Hello

[ShirleyM]

Hi

I have been looking at all the messgae forums and cN see bits of myself in all of them. I am 39 and have suffered what I now know as panic attacks for the past 20 years, I could cope okay with them though, but over the last 2 months,I have been really ill with what I suppose is General Anxiety, this does not feel like a panic attack that comes and goes, I feel anxious all the time, I feel like I am in a daze all day, feel really dizzy like I am going to faint and I am convinced that I have some sort of terrible illness.

I went to my Gp and she prescibed Cipromil 20mg, I took half the dose for the first couple of days but felt much worse so stopped taking them and anyway I would like to get through this without meds if I can.

I don't wnat to do anything or go anywhere my partner must be sick to death of me and I'm sure everything thinks ill again!!! it is so difficult to explain to people what is wrong with you as they don't understand. I am hanging on to my job by the skin of my teeth if I take any more time off I will be fired for sure.

I am due to go on holidays in a weeks time to Spain, i havn't even go the energy to pack and don't want to go (no thats wrong not that I don't want to go) just can't face going feeling like this but my two daughters are looking so forward to their holidays that I would be letting them down if I did not go. My partner keeps saying a nice holiday thats just what you need. but the thought of the airport, plane, waiting about, being away from the safety of my house is freaking me out.

Does anyone have any experinces similar to mine feeling terrible all day every day. and what does everyone think I should do about my holiday??? Do you think I shoudl go back to the Doctor and ask for soemthing to tide me over the two weeks???? don't want to get dependent on meds either.

Oh and I have tried hypnotherapy that helped a tiny bit to start but I am just as bad as ever.

I am so fed up of feeling like this and just want to be well again. Ihave tried saying stop being so silly it is just anxiety you are not ill, but trying telling my body that at the moment.

If anyone wnats to e-mail me directly my email is shirleym143@aol.com especially anyone that has general aniexty to show that I am not alone.

Shirley

[Meg]

Hi Shirley,

The SSRI's take a few weeks to settle properly and its usual to get more anxious temporarily.

I think you are capable of going on the holiday- you are having a bad run of anxiety but fortunately as you know how to handle your panics you know you will be fine anywhere.

You could get some ativan or valium help to tide you over. In the meantime you might want to get used to a relaxation CD and take some vigorous exercise to use up that nervous tension you're producing.

Read First steps on the introduction bit of this forum or on the main site.

Hypnotherapy often need top up sessions to keep up the improvements.



Meg

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

Dr.David Livingstone

[me]

hello shirley, im mary x welcome to the site, its great,its helped me so so much x everyone here understands, so dont feel alone, you dont have too x although everyone is different,we have all experienced something you are going through. first i want to say how wonderful you are for going through this all this time and managing, that shows how strong of person you are x im on meds and they did make me feel worst before i felt better! which is crazy i know but when i first went on them they really freaked me out but i stuck by them and now a few months later i feel so much better, i know what you mean when you say you dont want to take them,i was just like that,but i have a friend who is really poorly and she said if i had something like toothache i would take a tablet to make me feel better...i would,which she was right!! have you tried taking vitamins? when i first came onto this site,it was the fist thing i was told...i have been taking vitamin b complex,vit c, omega fish oil, agnus castus and kalms for a few months and im sure they all help x having no
caffine watching my diet and swimming now and then im sure it helps. ive also tried hypnotherapy which took my major panics straight away i only have little ones now which is great but i also see a counsellor which i find the biggest help, have you ever seen a counsellor? i found telling someone all my worrys a great help as they dont judge me.i hope this message is alittle help to you remember we are always here take care love from mary x

[ShirleyM]

Thanks for your advice Meg and Mary, this is just so difficult, I have started taking vitamins and today went for a cycle ride still feel awful though really dizzy and light headed.

I have never tried counselling, just got through it on my own and my GP where do you find a counsellor?. My panic attacks havn't been constant for the last 20 years in fact I had a 8 year period without any. But as I said this is not like a panic attack this time it is like being on edge all day every day. I am still deabting about taking the Cipramil again but the thing is if it makes you worse to start with and I am going on holidays on Saturday hwo am I going to cope with the holiday?

I feel I am jsut about capable of dressing myself at the moment and going through the motions of trying to act normal. Has anyone else felt like this all day for weeks on end?

Its good to read the forums though that is what is keeping me from thinking that I am going totally mad at the moment.

Take care
Shirley

[april tones]

hi shirley, welcome! your not going mad! its horrible feeling, i feel like that when get unwanted thoughts. I would say get back on with tabs and stick with them for bit and they will work. Why dont you book up with your gp and arrange councelling? take care, love april x

apriltones

[seh1980]

Hi Shirley,
Welcome to the site! I understand everything you are going through. I live with my boyfriend and there was a time about 6 months ago when I wouldn't leave the house. He would try to make me but I would just refuse. It was probably as hard on him as it was on me, if not harder. He managed though and I appreciate his help so much. I didn't want to take meds at the beginning either but I got to a point where I just couldn't cope anymore. I started on Cipralex last November and the improvement I have made is incredible. At the beginning, I felt horrible just like you said you did. My head felt like it was going to roll off I was so dizzy. But after a week or two, I was slowly able to start leaving the house again and begin to get my life back. Sine then, I have managed to go to Paris twice to visit my family - something I wouldn't have even considered doing before. Lots of people seem to have an issue with taking medication because they think it means they are giving in to their anxiety and they would rather fight it alone. I do think you should consider it though as it will help you help yourself and that's what it's there for.
Take care.
Sarah (seh1980)

quote:Originally posted by ShirleyM

Hi

I have been looking at all the messgae forums and cN see bits of myself in all of them. I am 39 and have suffered what I now know as panic attacks for the past 20 years, I could cope okay with them though, but over the last 2 months,I have been really ill with what I suppose is General Anxiety, this does not feel like a panic attack that comes and goes, I feel anxious all the time, I feel like I am in a daze all day, feel really dizzy like I am going to faint and I am convinced that I have some sort of terrible illness.

I went to my Gp and she prescibed Cipromil 20mg, I took half the dose for the first couple of days but felt much worse so stopped taking them and anyway I would like to get through this without meds if I can.

I don't wnat to do anything or go anywhere my partner must be sick to death of me and I'm sure everything thinks ill again!!! it is so difficult to explain to people what is wrong with you as they don't understand. I am hanging on to my job by the skin of my teeth if I take any more time off I will be fired for sure.

I am due to go on holidays in a weeks time to Spain, i havn't even go the energy to pack and don't want to go (no thats wrong not that I don't want to go) just can't face going feeling like this but my two daughters are looking so forward to their holidays that I would be letting them down if I did not go. My partner keeps saying a nice holiday thats just what you need. but the thought of the airport, plane, waiting about, being away from the safety of my house is freaking me out.

Does anyone have any experinces similar to mine feeling terrible all day every day. and what does everyone think I should do about my holiday??? Do you think I shoudl go back to the Doctor and ask for soemthing to tide me over the two weeks???? don't want to get dependent on meds either.

Oh and I have tried hypnotherapy that helped a tiny bit to start but I am just as bad as ever.

I am so fed up of feeling like this and just want to be well again. Ihave tried saying stop being so silly it is just anxiety you are not ill, but trying telling my body that at the moment.

If anyone wnats to e-mail me directly my email is shirleym143@aol.com especially anyone that has general aniexty to show that I am not alone.

Shirley

[gingerone]

hi shirley
it was nice to read your letter i my self suffer from panic attacks and they are the worse things in the world. my doctor gave me pills but i dont think they are the best option i think only you can sort it because one day you will have to come off the pills and then over come this illness if you understand what i mean speak soon love christina. sorry i could not be more help. xx

c j giff

[nomorepanic]

Hi Ginger - You are right about the pills. They help a lot of people and alleviate the symptoms so that you can concentrate on getting well. At the end of the day, you do still need to solve the underlying problems before you will make a full recovery.

Shirley - hope you feel a bit better now? Most GP's will be able to refer you to a counsellor or No Panic (the charity) offer a telephone recovery group, so you could try that too.

Nicola