Anxiety

[Todash]

(((((BOB)))) I know first hand what you are going through and I promise you that it will pass. Keep on clinging to what makes you happy with all of your might until it does. I haven't had a panic attack in a few years but I will never forget how they feel. They are like having a nightmare while you are awake and they make you feel helpless and hopeless, but they are BIG FAT LIARS. There is always help, and always, always, always and forever hope.

This is SO true. When our brains are messed up, one of the things they do is try to convince us it will always be this way. At least, the lizard brain part of the mind does. But all that part of you understands is the moment; it has no concept of tomorrow or yesterday. I think of it like a trapped animal, thrashing around because it's in an unfamiliar or frightening situation. I think that's why sensory input, like breathing exercises and relaxing smells and such, can help, because they touch that part of the mind that logic has trouble reaching. Smelling the orange was a lot like using your most soothing tone of voice to calm a frightened animal.

You can do it, Bob. You can become ... The Lizard Whisperer.

[Lily Sawyer]

Signor Roberto, you are already ahead of the curve if you knew to take the orange with you into your office and shut the door.
Aromatherapy seems really wussywimpytreehuggeroutthere, but it works.
And orange, neroli, and mandarin are all mood elevators.
Lavender will calm you down.

Vanilla Greek yogurt with honey on top is pretty bitchin' awesome, too. I'm just sayin'.

[kingricefan]

Hang in there, Bob!! Things will, as others have stated, get better for you. This period of time is like stepping out onto the frozen ice of a pond in skates for the first time in your life- you might fall down once or twice, but you WILL be able to skate soon, forwards and backwards, and even do some of those pretty twirls! You're going to look back on this period soon and laugh!! You've already made progress, so things ARE getting better!!

[kylallie]

I know how you feel Fushingfeef and everyone else, I'm in my (late) twenties and have been suffering from anxiety/panic attacks since I was about 5 or 6. So does my fiance. Even ended up in hospital with one, which is not a fun experience .
However, my doctor actually told me anxiety attacks are generally genetic. I asked around, and a few of my family members do suffer from them.... just doesn't seem to be something people mention!
I can't suggest much on medication, I never used the medication route, I have nothing against it at all, it can do wonders for people if they find the right one to suit them, it just wasn't my ideal solution for myself.
I have learned to recognise them coming on..... it starts off feeling like something is very very wrong, for no reason at all, and I can now counteract them with small acts, like doing something that I enjoy, reading or watching a comedy. For some reason it seems to slow down the attack. But for a long time I couldn't, and they just became full blown attacks - and there's nothing quite like a panic attack is there!
But.... as everyone has said on here, everyone is different, and I wish you the best of luck! It will be a hard road, but once you find out what works for you, you'll be away laughing!

[fushingfeef]

Arrgh, another setback day today. I had trouble with early awakening (kept waking up 3 hours early) so the doctor recommended I move my dose to morning instead of night. It worked for the sleep but then I had another bad panic attack this morning, I went to our on-site wellness center and I went home for the day after that. I talked with my boss before I left and it turns out he had taken anti anxiety medication a few years ago and said he had the same reactions to it in the first week! So I have a sympathetic ear at work now.

I called my doctor when I got home and they are going to try switching me over to Lexipro and are also going to prescribe a limited amount of Xanax for these one-off attacks until the Lexipro kicks in.

I just wanted to check in briefly today, it's kinda hard for me to even type this so I'm headed back to my couch and blanket. Trying to keep a sense of humor about it though...thanks for listening.

[Moderator]

(((Bob))) Very glad to hear your boss is understanding so you won't have that to add to your anxiety. Hope you'll be able to get that combination that works for you very soon.

[Spideyman]

Bob, holding you to calmer days to come. It often takes awhile to tweak the dosage and get it to a proper level within your system. Thankful the boss understands. Please have a good weekend.

[Lily Sawyer]

Arrgh, another setback day today. I had trouble with early awakening (kept waking up 3 hours early) so the doctor recommended I move my dose to morning instead of night. It worked for the sleep but then I had another bad panic attack this morning, I went to our on-site wellness center and I went home for the day after that. I talked with my boss before I left and it turns out he had taken anti anxiety medication a few years ago and said he had the same reactions to it in the first week! So I have a sympathetic ear at work now.

I called my doctor when I got home and they are going to try switching me over to Lexipro and are also going to prescribe a limited amount of Xanax for these one-off attacks until the Lexipro kicks in.

I just wanted to check in briefly today, it's kinda hard for me to even type this so I'm headed back to my couch and blanket. Trying to keep a sense of humor about it though...thanks for listening.

Hey Feefster....
There's no law that says you must check in here to update us, especially if it's hard for you to type things out. We know this is tough for you and we're all pulling for you. Good call on the meds change, even though it sucks to have to do things by trial-and-error. Eventually you'll get both the kind and dose right.
Hey, it's Friday! And that means Kid Karaoke night! Get the girls to sing for you. :-)
We love you!

[GNTLGNT]

(((Bob)))
...it will be well, and all manner of things will be well.....

[Draga]

I suffer from severe social anxiety, panic attacks, ASPD (under control "thanks" to my neuroticism) and in the past I have been a hikikomori during some years (in the present I help people with this social problem via internet), believe it or not, I overcame it, the only traces of those problems is that in the present I'm unable to speak in public. My own solution was starting a road of instrospection and to determine which was the factor that induced me that constant fear. Once you determine it or if you even discover that there's an underlying psychological trauma it's much more easier to find solutions. If you think it is quite severe for you try to get the help of a professional. Now I'll tell you what has worked for me:

1. Find the root of the problem and UNDERSTAND that it has nothing to do with your current learned behavior.
2. You need to attack panick and procrastination by changing your priorities in daily life, there are certain useless things that just add stress to our lives.
3. Get angry and explode, ¡show it! Anger is the great enemy of fear.
4. Balance your diet, eat things like kefir (probiotic) and other natural products to keep your internal body in harmony.
5. Visit your doctor, now I can even give speeches if I prepare them and take my medication (betablockers). Benzodiazepines help to relax, but betablockers inhibe anxiety physical reactions. (Find a good doctor and be sincere, in my way to recover I was even misdiagnosed as schizoid, so be careful)
6. Tell me how it went, I'm sure this will help you as it helped me.