Help

[Amie]

I have suffered anxiety attacks for 6 years and its been really tough,
so i completely understand how all of you here feel. However, not
only is it comforting to see how many other people suffer it does not
make getting over it any easier.

I think we would all agree that we can dish out the advice but never
take it. I feel so fed up sometimes that i just burst out crying and
plead to my mum to help take the pain (mental pain) away. I have
butterflies in my stomach and down my legs all the time mostly and
have no interest in food at all. I am in my final year at UNI and
this anxiety is pushing me into more stress cos i cant concentrate on
work or have the desire to finish.

I wake up in the middle of the night and have to sleep in my mum's bed
cos i cant be alone, i feel the need to constantly be around people
incase something bad happens. I feel sick and feel frightened of
being sick and having a panic attack. Oh god, the list is endless.

I have been trying the breathing techniques, tapes, lavender oils,
massages, yoga, seeing doc, psycologist, and psychiatrist at the
Priory to help me, but i still feel down and out. If any ideas how to
help, please let me know.

We are in this together, so any advice you give me i will help give
you too.
xAmie

[Rick]

Post by Amie
I have suffered anxiety attacks for 6 years and its been really tough,
so i completely understand how all of you here feel. However, not
only is it comforting to see how many other people suffer it does not
make getting over it any easier.
I think we would all agree that we can dish out the advice but never
take it. I feel so fed up sometimes that i just burst out crying and
plead to my mum to help take the pain (mental pain) away. I have
butterflies in my stomach and down my legs all the time mostly and
have no interest in food at all. I am in my final year at UNI and
this anxiety is pushing me into more stress cos i cant concentrate on
work or have the desire to finish.
I wake up in the middle of the night and have to sleep in my mum's bed
cos i cant be alone, i feel the need to constantly be around people
incase something bad happens. I feel sick and feel frightened of
being sick and having a panic attack. Oh god, the list is endless.
I have been trying the breathing techniques, tapes, lavender oils,
massages, yoga, seeing doc, psycologist, and psychiatrist at the
Priory to help me, but i still feel down and out. If any ideas how to
help, please let me know.
We are in this together, so any advice you give me i will help give
you too.
xAmie

The one thing that strike me about your post: are you taking any
medication? It's the only thing you didn't mention. I know some people
are of the mind that "fighting" with your anxiety disorder is the only
way to deal with it. But if non medication techniques just aren't
working enough for you, it may be time to consider at least trying it.
It can be downright masochistic to hold onto an opinion that all
medications to treat PD are "bad."

I've done as many non medication things as I could. CBT helps in my
case. But it isn't a cure either. And there have been those attacks
where breathing techniques, visualization etc. simply was not enough.
It's not a personal or moral failure if you have to take medication to
cope with PD. The jury is still out on whether this is a learned
behavior or a biological problem.

Rick

[Amie]

Rick,

I am on medication, Escitalopram and Diazapam, i also saw a
psychiatrist at the Priory hospital to discuss medication as he
thought that i may need to try a different one.

I have had so many things going on around Christmas time, that's when
i started getting my anxiety attacks again and he reckons the
medication i was on was not enough, so gave me diazepam (valium) to
try and battle through for 3 weeks course.

I still feel like i wanna do things without having to be on
medication, especially Diazepam, i realise its mind over matter but i
find it really hard to control my worries. I mainly worry about
illnesses,having panic attacks being alone, feeling sick and being
away from my family or my family passing away. Its really distressing
and this sets off my worries and triggers attacks.

Amie

[Kim]

Hi Amie

I have suffered from attacks for 8 years and I feel like you do. It does,
however, help (a bit) to know there are others who go through the same
thing. It's so difficult to explain to people though what it's like. My
attacks went away last year for a couple of months and then returned, out of
the blue, with a vengeance. I'm back to square one now. Frightened out of
my mind. My hubby travels overseas and then I'm on my own with my 6 year
old daughter. I get so scared. Since the attacks have returned I've lost
all confidence again. I work two mornings a week and have to drive and that
freaks me out. I've very very sensitive to SSRIs and don't want to go that
route again. Currently I'm back on my clonazepam daily but it's not working
that well.

Hope you have more days feeling better - you are not alone.

Kim

Post by Amie
I have suffered anxiety attacks for 6 years and its been really tough,
so i completely understand how all of you here feel. However, not
only is it comforting to see how many other people suffer it does not
make getting over it any easier.
I think we would all agree that we can dish out the advice but never
take it. I feel so fed up sometimes that i just burst out crying and
plead to my mum to help take the pain (mental pain) away. I have
butterflies in my stomach and down my legs all the time mostly and
have no interest in food at all. I am in my final year at UNI and
this anxiety is pushing me into more stress cos i cant concentrate on
work or have the desire to finish.
I wake up in the middle of the night and have to sleep in my mum's bed
cos i cant be alone, i feel the need to constantly be around people
incase something bad happens. I feel sick and feel frightened of
being sick and having a panic attack. Oh god, the list is endless.
I have been trying the breathing techniques, tapes, lavender oils,
massages, yoga, seeing doc, psycologist, and psychiatrist at the
Priory to help me, but i still feel down and out. If any ideas how to
help, please let me know.
We are in this together, so any advice you give me i will help give
you too.
xAmie