Anxiety/panic attacks/GAD

[Dimple25]

Hi everyone,
I'm new here and iv read a lot of positive things so I thought id join up too as I now know I'm not alone.
So basically iv been suffering from panic attacks for about 7 years but iv always had them under control by myself. But the last 2 months have been a living nightmare for me. I worry myself so much to the point when I almost pass out. And I'm doing this almost every hour of every day. My mind just doesn't stop going round and round thinking. Iv become so scared that iv taken days off work and hide in my bedroom because I feel it's my safe place.
So I plucked up the courage to go to my doctor yesterday and I totally broke down. She prescribed me beta blockers but as soon as I got to reception I had a huge panic attack and the doctor basically asked me to go back in her room because I was such a mess and prescribed me diazepam. Yet when I got home I was so frightened of taking these tablets because iv heard a lot of bad things. Anyway I finally got round to taking one at 12 this afternoon and it made me feel awful at first, I felt like I couldn't breathe and I felt so sick and dizzy (mainly because I worked myself up so much) but after an hour or so I started to calm down and started to relax. Iv also been put on the waiting list to see a physiatrist at the hospital to help me deal with the bad things that have happened to me all my life. I Just hope it works and I have my life back. Anyone else suffer from what I do?
I wouldn't wish anxiety on my worse enemy :(
Kim x

[Deepthinker]

:welcome: welcome to the forum, kim! i and many others on here can truly relate to what you are going through. you need not ever feel alone. i handled my anx/panic for years on my own, but when it turned into depression, i knew i needed help and wished i had sought it much sooner. i just kept thinking it would go away eventually. i also understand about the fear of taking meds. i hate it, but i also hated feeling the way i was feeling and i believed that the meds would help if i would give them a chance. my doc put me on pristique for a week and i barely slept at all. at the end of that week, she put me on fluox/prozac. i did have side effects and probably would have stopped taking them if i had not found this forum. i have been on fluox since march 26th and it has given me my life back. only you and your doc can decide if meds are the right course for you, but no matter what you decide, i and others on this site will help encourage you along the way. :hugs:

[Gezza]

Hello sorry to hear what you are going through,
I had panic Attacks in my college years I've also been on beta blockers
I too back then was scared to take any medi cation.
I was prescribed Valium, and later Librium.
Now at 43 I'm back on Valium, script from the doctor and supplemented by an online pharmacy. I (I know what an idiot) .
My anxeity is so bad I rarely leave the house.
I've self medicated with alcohol for sleep.
But be aware and I'm not trying to scare you that the withdrawals from benzodiazepine in my case has been truly horrific. I stopped for 4 days by day 5 I
Thought I was going insane. Irrational thoughts, feelings of utter terror insomnia (no sleep
For days), so back on them again.
Before this I ran a successful company would think nothing of jumping on a plane on my own. Now I struggle to leave the house.
I would give every penny I earned to be free of this affliction.
Good luck. X