Analyzing!!

[JsMom]

I am a chronic over analyzer. I always have been. It is near impossible to shut my brain off in terms of the "what if" scenarios.

Do you think that there is something in the brain chemistry that triggers all this anxiety, panic, hypochondria and the "what if" syndrome? I mean I have been thinking (naturally..LOL) that something must be haywire in my brain make-up or something.

I can take any situation and turn it into the most negative thing. It is just automatic. If I have a headache, I am sure it is a brain tumor. If I have money problems, I am just sure I will be homeless soon. The list goes on and on.

I look at my hubby who is the most calm person ever. He doesn't get anxious about anything. He always looks on the positive side. Thank goodness, because we need some sort of balance in our lives.

Anyway, I am rambling now, but I was wondering what everyone else thought?

Jenelle

[Meg]

Classic GAD symptoms , SSRI's can help enormously as can CBT.

Helping yourself includes learning to underereact greatly so in time you can forge a balance and finding a project to really concentrate on to give you a rest from the constant thoughts.



Meg

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

Dr.David Livingstone

[seh1980]

Hi Jenelle,

I am the same in many ways. I always get scared when I have a pain or something bad goes wrong - I always think it must be something much worse than it actually is. I used to be a lot worse. I am now on Cipralex (an SSRI) and I'm a lot better. I still find myself doing it but nowhere near as much as I used to. Have you considered medications?
Take care.

Sarah (seh1980)

[stimpy]

I'm just the same, every pain is something deadly serious.
Most days start a little something like this...

Oh my side hurts, oh my god gallstones! - Think logically, if that was gallstone pain it would hurt a lot more than that. Get a grip woman!

As my doctor once said to me. "Stop Anyalising Everything You are driving me and yourself nuts !"

And it's true, I do.
Why have this panic attacks come back with such vengance?
What have I done for them to come back?
Oh my side hurts, which muscle have I pulled and why?
How many shades of blue are there, why do we need so many?
Cornflakes and milk stick to bowls like no ones business, so why isn't superglue made of cornflakes and milk and what makes them sticky?

I think once you start to get a grip on Mr Panic, then you are able to be more focused on what is genuine and what is a touch of panic.
It takes time to retrain the brain, but it works eventually.



Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[:p]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'

[JsMom]

I have been on Zoloft and Ativan for about a year now. My doctor increased my Zoloft about 2 months ago. I am better than I was a year ago, but I still have the anxiety, panic and overanalyzing syndrome.

Jenelle

[Lilith]

Hi, Jenelle! I have the same tendency. If I begin to feel slightly nauseated for any reason, I immediately fear vomiting, and then choking and dying, and then I panic and get sicker, and so on and so on..... I wish I knew what the answer was. I take Xanax at moments like these, but I don't want to take them regularly for fear of becoming addicted. My husband is just like yours - nothing bothers him at all. I wish I could just turn it off. If you find out how to do that, I love to hear it. :)

[Caz Fab Pants]

Janelle,

My theory is that we are actually intelligent people who, for some reason, have been under stimulated at some point in our lives when perhaps we were feeling a little low which has led us to start thinking about ourselves a little too much. This has led on to obsessing about aches and pains, panic and so on.

This means that instead of our busy minds being exercised with life experiences like other people, ie organising social events, climbing career ladders, going on holidays etc our minds have become stuck and our brains are now constantly busy with worry.

Caroline
x

[Meg]

'Do you think that there is something in the brain chemistry that triggers all this anxiety, panic, hypochondria and the "what if" syndrome?'

we teach ourselves to be like this over time by doing lots of preplanning and risk management.

I totally agree with Caz that this is very common with peoole who are intelligent and creative.
I was soo busy doing 16 hour days when this all started for me.

I think that we may ignore the initial gentle warning signs and eventually your body shouts out in it's 'last resort' way that all is not well and it needs some attention.

Then fear sets in and we often take time out or slow down and all our head channels are not used to all this space, so fill themsleves with whatever is closest in our minds at this time - ourselves and our health.

As Caroline says it can then get stuck, as the fear insists that all is not well. It then takes ages to retrain the chat channels.


Meg

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

Dr.David Livingstone