chelseablue
29-05-08, 00:17
Hello Everybody,
Just wanted to say it is great to have found this forum and I have been reading with great interest.
I think I am suffering from panic disorder and would love for some advice on the sypmtons and best treatments. I am 23 and until recently was living what I considered to be a happy life-long term girlfriend, good job and not too many worries. I suffered my first attack at the wheel I knew my car was breaking down and for a long while was trying to coax it back to the garage I felt a little keyed up but not too bad, however when it finally did break down on a busy roundabout I was convinced I was having a heart attack, everything was spinning, my arms when numb, heart pounding, dizzy and also crying uncontrollably (not a pretty sight) anyway I managed to get the car recovered, during the time I was waiting I breathed deeply into my hands and counted backwards from 100 just walking around - I had never suffered panic before but these just seemed like very natural things to do after getting my car fixed I felt fine and drove home.
I didn't think too much off it and just put it down to my reaction to a stressful situation, however 2 weeks later when I was driving at night I suffered the same syptoms but they seemed a lot more severe I literally had to run away from the car and home, this time they did not pass as easily and went on for about 3 hours (is this normal) I thought I was developing a phobia of the car but then the episodes started happening at work and at home (during the night) it feels as if my world is closing in, I live in London and find it hard getting on busses and the tube especially if they are busy. I left London for a few weeks back at home in the country to recharge by batteries-is this the right thing to do or am I just running away?
I have been to the doctors and had lots of test my initial blood tests came back as low B12 but further tests indicated that it was only just below normal-doctors said that this vitamin is being used up by my anxeity. The thing that is really puzzling me is the sypmtons during the times when I am not having an attack seem, these are constant and seem to be varied 1 week one thing the next week another! - Am I just being paranoid but the anxeity seems to be moving around my body - it started with stinging pains in the arms and light headedness, then headaches and vision problems (floaters and quite often seeing stars for 10seconds) now I am experiencing problems when getting up from sitting and lying (postual hypotension) is this normal? if anything my heart rate seems to have slowed in recent weeks, recently I have been quite often waking up to find my arms and legs have pins and needles and I need to wake them up, are these symptoms normal? it anything they are worrying me more, altough I am quite relaxed being back home, even when meeting up with old friend in town for a drink I am fine, my worry is when I get back to big bad London things will fall apart.
Any help appreciated - thanks for reading
Danny
Just wanted to say it is great to have found this forum and I have been reading with great interest.
I think I am suffering from panic disorder and would love for some advice on the sypmtons and best treatments. I am 23 and until recently was living what I considered to be a happy life-long term girlfriend, good job and not too many worries. I suffered my first attack at the wheel I knew my car was breaking down and for a long while was trying to coax it back to the garage I felt a little keyed up but not too bad, however when it finally did break down on a busy roundabout I was convinced I was having a heart attack, everything was spinning, my arms when numb, heart pounding, dizzy and also crying uncontrollably (not a pretty sight) anyway I managed to get the car recovered, during the time I was waiting I breathed deeply into my hands and counted backwards from 100 just walking around - I had never suffered panic before but these just seemed like very natural things to do after getting my car fixed I felt fine and drove home.
I didn't think too much off it and just put it down to my reaction to a stressful situation, however 2 weeks later when I was driving at night I suffered the same syptoms but they seemed a lot more severe I literally had to run away from the car and home, this time they did not pass as easily and went on for about 3 hours (is this normal) I thought I was developing a phobia of the car but then the episodes started happening at work and at home (during the night) it feels as if my world is closing in, I live in London and find it hard getting on busses and the tube especially if they are busy. I left London for a few weeks back at home in the country to recharge by batteries-is this the right thing to do or am I just running away?
I have been to the doctors and had lots of test my initial blood tests came back as low B12 but further tests indicated that it was only just below normal-doctors said that this vitamin is being used up by my anxeity. The thing that is really puzzling me is the sypmtons during the times when I am not having an attack seem, these are constant and seem to be varied 1 week one thing the next week another! - Am I just being paranoid but the anxeity seems to be moving around my body - it started with stinging pains in the arms and light headedness, then headaches and vision problems (floaters and quite often seeing stars for 10seconds) now I am experiencing problems when getting up from sitting and lying (postual hypotension) is this normal? if anything my heart rate seems to have slowed in recent weeks, recently I have been quite often waking up to find my arms and legs have pins and needles and I need to wake them up, are these symptoms normal? it anything they are worrying me more, altough I am quite relaxed being back home, even when meeting up with old friend in town for a drink I am fine, my worry is when I get back to big bad London things will fall apart.
Any help appreciated - thanks for reading
Danny