srostron
16-03-05, 17:49
First off, I just want to say thank you!!!! I have been recently diagnosed with anxiety and have been feeling completely overwhelmed by the situation.
I have been researching the condition a lot on the internet. Specifically, I've been scared by the depersonalization symptom, which is how I found this forum. Jude had a post on January 20, 2005 that said her mind is trying to answer the question of "the meaning of life" or "where did I come from" but can't get there. That is EXACTLY how I've been feeling, along with the feeling I must be going insane! :) I had never had these thoughts before, and I feel like my whole life has changed since my first panic attack. I was so relieved to read that I wasn't alone.
I had my first panic attack January 9, 2005. After my first attack, I had another about a week later, but since then I've been okay, thankfully. But I do have the general anxiety that has been very frustrating. I went to my doctor at first, thinking I had a heart problem. He ran all the tests on me and everything came out normal. I was a psychology major in college, and decided that my problem might be a mental one.
I went to a psychotherapist, who suggested I see a psychiatrist to help alleviate my physical symptoms. He put me on Ativan for 2 weeks, which helped a little. However, it made me depressed and moody, and I felt like a zombie. He then decided I just needed help with my insomnia (that began right after my first attack) so he put me on Restoril. I was on it for over a month, and last night was the first night I didn't take it. It wasn't helping me fall asleep any faster anyway.
I guess my main concerns are that this will never go away and I will never feel normal again, that I am going crazy, and the whole depersonalization. I really hate it, but I've been trying not to think of it. I find the more I read about the anxiety and symptoms, the worse I feel sometimes. But there's always that nagging feeling of "how can I fix this."
I am trying to keep a positive attitude and realize that I can overcome this. But it is very difficult. I am a natural kind of girl and would like to avoid medications, if possible so I've been doing the following:
--Went to one session of acupuncture so far
--Recently started Bikram yoga
--Work out about 5 times a week
If I can just stop thinking about myself and how I'm feeling for five minutes, it would be such a relief! :)
I can't tell you how nice it is to know that I'm not alone.
Cheers,
Stephanie
I have been researching the condition a lot on the internet. Specifically, I've been scared by the depersonalization symptom, which is how I found this forum. Jude had a post on January 20, 2005 that said her mind is trying to answer the question of "the meaning of life" or "where did I come from" but can't get there. That is EXACTLY how I've been feeling, along with the feeling I must be going insane! :) I had never had these thoughts before, and I feel like my whole life has changed since my first panic attack. I was so relieved to read that I wasn't alone.
I had my first panic attack January 9, 2005. After my first attack, I had another about a week later, but since then I've been okay, thankfully. But I do have the general anxiety that has been very frustrating. I went to my doctor at first, thinking I had a heart problem. He ran all the tests on me and everything came out normal. I was a psychology major in college, and decided that my problem might be a mental one.
I went to a psychotherapist, who suggested I see a psychiatrist to help alleviate my physical symptoms. He put me on Ativan for 2 weeks, which helped a little. However, it made me depressed and moody, and I felt like a zombie. He then decided I just needed help with my insomnia (that began right after my first attack) so he put me on Restoril. I was on it for over a month, and last night was the first night I didn't take it. It wasn't helping me fall asleep any faster anyway.
I guess my main concerns are that this will never go away and I will never feel normal again, that I am going crazy, and the whole depersonalization. I really hate it, but I've been trying not to think of it. I find the more I read about the anxiety and symptoms, the worse I feel sometimes. But there's always that nagging feeling of "how can I fix this."
I am trying to keep a positive attitude and realize that I can overcome this. But it is very difficult. I am a natural kind of girl and would like to avoid medications, if possible so I've been doing the following:
--Went to one session of acupuncture so far
--Recently started Bikram yoga
--Work out about 5 times a week
If I can just stop thinking about myself and how I'm feeling for five minutes, it would be such a relief! :)
I can't tell you how nice it is to know that I'm not alone.
Cheers,
Stephanie