BellisC
15-08-08, 18:34
Hi everyone,
First thanks so much for this site, it has been such a help to me over a few very difficult days! I'm truly grateful.
A bit about me - I'm a 41-year old woman who has suffered from depression for upwards of 20 years. For about 18 years I have taken sertraline, which seemed to work, but recently I tapered off very slowly and was doing OK without it. Then I had a series of setbacks and circumstances that seemed to bring out my inner panic... looking back, I can see that the panic has been an undercurrent since I was young. (I'm even now wondering which came first, panic or depression.) Anyway, this past weekend I was alone, taking in discouraging news about an exam result, and recovering from a stomach bug. Slowly but surely the anxiety started to rise until I was absolutely beside myself with fear.
As everyone here knows, you wouldn't wish that feeling on your worst enemy - I couldn't sleep at all for two nights, had cold hands and feet, shivering, racing thoughts, stomach pains, the works. My seeming inability to concentrate or do the simplest thing led to thoughts that I was totally losing it or suffering from a dire illness. It is hard to describe to others how certain you feel that imminent doom is approaching. Frequent calls to my husband, my mother and very nice people who staff the NHS in the middle of the night, as well as the information on this site reassured me enough to cope, and I feel that I'm turning the corner on this episode.
Not really sure if I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, or panic attacks - or both?. I'm going to seek treatment, hoping to avoid medication because I did make such an effort to come off the sertraline. However, if someone makes the case to me that medication is required, I will consider it. I'm hoping for CBT, because just seeing the effect that some clear information has on the panic seems to bode well.
Anyway, I look forward to meeting people on the forums, and am so glad to have found a community of people who understand what this is like. Very best wishes to all. :blush:
--Galoot
First thanks so much for this site, it has been such a help to me over a few very difficult days! I'm truly grateful.
A bit about me - I'm a 41-year old woman who has suffered from depression for upwards of 20 years. For about 18 years I have taken sertraline, which seemed to work, but recently I tapered off very slowly and was doing OK without it. Then I had a series of setbacks and circumstances that seemed to bring out my inner panic... looking back, I can see that the panic has been an undercurrent since I was young. (I'm even now wondering which came first, panic or depression.) Anyway, this past weekend I was alone, taking in discouraging news about an exam result, and recovering from a stomach bug. Slowly but surely the anxiety started to rise until I was absolutely beside myself with fear.
As everyone here knows, you wouldn't wish that feeling on your worst enemy - I couldn't sleep at all for two nights, had cold hands and feet, shivering, racing thoughts, stomach pains, the works. My seeming inability to concentrate or do the simplest thing led to thoughts that I was totally losing it or suffering from a dire illness. It is hard to describe to others how certain you feel that imminent doom is approaching. Frequent calls to my husband, my mother and very nice people who staff the NHS in the middle of the night, as well as the information on this site reassured me enough to cope, and I feel that I'm turning the corner on this episode.
Not really sure if I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, or panic attacks - or both?. I'm going to seek treatment, hoping to avoid medication because I did make such an effort to come off the sertraline. However, if someone makes the case to me that medication is required, I will consider it. I'm hoping for CBT, because just seeing the effect that some clear information has on the panic seems to bode well.
Anyway, I look forward to meeting people on the forums, and am so glad to have found a community of people who understand what this is like. Very best wishes to all. :blush:
--Galoot