fillyjonk
19-03-09, 13:24
Hi
I've suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for approx 4-5 years now. It was all triggered off by a huge build up of complex stress in my life and has also been the toughest experience of my life so far - I'm 37 years old.
I don't get full blown panic attacks these days but anxiety attacks which can last for hours at a time. I also experience frightening thoughts, scary thoughts about death and dying (The trigger for all of this was after the death of my partners ex-girlfriend from an illness) It was an impossible situation but things have never fallen back into place for me which makes me very sad. it has changed me from someone who travelled across Scandinavia alone to someone who worries about going to the local shop. I also get very anxious with driving too. A lot has happened to me I guess which makes it complex.
I've been on medication in the past but it made things worse and caused me to become anaemic in the end. My periods just didn't stop. The drug was Seroxat/Paroxatine - be aware! I am having CBT but don't find it helps me that much - not with changing my thought patterns anyway and when I get the symptoms, always believe I'm going to die or something terrible will happen. Everything goes black in my mind. I can't seem to ever re-learn a new reaction to this as it really does FEEL like everthing is bad. When this feeling isn't there, I feel like my 'normal' self again. It freaks me out.
I'm learning how to meditate, I swim, anything alternative I'd try - I struggle along and am not sure how I get from one day to the next (when things are really bad) I do have some good days. One thing I've learnt is that you really find out who your real friends are and I'm always alarmed at the stigma attached to having such problems and being dropped like a hot potato by some people who are scared of such problems! Let's hope it never happens to them eh?! A lot of people I know turn a blind eye to it which hurts like hell. I suppose it is the very British thing to do!
I know I cannot turn the clock back but I feel like I've lost myself in all this and wonder if I'll ever go on trips again.
I thought I'd join the forum in the hope of learning new tricks, advice and hope I may be able to help others too if I can.
Thanks for listening!
Fillyjonk
I've suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for approx 4-5 years now. It was all triggered off by a huge build up of complex stress in my life and has also been the toughest experience of my life so far - I'm 37 years old.
I don't get full blown panic attacks these days but anxiety attacks which can last for hours at a time. I also experience frightening thoughts, scary thoughts about death and dying (The trigger for all of this was after the death of my partners ex-girlfriend from an illness) It was an impossible situation but things have never fallen back into place for me which makes me very sad. it has changed me from someone who travelled across Scandinavia alone to someone who worries about going to the local shop. I also get very anxious with driving too. A lot has happened to me I guess which makes it complex.
I've been on medication in the past but it made things worse and caused me to become anaemic in the end. My periods just didn't stop. The drug was Seroxat/Paroxatine - be aware! I am having CBT but don't find it helps me that much - not with changing my thought patterns anyway and when I get the symptoms, always believe I'm going to die or something terrible will happen. Everything goes black in my mind. I can't seem to ever re-learn a new reaction to this as it really does FEEL like everthing is bad. When this feeling isn't there, I feel like my 'normal' self again. It freaks me out.
I'm learning how to meditate, I swim, anything alternative I'd try - I struggle along and am not sure how I get from one day to the next (when things are really bad) I do have some good days. One thing I've learnt is that you really find out who your real friends are and I'm always alarmed at the stigma attached to having such problems and being dropped like a hot potato by some people who are scared of such problems! Let's hope it never happens to them eh?! A lot of people I know turn a blind eye to it which hurts like hell. I suppose it is the very British thing to do!
I know I cannot turn the clock back but I feel like I've lost myself in all this and wonder if I'll ever go on trips again.
I thought I'd join the forum in the hope of learning new tricks, advice and hope I may be able to help others too if I can.
Thanks for listening!
Fillyjonk