View Full Version : can you honeslty say you are recovered?
Hi Everyone
for those of you who say that you are recovered, do you honestly feel that you are completely recovered or do you believe that you will have to have to always work at it?
This poll is hopfully to measure my progress!
I hope you don't mind answering and will be honest.
Michelle.
I am not recovered but wanted to reply anyway. I have not had a PA for several weeks. I have had some anxious times but dealt with them. I do feel I am on my guard, but try not to be in case that brings anxiety on. What counts as fully recovered? I do not believe the anxiety will always feel as close as it does right now. But I believe that some element of it will always be there because I am one of life's natural worriers and always have been! :D:D
Lisa.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
That's a hard one.
I feel quite normal but I'm on meds so where do I fit in?
Phill
Don't believe everything you think.
I do class myself as recovered, but I still have times of anxiety. I think this is normal, though. It's just that we've had this illness, we know what it is, when it comes on. I believe that all people have periods in their lives when they worry a lot, feel worse than they used to, stuff like that.
I have my work, my kids, my house, my boyfriend, and I am really happy with life after fighting with everything in me for 3 years.
When I get stressed, I still feel a little of the old symptomes come on, but they don't scare me anymore, I just use them as a reminder to take better care of myself.
"You can't yell loud enough to make me shut up."
I wouldn't say i'm recovered but i haven't had a PA for ages I just get a bit wobbly some times but I can control it and work through the feeling to stop it taking over.
Love Carolyn x
That happens quite alot though!! :)
bubblygirl
19-03-07, 20:15
I personally don't think Ill ever be the person I was before anxiety but I have learnt to cope with it and when im out and feel panick rise in me it doesn't scare me as much anymore as i know it goes away. I am now re building my life looking for a job but i think i will always have anxiety i've just got to not let it stop me living my life. But its taking alot for me to have that attitude. Never thought I'd ever see the light but I'm now capable of doing things i couldnt before. Sarah x
Thats quite a good poll as i feel i am recovered from the way i used to be 4 months ago up to now.. But i feel i will never overcome the full degree of anxiety as it happens to everyone in their lives - It is just the way people cope to how it may or may not control them and their lives.
Really dunno how to vote on this one.
I've felt great for ages but that's because of the meds.
Phill :shades:
There wasn't really an option on the poll that describes my situation.
I believe I am taking small steps towards recovery but it is early days and quite often I take one step forward and two back. However, I do need to believe I can recover or I would collapse in a heap.
So, not recovered yet but I am on the journey still/
Karen x
Rennie1989
20-03-07, 10:17
I announced on the forum about a year and a half ago that I was cured. Well, I hadn't had an attack for a while then and I didn't get my first attack until July last year, so I was practically free from panic attacks for just over a year.
Unfortunatly I've gone back to where I started. Anxious, depressed, fear of next attack, feel like I'm going insane etc.
Since feeling like this again I don't think I will ever be able to say "I am cured" again. I know that is a rather depressing comment but even if I didn't have an attack for 20 years I would still have that voice in my head saying "When will the attacks come back?"
I'm not saying that nobody will ever be cured, because that is a false comment. Sure, people maybe cured and will never have a panic attack again (kudos to them) but I'm just saying from my experience.
For me recovered means - not affaid of panic attacks.That's all.You may have 1 or 2 pa's every year,but if you are not affraid of them,that means you are absolutely recovered.
I always think this is a very interesting topic. When are you "cured" and back to "normal"?
I don't believe you can answer this question in a "black and white" fashion.
Prior to panic attacks you are blissfully unaware of their existance and operate as "normal". However, once you experience panic attacks the window to a new world is opened and suddenly you have to deal with a whole load of stuff you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.
Like losing your virginity, you can never go back! You cannot "unexperience" what you have experienced. That window has been opened to you and so you now know of it's existance and fear going through it again. This is entirely natural. The problem is of course that it's just another fear and can develop into it's own full blown fear of "going back" leading to you into "looking over your shoulder" so to speak.
I feel "cured" but I've had setbacks along the way to getting here and maybe I'll drop back again, maybe I won't. The thing is I know they are there so I know where it could go and that's the thing isn't it? I guess memory and habit play their part as well.
Also how we "label" ourselves plays a part. Are we a "sufferer" or "cured but with setbacks"?!
The trouble with panic/anxiety/GAD is that we are always waiting for the next attack and I have heard that some people worry that they are not getting an attack because they are so used to the attacks/stress/anxiety.
I just want to add this: The only way to overcome anything is to confront it...I have recently started to put myself in situations that I know will bring on a panic attack and it can be very frightening......
This is not for everybody because we are all at different stages and sometimes I do run from the attack and sometimes I stay with it without fighting it and then run.
Last night I stayed with it and I thought I was gonna freak out but here I am...
Just going through day makes you brave people so well done to everyone that suffers and picks themselves up..Remember your not weak your strong and we will get better and better and BETTER
Hi,
I haven’t posted for a long time but I’ve been popping in recently to see what’s going on. I have suffered some form of panic attacks and anxiety since I was very young and only really knew what it was for the last few years. It all got so bad I knew I couldn’t take it anymore so I took meds for 6 months to get my head straight and started cognitive behaviour therapy. I’ve now come off the meds, I only see my therapist once or twice and month and she has said I can stop soon and I feel like I’m a new person.
I wouldn’t say ‘recovered’ as I believe once you suffer it’ll always be with you but it’s so true that you find ways to cope IF you need to. I was suffering every day, sometimes almost hourly and was off food, frightened of loosing my relationship and friends and frightened I’d eventually stop going out and now I rarely have panic or anxiety in any form. I’d say I get the ‘feelings’ once every 2-3 months and they last a few minutes!
This is amazing considering they could last HOURS, make me physically sick, stop me from going places I really wanted to, applying for jobs I wanted or even wanting to get out of bed because I knew I had a wholes day battle ahead of me and I was exhausted from fighting it.
I read my previous posts from here and I cannot believe how far I have come and how different I am, I feel very lucky.
I have worked hard though and have confronted things that have frightened and upset me. I have had to change my behaviour to people and my attitude in order to make a difference and I believe I will always have to put some amount of work in. It's easy to think it's all fine and to revert to old ways of behaviour so it's about understanding why you are how you are and accepting you may have to change and then doing it.
I've had some things said to me about myself which haven't been easy to hear and things about my life which I didn't want to accept at first but I've listened, sometimes moodily but I've always digested it and tried to change it or deal with it and move on if it's been harmful to myself or others.
The therapy hasn’t been cheap but it’s the best money I will have ever spent in my life, now or in the future and would not hesitate to recommend it to people. Find a private, highly recommended CBT and you’ll be doing yourself the biggest favour.
Good luck
C x
For me the question isn't whether or not I'm cured, it's more a case of am I living a fully functioning life, with usual ups and downs that include anxiety, depression and yeah maybe the occassional panic attack. I dont know anyone who doesnt suffer from these things, it's a spectrum. The question is.....for me....am I able or am I debilitated?
pooh
I wouldn't say I am completely cured, but now I feel like I have the upper hand on my anxieties and seem to be continuing to make progress. It has taken a decent amount of effort but if you are willing to put some work into yourself try CBT. I still do the TEA form exercise from the book by Sam Obitz almost everyday and it keeps me on top of my anxieties and energizes me by keeping my anxiety under control:yahoo:
I agree with hexia, i would say i'm recovered but like everybody else i still have good days and bad ones.
Di xx
Everyone has good days and bad days but when the bad days outnumber the good ones I think it is time to get help.
I think it's similar to being an Alcoholic.
"One day at a time"
I can go for periods of being relatively ok, but I know, if I let myself slip up, I can sink into the whole anxiety/depression again. When I feel myself starting to slip, I have to get a grip and think happy thoughts.
chellebelle
31-07-08, 05:39
I'm glad that one person, at least, is fully recovered. I just wonder if perhaps those who have recovered no longer access this site and as such we won't get a proper reflection of recovery - this is just my hope because I hope so much that we all recover and instead of just one person clicking the "fully recovered" there will be a 100 per cent rate...not gonna happen, I know, but it sure would be nice!
I have long periods of being fine. Then the occasional blip comes.....
I try to accept that it is who I am now. I have strategies to not burn myself out and I am aware of my mental status and I try to look after it.
I am in some ways a better person than before my breakdown. I have more empathy to people, more patience, a better listener though very annoying with practical advice because I try to be pro-active.
so jems like
31-07-08, 16:48
For me, I've only had it for a little over a month and I believe I am getting much better already. I've only had like two flow blown panic attacks and the others were very mild and I could control it. I've had so many symptoms and it's funny because it changes time to time. So one day I would get the headaches, and the other day I would have no headaches but troubled breathing. I think I've learned how to accept it and know that it will cause no harm to me and that I am just recovering from this. For me, this is a huge step in this recovery process =) I'm hoping that I will recover sooner than I thought I would. All I'm doing is taking herb drinks and keeping myself active throughout the day.
Let's all do this =)
I'm still on meds, but compared to how I used to feel 7 years ago, I would say that I have gotten better on many levels
Ana xxxxxx
Captain America
31-07-08, 17:16
hmm...what a tough one. i guess my thing is that although the panic attacks recently called attention to the fact that i have anxiety i was suffering physical symptoms of it for years, but just didn't know what it was.
so, recovery? well since everyone has anxiety and it's part of being human i'd say we never truly recover in the sense that it will always be there. my wife gets it...when job is stressful or the kids get sick...and she's 'normal.' it just doesn't consume her the way it does me.
but can we get to the point where we deal with anxiety in the same way that people who have never had a disorder deal with it? on the surface, i think so. but inside we know what anxiety is capable of in us so we should always be on guard rather than let it sneak up again. it's like you can't get that cat back in the bag, and probably shouldn't even if you could, because by dealing and coping daily you keep it at bay somewhat. maybe. or maybe not.
anyway...i guess i don't know. i'll let you know when i've recovered. (smirk)
I've suffered from General anxiety, Health, OCD, Agoraphobia and others etc. I've also self harmed and taken overdoses in the past.
I still suffer anxiety but I feel I've learnt how to cope with it so that it never stops me from doing things I want to do and for long periods I also feel relaxed without any anxious symptoms.
I used to suffer panic attacks but I haven't had any for a very long time so don't have them anymore.
I've tried most medications but I've not used any for quite a number of years.
I've tried CBT, counselling, psychologists and was even given ECT once.
I wouldn't say I'm content but I can now find enjoyment in life so I know it IS possible to learn to cope with anxiety once we receive the right treatment for our particular anxieties and learn the right methods to cope with our particular fears.:hugs:
eternally optimistic
07-08-08, 22:58
I've been "iffy" for quite a while, although lots of people wouldnt know.
Im on a lose dose of medication but am scared that I will feel frightened of certain situations (albeit ones most people can deal with) when I come of them.
I sometimes wonder if it is something that stays there in the background and you have to stay strong to beat it. Thats my theory and I hope it works, although I have yet to fully convince myself.
j
hi
i believe you do recover but i also believe you have to work at it to maintain and stay well. we all lead such stressful lives it's good to try and take 20 mins for yourself each day whether it be relaxation or painting your toe nail's or having a good dance around your living room
julie :)
trampslikeus
09-08-08, 20:51
i wouldn't say i'm completely recovered because i still get panicky and am overly anal about a lot of things, but i think that is just a part of my personality now, like someone else mentioned, going through vast periods of anxiety etc change you in ways you can't always go back on. but i'm an awful lot better than i was a few months ago, now i push through the times that i feel dreadful and focus on the times that i don't, which are becoming more and more freuquent.
i don't think it's about some of the things we suffer ever disappearing, but it's the notion of not minding they're there. i know that i suffer from these things but they're no longer all i think about, they're getting more and more under control everyday, and thats what getting better is about to me, knowing why you feel the way you do and knowing you'll be okay.
it's a really hard place to get to, and i spent so long not thinking i'd ever get there, especially not without meds, but i think what we all need to try to hold onto sometimes is that if it's our heads that get us into this place, it's our heads that'll get us out.
take care everyone
I feel a bit like a smoker thats given up. Once a smoker always a smoker so you keep on guard and resist the temptation. I feel the same applies with anxiety. I keep on guard of any symptoms and try to reduce the early symptoms and take them as warning signs of a total nervous breakdown.
Mee
I thought I was completely recovered about 2 and a half months ago. I was doing great, on minimal dosage of Prozac and I felt I was becoming my old self again which I haven't been in years. I weaned off the Proazac due to s/e's and still felt great. However, about a month later I started to get anxious again and now I have crashed and burned and have started the Prozac again. Feel like a failure in a way and just so disappointed because I thought I was actually CURED after 6 years of this crap. Anyways, I try to keep a positive attitude- I have been here before and I will get out of it again :)
We catch a bug, take something for it and then we're cured!......but another bug will often come along when we've become run down again.
In your case, your panic attacks were triggered by new stresses beyond your control.........therefore, how can you be a failure?:shrug: You're not to blame!:hugs: You know what's caused them and you have a positive attitude so I'm sure you Will be ok again!:winks:
We can say we're "cured" because we've learnt how to prevent panic attacks or how to cope with any symptoms when they arise but unless we were able to live our lives stress-free, there's always a chance that a combination of stresses will cause panic attacks to re-surface. The difference being that after our first period of panic attacks we will have learnt what causes them and how to conquer them again. After all, a panic attack is a symptom of too much stress caused by something that's frightening us. We all have different thresholds and also different fears.
Another point though - panic attacks can occur for different reasons. A person may only suffer a panic attack when they are confronted with their phobia such as vertigo. The phobia actually can be overcome by conquering the fear of heights. However, other panic attacks occur due to a combination of stresses whether emotional or in our lifestyles. These need a different therapeutic approach rather than confronting a specfic fear. Emotional stress that causes panics may need counselling whereas too much stress in our every day lifestyle may need a psychologist to show us ways of reducing our stresses by changing jobs, home life etc.
Panic attacks cannot be generalised because there are so many different causes but once you learn the cause to your panics, you can then plan the correct approach to learn to deal with them. Of course though it is far from easy and can feel impossible but I do believe that with the right approach and correct attitude we can learn to help ourselves to minimise the risks of them re-occurring.:hugs:
eternally optimistic
03-01-09, 21:02
Hi
I think the secret of success, although not a secret, is staying strong in the mind and that is the only way to truly beat the demons, much easier said than done.
I always say that I am 99.9% of the way. But then again Thats probably where I was before my ocd, depression, social anxiety and agorophobia.
Everyone gets nervous sometimes.
Hard to say really. I went through about a period of having PA for 2 months when i first got them. After that i started going to the gym 3 times a week and that kept them away for about 2 years or so and i thought i was recovered until recently. I didn't realise that i was doing too much work coz i felt fine, although a bit tired-but i think the tiredness n over-working was having an effect on my body and i started getting them again. Took me about 4 or 5 weeks to recover from them coz my symptoms were different to the first time so in a way i had to go through the whole process of recognising it as anxiety again. So (for me anyway) i think they're not an issue most of the time but certain things (different for everyone) can bring them on again.
take care
xxx
I always say that I am 99.9% of the way. But then again Thats probably where I was before my ocd, depression, social anxiety and agorophobia.
Everyone gets nervous sometimes.
I think this is very accurate. I may not be 100% better but I am functioning and enjoying life 100% more than I was and without fears leading the way anymore.
I still get anxious at times but now I have the tools to get through the anxiety in little or no time and get on with my life.:)
tigger1964
19-01-09, 07:02
hi,
im starting to recover, and the reason i responded to your post, is because i have been on the road to recovery before. I was well for 10 years before it came back, i wasnt on guard, i felt normal and lead a normal life, then bang out of the blue, got stuck in a traffic jam and it came back with a vengance.
take care
hey
no one know's if they are recovered ot not. but all you can do is to trust yourself. be strong because you are!!!!
love youself and believe that you can get throw all.
believe in the All Mighty. :hugs:
always remember there is someone or 2 that cares and love you. with out you knowing, there are strangers that care!!! :noangel:
hope all have a wonderful day, and enjoy every second of your life.
lee:yahoo: :flowers: :roflmao: :bighug1:
Bill
its true words, thank you. you are never to blame for the bad in your life. always remember God will never put things on your way if he know's you cant handle it. you are hes child. everything it life has a meaning, up to you to find that meaning.
and always remember you dont have to do it on your own, there are people that want to help and God is on your side. always say thank you for everything that happens to you good and bad, because you will see to hold on you will be a stronger person.
if you need someone to talk to put your hand on your heart! feel that? that is God. living inside you so never lock your heart, he doesnt like to be locked in, never put the light of in your heart, he wants to shine. never brake your heart, thats his house. and remember although you dont know me. i live there to and i am afraid of the dark.
love to all
xxxx
hi,
im starting to recover, and the reason i responded to your post, is because i have been on the road to recovery before. I was well for 10 years before it came back, i wasnt on guard, i felt normal and lead a normal life, then bang out of the blue, got stuck in a traffic jam and it came back with a vengance.
take care
Thanks Sharon and sorry to hear of your reoccurance:weep: I think it is important to be vigilant and keep using the tools we learn to get better even after we feel we no longer need them. At least that is what I have been doing and so far so good:)
Martin Ell
24-01-09, 11:08
I'm glad to say my vote belonged to the majority of having no anxiety for long periods of time, but getting occasional bouts. The bouts are tolerable as I know that anxiety can go away for a long period and leave me with a "normal" life.
What would everybody define as a full recovery, because even people who don't suffer with anxiety still get anxious (E.G. when going for a job interview, when walking down a dark alley etc), so it's hard to draw a line between suffering from "normal" anxiety and "sufferers" anxiety.
This is an addition to my old post.
I don't know if I will ever totally recover. But I feel I have accepted that this is just a part of who I am, as much as my recurrent depression has been.
If its any consolation we are in great company... Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Sir Isaac Newton, Michael Crichton, Abraham Lincoln, Nicholas Cage, Anthony Hopkins, John Steinbeck.... I could go on there are many.
I do find now that when I feel the anxiety starting (palpitations, butterflies, dizziness), I start the breathing exercise of breathing in for count of 4 (or whatever it varies depending on how tense I am) and then out for longer, things helps bring things back under control. So yes, I do still suffer, but its no longer controlling my life. Some things are harder than others like the ectopic pregnancy I had last year which ended in miscarriage after too much time at the hospital for my liking, dental treatment etc, but it certainly doesn't stop me any more! So there to the anxiety - I am winning!! :yahoo:
I ticked number 3. Although I could easily say that I feel pretty much altogether better right now. I have found a new job teaching Street Dance which I love and generally life seems to be going well for me right now.
I feel that i've finally been able to put the past behind me and let those demons go forever. I'm happy and feeling positive and most of all enjoying life once again :). I truly feel alive and not half broken like I once was. I'm not gonna waste another moment. Bring it on !!:emot-highfive: Lol.
Hope you're all able to find your peace and happiness soon, stay strong and in time you'll get there too. x
I am in a lot better place than I was some time ago I think I have to keep on pushing myself out of safe places to make progress
Mike
I am not sure if you can ever completely recover 100%, but every so often you will relapse a bit when you hit hard time or illness. With me I get times when I am OK and feel almost like a 'normal person' for a while, whatever that means. Then something will happen, usually illness, migraines or something bad or very stressful will happen in my life and the old panics and feelings will come back, almost like they had never been away.
Anxiety is like a dog always padding a few steps behind you, he is never gone completely, but sometimes you forget him, but when you are down, he catches up with you?:weep:
Sue x
I am in a lot better place than I was some time ago I think I have to keep on pushing myself out of safe places to make progress
Mike
I think this is very true the more we test ourselves the more growth we experience and confidence we gain:)
dont know if i ever will. but we are all difarent.
First, I have to say that this poll may not be accurate. I guess that people fully recovered from PA or axiety wouldn't want to look back such a horrible experience, so they would not come back to respond to this poll. So, I am sure, you can be more optimistic than the poll results shown here.
I haven't had PA for long time, surely longer than a year, almost don't remember the last one. But, I remember that in the early last year, twice or so, on the airplane, I was very anxious for about 10-20 mins,(my nose is always cogested, and my ear really got painful on the airplane, since then, I use earPlane...kind of a ear plug. It helps a lot.) and still get anxious with my excessive phleghm in my throat which developed after PA stopped. I don't know whether or how it was related to PA...maybe because of stress or something else. Doctors just say it looks normal except allergy, but I know it is not normal...somewhere around my right tonsil. Well, anyway, it has been bearable.
[quote=gofishing;455193]First, I have to say that this poll may not be accurate. I guess that people fully recovered from PA or axiety wouldn't want to look back such a horrible experience, so they would not come back to respond to this poll. So, I am sure, you can be more optimistic than the poll results shown here.
Excellent point:yesyes:
paula im me
12-02-09, 08:50
hi guys 6 years of severe depression and anxiety and wehay im good. panic attacks dont come as i scare them more i think lol. anxiety is there almost every day but not a problem. i thought i was mad and stay that way but was wrong. ive come off medication and just take valerian not quite going to supermarkets yet but am going away saturday night in a hotel so so excited. i knew i could beat this so carry on guys n good luck x
Paula what a cute and encouraging note! Thanks for sharing:hugs:
Hi there, I have had 4 breakdowns in 30 years, the first one when I was 19, being the worst. I was panicking on and off all day for a year and I was told I was being stupid by the doctors. It was an absolute nightmare and I thought my life was over but I completely got over it.
Then about 10 years later it came back and I was referred to a Psychologist who helped me control my breathing. 6 Months later I was cured and a year later I was in Florida!
7 years after this it came back again but I was "wising up to it" and I got over it in about 4 months after a total breakdown at the end of my honeymoon on Barbados!!!! As our plane was taking off for Gatwick I was in the airport medical centre being pumped full of valium!!!!
Then it came back 15 years later, nearly 3 years ago, this time not panic but GAD. It is the longest episode I have ever had with a breakdown and the last (almost) 3 years have been extremely difficult. But I feel I am "getting there" and am almost recovered, not totally but almost.
I would like to know howcome I can have anxiety (as I did after the honeymoon episode) and it goes after 4 months, then I have it again and it takes almost 3 years to cure!!!! I am well aware of how anxiety "works" and I force my self to get out and about to do things and try and lead a "normal life" as I did when we got back from honeymoon. I just dont know why its taken so long to dampen the anxiety response and I am praying to god that this will NEVER happen to me again!!!
Shirley
Yes, i honestly say that i am fully recovered, i am enjoiying every bit of my life, and ever after i am recovered am getting good news , i am going to be a father soon which has got me more happiness in my life, i am thank full to joe berry which has helped me a lot to recover from anxiety and panic attack.
Giridhar B
http://trainyourmind.blogspot.com.
http://tinyurl.com/5fukbf
Hi
I think if anyone was completely recovered they wouldn't be on this site.
I feel for the people who have voted saying they believe they will always suffer.Thats not a good frame of mind to be in.
CharlesLinden
08-03-09, 11:58
Watch the BBC's Video Nation piece by Claire Dylan launching next week (between 17th and 19th I believe) on their website.
Follow this link to view it: http://tiny.cc/82am3
This is NOT self promotion but I have spoken to thousands of recovered sufferers over the years. Most doubted that they could ever be anxiety free. I have never met a personality type, a physical type or any other type, regardless of beliefs who could not be cured completely. I speak as I find as you will all know and my method isn't the only way recovery can happen, but I assure you that you can be well again, regardless of what you may believe!
finny12000
11-03-09, 18:28
I accept now i will have bad days as well as good.
anxiety is a part of my life now but i tend to enjoy the good days a hell
of a lot more, dont take anything for granted and if ive a bad day then i have a bad day and try not to dwell as a good one will surely follow.
I am not sure it is too early to say. What I do know is that I am more able to see things for what they are i.e when other people in my life are moaning and groaning at me, I don't take it personally anymore. I realise it is them not me who has the problem. That seems to stop me taking in the negativity and getting anxious and depressed. I feel quietly confident in me as person for the very first time.............which is surprising and really nice. Of course I have been taking 2X25mg sertraline for two weeks now and even when I do get a bit wobbly I have not used alcohol as a crutch. So I manage to get over my wobble a lot faster than before.
Hi
I think if anyone was completely recovered they wouldn't be on this site.
How true is that! I've joined this site only two weeks ago, it has made me feel so much more connected to myself and other sufferers. It has definitely contributed to my recovery of two weeks and still counting..............
(How true is that!)
Err...not true at all as it happens.
I really don't think that's the case. You just need to look in the 'Success Stories' sub forum for example to see that people still return. People join a particular forum because they have a common interest. But a forum can also be an enjoyable place to frequent. You meet people and become friends. For this reason above most people still return and there are lots of people who know by staying around they can give others hope in a place they may have been helped to recover themselves.
Nechtan
hi
i dont know if ill ever recover fully i know i dont feel like the same person i was before the attacks started 2 years ago, but im a lot better and know how to deal with them, on saying that they do sometimes catch me off guard and thats a bit scary as im not as prepared for them as i was, im not sure if you recover or just learn to deal with them.
CharlesLinden
13-03-09, 08:17
hi
i dont know if ill ever recover fully i know i dont feel like the same person i was before the attacks started 2 years ago, but im a lot better and know how to deal with them, on saying that they do sometimes catch me off guard and thats a bit scary as im not as prepared for them as i was, im not sure if you recover or just learn to deal with them.
Trust me, you can!
C
Subtle Charles, subtle ;)
Shouldn't there be a fourth link on your signature? gimme gimme gimme?
finny12000
13-03-09, 12:21
Whats the definition of recovered....
To me waking up after a good sleep and having a not bad day
is a recovery after the dark years and i had 3 years of that
and still have to a certain extent
Nmp is a family and even when we get better we come back
share experiences of life and help out wherever we can
Also its got a great chatroom great games (pacman is making me anxious)
lol
To me theres a recovery in us all as we all have hope,aspirations for the future and good health to be had
"Recovered", "cured" from anxiety, "anxiety free" - all these look meaningless to me. As we are not robots, but people with feelings, thoughts etc, there will always be some room left for anxiety. The attitude in front of anxiety, the way we cope with it is more important than anxiety itself.
I do not agree with the idea of "fighting" anxiety. It makes me feel like Don Quixote charging windmills. I adopted a more peaceful attitude towards anxiety. I integrate it. I let it come and go, watching it from beyond. I do not put any resistance. It`s funny to watch an event, so dramatic at first sight, coming from nowhere, then vanishing. Nothing happens. I don`t know when I had the last panic attack because it does not "catch" my attention. I have more important things to do. I don`t count my meals also, and I really don`t remember what I eat 3 weeks ago. I don`t think PA-s deserve more attention than what I eat a month ago. My life goes on with or without them. I don`t call them, I am not scared about them, I don`t expect them to happen. Am I anxiety free? Well, I really don`t care. :)
finny12000
17-03-09, 14:03
I've suffered from General anxiety, Health, OCD, Agoraphobia and others etc. I've also self harmed and taken overdoses in the past.
I still suffer anxiety but I feel I've learnt how to cope with it so that it never stops me from doing things I want to do and for long periods I also feel relaxed without any anxious symptoms.
I used to suffer panic attacks but I haven't had any for a very long time so don't have them anymore.
I've tried most medications but I've not used any for quite a number of years.
I've tried CBT, counselling, psychologists and was even given ECT once.
I wouldn't say I'm content but I can now find enjoyment in life so I know it IS possible to learn to cope with anxiety once we receive the right treatment for our particular anxieties and learn the right methods to cope with our particular fears.:hugs:
I agree bill and to be honest if i went down street to local co op
how many in there would say today there 100% mentally and physically
i would bet not one, so defination to me of recovery is exactly same as yours
i enjoy small things day to day and also dont dwell on it if having a bad day
But life can can better whateva stage were at and anyone reading this thinking i can never get outta rut you will i assure you ,just takes time ,treatment and life will get better :yesyes:
Chinchillazilla
17-03-09, 14:12
It's strange. A few weeks ago I was on top of everything. I felt great (great for me, which means I still had mild depression, but I was generally happy, you know?). Even when I screwed up, I was like, Okay, I can fix it. I thought my panic attacks were gone for good.
And then two weeks ago, the panic attacks showed up again. Like I'd moved and they'd been looking for me, and they finally found me.
Boo.
Hi
I think if anyone was completely recovered they wouldn't be on this site.
I can only speak for myself, but I am thriving but still try and come back from time to time to try and encourage others and visit old friends. I probably would not be where I am today were it not for some of the encouragement I have received on here.
I hope everyone who gets better comes back and shares their wisdom with others who are still trying to find their way:flowers:
I suppose it depends what you mean by recovered (i assume you mean PA free). In this case i don't think that anyone with PA will ever recover but i do believe we will recover in the sense that although we will get them, they will become less frequent (therefore reducing worry) and less severe as we will have our own ways of dealing with them so that it doesn't effect us as much and so we can lead a healthy and happy life :-)
Hope you're all well!
xxx
a dont thonk u ever recover jist every day is a bonus wen theres no anxiety in it
mysonmarcus
25-04-09, 11:28
Hi guys
I dont quite fit in these categories, I have relapsed into the disorder and have been in recovery for about 12 days. Previously I had 10 very, very hard years..............after which I regarded myself as close to 100% recovered as I could imagine being.
This time round I am presently relaxed about feeling this way, I guess thats due to the confidence that I did come through before.
I wish everybody all the best.
Mark
Again, i've not recovered YET,
but i think we'll all feel anxious for the rest of our lives (not in a negative way)
because remember anxiety is an emotion that Everyone feels. Not a disease that can be cured.
but like someone else said
i believe it just wont be as irrational or as close to us as it is now
x
I suppose it depends what you mean by recovered (i assume you mean PA free). In this case i don't think that anyone with PA will ever recover but i do believe we will recover in the sense that although we will get them, they will become less frequent (therefore reducing worry) and less severe as we will have our own ways of dealing with them so that it doesn't effect us as much and so we can lead a healthy and happy life :-)
Hope you're all well!
xxx
By this definition I am cured:) I still occasionally feel like a PA is coming on but I can counter those thoughts and keep the panic spiral from taking hold in a matter of seconds now.
up a ladder
12-05-09, 19:31
If I had read this last month, I would have said yes.
I would have considered myself recovered, but still the odd mild agoraphobia. Definitely able to work and play without any major concerns and I have felt like that for 12 months.
However, this week I've been prescribed Citalopram and feeling pretty crud..
Sadly, I once believed that I had overcome the panic/anxiety monster without realizing that even though I had gone long periods without a full blown attack the nerves and anxieties always exist.
I believe that I will have to deal with thiss for a very long time as it just seems to be its whats in my system.
I think the word recovered is a good choice but you have to stay on top of your anxieties and that's why I am diligent in doing the TEA forms almost everyday. Having said that I am not sure I will ever consider myself "cured" which to me is all encompassing and possibly impossible to get to?
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.