Advise please.....

[superted]

hi guys,
i havnt been here 4 a while. i am all over the place at the moment. my anxiety is so high, i dont know what to do. i cant leave the house as i keep feeling like im going to collapse. i keep having mind blowing panick attacks. im so down. it seems i have lost my job and my doctor has perscibed me pills to try deal with the anxiety but it may sound stupid, i am too scared to take them. is any of this normal? i feel like im fallin apart and am scared of everything. im worried im goin to become agraphobic. any advise would be great.

rob..

[playman44]

hi rob the last thing you are is stupid your just like me i was a bit nervous of taking meds but i took them and it helped me see things were not as bad as my racing mind was saying .my advice is to take them it will help to take the edge off that over active mind that we have take care mate we are always here

[Magik]

Hi Rob. I'm in the same boat you are. I got prescribed Zoloft which I've had here for a month or so. So I'm thinking I'm going to start them tomorrow, so we should be each other's support to do so. I have my husband, who I'm sure would "Force" it nicely down my throat, cause I know he's sick of how I've been suffering from it all. But it's perfectly normal to be worried about side effects and stuff, especially with all the negative comments about certain meds you come across. So from now on, when I get presribed something, I'm just taking em and not reading up on em...way too scary that way. But yeah, good luck and you really should take them. <3

[Yvonne]

Rob,

what's doc given y ou to help? Anti depressant, valium ... ?? What you're feeling is very intense anxiety and it's dreadful. Take the med, do not suffer. You may be scared of meds and I can understand that but you do need help when anxiety is so high and you are doing yourself no favours sitting suffering. If doc has given you something like Diazepam get it down your throat now. If it's an anti depresant it will take a while to work.

Rob, you do feel like you are falling apart and a part of you is I'm afraid. The overactive mind is screaming out for help at the moment and you must calm it down. My sincere sympathy because it's hellish I know. Stop worrying about agoraphobia - this is temporary. Just take good care of yourself.xxxxx

Magik -- No reading about the meds - I did it for years, there's no point it only scares you more. It's good to be armed with information about the meds but too much information is not so good.

[Claire79]

Hiya Rob,

I really hope this doesn't sound insensitive as that's the last thing you need right now, but what is so bad about collapsing if you leave the house? I'm just thinking that fear is what's causing you to be scared of going out and collapsing so why not just do it and get it over with? The worst that could happen is you fall down. So what if you fall down? When I felt like I was going to collaspe I would crouch down and make myself safe, never once did I pass out or faint even though I was 100% convinced I would. I walked for 2 steps and had a massive panic attack, 2 steps more and I had another, in the end I was fed up with all the interruptions and walked through them.
I don't get it at all now.

You will either get over this now or later, why not take control and decide to get over this now? You have all the power in this.

The fears we have are irrational and you will be fine hun, breathe out and take the plunge, it will never be as scary as you think it is.

Take good care, pm me if you need to x

[darcy]

wow, you sound just like me!! ive been having severe anxiety these last several months and have only just got some meds from Dr.. too scared to take them aswell... its awful feeling like this and like you i am getting funny about going out incase i collapse with whatever thing i think i have wrong with my brain.... i had to go to ikea yesterday and had panic attack all the way there and back, only cause i was on my own... im thinking of starting the meds after christmas if it hasnt all settled down as i dont want the side affects of the drugs spoiling my christmas... (anxiety will prob though) lol

cant win can we....

your not on your own though, everyone is here and it really helps to sit and read through these forums.. im doing it daily at the moment just for a bit of comfort really, the fact that other people feel just like me.. and you x.

take care xx

[Bill]

hi guys,
i joined this site yesterday and found alot of comfort from it. ive had a good day and am feeling rather positive, but we will see how long that lasts lol. ever the optimistic me. so how are we all? i joined a self help group today, anyone else been to one? if so what are they like? :yesyes: . i think ive finally got it into my head that this illness is not going to beat me. i spent too long letting it reck my life. not anymore....

rob....:shades:

This was one of your previous posts and it's important to look at keywords within it. Remember that positive attitude?

You've allowed worries to create a spiral of negativity consuming you with fear which is what often happens when we dwell too much on our fears and what we feel we can't do.

The choice is actually simple. You give in to your fears and become agoraphobic or you find a way to get back to the positive attitude you had before so you can lead your life as before.

I know that sounds harsh and is simple to say, and I do know that when we're feeling so anxious it can feel impossible to achieve but I have actually been where you are now so I know it is possible to overcome given time!

Don't push yourself because you'll create more tension and learn relaxation techniques to keep you calm. When we feel calm, mountains only feel like small hills so easier to overcome.

You need to rebuild your confidenc by taking "small steps" towards recovery. Don't try to take on everything at once and don't fill your mind with worries. Instead set yourself small objectives, perhaps a short walk down the street and back before walking further another time.

Lack of confidence breeds fear but building confidence breeds self-confidence because with every objective you succeed, the more your confidence will be rebuilt.

It is fear that prevents you from doing the things you want to do but fear is a mirage in the mind that make us feel it's real. You have to prove to yourself that there is actually nothing to fear by taking small steps.

Before you go out, Don't think to yourself "what if" I collapse but instead "I will walk to the end of the street and back". Don't focus on your feelings but instead focus on your feet with each step you take whilst at the same time try taking long deep breaths through your nose down to your stomach and slowly releasing each one through your mouth as you relax your stomach muscles.

Nothing will happen if you keep in control of your breathing...I promise!:winks: