, the more they're like puzzles. Puzzles (usually with formulaic solutions) help me, so I do problems, solve a Rubik's Cube over and over, and play stealth-based video games. This works for me, but I know for a lot of people, this is the sort of stuff that would cause a lot of stress. You've got to find what works for you.

I'd go the latter route, but try to ask a doctor for some light medication to take when the edge off at the worst times. I've been on Ativan/lorazepam for far too long, and I want it changed. The side effects have hit me, and I've noticed memory issues (I have to keep re-reading this to make sure I'm not saying the same thing over and over), and it's scary. Most meds will have some side effect, wither like this or others, so go light with the pharmaceuticals.

Hm...I wonder what could help me. I gotta start paying attention no that I know what I'm looking for.

The side effects just don't seem worth it to me. I know I'm not going to ever die/be physically damaged because of the anxiety effects, so it makes the pain, discomfort, and other effects easier to fight through/tolerate. The medication effects, on the other hand, might actually cause damage. That's a personal fear of mine, though - which might be adding to the anxiety itself. ^^;;

Another problem is that I think it's feeding off of subconscious fears/thoughts - because it happens seemingly out of left friggin field.
Like today - I was sitting at work, playing the game and BAM ANXIETY ATTACK which knocks me out for the rest of the day afterward. Inconvenient.

[Except for the "meeting new people" anxiety - that has a definite cause. x__x ]

Yeah, that's why when they said they were going to prescribe something for me, I asked for a low dosage. They did, but I've been taking it for *way* longer than I really should as it turns out >.>

And I have a similar thing with meeting people. I've gotten better at it over time, but I'm still not sure if there is a root cause or if it's just there. I have general anxiety disorder, and social interaction in general is a big trigger, which puts meat odds with actually being somewhat extraverted, if that makes any sense O.o

I usually try to expose myself to them as much as possible - cognitive behavioral therapy in a way - to desensitize myself to my biggest fears.

My two biggest fears were physical contact (I'd have nervous breakdowns on trains if people got too close), and performing. Funny enough, furries are kind of helping me with the first one in that they're always so touchy feely at furmeets, which really freaked me out at first (and still kinda does), but it helps. And now I can be in crowded places without immediately freaking out, which was a step in and of itself.

Furries are magical. They have been helping me with the "meeting new people" aspect of it like crazy style.

I would have never guessed that you had a fear of performing. You're always so confident and kickass.

Oh, yeah, it was a huge thing for me. My first few performances were epic failures, where I'd walk out on stage, meep, then just walk off in tears without playing anything. There was a lot of me going up and playing a concerto, then forgetting where I was and walking offstage to abandon the pianist.

The teacher I had put me through a strict routine of giving me dirty looks while I was playing, throwing things while I was playing, making me soak my hands in ice water before playing, running up and down stairs before playing, memorizing things off the bat and playing them at full speed, and performing as much as possible. The Irish music also helped me learn how to improvise on a theme, so if I get off track I know I can just fumble my way back to where I'm supposed to be. Just that knowledge helps me not make mistakes, funny enough.

It really wasn't until about a year after playing in front of people every week that I started to get over it. I still sometimes get twinges of "oh shit" when I'm playing, but I can generally get over it now and not walk offstage to abandon my accompanist xD

have you tried not carrying depending on how you do it it can make almost nothing bother you and distractions do smothing you love a few hours a day its s stress relief thing

I tend to do that anyway, so I'm sure it's helping at least a bit at some level...can't be hurting, anyway. o3o

I juggle. It's a nice little hobby cause I can stop working on a problem for a little while, get a little bit of exercise, and jump back into problem solving refreshed. I also kind of think about the issue while I'm juggling; it's just enough to maybe have that "ah hah" moment when you find the solution when you're not even trying.

The big thing is exercise. Your activity levels effect your brain in profound ways. How often are you active?

Not as often as I'd like to be.
My job involves sitting and playing a facebook game from 9-5. Then I come home and either sleep, draw, talk to Kindle on Skype, or hang out with people.
I love exercise (and the high that follows xP )...and thinking about it, it DOES seem to help.
Hm... I really need to set some time aside for it again, huh...

You definitely need to, especially if you already enjoy it. That will probably have a greater effect than any medication ever could with the side effect of fitness. Do it!

*motivated*
I will! :D

Fursuiting. I feel freer when romping around in suit. That and comissioning badges

I honestly think that our backpacking trip will work wonders. 2-3 weeks without technology in the woods is an amazing way to clear your mind and relax :) And if your worried about being in the woods or away from technology we will be doing plenty of active things such as walking a few miles a day that will just keep your mind off of anxieties and make you just pass out when its bedtime :3

You're going on a 2-3 week backpacking trek?! You have no idea how jealous I am!

I had to to a bunch of "thought work" to help me out. Lots of mine were just battles with myself and my thoughts. Took me a while to get it to work. I still have issues trying to turn my brain off when it turns into those runaway thinking trains. Buut, it's an ongoing process. Some had said that trying to use a made up word, like flautialn, can help, but then I just started to imagine what it might look like >.-.<

c.c I have HUGE problems with social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia, which most people probably never realize, because I've gotten really, really good at covering it. I'm unmedicated, and mostly I manage it by Planning™ the hell out of everything I need to do. Need to run errands? Make a list. Consider the routes I need to take. Psyche self up to deal with Other People. Because oh god, other people are terrifying. Meeting new people is always scary. I look for people I know, and cling to them, at least until I'm comfortable in a venue. It's much easier around furries than with normal people, I've found.

Generally, if I have a distinct purpose, or I'm with someone I know and trust, I'm fine. Exercise has also helped A LOT as a mood-balancer for me. I've been having difficulty lately because it's been too cold to go outside and walk or jog, which is my usual cure. Getting up and moving seems to help even me out and let me stay productive. The past couple weeks I've had some seasonal depression hit pretty hard, which has made me not want to do anything at all. I'm trying to force myself past that. It's compounded by some mild ADHD, which means my brain runs itself in circles so I can't decide what to work on next, and then nothing gets done... Yay for being screwed up in the head? x_x