View Full Version : Back to square one
Hi Everyone!!
I was doing so well for so darn long and for the past two days I have become a prisoner of this viscious little thing we call panic. I can't seem to anything. I took Xanax for the first time again in a year. I hate this so much. I was having a blast w/ my life. I was going out all the time hanging out w/ my friends and just enjoying life. Today is the second day I've missed work. Last night I was afraid to even shower. Any suggestions on how I can get back on my feet and on w/ my life?
Magster.:(
Hi Magster ,
Whats been going on with you for the least few weeks ??
Changes of situation , worries, meds, responsibilities etc .
You are not back at Square one . You are having a blip and it won't take long to get over it once you identify what it is thats upset your equilibrium .
Meg
Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch
hello magster,its awful when that happens,im struggling with it at the moment,its very up and down sometimes,im not sure if i can offer advice since im trying to sort things out myself,but i hope things go ok
take care
paul
I'm not sure what happened. For the past two months I've been getting mild P/A's. My lips would start going numb, I'd feel like I can fall over at any time, etc. This past Monday I went to the hospital because I was having sharp chest pains at my lower sternal area. They didn't go away after 5 hours so that's why I went to the ER. Well all my tests came out ok ( ECG, X-Rays, Blood work). They came up w/ pleurisy though. For those that don't know what that is, it's the inflammation of the lining of the lung. I'm not sure how much I believe that either. Why is it that so many of us doubt the doctors? Anyhow, I haven't had any of the chest pains today but we all know how us panickers are.....I'm constantly looking for them. So every LITTLE sensation I get I just wanna curl up in a ball. I'm terrified of making any movement just so that I don't have to feel that pain again.
Thanx for the replies!!!
hi mag
I know this sounds like a stupid thing to say, but don't worry about it too much.
This happens to all of us at some time or other, and probably to a lot of us on a regular basis to some extent. Like Meg said, it is just a blip. These blips do our confidence no good whatsoever but it's important to keep doing everything that you find helpful, try relaxing, distracting yourself - exercise is good, or whatever else you normally do, just keep at it. Just try not to create any extra stress getting down about it, it's perfectly normal and it doesn't mean your back to square one.
mico
OK so this is stemming from a specific health anxiety , not reoccurance of panic disorder out of the blue ..
Pleurisy is very painful. Feels like sandpaper in your lungs. Your xray may have shown up the inflammation or he may have heard a rubbing whilst listening to your lungs . Are you having any treatment ?
If you have been having mild ones for last few weeks are they over something else you've got on your mind or similar ?
You need to prove to yourself that moving about will not make you keel over so agree with yourself to walk a block and then return - have someone watch you if necessary and the extend it etc .
All this is normal - take some tylenol for the pain as it can be severe and look after yourself well nutitionally - some extra antioxidants will help you heal faster .
You've been here before so you know in your heart it is getoverable ... it just feels like its final this time - eh ?
Take care
Meg
Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch
Thanx Mico!
It just feels so ABNORMAL, you know? And I'm sure this sensation is just stress cuz it does get worse when I start freakin out. It's really wierd to look at all the member's photos and think that we all go thru similar things. You couldn't have guessed by just looking at us. Sneaking little thing this panic is, isn't it?! I just don't want it to be as paralyzing as it was last year about this time. It took me weeks to step foot outside of my house. Awful it was....just awful!
Hello Meg!
They gave me Toradol. It's a very potent NSAID. I'm scared to take that too!! Can you believe it? When I get into panic mode I turn into the biggest scardy-cat I've ever known! I know I have to just keep going but I freeze whenever I'm about to make that step.
hi there,
Maybe you should just try getting back into the frame of mind you were in when you had no problems. Just tell yourself that you used to do it so there's no reason u can't do it now!!
Sarah :D
Hi Mag
The thing you've got to remember about panic/anxiety is that it is like you said, pretty sneaky at times. It will try to catch you out whenever it can, will create irrational fears at inapropriate times and sometimes it will even change it's symptoms. So don't worry if your feeling a little odd, if you keep on top of it (you may not feel like your keeping on top of it, but just doing the best you can), then you will be heading in the right direction.
Hopefully your chest pains will be subsiding a little by now too, maybe then you will be able to relax a little more.
mico
Well so far the chest pains have gone away and haven't came back. Now I'm in the position today of being scared to do things. I didn't want to get out of bed but I made myself. I can feel like the shakiness inside. I'm trying not to take the Xanax. I've done it w/out meds before so I'm sure I can do it again. Today is the 3rd day I've missed of work. I gotta get back into my normal routine. I feel like an infant learning how to walk. I'm taking baby steps. This sucks!.
Thanks for all the replies. They really do help.
Magster.
Good news about the chest pains ,,
Also great that you forced yourself up . If the doctor is willing to give you a sick note with pleurisy on it you can take it slowly and heal both parts of you.
Baby steps is totally the best way to go !
Keep at it
Meg
Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch
hi again Magster,
I wouldn't worry too much about your chest pains. I used to get them a lot and still do sometimes. Lots of people who suffer from anxiety do. I thought I had a heart problem and that there was something seriously wrong with me but surpise, surprise, I'm fine. The only way I managed to get the chest pains to go away was by forgetting about them. I know it's hard but try to distract yourself with something - eating something usually worked for me. Take care.
Sarah :D
Sarah,
Just out of curiousity...where were your chest pains? Mine are always just behind my xiphoid process or just behind my lower sternum. I do notice that they get worse when I start worrying or panicking more. But I just don't know why they come out of the blue. That's what scares me. There's no explanation. I must sound super paranoid. It's so hard to keep going when they're occuring.
Magster.
:) Hello everyone!!
I just got back from the doc for my follow up. My doc isn't in today so I seen another one. He was absolutely fabulous! I feel like all my anxiety has been lifted. He explained my pains to me so well that I'm really not afraid of them ( I think). He gave me a different pain killer should I get the pains again. He originally gave me Toradol, which he said will knock me straight on my rear. He gave me Naproxen Sodium. He said that should do the trick. I guess I just needed the reasurance that it wasn't cardiac related. LOL....
Thanx everyone for being there and helping me get thru these past few days! You guys were a GREAT HELP!!!
Magster.:D
Hiya Magster
Glad you saw a fab doctor. It definately helps when things are explained properly doesnt it?
hopefully you will be on the up now eh?
take care
love Sarah
xx
Hiya Magster
Great news to hear you're feeling a little better and that your visit to the doctor has boosted your confidence. The old anxiety/panic thing does have a nasty habit of reminding us its there just when we think we're over the worst. I had my first real blip a couple of weeks ago and its taking a while to get over it but I know I will. I too get chest pains and have been worrying a lot about my heart lately (you know, constant pulse taking etc) but I'm fairly (!!!) convinced its anxiety as its not there all the time. Not as hot on anatomy as you are but my pain (well actually more a feeling of tightness) moves around on my left side mostly - either upper or low pectoral region. Not that I'm totally freaking out, but does anyone else get this???
Take care hon, lots of love Jo xxx
Jo , This tightness in the chest is extremely common. Stretch, move and bend for a few minutes and it will subside .
Meg
Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch
Hello All!!
I'm still feeling good but now all the doubt is coming back. The constant "what if's". I haven't had any chest pains since last week but I'm constantly on the wait for them though. I hate that. It takes me a couple of weeks to get over a panic attack. I have my Xanax by my side at all times should it get bad.
I too get tightness on my left side of my chest. I also get terrible muscle cramping. Taking an anti-inflammatory helps me a lot.
Hi magster, i can relate to that one, when i get a panic and then get over it , it'll take me ages to stop thinking about it. I'll think i hope it don't happen again, what if, i think it's only natural for us to behave this way as we've had a shock, just as anyone else who has a shock will ponder over it, but for us it is exaggerated. Hope things are looking up for you.....Tara xx
Hi Tara!
Yeah...I can't stand dwelling on it. That's all I've been doing for the past week. And all I do is pay very close attention to EVERY little bodily sensation and get ready to panic. It's sucks.
Again, I'd like to thank everyone for being so supportive! You have no idea how much this helps.
Hi, you totally right there, i've had a bit of a unsettling week last week and it has really taken me back, I know what you say when you "get ready to panic" thats the most horrible feeling ! But you've been panic free before and i'm sure you'll get there again your just having a bum time at the mo, Take care Tara xx
I just hate the fact that I'll go to the doctor and they'll say I'm as healthy as can be ......but guess what?, ...I don't believe it. LOL I also think it's so wierd that one minute I can be functioning "normally" and the next minute I feel like a basket-case...a totally different person. It's so strange!! I am so amazed as to how many people out there actually suffer from the same thing. We gotta be some of the strongest people in the world even when it doesn't seem like it.
Magster:)
LOL, yeah lets give ourselves some credit, most "normal" people would crack under all the strain LOL, i know the feeling of being ok one minute and totally different the next, but we do deal and cope with it (although its hard sometimes). I know I though i was the only person who felt the way i did and i used to look at other people and think i wish i was like you, eh but whos knows what people are going through, suppose when people look at us they just wouldn't realise what we have gone through or are gonig through Take Care Tara xxx
Tara,
That's hilarious that you said that because I've looked at so many people and said the same thing...I wish I could be you so I don't have to go thru this. Now I look at people and wonder how many of them are panicking that very moment...let's say when I'm stuck in traffic or something. Do you ever get the feeling like there's something running around inside of you from all the adrenaline? It feels like my heart is going super fast but I feel my pulse and it's going so slow. Crazy, I tell you!!
Magster
yeah i get that, mad, also my mind races ten to the dozen. Then i get real mad and angry with it all and go and do something to take my mind of it .........Tara xx
Hi Magster
I wonder how many people are panicking and we have no idea they are, i bet there are alot more than we imagine.
sorry you have had a rough spell but pleased to see you are feeling a bit better.
No doubt you been ill affected your anxiety esecially with the illness you had.
I am sure you will come out of the other side as strong as you were before you went into the rough time.
Hope all is going well at the moment hon.
Love Sal xxxxx
Tara, I get that too....I feel like my thought processes are going so fast that I can't keep up w/ myself. I notice that most of the members here are from the UK. How is life out there anyways?
Sal,
Thanks for your support. I am feeling better except at times things can get a little tense. Trying to keep the after-shocks under control sometimes is harder than getting over the initial attack. That's ok though....I just have to keep grabbing the bull by the horns and get thru each one.
Magster.
nomorepanic
30-08-04, 21:14
Hi Mags
Just so you don't feel alone we have about 100 members from the US!
Diana - one of my moderators is out there too.
Nicola
Hi Magster
Well done for getting through it so well and recognising what to do to help yourself ....
Meg
Hi Magster
You are doing so well, keep it up hon.
Proud of you and you should be of yourself.
Speak soon.
Love Sal xxxxx
Hi Magster
Hope you are feeling a little better today and have reclaimed those positive feelings. Its really easy to get down about a set back but soon enough, it will be a distant memory. I've seen it said here before but just when we think we're doing well, the old Panic monster likes to remind us that its still lurking around. You are doing really well, its no surprise that you felt a bit pants about having a few bad days but in reality that all they were - just a few unpleasant days.
Take care honey, love Jo xxx
Thanks Jo & Meg!
I'm feeling a lot better these days. I still have panic on my mind and these darn chest pains but neither one of them have returned. I'm hoping they never do!:) I'm just trying to keep going w/ my days so that it doesn't cripple me like it has in the past.
Thanks for all the support!!!!!
Magster.
Hi Magster
You have a really positive attitude and you are doing really well.
Take care.
Love Sal xxxxx
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