New here, hope to make some friends!

[Twinkle]

Hi there everyone!
I'm Cynthia and I have been suffering from panic attacks and general anxiety for the last 5 years. I have good and bad days and it was on one of those bad days when I came across this site, I found it very helpful and it made me feel a lot less alone.

I went to the doctor last week in the hope of getting some more treatment, she is going to get me some councelling sorted, I also have private healthcare through work so with a bit of luck it will be funded by that.

I used to try and hide my panic as I was so ashamed, this is why I was reluctant to seek help at first. Lately I have discovered that speaking and being honest about it to people gives me a sense of relief. I no longer feel that I need to be 'normal' all the time and if people are aware of my issues they will understand if I feel a bit anxious.

My boss at work knows about my disorder and has been extremely helpful. Unfortunately I have lost all my friends as they were unable to accept that I was too scared to do certain things and that certain things made me feel very anxious.

I have a boyfriend of 2 years who has been an absolute rock. I can talk to him about anything and he has been there for me like no one else has. When I met him I told him all about my issues and what he was letting himself in for and he accepted them and has been keen to help ever since. I am truely lucky to have someone like him to support me.

I still live at home with my parents who also understand and have helped me through.

I am gradually understanding that it is only my irrational thoughts which are making me feel this way but I know it will be a long road ahead.

I know this may sound silly but my main fear is feeling ill as I haven't had enough food. Not sure if anyone else feels light-headed and generally ill if they haven't eaten but that really sets off my panic. It has taken a change of diet (no sugar, no refined carbs) to help me lessen these feelings but it is still a struggle sometimes. I always need to make sure I have food with me. I am gradually getting to the stage where I know that when I eat something the horrible feeling will go away soon afterwards. I have got to know that I won't faint due to panicing but sometimes I feel faint due to not eating and then I freak out as I fear that there is a real danger of fainting! Silly I know, but does anyone else feel like this?

Well thanks for listening to me, I am looking to make some real friends on this site, not so called friends who will desert me when I stop doing the things they want me to do! Please feel free to get it touch, it would be great to hear from any of you.

Cynthia xx

[vernon]

hi twinkle. welcome to the site. if u have friends who left u becouse of this they are not friends anywhay and u can do without them, the main thing is u have a good boyfriend, family and boss who does? I have the same a great wife and kids who all understand so i dont realy care what others think as long as u know them close to u love u and understand. Well we do have a chat room to if u fancy a chat? usualy someone in at night after 8 30pm its at

http://pub4.bravenet.com/chat/show.php/342349380

Take care for noe. Vernon

[Raindrop]

Welcome to the site. The people here have helped me lots already! It is very good that you do have people who care about you and want to support you, your friends weren't true friends - like Vernon said - if they ran out on you. That must have been horrible.

My anxiety is kinda the inverse of yours! I feel better when I *don't* eat, I like to feel hungry because it makes me feel healthy, makes me think "Oh well, if I feel hungry, I must be FINE". I mean, there is never going to be a situation where you can't get food. I don't know if that helps... probably not!

[KW]

Hi Twinkle

Welcome to the site.

Sorry you've been going through a tough time. It's good that your boyfriend is supportive. I too have lost friends through anxiety.

You'll find lots of good support here.


KW

'Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire'
- JEAN DE LA FONTAINE

[sal]

Hi Twinkle

Welcome to the site and i bet you are pleased you have found it. When i first found the site i was so relieved that i wasnt alone in how i feel. I too lost of lots of close friends as they couldnt understand why i didnt want to do certain things and they got sick of my excuses and eventually just stopped asking. But until you have suffered it is very hard to understand.

Sounds like your boyfriend has been brilliant and that is what you have needed.



Lots of Love Sal xxxxx

[FAN]

hi welcome to the forum

fan x

[Meg]

Cynthia

*Unfortunately I have lost all my friends as they were unable to accept that I was too scared to do certain things and that certain things made me feel very anxious. *
It is so hard for people who do not understand to 'get it' Glad you have got support round you.

*Not sure if anyone else feels light-headed and generally ill if they haven't eaten but that really sets off my panic* Hypoglycaemia is a very well recognised cause of anxiety and panic. You are totally right in what you're doing . I never went anywhere without a bag of dried fruit and nut mix.

It may not be your thoughts that are causing this but may simply be a hypoglycaemic issue. Try sticking to a GI menu for 3 weeks and see how you are..

Hypogly Hypoglycemia (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=189)





Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[Karen]

Hi Cynthia

Welcome to the forum.

It's sad that your friends have not stood by you but a lot of people who have never experienced panic and anxiety have difficulty understanding. I'm glad your family and boyfriend are supportive.

You'll also get a lot of support here.



Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[nomorepanic]

Hi Cynthia

Welcome aboard.

I have to eat regularly or I feel a bit faint and dizzy. I always eat before going out in the car for a long drive or I suffer more with anxiety.

I hope we can be of some help to you on here and I am sure you will make some good friends on here too.

Nicola

[Tracy68]

Hi Cynthia
Welcome to the site. I'm sure you will find loads of help and support to get you through these difficult times.
Take care
Tracy
x

[lainey]

Hi Cynthia

Welcome to the site, you'll get loads of help and support here. I too am like you and need to eat to stop symptoms of lightheadedness etc, but gradulally things will get better I promise.

Take care

Elaine x

[bubbles]

Cynthia,

Welcome to the site.

I can identify with the fear of having no accessible food whilst away from home, &, also, go 'armed' with snacks.

The friends who didn't understand---weren't friends. It must have hurt at the time, though.
Am sure you'll make friends on here.

It is good that you have the suppport of your boyfriend & parents. Also, you are being very positive & seeking out treatment.

Hope you find the site helpful & supportive.

Linda. x

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.

[Twinkle]

Hi everyone!

Wow, I wasn't expecting such a good response! I just wanted to thank you all for your messages, I feel much more encouraged and less alone now. I hope to be able to chat to you in the chat room and if anyone would like to add me to their msn messenger list, please do so, I am on it most of the day at work.

Meg - I found that message post on hypoglycemia very interesting. I had read about that before, in fact it was an article on that that made me change the way I was eating. Between 2001 and 2003 I managed to put on 5 stone due to not eating healthily and eating all the time as I was so paranoid of the hypo feelings. Thankfully I lost all that weight by changing my diet and exercising and am now at a normal weight for my height and a size 12.
I showed the post to my boyfriend who said that he also feels like that sometimes when he doesn't eat. He said it is a very unpleasant feeling, however it doesn't make him have a panic attack! Perhaps everyone has hypoglycaemic feelings sometimes and its just that those with panic disorder react badly to them? All I know is that I will avoid those feelings at all costs and always have something to eat with me. I don't even leave the house for 5 minutes without something stuffed in my bag! I usually carry some nuts and seeds in my bag which help and also make me feel better. Sometimes I think it may be a safety thing. If I have eaten and I have a panic attack I can say to myself, I'm just having a panic attack, I'm not feeling like this because I haven't eaten.

I have found that eating lentils and beans is good and keeps blood sugar levels stable. Below is what I typically eat, I thought I would post this as someone else may find it useful:

Breakfast - Large bowl of porridge. Porridge is slow releasing complex carb so will release energy slowly, this usually keeps me going throughout the morning
Lunch - Salad made with lettuce, cucumber, celery, green peppers, can of tuna and some mixed beans and lentils with a little olive oil drizzled over it.
Dinner - chicken with stir fry vegetables, or wholemeal pasta with tinned rattatoile (not sure how you spell it!) from Waitrose.
Snacks - Ryvita crackers with brie or cheese on top.

I also try to include some fruit but usually save this until after dinner as I find that during the day fruit on its own can set off hypo symptoms.

I hope that this may be useful for anyone experiencing the same thing as I do, it has certainly improved things for me. Nevertheless I am still getting panicy. This morning was especially bad and I had to make myself go out of the door and drive to work. I have been struggling all morning really but now I have had some lunch I feel a bit better.

I hope you are all enjoying your day as best you can!

Cynth xxx

[SickofIt]

Hi Twinkle,
Low blood sugar symptoms can definitely trigger panic, with mornings being the worst. You really do have to force yourself to eat something even if you don't feel like it.
I'm a newbie here, too - nice to meet you.

[Chaz]

hi twinkle,

when i read your message, i couldn't believe it, i thought i'd wrote it, its just like me. I'm 14, and suffer from panic attacks, I am also terrified of fainting, and i don't eat alot (I am a little too thin). I've only started having them recently and they're really scary, panic attacks and depression run in the family. My mum knows what I'm going through, but sometimes I feel so alone. I'm glad I found this site, it makes me happier knowing that I'm not the only one, and it was just so weird reading your message, thinking that's just like me!

luv chaz xx

[FAN]

hi chaz i see you got posting, im sure you will find it helps being on here as you see we all have been or are where you are now hang around im sure you soon be feeling better

fan x

[Karen]

Hi Chaz

Welcome to the site. You might want to start a post in the Introductions section where more people will read it.

You'll get good help and support here.



Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[Chaz]

Thx Fan, it's already helped alot

chaz xx :)

[Chaz]

thx Karen, i have just made one, thank-u for your advice, this site has really helped me

chaz xx