Lepidolite
07-10-17, 13:52
I have had anxiety 5 years now due to PTSD. I had a panic attack during a blood test about 2 years ago and that led to me fearing tests as I feared I had developed a phobia of blood tests and I panicked I would faint as I knew you could have that phobia that caused that to happen. Anyway I got ill shortly after and needed alot of blood tests. I would cry every test and work myself up but I did it anyway. Being ill with an underactive thyoid and cfs it led to isolation and with that agoraphobia and social anxiety hit hard. I'd had them back when I was attacked 5 years ago but I worked on it and things improved greatly. Being ill just flared it all back up.
I had severe intrusive harm thoughts for 2 years back in 2013. They were awful and I was told I had ocd and had therapy.
Anyway, background over. Recently I have been weaning off my anti depressant. I have been on it 4 years. I was advised to wean off it slowly as Mirtazapine is hard to come off. I was only ever on 15mg but took it slow doing 0.5mg drops every 2 weeks. I got down to 12mg then 4 days into that dose I was watching Emmerdale and a scene came on with blood and I had a sudden head rush like my head went all heavy, I felt hot in my face, dizzy and I couldn't get the image out of my head. I panicked I was about to faint as my vision felt all funny. I lay on my bed sobbing terrified and hubby had to hug me until it was over. Since then I have lived in fear, I dread my period or my daughters. I cope fine with mine now after 3 months lol but I have had times when I have seen my daughters pad or underwear and come off all funny again. I shake, heart races and feel heavy and faint in head.
This has all led to me being terrified I have developed a blood phobia that will cause me to faint. Which has now led to me having a reaction if I even see an ambulance drive past my house or see a needle on tv I suddenly feel funny. It's now spreading from blood to anything medical. I am anxious about doctors etc but never anything like this. It's making me miserable and I am terrified to even think these days lol.
On Monday I read some celebrities had a baby and childbirth image came into my head, I had a sudden heavy head rush, felt faint and shaking. I took my BP and it was a little low which terrified me more. Later that day I had another one just talking to my daughter who wasn't feeling well and anything medical or blood and wham I get the heavy head rush and feel light headed. Why am I getting thoughts and images of this nature causing these anxiety feelings and fears I'm going to faint?
Hubby says I am just sensitized since I dropped my dose 2 months ago. I have since increased it slowly as I think I need to stay on them at least for now. I am just so scared it is a blood phobia and I could faint. I spoke to my friend and she said it sounds far more like a fainting phobia which I have had in the past, and I am very overly sentizied as Claire Weekes would say and why my brain is latching onto this irrational fear, every thought causes the reaction i get etc... My friend said the blood phobia is needle injury related only, and that my brain is thinking it's any blood or medical related talk causes it, it doesn't. Can anyone else relate or reassure? My anxiety is through the roof due to this and it's making my life a misery.
It has got worse since last week. I was attacked and I saw the man who did it, saw him in person and online and it flared up the PTSD. It was my brother. Also last week was the 5 years mark so I guess that's why it's got worse in the last week for me but this started out of the blue after dropping my meds. I have never had this kind of anxiety before. I have general anxiety and sometimes health anxiety since I have been truly unwell physically but never sensitive to talking about ladies issues, medical things, etc... I feel my brain needs reassurance that I can't faint because of this and it's all anxiety but I have no idea how lol!*
I can't seem to think of anything medical or even open letters from hospital etc as I come over all funny. I had an anxiety rush last nihjt when my sons friends mum came to chat to me in the car when we picked our son up. The rush went to my head and I felt all dizzy, hot face and my legs flooded with adrenaline. Afterwards it worried meas that felt very different to the rushes and attacks I get if I get images of blood or cuts in my head or if I see it. That doesn't flood my legs at all, I just have a rush to my head, face goes warm, head feels all light and vision all faded.. My heart does race and I do shake but it's mostly in my head. So it worried me more that becaaue they're different type of attack then they can't be anxiety and are more I'm about to pass out. Which has made me dread more.. Today I'm super sensitive to what comes on tv, my brain keeps thinking of medical things, or images in head that cause a rush. I'm doing my best to control those rushes. It's a nightmare that now I'm so sensitive where as before it was just on seeing blood only but in the last week it's thoughts and intrusive images that cause those intense funny turns.. Does ocd cause those panic attacks? When I had harm ocd a few years ago I had rushes of anxiety but no panic attacks so I'm unsure if to treat this as ocd.
I'm avoiding certain tv programmes, avoiding seeing medical things and the red stuff lol. I'm taking my blood pressure often especially during an attack and trying to control my thoughts. Seeking reassurance too but right now I need it as this is scary and raw.
If anyone can offer any reassurance it sounds ocd related I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Lib
I had severe intrusive harm thoughts for 2 years back in 2013. They were awful and I was told I had ocd and had therapy.
Anyway, background over. Recently I have been weaning off my anti depressant. I have been on it 4 years. I was advised to wean off it slowly as Mirtazapine is hard to come off. I was only ever on 15mg but took it slow doing 0.5mg drops every 2 weeks. I got down to 12mg then 4 days into that dose I was watching Emmerdale and a scene came on with blood and I had a sudden head rush like my head went all heavy, I felt hot in my face, dizzy and I couldn't get the image out of my head. I panicked I was about to faint as my vision felt all funny. I lay on my bed sobbing terrified and hubby had to hug me until it was over. Since then I have lived in fear, I dread my period or my daughters. I cope fine with mine now after 3 months lol but I have had times when I have seen my daughters pad or underwear and come off all funny again. I shake, heart races and feel heavy and faint in head.
This has all led to me being terrified I have developed a blood phobia that will cause me to faint. Which has now led to me having a reaction if I even see an ambulance drive past my house or see a needle on tv I suddenly feel funny. It's now spreading from blood to anything medical. I am anxious about doctors etc but never anything like this. It's making me miserable and I am terrified to even think these days lol.
On Monday I read some celebrities had a baby and childbirth image came into my head, I had a sudden heavy head rush, felt faint and shaking. I took my BP and it was a little low which terrified me more. Later that day I had another one just talking to my daughter who wasn't feeling well and anything medical or blood and wham I get the heavy head rush and feel light headed. Why am I getting thoughts and images of this nature causing these anxiety feelings and fears I'm going to faint?
Hubby says I am just sensitized since I dropped my dose 2 months ago. I have since increased it slowly as I think I need to stay on them at least for now. I am just so scared it is a blood phobia and I could faint. I spoke to my friend and she said it sounds far more like a fainting phobia which I have had in the past, and I am very overly sentizied as Claire Weekes would say and why my brain is latching onto this irrational fear, every thought causes the reaction i get etc... My friend said the blood phobia is needle injury related only, and that my brain is thinking it's any blood or medical related talk causes it, it doesn't. Can anyone else relate or reassure? My anxiety is through the roof due to this and it's making my life a misery.
It has got worse since last week. I was attacked and I saw the man who did it, saw him in person and online and it flared up the PTSD. It was my brother. Also last week was the 5 years mark so I guess that's why it's got worse in the last week for me but this started out of the blue after dropping my meds. I have never had this kind of anxiety before. I have general anxiety and sometimes health anxiety since I have been truly unwell physically but never sensitive to talking about ladies issues, medical things, etc... I feel my brain needs reassurance that I can't faint because of this and it's all anxiety but I have no idea how lol!*
I can't seem to think of anything medical or even open letters from hospital etc as I come over all funny. I had an anxiety rush last nihjt when my sons friends mum came to chat to me in the car when we picked our son up. The rush went to my head and I felt all dizzy, hot face and my legs flooded with adrenaline. Afterwards it worried meas that felt very different to the rushes and attacks I get if I get images of blood or cuts in my head or if I see it. That doesn't flood my legs at all, I just have a rush to my head, face goes warm, head feels all light and vision all faded.. My heart does race and I do shake but it's mostly in my head. So it worried me more that becaaue they're different type of attack then they can't be anxiety and are more I'm about to pass out. Which has made me dread more.. Today I'm super sensitive to what comes on tv, my brain keeps thinking of medical things, or images in head that cause a rush. I'm doing my best to control those rushes. It's a nightmare that now I'm so sensitive where as before it was just on seeing blood only but in the last week it's thoughts and intrusive images that cause those intense funny turns.. Does ocd cause those panic attacks? When I had harm ocd a few years ago I had rushes of anxiety but no panic attacks so I'm unsure if to treat this as ocd.
I'm avoiding certain tv programmes, avoiding seeing medical things and the red stuff lol. I'm taking my blood pressure often especially during an attack and trying to control my thoughts. Seeking reassurance too but right now I need it as this is scary and raw.
If anyone can offer any reassurance it sounds ocd related I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Lib