View Full Version : Anxiety / Panic Recovery and Support
britt244
12-30-2007, 03:13 PM
i was staying away from this thread for a few reasons, but here i am.
tuesday night at a party i rolled, and i felt slightly out of it the rest of the week til today. today i felt back to normal. and that meant the anxiety came back. what the hell? i was so fine all week, which is strange, because you would think drugs would make it worse.
i dont like the way i feel right now.
cameron_keys
12-30-2007, 06:12 PM
i was so fine all week, which is strange, because you would think drugs would make it worse.
Rolling works by tapping into your seratonin levels. They probably took a long time to deplete...which is why you felt good all week. This is why I briefly considered using X for my anxiety. Because of this reaction...nothing else works. BUT...of course, I cant roll everyday to keep the panic attacks away(well..I suppose i COULD...but I dont want to) so it would only be a short term (like a day or two) fix.
But when it is at it's worst....feeling good for just one day is ungodly tempting.
britt244
12-30-2007, 06:29 PM
^ well it's a miracle drug, haha. i didnt even feel good all week. i was moody, dizzy, felt sick a lot.. but there was no anxiety! not even the tiniest bit.
i just took a bath and the whole time i wanted to get out. when i was showering off, i had to get out. i HAD to.
StellarGirl5792
12-30-2007, 07:27 PM
I know how that feels. I had months on end when I would feel sick to my stomach 24/7 and constantly have this insane feeling of dread hanging over me.
That has been me for the past 4 months. Constantly feeling like I'm going to barf. Usually when I'm out and about. I've had an anxiety disorder for years. And I hate the feeling of those attacks. I think worrying about having an attack actually makes me have one sometimes.
Darcy Foxx
12-30-2007, 08:57 PM
I think worrying about having an attack actually makes me have one sometimes.
that is often what triggers me too. our brains are our own worst enemy :-\
BrunetteGoddess
12-30-2007, 08:58 PM
My anxiety problems are worse than ever just recently. :( I'm trying to calm myself, but it's not working...I was at a point where I thought I had it under control and I was accepting what I can and cannot do. Remember that "how to fight stress and be happy" thread I wrote? I've lost that state of mind.
cameron_keys
12-30-2007, 09:52 PM
I'm getting annoyed at other threads where people are basically just saying that we need to calm down and take some vitamins. Like this isnt a real disease..we are just high strung or something.
I realize if you have never experienced clinical depression or anxiety disorder you may not understand...but saying just take some vitamins and chill out and you'll be fine is so fucking condesceding.
Darcy Foxx
12-30-2007, 09:56 PM
i agree cam. that's what some girls at work say to me too. "oh, just sit quietly for a sec and calm yourself down". sorry, but when you're caught in the grips of a severe attack, sitting in a corner for 30 seconds isn't going to do fuck all.
surprisingly, i haven't had a panic attack since friday. i've just been feeling severely depressed. don't think i even have the energy to have a panic attack....
cameron_keys
12-30-2007, 10:00 PM
i agree cam. that's what some girls at work say to me too. "oh, just sit quietly for a sec and calm yourself down". sorry, but when you're caught in the grips of a severe attack, sitting in a corner for 30 seconds isn't going to do fuck all.
.
I dont think these people understand the differance between blue days(which everyone has ) and true depression....or a bit of anxiety(which everyone gets from time to time) and an actual anxiety disorder or panic attack.
But sitting calmly thinking happy thoughts isnt going to fix the chemical imbalance in my brain.
Darcy Foxx
12-30-2007, 10:02 PM
yeah exactly. i remember saying to the new manager at work that i have bad anxiety and he's all "well ashlee, i think everyone gets a little bit stressed sometimes"
Darcy Foxx
12-30-2007, 10:35 PM
can you believe i just started feeling seriously anxious after i wrote that? :(
BrunetteGoddess
12-30-2007, 10:42 PM
I hate wannabe experts. Fuck off.
britt244
12-31-2007, 12:37 AM
can you believe i just started feeling seriously anxious after i wrote that? :(
yes. thinking about it makes you aware of it, if that makes sense. like, if i even click on this thread i'll start to feel antsy.
cameron_keys
12-31-2007, 11:11 AM
I hate wannabe experts. Fuck off.
Seriously. It just adds to everything when I hear things like "Just get up and do something and you'll feel better...stop being lazy" when I have days I cant get out of bed
Or the people who tell you to take some herb and breathe deep and count to 10...yeah..no. That might help normal people....but it doesnt help me. Not when I'm in the full blows of a panic attack where I cant breathe and I'm puking my guts up and wanting to slice my head open so the pressure will release.
If you have never dealt with a true depressive or anxiety disorder.....STFU. You dont know what you are talking about.
Pamela
12-31-2007, 11:25 AM
If the person who i think it is Cam hits BB again going off topic to your question, don't worry. And please don't be run off by people like that, i tend to think these people (with all due respect) think their Anxiety is much worse than anyone else and drugs will never help.
My daughter is entering this world now, and it sucks for us both. I know the feeling of panic all to often myslef and i will say, my symptoms are no worse than any of you. We all feel the anxiety, we are all the same.
A support system is what is needed in times like this, not "i hate drugs" SHIT.
My rant...vent. I also was/am still very upset.
Excuse me while my daughter eats a leaf and CURES her anxiety now. BS! Aint (love saying that) gonna (and that) happen!!!!!
Her MEDS. keep her working and in a Community College, as well as going out of the house!
FUCK.
Sorry ladies, i'm done.
cameron_keys
12-31-2007, 11:36 AM
^^ Thank you!! I was starting to hyperventilate I was so pissed off. That whole "just take care of your body and you'll be fine" shit....like I have a panic disorder because I eat too many hamburgers or something. What the fuck ever.
I dont need to be made to feel like some kind of junkie because I need meds to control this.
Maybe I should just throw away my meds for my pancreas and my gallbladder and my chronic pain..hell I'll even toss my birth control pills...apparently herbs cure everything. I'm going to go eat some bark and ask the moon goddess for guidence now. That'll fix me.
Darcy Foxx
12-31-2007, 07:33 PM
tonight i just want to get through work without having a panic attack. considering i'm still feeling a bit sketchy from the ritalin, am hungover, have barely slept and am still feeling really depressed, it's not seeming likely.
positive thinking though... positive thinking....
TigersMilk
12-31-2007, 08:55 PM
Today I actually feel like I'm having a good day. Hopefully tomorrow will be a repeat. *shares good day vibes with Darcy*
cameron_keys
12-31-2007, 09:18 PM
And I've had to use the ignore button. Even after a warning....she just wont stop.Glad to hear that you are able to get control when you get stressed....it isnt the same as having an actual depressive or axiety disorder. And drugs are critical to many people with these problems in order to live a normal life. We arent just junkie attention seeking pill poppers.
Darcy Foxx
12-31-2007, 09:20 PM
heh. believe me, if it wasn't absolutely necessary for me to function, i wouldn't be taking anti-depressants. my psych only put me on them as a last resort because he genuinely believed i NEEDED them.
xdamage
01-01-2008, 12:19 AM
It's funny. People know from fairly common evidence several things including:
1) Recreational drugs dramatically change how we think and feel.
2) Brain damage due to physical trauma or disease (e.g., Alzheimers) can dramatically change someone.
3) Many non-recreational drugs have side effects that cause agitation, heart palpations, anxiety, sleepiness, etc.
4) People are very familiar with other areas of the body being sufficiently abnormal that medications or surgery are required to re-balance (e.g., diabetes, hypo/hyper thyroidism).
Yet, in the face of all this evidence that a person's brain is another chemical/biological organ, sensitive to drugs, that our biological organs can be out of balance, despite all of this, still there are people that believe that one's mood is entirely under our intellectual control.
But it gets worse! It gets worse when the person believes in "natural" cures (keeping in mind that all toxins and poisons, acids and bases, hallucinagenics, etc., are all entirely "natural" as if the word "natural" equates with "healthy" or "safe"). It's worse because on the one hand such people believe that things that we ingest can have an impact on our mood, yet on the other, they fear "non-natural" drugs, not because they have any real understanding of human brain chemistry, but just because they have associated a kind of out-dated, barbaric fear of science along with their barbaric belief that ALL people can entirely control their mood through sheer intellect.
I can only hope that as time goes on that these old, out-dated beliefs fade (and that eventually there are some better tests developed to measure brain chemistry function).
exotisch23
01-01-2008, 04:04 AM
I have social anxiety very bad, to the point where I need a job but am too nervous to even get out there and get into some interviews. I used to get panic attacks quite a bit but haven't had one for a while thank god. The last time I had one I felt like I was drugged.
Has anyone ever tried cognitive behavioral therapy? I am looking into for myself.
TigersMilk
01-01-2008, 07:50 PM
^Thats the kind of therapy I'm looking into. Really hoping it will work for me rather than telling the person what I'm feeling and how I'm feeling all the time.
BrunetteGoddess
01-01-2008, 08:07 PM
I hate this constant anxious feeling in my stomach :( I have been in the bathroom a lot lately. Dammit!
Pamela
01-01-2008, 08:22 PM
My daughter made it halfway to her bf's tonite, and just called me on her cell. She is about 5 minutes away from home and needs to talk to distract her mind until she gets home...first break into panic attack since starting her medicine.
She left here saying "what if i can't make it" i told her to try to play music and sing in the car while driving there...didn't work. Fuckin 'what ifs'!
OdysseusNJ
01-01-2008, 08:28 PM
Yet, in the face of all this evidence that a person's brain is another chemical/biological organ, sensitive to drugs, that our biological organs can be out of balance, despite all of this, still there are people that believe that one's mood is entirely under our intellectual control.
Loved the post XD. I almost had this exact same converation in person a few days ago, except it was in a philosophic rather than medical context. It's amazing how deeply ingrained the notion of our minds being entirely under our control is in our culture.
In any case anxiety sucks and kudos to everyone in the thread, especially Darcy - I think I might use your 2008 goal too. For the first time in my life I'm considering addressing it psychiatrically for myself. My mother has such a serious case (as in the worst case I've ever seen or even heard of outside of medical case studies) that I think for years I ignored even the possibility I could have such a thing, it was too bizarre and scary and I also act so unlike she does. Also when I was younger I probably had a bit of that dualist-I-can-control-my-mind-100% notion you speak of XD. But at this point it seems pretty likely and I'm tired of the way it feels and the things it makes me do - or more accurately, not do.
Darcy Foxx
01-01-2008, 09:06 PM
i survived work last night. i took my maxolon which always calms me down (and like i've said before, i think it's more of a placebo for me than anything else, physically it probably doesn't do anything, but mentally it does wonders for me) and i got some calming spray that you spray under your tongue from the pharmacy, so i went through half the bottle.
but i survived my stage shows. i managed to make it through all 4 shows for the night. it still really concerns me that every time i put on a costume i am suddenly hit with stomach cramps and an overwhelming feeling of vertigo and light-headedness, but i fought it off. and that feels good.
stellaforstars
01-01-2008, 09:54 PM
I can't believe I haven't seen this thread until tonight!!!
I get the feeling I'll be living here from now on. Doing okay at the moment, but that probably can be attributed to the two klonopin I took an hour ago. I've been having serious problems going out though recently. Tried to tonight and I couldn't breathe--had to use a fast-acting inhaler to fix things...I'm getting sick of being terrified of leaving the house. It's unhealthy and I want it to end.
SundayMorning
01-01-2008, 10:16 PM
:grouphug: to everyone on this thread...
Lysondra
01-02-2008, 06:53 AM
I am having the WORST panic attacks lately. Absolutely terrible and horrendous. I think I need to go back to the doctor and get a higher dosage of ativan.. or even better, a daily pill for management. This is bad, really bad... it's effecting my private life like nothing.
veronicavale
01-02-2008, 08:35 AM
Has anyone ever tried cognitive behavioral therapy? I am looking into for myself.
I have and can say from experience that it works. It's the kind of therapy I had when I first got panic attacks 10 years ago. I'm no longer 'afraid' of the attacks in terms like I know I won't die or faint and I'm pretty good at keeping positive and not letting it take control of me. Unfortunately, without medication, I have terrible general anxiety disorder, which is so frustrating for me. I just wake up with a sick, awful feeling in my stomach... I have an appointment for monday because I think I need to get back on celexa, which disappoints me a bit because I've been off it for a year with no problems up until this last month :( . I thought I was fixed and it bums me out.
Pamela
01-02-2008, 09:34 AM
I have and can say from experience that it works. It's the kind of therapy I had when I first got panic attacks 10 years ago. I'm no longer 'afraid' of the attacks in terms like I know I won't die or faint and I'm pretty good at keeping positive and not letting it take control of me. Unfortunately, without medication, I have terrible general anxiety disorder, which is so frustrating for me. I just wake up with a sick, awful feeling in my stomach... I have an appointment for monday because I think I need to get back on celexa, which disappoints me a bit because I've been off it for a year with no problems up until this last month :( . I thought I was fixed and it bums me out.
I feel for you. Panic attacks never go away. After we fit the criteria for having panic disorder we always run the risk of having another and probably will at some time. When they come back they seem to come back worse than before for many, often leading to Agoraphobia as well.
People who chest breath as many of us do having panic will hyperventilate which studies have shown people can pass out from lack out oxygen to the brain. Also if anyone has an underlying heart condition a racing heart from panic attacks CAN put one into Cardiac Arrest. These are new studies and should be found online.
It's a very very serious disease.
Sorry spelling errors....just woke up.
veronicavale
01-02-2008, 10:26 AM
That's so funny that you mention chest breathing, because when I first went to counseling, that's one of the first things I learned about! I had no idea that I was breathing incorrectly my whole life! Breathing deeply from your diaphram definitely makes a big difference. And I didn't mean that it's not possible to faint or pass out... it's just that for ME, it's not likely so I shouldn't fear it.
Pamela
01-02-2008, 10:55 AM
That's so funny that you mention chest breathing, because when I first went to counseling, that's one of the first things I learned about! I had no idea that I was breathing incorrectly my whole life! Breathing deeply from your diaphram definitely makes a big difference. And I didn't mean that it's not possible to faint or pass out... it's just that for ME, it's not likely so I shouldn't fear it.
I hear ya on that. :-\
I STILL breath from my chest, i catch myself doing it all the time. I tense up and out goes the chest with each breath. I need to put stickys all over my home reminding me to belly breath.
I rememebr the paper bag trick....damn it works. My daughter is learning how to use all this now. But still when in a full blown panic attack all i can still think is i'm going to die. For a fact it runs in my family. I have a pretty good grip on me, and being on Beta Blockers for my heart does help. But i worry for my daughter now who could not make it to her bf's last night.
I have lost many relationsips over this. And tell people usually after the second or third date i have panic attacks. My daughter is hiding it from her bf. I hope she tells him soon. It does not mean we are weak. That was the part i had to get over...i always had to be in control, now i'm not. And it's my body & my mind the two i should be able to control.
Lysondra
01-02-2008, 10:58 AM
Does anyone have night terrors? I've been getting them; a panic attack in my sleep, yay!
Any medication for that?
cameron_keys
01-02-2008, 11:03 AM
Until now, I never noticed I breathed through my chest whenever I was anxious
Kaylinn
01-02-2008, 11:13 AM
Ugh. I had a panic attack last night. It was bad. I was hyperventilating as I aways do...and I could not get control of it. It lasted for 20 minutes....I don't know how I didn't pass out, hyperventilating for 20 minutes straight. It was terrible. I was freaking out because I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't stop, and I couldn't get ahold of myself, and that made me panic more. It sucked.
The worst part.....I don't even know why I started to panic in the first place. it just started to happen. I hate that. Life is going good, everything is fine, and then BAM! for no reason, it starts.
Panic attacks are soo draining to. Does anyone else feel competly totally wiped out afterward?
Katrine
01-02-2008, 11:22 AM
Does anyone have night terrors? I've been getting them; a panic attack in my sleep, yay!
Any medication for that?
Yes, I used to get those regularly. They ceased after I stopped doing drugs. Lately they are coming back though. What a horrible, scary, helpless feeling.
I used to be very prone to panic attacks, and would get them a few times a month. A couple of things that helped were:
1. Getting enough sleep
2. Not drinking too much caffeine
3. Quit smoking pot
Those three factors caused them to happen ALL the time, especially when I was in school and stressed out. Now when I have them, I have to go into a dark, cool room, elevate my feet, and doing my breathing. Kundalini yoga breathing.
!0 seconds to breathe in, expanding chest. 10 seconds to breathe out, contracting abs.
I knew I was getting one because my heart rate would get really fast, like over 115 bpm. Once I knew that was happening, it took all of my willpower not to contrinually check the bpm. That made it worse.
After a couple of minutes of focusing on the above, I could check to see if my heart was beating slower. At this point, I am hopefully in somewhat of a "trance" state, and my mind is clearer.
This is NOT an efficient method to control panic attacks, btw. I would have to leave wherever I was, and it would often take over an hour to calm down. Even then, I am so exhausted from the stress, I have to sleep it off.
BTW, this is not judgement or advice for anyone's situation. If you need medication to maintain, that is fine. I'm just saying what works for me (somewhat), and I definately had all of the classic symptoms. I really can't take benzos, as I have the propensity to abuse them.
TigersMilk
01-02-2008, 11:26 AM
Panic attacks are soo draining to. Does anyone else feel completely totally wiped out afterward?
Yes. I feel so tired and want to nap afterwards. Then scared cause it might come back.
Lysondra
01-02-2008, 11:32 AM
Katrine; I'm confused... we're you replying to me in the first bit but not the rest?
'cause you started going on about regular panic attacks and then 'needing to sleep them off'... but you kinda can't sleep off night terrors, or know when you're gonna get them... so I guess, yes.
I don't take benzos often... like, once a week I take an Ativan? I need to work something out with my doctors though. I was already diagnosed severe anxiety disorder by a psychiatrist, what's worse than 'severe'? 'cause it's definitely worse. :(
Katrine
01-02-2008, 11:47 AM
Katrine; I'm confused... we're you replying to me in the first bit but not the rest?
'cause you started going on about regular panic attacks and then 'needing to sleep them off'... but you kinda can't sleep off night terrors, or know when you're gonna get them... so I guess, yes.
:(
Sorry, my first paragraph was directed towards you and the night terrors. After that I went off on my own experience with regular panic attacks.
I don't know what to do about night terrors. When I didn't drink, do drugs, and was taking Seroquel before bed, they weren't happening.
Darcy Foxx
01-02-2008, 03:29 PM
wow, i never realised that i'm a chest breather too, especially in the midst of a panic attack. i find myself taking really shallow breaths and feeling like i'm not getting enough oxygen, and taking a really deep stomach breath calms me down for like 5 seconds.
kaylinn, yes i find them extremely draining too. after a panic attack i feel completely void of energy and just need to sleep so bad.
I breathe through my chest, too, and I clutch at my heart like it's just gonna rip right through my chest.
And yes... lots of napping/resting after an attack.
Darcy Foxx
01-02-2008, 07:03 PM
i got really panicky driving to the mall before. was really short of breath and kept trying to yawn but i couldn't, it was the weirdest feeling. managed to get there, grab what i needed, and get home, so that made me feel good. feeling a little weird now though.
veronicavale
01-02-2008, 08:49 PM
You should feel good, Darcy. Every time you do something despite the anxiety, it's a feeling of accomplishment! I understand... I worked last night without my usual 2 glasses of wine and it was tough! But I made it through and was so proud of myself when I got home!
VegasPrincess
01-02-2008, 09:27 PM
Oh, I heart you all for understanding. Most people don't get it and I can't talk to them.
I had a really horrible anxiety attack the other day...I noticed if I'm hungover or if I drink redbull I get worse anxiety the next day, so I have to quit both those activities...
I was driving over this bridge and I just started freaking out. (It's a uber tall bridge where the speed limit is 65) There were no exits for two miles, and I pulled over, which actually made my anxiety worse. It was so bad I was seriously shaking and doubting my ability to drive...I was like, what can I do how can I get my fucking car off this bridge? I decdied to drive to the next exit in the emergency lane. Somehow I made it to the first exit got off and took side streets the rest of my way, and I felt fine as soon as I got off. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I hate this shit!!
What can I do? I've tried a couple drugs (zoloft and something else I forget the name of now) and they didn't help
:(
Lysondra
01-02-2008, 09:28 PM
Oh, I heart you all for understanding. Most people don't get it and I can't talk to them.
I had a really horrible anxiety attack the other day...I noticed if I'm hungover or if I drink redbull I get worse anxiety the next day, so I have to quit both those activities...
I was driving over this bridge and I just started freaking out. (It's a uber tall bridge where the speed limit is 65) There were no exits for two miles, and I pulled over, which actually made my anxiety worse. It was so bad I was seriously shaking and doubting my ability to drive...I was like, what can I do how can I get my fucking car off this bridge? I decdied to drive to the next exit in the emergency lane. Somehow I made it to the first exit got off and took side streets the rest of my way, and I felt fine as soon as I got off. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I hate this shit!!
What can I do? I've tried a couple drugs (zoloft and something else I forget the name of now) and they didn't help
:(
omg bridges used to ALWAYS do that to me. <3
TigersMilk
01-02-2008, 10:58 PM
omg bridges used to ALWAYS do that to me. <3
Exactly why I'm never going over the Coronado bridge again if I can help it. I made a consult appointment and boy I was shaking hard by the end of both trips.
Darcy Foxx
01-02-2008, 11:07 PM
I noticed if I'm hungover or if I drink redbull I get worse anxiety the next day, so I have to quit both those activities...
i can't drink red bull or any kind of energy drink anymore. it's like a panic attack in a can :(
jaizaine
01-03-2008, 12:18 AM
^^^
same here.
Has anyone only started having panic attacks since dancing?
I used to get them as a kid and teenager but never as an adult- or maybe the odd one or two. But since dancing I seem to get them.
I have been staying off the energy drinks coz I usually drink them at work and thought that might be the trigger.
I also get a panic attack at work if i havent eaten and I start getting hypoglycemic and feel nauseated.