Is everyone doing really well

[Jules31]

I was just wondering how everyone is as there don't seem to be many posts lately. I hope that is a good sign.

I'm having a rough time at the moment but am trying not to wallow in it and so haven't been posting on purpose, though not sure I will keep it up for much longer.

Anyway I was just curious, maybe we could just do a general post to see what stage we are all at.

Hugs

Jules

[apm]

Hi Jules,

Sorry to hear you're not doing so well, but it IS a blip in your recovery, so keep positive!
To answer you question, I'm very much feeling good at the moment- my anxiety comes back from time to time, but is much less intrusive than it once was. Still get jittery, and will be interesting to see how I get on on the train tomorrow (usually means a small anxiety attack, not fond of trains!). There have been blips, but they are just that. We are unlikely to completely shake the panic monster off, but we can banish him to a shed in the garden!

And don't forget we are all here to help each other. Don't wallow- post! And pop into the chat room- guaranteed to make you feel better and put a smile on your face!!

Keep the faith,

Alex.
xx

Outside a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.
-Groucho Marx.

[nomorepanic]

Hi Jules

There are still loads of posts - I know cos I get home at night and have about 30 replies to read lol!!

I am struggling to keep up with it all to be honest as I am very stressed at work at the moment so don't want to come home and sit on the PC all night like I used to :(


Nicola

[sarah]

Hiya

Nic - Dont worry about keeping up with it too much..thats what youve got the rest of us for....HELPING YOU MATEY!!!!!!...LOL

Jules - Alex is right..just a blip. We all get them..mine was last week but im not doing so bad at the mo. We all get ups and downs but i guess its how much you let it take control as to how bad it effects you. Ive managed pretty sucessfully to stop the bad thoughts and can usually talk myself out of full blown panic and just get left with mild-ish anxiety most of the time. Everytime I get a strange twinge or pain somewhere I just immediately put it down to panic and it goes away if I distract myself.
Keep it up, you wll get there mate.

love Sarah
xx

we arent mad, just the next stage of evolution :)

[Laurie28]

Hiya Jules,

I'm sorry you are having a rough time at the moment but pls remember that is what we are here for - to help others (and ourselves) through the tough times. pls post if you feel down!!!

Nic - I think (and I'm sure others will agree) that you need a well deserved break, you after all set this full thing up and we are all immensely greatful, I'm sure everyone understands that you need time for you and your family. I hope you are felling better i know there has been rough things said but I certainly cannot thank you enoough for your support and this site

in answer to your question Jules I have my ups and downs but certainly alot better than last year!!!!

Take Care all

Love
Lucky

[april tones]

hi jules, dont think ive spoken to you on here before, sorry to hear your having a bad spell, it will pick up. I have got loads better but have had a few days of feeling bit down, my partner has too so its probably the weather. I have had one panic attack in 2 months i think, i can control them now. I have unwanted thoughts which i dont have that much now, more like unwanted words etc trying to push there way through, still not nice but not as bad as before.


sarah- glad to hear your maNAGING well and coping with your thoughts, well done.


nicola- i agree with sarah, this site is brill, you have all worked so hard, its not like you get payed for it, you do it because you are a kind person and want to help others as well as yourself, you deserve a break. take care, love april


apriltones

[sadie]

Hi Jules,

Sorry your not feeling too good lately and if it helps you to know, I've not been doing as well lately either, but getting there.

My symptoms have been coming back on off for the last week or so which made me feel like I was no further forward but I realise now this is not the case. Im so much better than I was last year too.

You need to keep trying to be positive and never think you cant go on because you can, you have coped well up until now and you need to give yourself credit for this. Its not easy coping daily with panic attacks and anxiety, we all know that, but we all do each day so we all deserve a big pat on the back, (I think anyway).:D

Remember we are all here to listen and to help the best we can. I have felt like you lately too, I have visited the site but not felt like posting much but just reading the posts etc helps somehow. Keep posting on the forum no matter how your feeling as we will always listen to you.:)

Hope your ok.

sadie

[Jules31]

Hi guys

I'm pleased that a lot of you are having more times than good. I seem to be struggling everyday rather than having blips. That said though I suppose I am doing more things than I was a while ago.

At the moment, I'm plagued by dizzy/faint feelings but more irritating and scary are the burning feelings that I get in the back of my eyes, nose and head. I tried to rationalise that the weather could be making it worse but it's there even if I don't go out all day. Of course I still keep going really hot and getting odd surges of that chemical thing in my head. I haven't been back to the drs as I'm trying to rationalise this stuff but must admit I am struggling abit. Of course it doesn't help when I get the thoughts but what if this is something I should be worried about. I'm just hoping that when I start my counselling that some of this will ease. I just never seem to get any better than this no matter how hard I try

Jules

[april tones]

hi, the more you ignore the symptoms the quicker it will go. Trust me, i done the same along with help of meds and support. Its like the panic gets bored, dont give up, keep going, take care, love april. The burning feelings might be something simple as a cold starting or hayfever?

apriltones

[Jules31]

I wondered the same thing about the burning too, whether it could be hayfever but it started in March and I think this would be too early. Also get it if I'm in all day. Do you get burning with hayfever. My nose doesn't run, I sneeze occasionally and the burning is in the back of my eyes. Grr

Jules x

[Meg]

Jules,

I wondered whether you could relate to this at all. You seem to get this all the time and then spend loads of time worrying about all the symptoms and thus they never go.


A perplexing problem faced by most people with panic disorder is that the physical symptoms of panic tend to shift, or change, over time. Every person's constellation of symptoms is slightly different, although many of the symptoms are the same. The confusing element is that, over time, and even during therapy, a person's physical symptoms may change.

This is many times frightening to the person who doesn't understand what is happening to them. For example, as a part of panic disorder, a person may be plagued by feelings of nausea for a long period of time, enter into therapy, and as the panic attacks are gradually cut off, the nausea disappears -- only to be replaced by a headache that the person is afraid is a brain tumor.

What is really happening here is actually positive. Once the person fully and completely realizes the nausea is simply a symptom that the mind associates with fear and panic, the symptom disappears. In its place another symptom appears -- whatever feels different or out of the ordinary. Then, the process begins again: The catastrophic misinterpretation -- blowing a physical symptom way out of proportion -- and then paying attention to it. And, as we know, the more attention you pay to these symptoms, the bigger they grow and the worse they get.

The person who understands that this will happen is two steps ahead of the game. Panic is very tricky -- it will continue to plague you as long as you let it. In therapy, we learn quickly to expect this symptom shifting and then to realize that this is a positive event -- a major symptom has gone away, and a new symptom has appeared. This new symptom is then identified for what it is, and we learn not to pay attention to it. Any of these "new" symptoms are, as a result, not as dramatic and intense. The shorter period of time it takes before you realize that a symptom has shifted and that panic is playing a trick on you, the quicker and easier the symptom will be to deal with and eradicate.

Once the panic attacks are eliminated, and the symptom-shifting starts, a person is well on the way to recovery. Symptom-shifting is a positive element that, when viewed properly, indicates that you are on the road to recovery.

-- Thomas A. Richards, Ph.D., Psychologist



It's really, very tough to do and it is so easy for anyone to write and I do know how hard this has been for you - but you almost need to assume everything you get is anxiety and dismiss it instantly -especially those rotating symptoms that you've had previously.

Remember - you are intrinsically healthy.





Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

[Jules31]

Thanks Meg

I had read that article before and for some symptoms I do just that. It's just the ones that aren't typical of anxiety or panic that I have the problems with and they seem to stick around. My symptoms seem to shift to new ones but the majority of the old ones stay too.

I do try really hard to believe that they are anxiety, it's just when they scare me that I find it hard.

At least I'm not running back to the dr every five minutes at the moment, so I guess that is something.

Jules

[april tones]

i have my hayfever symptoms nearly all time, you can get burning eyes and sneezing and some times sore throat x

apriltones

[irbuds]

Hi Jules,

i had been wondering how things have been going for you and sorry that you are having a bad patch. Sure you will get better soon. Have your old symptoms of motion/dizzy/faint become any better?

Take care