run out of things to try done it all

[trish1955]

just sat thinkin feeling full of anxiety my adranlin running wild sweathing feel sick so much tension in my body i feel like a stiff board so far over the past 30yrs i have tried meds wich i have not had in past 25yrsas no there is no pill that changes the way i think wich the thought mostly being oh my god i am going to die i dont think there as been a time were that fear was not lurking around in my head any way as i say tried pills physcolist hypnossis eft cbt acupuncture reflexoligy herbale remidies meditation cds the linden method cost 100 read so many books so any one any thing i may try that i have not already tried this year signed up with panic4 that one thats advertised on here thought it miht be diffrent from all the rest but nope same as what i have tried i no they all say same thing allow yr self tp panic go with it dont fight it if only it was that easy we all would not be like this even though you no its true that we feed the fears by fighting it but you just so sfraid to no go into fight mode any way sorry about spelling just over anxiouse right now as any onr ot a new idea for me to try thanks take care all trish

[bernie1977]

Don't know what to say to you except that you have my sincere sympathy as I'm in the same boat as you.

I've suffered with anxiety for years and have become agoraphobic and housebound for the last two years because of it. Like you I can't see I way out of it. I've tried meds and had various counselling. I am on a waiting list for CBT but don't know how I'll be able to do that as I can't get out of the house!

I cling onto the hope that one day I will wake up and things will have changed, something will have snapped back into place in my brain. On good days I do meditation, breathing excerises etc and like you I have read countless books but no change.

If you do find the answer please share it with me!

I hope your anxiety has eased and you are feeling better than earlier. Take care

Lindsay

[Sit2Know]

For about 25 years my anxiety was mild or non existant with a few flares lasing a week or so. Then a doctor convined me to take anxiety meds and I would be 100% cured. I have been off all meds now for over 6 years.

I have had the worst anxiety ever in my life and my life is 100% stress free now. So for me I think the meds altered my brain so nothing works and like you guys I have turned over every rock known to anxiety treatment and some far out. treatments...spent tens of thousands of dollars and worse than ever.

I think I screwed myself by trusting the doctors. I am now about 100% disabled and in total torture 24/7......before the meds I worked and traveled aroudn the world...anxiety was only an occasional shadow.

[nomorepanic]

Anxiety and panic is very hard to beat but it can't be done unless you believe you can do it.

So, for example, you pick up a book on anxiety and read it and you aren't cured so you throw it aside.

Then you try something else and that doesn't cure you so you disregard that too.

You have to believe in what you read and the therapy that you get.

You can't just take a tablet and get cured and you can't just read a book or attend a therapy session and be cured.

You have to WORK HARD at it and use the tools you have to get over it.

Only YOU can help yourself and get over anxiety and panic - there is no miracle cure I assure you. It can take weeks/months/years/10's of years but you have to work at it and not just expect it to happen cos it won't

[flossie]

You haven't tried it all until you accept that you are in a state of anxiety and then believe in the most powerful tool you possess - and that is yourself.
Trust in yourself to get you through, you will find that you are stronger than you think you are.
There is only one person who can sort this out and that is you, and you can do it. However, there is no quick fix. You need to find what works for you and then work at it. It needs dedication to put aside time during each day but there are ways to move forward. The first it to stop the negative thinking. No more 'nothing has ever worked' 'I'm never going to stop the anxiety whatever I do'. Thoughts like these only serve to reinforce your anxiety and give it too much importance. Anxiety is only a small part of who you are but it feels overwhelming at times and we allow it to control our whole thinking and dominate our lives. Stop the cycle and be nicer to yourself. Accept that you are having times of anxiety but don't let that stop you from doing the things you want to. Take things in little steps and you will gradually learn to control the negative thoughts and the anxiety.
Learn how to breath properly, that's very important. When you are breathing into your stomach rather than your chest you will find that it is much easier to remain calm and control panic. Deep breathing and meditation, whichever you find works better for you, I do mine twice a day, has been the most important thing I have learned.
For those in the UK, have a look at the NoPanic website. They offer telephone help for anxiety/phobic sufferers. I have just finished a group course with them and they have helped me tremendously. The link is on the left of this page, under Self Help I think.
I have been agoraphobic for over 30 years. 20 of those years I was housebound. I am now going out, taking the dog for a walk an hour a day and then out by myself for another hour or so. It has taken me 5 years to achieve this but I am doing it and I am slowly increasing the time away from home. It isn't and hasn't been easy but once I accepted that although I would be anxious, probably panic, I can trust myself. I won't collapse in a heap or become a gibbering wreck, I will be OK. You will be too if you trust yourself and give yourself the chance of doing it. Starting out is scarey I know but learn the skills of breathing properly and muscle relaxation - I bought a CD from NoPanic and downloaded from Amazon - practise every day, not just on good days, every single day. You are worth putting the time and effort into feeling happier. Love yourself and trust yourself. Accept and move forward. If I can feel better after more than 30 years you can too. Start believing that it doesn't have to be like this for ever because you will change if you let it happen.

[bernie1977]

That's a very inspiring post to read Flossie. Well done to you in all that you have achieved so far.

I joined no panic last week, I'm waiting for my membership to come through the post then I shall be giving them a call.

My main stumbling block is finding the motivation as the constant anxiety has crushed me and made me a shadow of my former self. It's time to pick myself up and fight back as I have seriously had enough of this illness. I can't leave the house the panic attacks have got so bad I've stopped people coming to my home. I haven't seen my own family for nearly 12 months. The only person I see is my partner that I live with with, god knows how he puts with me. I even start to feel panicky when he is due home from work as I feel safer on my own. I do have CPN but don't see her often as I can't always let in the house as the panic attacks are so bad. I have just started have an hours telephone appointment with a psychologist so I'm hoping I can make progress through this. I know the key to all this is exposing myself to situations that cause panic and that is the way I'm going to have to go.

Over the last couple of weeks with some good weather I have managed to go out of my front door which is a massive step for me.

I need to get better as I've had enough. I want to see my family and do things with my partner but there are also practical things I can't do that need doing. When I'm ill I can't get to the doctors, I have to ring and he deals with me on the phone or does an home visit. I'm long overdue for a smear test and really need to get this done as I have had abnormal cells in the past. I am long overdue for a dental check up. Just simple day to day things that I can't get done as I can't leave the house.

I hope you continue to do well in your recovery Flossie and I wish you all the best

[Pipkin]

Trish,

I have to agree with Nicola here. There really is only one way to improve your anxiety and that's through self-determination and perseverance. I know you've tried lots of things and have tried really hard but you've got to believe you can beat it.

Meds can help to ease the symptoms and therapy can point the way but the rest is down to us, and boy is it hard work, painful and, at times, terrifying. I know - I've been there too.

Talking things through with people on here can also help. It's not often in everyday life that we get the chance to chat to people who really understand because they've been there (or still are there) themselves.

If I could give you any advice it would be to have a think about the options, what you've tried and how you could make changes in your lifestyle then go back to your GP for a very frank conversation. You're most likely to find your answer in a combination of therapy, life changes and some meds to help you through the worst of it.

All the best and take care

Pip x

[trish1955]

thank you for all replies yrs was so good to read flossie its given me some hope back think i was even loosing that so thanks for all yr support on here take care trish

[katyjohnstone]

it will get better as soon as your nerves start to relax i know it takes a long time but it will happen you will get good and bad days then you willm get more good then bad it takes time wont happen overnight but you will get though we all do so pleasen keep going chipping away everyday i never though it would get better but i now have more good then bad days keep smiling

[AuntieMoosie]

I also very much agree with what Nicola has said.
I've suffered anxiety since childhood.
Panic attacks led me to become completely agoraphobic in 2004 and I have been housebound since then.
I also suffer from depression and have been on many different medications for both the depression and anxiety.

I can tell you that finding No More Panic was the best thing that has ever happened to me because through this wonderful forum I was able to find the link for CBT4panic, and that programme has helped me so much that I still find it unbelievable at times.

I did have CBT with a therapist a few years ago, but it just didn't work for me though I know that it has, and still does, help millions of people.

When I joined this forum and saw the post about CBT4panic, I thought, well, I've nothing to loose to give it a try and I've not looked back since. I have been able to go out 4 times now, which for me is nothing short of a miracle!! On top of that, the appointment that I had to attend 2 days ago actually made me want to stay out and not go home!! I managed to go into 3 different shops, big shops they were too and I was out for just over 5 hours!!!

Now, no, I'm not saying it's easy, to be honest, trying to combat agoraphobia has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. It really is extremely hard work, it's really only to do with our own thought processes. I deal with it by saying I have 2 parts of my mind...."Auntie Moosie the great imaginer" and then I have "Auntie Moosie the rational, sensible lady"!! lol.

The hard work starts when you get the negative thoughts coming through that tell you you need to be frightened, so the adrenalin starts pumping, it's at that point that I have to get "rational and sensible Auntie Moosie! to spring into action!! and now, after so many years, I'm able to make my rational side shout down my irrational side, before this, it was always the irrational side that won, but now I'm turning the tables.

It's a hard slog, but boy!! is it worth it!! the rewards are wonderful and I'm looking forward now to next Wednesday when I will be going out with my Daughter and 2 Grandsons, I could only have dreamed of that before but now it's a reality and I can do it!!!

Yes the road will be rocky, yes there will be good times and not so good times, but if you keep working at it really hard you will soon reap the rewards.

Except all the help and support you can get, listen to your doctor and trust them if they feel medication is going to help you, I believe anything is worth trying.

Above all, love yourself for who you are, believe in yourself, be kind to yourself and work, work, work at it!! You can do it, I know you can, you just have to believe it.

Keep coming in and talking and sharing, tell us the good times and the not so good times, we're all here to support each other and with that support, we can achieve anything.

Gosh!!!....I feel like I've written a book!!! lol....but I so hope that what I've said has helped, even if it's in only a small way.

Keep going!!!!! smile:) YOU CAN DO IT YOU ONLY HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF:yesyes:

Sending you all great big hugs:bighug1:

[robinhall]

Hi Auntie Moosie
Just read your post and wanted to say how glad I am to hear that the programme worked for you. It makes all the hard work worthwhile :)

And I know your feedback can help others to give it a try. I understand peoples skepticism but I do get frustrated when people are understandably put off by all the false promises made elsewhere online.

But thanks again - you have brought a smile to my face this morning. :)

Robin