ChristopherJ
02-12-07, 02:18
I thought that I was the only person in the world who felt like this. It is so much of a comfort to know that I'm not alone - and that there are other people who, like me, suffer terribly from panic and anxiety. Even more wonderful to me is the prospect of maybe being able to learn to live with the fear and not allow it to rule my life. I look forward to that!!
I'll just say a little about myself. I have suffered from generalised anxiety and panic attacks for 10 years or so. Since I stopped drinking, actually. I am a recovering alcoholic. But my fears were managable. The panic attacks were unpleasant, but were not too bad and so I learned to just "white knuckle" my way through them.
However, over the last 6 months or so my panic attacks have gotten far, far worse - and they are now so intense that I find them completely disabling. You will be familiar with the symptoms: absolute terror that I am having a heart attack, vertigo, dizziness, mental anguish of 10,000 thoughts racing around my head; the certainty that I am going mad; the feeling of being in mortal danger etc. etc. This has happened when I am out - in a museum, in a shop, visiting my mother - and also when I am at home (I live alone) watching TV or even in the bath.
My doctor has prescribed me something called Zyprexa (Olanzapine) which does a wonderful job of removing the peak of the fear - and thus preventing the feedback cycle of being fearful of being fearful. However, even though this medication is good in some respects, I don't like taking it and want to learn to overcome my anxiaty and panic without using drugs. That's why I am here. I want to learn from you.
It is good to be here.
I'll just say a little about myself. I have suffered from generalised anxiety and panic attacks for 10 years or so. Since I stopped drinking, actually. I am a recovering alcoholic. But my fears were managable. The panic attacks were unpleasant, but were not too bad and so I learned to just "white knuckle" my way through them.
However, over the last 6 months or so my panic attacks have gotten far, far worse - and they are now so intense that I find them completely disabling. You will be familiar with the symptoms: absolute terror that I am having a heart attack, vertigo, dizziness, mental anguish of 10,000 thoughts racing around my head; the certainty that I am going mad; the feeling of being in mortal danger etc. etc. This has happened when I am out - in a museum, in a shop, visiting my mother - and also when I am at home (I live alone) watching TV or even in the bath.
My doctor has prescribed me something called Zyprexa (Olanzapine) which does a wonderful job of removing the peak of the fear - and thus preventing the feedback cycle of being fearful of being fearful. However, even though this medication is good in some respects, I don't like taking it and want to learn to overcome my anxiaty and panic without using drugs. That's why I am here. I want to learn from you.
It is good to be here.