24track
14-07-12, 21:03
Hello everyone!
I'm so happy to have found this place - some excellent info and advice around.
I am suffering severe anxiety and frequent full blown panic attacks and am trying to formulate a coping strategy, so far with mixed results.
Briefly, I was diagnosed last year with cardiac arrythmea issues, but thankfully these appear to be much improved (still under a specialist consultant). Then early this year I was flung into the horrific world of anxiety and panic.. I travel overseas a lot with work, and one morning whilst being driven to the airport to head home, I had the most frightening experience ever. I now know this to have been a panic attack, but at the time was convinced that I was about to die!
Since that, my symptoms just got worse.. severe shaking down the arms, feeling like death was just around the corner, severe dizzy spells, brain fog, vision unclear... I visited the doctors both overseas and in the UK, and the medical checks (including blood tests) were all fine... what the heck??!!
Work was becoming almost impossible, and I had to leave and just lie down most of the time. However, one doctor put me onto herbal medication (Valerian based) and things improved for a while. He also suggested that there is a high likelihood that the anxiety has been building up for some time and could have been responsible for my heart rhythm issues, which seems to add up.
But after a week or two, I was back to the dreadful attacks and the shaking, and particularly severe stomach twitching/jumping, sometimes going on for days.
Last week I tried out hypnotherapy (using downloaded mp3 sessions) and these so far are proving to be the most effective for me - my general state is now much calmer, BUT I have experienced three really severe attacks in that time, all when at work. Today I was very close to passing out, and all I was doing was talking informally with a colleague!!!!?? I am too embarassed to tell him my issues, I just had to make a quick excuse to "run to the loo" in order to try and pull myself round, which actually took me a long time. This thing is HORRIBLE!!! He must have thought that I was so rude, and I feel awful for being so weird!
My wife has been an absolute treasure, very helpful and understanding in all of this. But when I am away I feel so alone and in fact secretive, it just makes me want to cry.. which I do quite often!
I hope that I can find some friends here to share experiences and possible way forwards with!
Again, good to be here.
Geoff
I'm so happy to have found this place - some excellent info and advice around.
I am suffering severe anxiety and frequent full blown panic attacks and am trying to formulate a coping strategy, so far with mixed results.
Briefly, I was diagnosed last year with cardiac arrythmea issues, but thankfully these appear to be much improved (still under a specialist consultant). Then early this year I was flung into the horrific world of anxiety and panic.. I travel overseas a lot with work, and one morning whilst being driven to the airport to head home, I had the most frightening experience ever. I now know this to have been a panic attack, but at the time was convinced that I was about to die!
Since that, my symptoms just got worse.. severe shaking down the arms, feeling like death was just around the corner, severe dizzy spells, brain fog, vision unclear... I visited the doctors both overseas and in the UK, and the medical checks (including blood tests) were all fine... what the heck??!!
Work was becoming almost impossible, and I had to leave and just lie down most of the time. However, one doctor put me onto herbal medication (Valerian based) and things improved for a while. He also suggested that there is a high likelihood that the anxiety has been building up for some time and could have been responsible for my heart rhythm issues, which seems to add up.
But after a week or two, I was back to the dreadful attacks and the shaking, and particularly severe stomach twitching/jumping, sometimes going on for days.
Last week I tried out hypnotherapy (using downloaded mp3 sessions) and these so far are proving to be the most effective for me - my general state is now much calmer, BUT I have experienced three really severe attacks in that time, all when at work. Today I was very close to passing out, and all I was doing was talking informally with a colleague!!!!?? I am too embarassed to tell him my issues, I just had to make a quick excuse to "run to the loo" in order to try and pull myself round, which actually took me a long time. This thing is HORRIBLE!!! He must have thought that I was so rude, and I feel awful for being so weird!
My wife has been an absolute treasure, very helpful and understanding in all of this. But when I am away I feel so alone and in fact secretive, it just makes me want to cry.. which I do quite often!
I hope that I can find some friends here to share experiences and possible way forwards with!
Again, good to be here.
Geoff