advice anybody?

[claireuk]

Hi all can somebody help me please?am i in a setback or am i just having a bad couple of days?how do u know if ur in a setback?my sensations and symptoms are stronger.I went out this morn and felt like i was going to have attack but i told myself just let it happen and tried to float my legs were like jelly and i could feel my body geting hot particularly my face and when i went in shop my heart started racing.I thought ive been doing this for 2 months now why arent i densitising dont get me wrong i have had moments when its not been as strong but today was.I didnt run though i stayed in the shop but i did get panicky at the checkout even though i didnt have to queue.I was trying not to add second fear.I have found it really hard to relax this weekend aswell especially when it comes to watching telly i cant seem to stop feeling anxious and i can feel the anxiety rising and i dont know why as its only tv.Its because im checking in on myself all the time it seems to be more so when i try to relax its like the anxiety wont let me.When im doing something like house work its not so bad its like it just comes over me then the sensations start.Anybody else like me?
claire x:weep::weep:

[natsphantom]

Hi Claire.

Im exactly the same as you so dont go feeling your not normal. I cant seem to concentrate on anything, im always anxious and worrying that there is something physically wrong. Only yesterday i want shopping, felt myself getting panicky. My heart started racing, legs like jelly, sweating and then my vision went weird. Its hard to calm yourself down if it happens while out and about. All i could suggest is that you stop. Take deep long breaths and take a couple of minutes. I have anxiety even when watching tv and doing housework also and im afraid i haven't yet found a way to ease this at the moment. I dont think you are having a setback, i think you could possibly just be thinking and checking yourself more than usual, so that tends to make your symptoms worse. Hope that you start to feel better soon though, it really is awful. Take care. I hope this helps a little

Natasha x

[BobbyDog]

Hey Claire,
I get exactly the same symptoms as you. Supermarkets are one of my main fears and always have been. I have done the desensitising in the past and it does work, but takes time and repetition. I am going through the process again after a major setback last year. Don't give up, it will work. We all have good and bad days, even people without anxiety feel like giving up sometimes.

I also check in on myself as you do, when I should be relaxed I am checking my breathing and usually start taking shallow breaths which are the begining of a panic attack for me. Acceptance is the only way to stop it, accept the physical anxiety related symptoms you are having and relax all the muscles in your body that are tense.

You can and will get better, stay positive.:D

[Harley]

Hi Claire, I know it is hard, but try not to question "why" so much. This will only add to your anxiety. I think you are focusing too much on the symptoms and this will only feed them and so the vicious circle continues. Believe me, the road to recovery is not easy and it does take time, you have to be patient. Just because you are experiencing a bad time it does not mean you are not making progress. It is a learning process and we have to be patient. I experienced many set backs, and I know it is so hard when you have been doing so well. But the good spells will gradually get longer. Who knows why, when we have been doing so well, those symptoms appear from no where? Its best not to try too hard to relax as you will put more pressure on yourself, and consequently that will make you more anxious. Try to "go with the flow" a bit more. You can make a complete recovery from this, but you have to be patient and be prepared to accept the bad times as well as the good without questioning them too much. Good Luck.

[claireuk]

Hi all i guess i need to be more patient with time and stop worrying so much and thinking about my symptoms it is so hard some days.Just fed up with feeling rubbish majority of the day.More practice i think is needed ive still got a long way to go and alot fears to face.I guess ive got to go through the storm to come out the other side.Supermarkets is one of my fears along with socialising and cars and buses even talking on phones.Ive only been going out the past 2 months after 7 months of staying in my house so i suppose i have improved slightly even though im not feeling any better but as my therapist says success is not facing ur fears and being symptom free its facing ur fears whilst having symptoms u need symtoms to recover,Just wish they would not be so intense and strong.How do they go down in intensity?anybody know

claire x

[Harley]

Your therapist is right. It is not a case of facing your fears and them disappearing, it is a case of facing them whilst having them. In other words, accepting them fully, however intense they are. Eventually you will find that they lessen. But this all takes time as your body has to relearn and desensitize itself to these feelings. It really is a case of very small steps at a time. You cannot hurry recovery. But you will get there. I cant believe I can say that now as there was a time when I thought I never would. But once I decided to accept all those horrible feelings and thoughts and just carry on with whatever I wanted to do, they started to decrease. Even waking up in the mornings got easier, something I used to dread as my anxiety was always worse first thing. Until one day I realised that I was having no problems and no anxiety. Mornings returned to normal again.

[claireuk]

Thankyou for your support.Im always worse in the mornings aswell cant seem to eat anything and i have an empty feeling sometimes aswell.How long did it take u to feel better again?i know cant hurry recovery and i dont want too as my therapist says it cant be forced but just want the intensity of symptoms to go down a bit so i can cope more.Im glad u feel better now and can cope how did u do it?

[Redstaffie]

Hi Claire
I think you are being quite hard on yourself... If you have been able to go out after 7months of being indoors.. I think that is amazing and a huge step forward..... I know we are all different and different things work but for me , real slow deep breathing lessons the intensity of my symptoms..
Good luck.x

[Laura123]

Hi Claire, are you on medication, I was like you and been in sertraline for 3 weeks, it's still hard and I feel panicky out and about but it's getting easier. X

[blingkasa]

Hi Claire, i know how it feels. I have had a set back coming on and off since October last year when i began feeling dizzy and that triggered off a lot of yucky fears. Then i went to see a psychiatrist who put me on zoloft which was not nice at all and i have been staying at home most days and cant even work due to this silly stupid thing called anxiety. The hardest part is trying to make family and my partner understand, and that adds to the anxiety. You are doing well, it wont disappear that easily but once we get used to the sensations and let them come and go then i reckon we are on to something. I had to do a stand up comedy show the other night and i can tell you i was already anxious about it days before. I think people with a tendency towards anxiety tend to get anxious much much more than people who dont. Keep on going Claire and lots of love.

[claireuk]

Hi Laura im not on any meds i did try but couldnt handle them especially the side effects from the meds and i have a fear of taking meds i dont even like taking nurofen as i think its going to make me feel horrible.But i have tried citalopram,fluoxetine,prozac.I guess im just to sensitised to meds at the mo.Thanks for ur advice its good to know im not alone on this bumpy journey.I hope ur ok :)

Hi Blingkasa sorry ur having a hard time of it and ur partner and family arent very understanding but i guess they wont understand unless they go thru it themselves try not to be hard on yourself about it u wont feel like this forever.Like u say we have to learn to live with the symptoms and accept them until they dissapear.I read somewhere that acceptance will come without us realising it it will just be a normal reaction automatic.We do have an over active mind dont we worry about everything but eventually this will die down to once our tired minds and nervous system repair itself.Thanks for ur support lots of love too

[Harley]

Claire I will be online later and I can pm you if you want. Have to pop out for a bit. Speak later, hang on in there you are doing great.

[tricia56]

hi was just reading ur post and im strugglng too at the moment and im just like you and my big problem is exepting the feelimgs and symtoms i get as i just dont know how to do it or even how to desentises myself as no one has ever explained it to me. so if u or anyone can try and explain it to me i would be very grate ful

[claireuk]

Hi Harley that would be great to chat some more thankyou il pm you x

Hi Tricia sorry ur having a hard time too at the moment im the same as u finding it hard to accept the feelings and symptoms too its so hard especiallly the intensity of them.I think acceptance starts when u start to face ur fears then eventually the more u face ur fears it becomes easier then u slowly densitise yourself but it takes time cos of our minds and nervous system is very tired so everything is exaggerated feelings,emotions,thoughts,symptoms this all comes from sensitisation and tired mind from months of worrying.Im hoping in time and gradually facing fears things will be easier and symptoms will decrease and we'l be able to rationalise more and think normally.If u get a book by dr claire weekes she explains our illness she was one of the best doctors and she suffered herself.I understand more now why we get symptoms but it still scares me and its guna take time and practice to accept.Good days and bad.Hope this has helped hun x

[tricia56]

hi thk you for gettimg bk to me and you have helped me alot and even tho it will take time and patience and practice even tho the last couples of days as been so hard for mewith the symtoms im getting now and thinking ive MS as ive been googling my symtoms and of cause MS keeps poping up or stoke etc. i need to stop the googling as im juust feeding my anxiety

[claireuk]

Hi thats ok try not to dr google every new symptom u will think u have allsorts wrong with u.I used to do it but i stopped and thought if it was serious i would know about it by now and these horrible nasty symptoms are so scary but cannot harm us.Have u been checked by ur doctor?if all tests come back ok which they probably will then it is anxiety.I used to think how can anxiety do all theses things to ur body but it can its all adrenaline a stress hormone coming from our tired minds being exaggerately recorded to our nervous system giving us all these horrible sensations/symptoms in a blown up way causing senstisation.You are normal just have a tired body.It will repair itself.I understand totally where ur coming from.Im here if u need me

claire x

[Harley]

Hi Claire, are hope you are feeling a little bit better now.

[claireuk]

Hi Harley ive pm you

claire