anxiety

[flatterycat]

Hello

This is my first time posting on here and hope someone can help. I am 37 and a teacher in a primary school.

I have suffered with bouts of anxiety off and on for years. Sometimes I have had to take time off work, sometimes I am able to work with it. For the most part I am fairly free of this awful gut wrenching fear, which apears every now and then for no apparant reason. Currently I am suffering anxiety which came on Saturday. My initial reaction is "oh no, it's back, I'll be ill for so long, it'll never go away" I am trying to think positively and do all the things recommended. Does anyone else find that they can go for long periods of time where they feel 'normal' then get hit with a bout, which feels like you are back in that terrible place?

I have learnt to get past most of the physical symptoms, it's the mental ones that scare me. Is this the same for anyone else? I can't even begin to go through some of the things I think - they can be very scary. I find that if I feel slightly 'odd' I get really scared. Especially when I can't describe how I feel. I have terrible fears of going mad or behaving oddly and imagine all sorts.

I also suffer from mild OCD, which I live with and which gets bad when I am stressed. I take 20mg of Cipramil and have been on these now for a few years.

I hope someone can help, particularly with the 'mental' aspects of it all.

Thanks for reading

Sarah

[mickey mouse]

Sarah,

I've just joined today on hehalf of my attractive daughter who is 28 years old. I'm hoping soon she will have the confidence herself to reply to you. She has similar symtoms as you.

Do find the medication helps? She has used Prozac in the past but wanted to move onto herbal remedies and is currently taking something herbal. Her current approach, where she holds down a job as a self employed Beauty Theapist, is to have doctor recommendation valium, just a few in her handbag, couselling which isn't really too helpful and on a NHS waiting list for a Physotherapist for the last year or so, which has a good track record, we are told. We look forward to hearing from you. Travel isn't easy for her and finding sypathetic boyfriends for Charlotte too. If you reply back to Charlotte I'll get her read it.

Mike and Charlotte

[Piglet]

Sarah, Mike and Charlotte too if you read,

Welcome guys!!!

Sarah yes I can identify with this totally - I have had anxiety and panic attacks on and off for the last six years but this last year has been the worst and I don't like to go out on my own, so nearly always have one of my daughters with me.

There are loads of info pages for you to look at and I am sure they will be helpful.

You are most definately not on your own with these feelings - it's almost absurd how alike we all are in our symptoms.

I think the main objective here is how to learn to live alongside anxiety without it spoiling your life.

I am sure you will find the forum very supportive with this.

Piglet :):)


"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[flatterycat]

Hello Mike & Charlotte

Thanks for replying. I think one of the biggest helps is speaking to people who understand - you know that they know what you are talking about!

I have been on my medication for over 8 years! I think it has helped me on a day to day level. Whereas before I felt like I had a continual feeling of foreboding, I now feel really quite content within myself, generally. However when it comes to the actual bouts of anxiety, they can be just as overwhelming. I also think that positive statements help a lot, though sometimes it's a real battle to make myself say them, let alone believe them. I would like to come off the pills, though I think it's more from the stigma of taking anti-depressants that I feel.

I have been really bad in the past. I have gone from not wanting to go to the end of my road to flying to Cuba!!!!! I did that last year on the tail end of an anxiety episode - god knows how! Don't get me wrong, I can see that I have come a long way, it's just that when the anxiety does come back it feels so frightening.

I had trouble with unsympathetic boyfriends too! But I have since met Mark who takes me as I am. We got married 2 months ago and that was with him knowing all my problems!

I hope you feel able to reply. If you prefer you can always contact me on my email address.

Sarah

[flatterycat]

Thankyou Piglet

It is really good to hear your words. Do you think the 'feeling odd' and 'not being able to explain how you feel' are normal. As I said I have kind of accepted the physical, it's the thoughts I get that scare me. I suppose this is because I wouldn't want to share them with the doc, but it's easy to go along and say that I have a pain etc!!!

Sarah:)

[Daisybun]

Hi sarah
I too am a teacher and suffer anxiety and panic attacks, health anxiety too. Currently signed off but wondering whether i can cope with going back as an incident at work sparked off this last bout of anxiety. I am considering meds, have been given citalopram but not had guts to take it yet, been living on 2mg diazepam a day for last month and kalms, with Rescue remedy thrown in. I find the physical symptoms hard as I have health anxiety, also the thoughts are a right one too. You'll find lots of support here

Take care
Daisybun

'This too will pass'

[flatterycat]

Hi Daisybun

Good to hear from another teacher! I have been off school on 3 separate occasions. The first time - 2 weeks, the second - 2 weeks, then for 6 weeks the last time. I felt like such a failure- especially leaving my class. That was over a period of about 7 years and I always fear being off again.

Despite all this I took on the assistant headship at a new school in September and have been doing ok.

I also suffer health anxiety. Although the main anxiety symptoms don't bother me much, but when I do get a pain somewhere different I always believe it to be something awful. I'm just glad my doctor is so supportive!

I was terrified of taking medication. Refused for years, then one day gave it a go - well my mum and dad virtually forced me! Anyway I did get side effects, but I persevered and they have helped me, though I know they aren't everyone's bag.
I
Thanks for replying, it's great to hear from others who understand.

Sarah:)

[giddy]

Hi Sarah - I'm yet another teacher with anxiety!! I've had 3 episodes over the last 14 years or so. Luckily I've not had to take too much time off work and managed to struggle on!!! This last time though when I was very bad I had 1 or 2 days a week off for about 6 weeks. The rest of the time I was there in body if not in mind!!
Love Helen

[carolar]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Sarah, Mike and Charlotte too if you read,

Welcome guys!!!

Sarah yes I can identify with this totally - I have had anxiety and panic attacks on and off for the last six years but this last year has been the worst and I don't like to go out on my own, so nearly always have one of my daughters with me.

There are loads of info pages for you to look at and I am sure they will be helpful.

You are most definately not on your own with these feelings - it's almost absurd how alike we all are in our symptoms.

I think the main objective here is how to learn to live alongside anxiety without it spoiling your life.

I am sure you will find the forum very supportive with this.

Piglet :):)


"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

<div align="right">Originally posted by Piglet - 05 June 2006 : 14:41:01</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">