Well, I hope all is OK

[Starlet_24]

Thanks for all of your responses. I guess it's worry but ever since that panic attack 3 weeks ago, I felt as if I would never be the same. I just hate feeling so awful. I am tired and drained. I think it a good thing NOT to research mental illnesses because it just makes me convinced that I am going mad. One site said that schizophrenia is brought on by intense stress! HOW SCARY IS THAT>>>>for God sakes, we have a STRESS disorder. WEll anyways, I am just going to pray that I remain OK but I think I am going to get on some meds. I hate the idea of that but I have to much to do to allow these symptoms to overwhelm me like they have.

PS another question: has anyone ever felt like they just were not themselves and that they will never be the same again?

That is how I feel ..detached and overwhelmed and highly emotional.

Thanks,
Starlet

[Trev]

Yep. I felt this way about 9 months ago. Again, I believe it is an extremely common set of feelings from what I've researched and heard.

To give you hope, I now feel fine and back to "my old self" again. (Without wishing to get into a big discussion about what your "old self" is as I believe we constantly change as we learn new things and this has been a big learning experience! However, I believe it changes you for the better in many ways.......but that's another topic).

Put simply, yes you can get back to you "old self" even though it might seem a million miles away to you right now.

Good luck, :)
Trev

[desperate]

Hi Trev.

Thats' a really nice post...i am still at the 'who am i?!?!' stage!

First Anxiety...then panic attacks...now GAD and depression...now working on a better future!

[mum2four]

I went threw the who am stage about 3 year's ago and i did alot soul searching and come threw it liking my self for who I am now and for a fue year's aswell. Looking back I know that I had to go threw what I went threw. That may be may beleif in fate which came about when I finaly hit rock bottom and looked back and saw that life at been giving single's and was ignoring them cause I was to scared to take the opertunity when thay came up. These day's I try to pay attenstion to whats around me and go after what I want. I still struggle with anxiety but I'm fighting a life that I deserve now in stead of hiding from everything.

I went back on med's butthis time it was for the anxiety not depression like the last 2 time. I choose to go onto med's mainly because I sick of feeling the way I did I was making progress but it was slower than what I really wanted for my self. I feel that if I dont get to point of feeling like I could I hold done a job before I'm 30 that only 2 year''s away then I will be at a really high risk of falling back onto depression. I still need to overcome some of my feart of wasting money on my self and the fear so that I can over comee my fear of driving and then get my licence.

I just wanted to say that cause I think it's important to go back on med only if that is really want you want for what eva reason. I think that no wanting to go backward's in your recovery is a good idea to go onto med's. It was my main reason for going on to med's I felt i was taking a fue step's back in my life. After having a a bit of a run in with my my son's teacher my anxiety started to got control of me again and I need that control back any way I could get. After trying to regain control for about 4 mth I needed more help if I am to keep making progress and get what i want before I'm 30. I think knowing clearly what your aim for is a good step in getting past anxiety with or without med's. For the last 3 year's my aim was just concentrate of having fun with my family and my kids and I did that with out med's that was easy because there far less fear's to over come to achive that and I shut the rest of the world out while I did it. The new chalenge I set for myself have far greater chalenge's to over come and I felt that I cant put my happiness with partner and kids at risk even a little bit I've work to hard to get where I am today. I deserve a brack from the symtom's of my fears for a while. After a week of being med's I'm already feeling so much better i had a run in with a lady over my son touching the computer she was using at the musem and it really didn't bother me for very long normal a small run in with a grumpy person will set my anxiety going for at the very least the rest of the day or longer but i was fully over it with in the hour it was like a faded memory in stead of the anxiety resufacing when eva i thought about it.

I have alway avoided med's unless I have clear aim ahead of me. I hate even taking pain releif for a headach. So I can understand why going back on med's can be a hard choice that's why I think what eva your choice is have a clear idea what your want and when you want it by and then go after it.

I hope you feel better soon.