Chronic anxiety

[mikem]

Hi everyone

For the last 12 -14 weeks I have been waking with terrible anxiety. My stomach churns, I have pins and needles and burning sensations in my arms and hands; my legs / feet are trembling all of the time. When I try to go back to sleep I wake suddenly with these same feelings / sensations. I have tight pains across the chest.
I have been prescribed Mirtazapine and Escitalopram (the former because I haven't been sleeping very well).
This has been getting me down so much that I have thought about taking my life.
I am at a loss as to what else might help. I don't know why I feel like this.
A friend suggested hypnotherapy, or, seeing an analytical CBT therapist.

M

[baldy_dude]

You are not alone my friend. I'm going through all that you are by the sounds of it. But hey, you know what..... we will get through it. When those scary thoughts go through your mind, long on here.... share your feelings.... its helps me. hopefully it will help you.

CBTs are good.... if you haven't tried one, give it a go.

Either way, hang in there... there is always a light at the end of the tunnel... even if we can't see it straight away... it will come! Just remember you are not alone with all of this cr@p. Sometimes it feels like it, but you are not.

[young-mum]

hi peeps i just joined this website but dunno wat forum i am meanta be in... in february of this year i had my first ever episode (of wat ppl keep sayin is panic attacks)... it first strated in feb, n since then almost evryday n evry night i can jus b sittin watchin telly or out shoppin etc n i get a sudden woosh of dizzyness n feel like am gonna faint at any minute...and i get like a buterfly feelin but in my heart... i hav had ecg and ct scan done.. all ok... psince february ppl includin professionals..docs, paramedics, hospital docs n nurses hav said that these are panic/anxiety attacks.. up until this mornin i went back my docs with same synmptoms as it is really worryin me nw n i jus want 2 get better n b bk 2 normal agen... and then they mentioned to me tht they think it could be munchausens syndrome... i mentioned it to my daughters health visitor wen we went to creche this afternoon and she said basically that shee thinks the doc is talkin a loada crap...

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/images/nmp/misc/progress.gif

[baldy_dude]

young mum - you are welcome as part of the gang here. :) sorry to here that you had to join us though... so Panic Attacks are fairly new to you then. Sounds like your panic is health related - much like mine. If you have had an ecg and they said all was good there, that should be a massive relief for you. Use that recent information as the first step to your recovery. As for me I'm way too scared to have that done. But you might be able to just keep educating yourself on the symptoms and feelings associated with panic - hopefully education and information will help you bounce back before too long.
I really can't advise on munchausens.... sorry.

Mikem - how you are getting on today? You feeling much better/same/worse. I keep giving myself a mark out of 10 each day..... if it is generally going in the right direction over the long term, then honky-dorey.... we all have ups and downs.... but keep going until that next up!

[Veronica H]

:bighug1:Many here know how you are feeling Mike. It can be like a rollercoaster with the mood changing within hours. There is a brilliant book by Dr Claire Weekes;SELF HELP FOR YOUR NERVES ISBN 0-7225-3155-9.This is available from the NMP shop. Dr Weekes was a fellow sufferer who really understood this illness. She took the mystery out of it, and devised a simple programme for recovery. I can't recommend this enough. This will get better.

Veronica

[young-mum]

thnks baldy dude... wat do you mean by health related tho hun??? i hav only bin like this since feb but cnt help finkin tht i am gonna b like this 4ever n never get better :-( x

[Anxious_gal]

aw we all have been there. You need to make sure you eating well, drinking water, take some omega 3 oil maybe , make sure your getting enough b vitamins.
try meditating, practice relaxing, CBT is a good idea.
your stuck in the cycle, anxiety causes fear and then the fear cause more anxiety.
it can be hard to break.
the CBT will you break that cycle by changing your negative thoughts into positive ones and helping you change your behavior and how you react to anxiety.

[young-mum]

i cud do wiv sum CBT but dnt no hw i find sum in my area

[nomorepanic]

young mum - your GP needs to refer you.

Please can I ask you don't use text speak as well. Thanks

[keleb0709]

Mikem.
What you are experiencing is night attacks. I too suffer these and after using a technique i learnt they don't happen much anymore. It is really hard to understand why when you are asleep and safe from danger or stimulation that your body jolts up in such a state! You need to ask yourself at the time what is the sensation you feel and then acknowledge it as.....pins and needles etc and recognise it as only that! By saying, "oh, pins and needles again? Gee i must be sleeping funny" and remember to do this calmly. I bet all the other sensations that follow ie, shakiness, fast heartbeat, tightness etc won't have chance to happen due to your acceptance and not panicking! It's the way you are reacting to the feelings that makes the body create more! Always remember to stay calm and not to react. These feelings are very normal and you need to approach them as just that. With practice you will get over this :)

[young-mum]

ok sorry i didnt realise sorry. i do have a councillor but not cbt therapy???

[mikem]

Thanks Kele

I find it so hard to relax when I wake like this. This morning was awful - real gut wrenching panic / arms feeling on fire for no apparent reason. I tried breathing easy etc but it didn't help. I wish I could understand why this is happening.

M

[laladienea1969]

hi there, iv been having panic attacks since january this year, initially i had a blood test done which showed i was aneamic, so all went well with iron tablets however my husband and i split in july and ooo did they anxiety kick in big style, i didnt realise i had it or even thought that anxiety actually makes you fell ill, like everyone else i assume theres something wrong with me, (and probably still do) i get days when im fine and then the next day back to square one, i had one session of cbt in july and my next one is not until nov so dont see the point in 4 month between appointments.. iv been prescribed propranolol but im scared to take it in case it makes me ill which dosent make sense as i already am haha, i keep thinking that they will stop my heart because although i have anxiety when im in the house my heart rate is fine i just have the other nausea, dizzy/off balance, ears ringing, headache behind the eyes, stiff neck, has anyone else had these worries about taking pills? does anyone know of a herbal alternative that actually works?... glad to see im not the only one in the world who feels like this...x

[onceagain]

My anxiety depression and panic attacks started when I gave feelings to someone after lots of years of building up. I became terrified of losing something that I held very dear to me. I did anyway but I have now been left behind with all the illness...I know exactly how you feel, I too contemplated suicide but the feelings are in us, I now panic going shopping and simple things like walking in the dark.... I'm getting lots of help through the NHS but I am determined to win this battle and I am sure you will too. Best regards :yesyes:

[Jac 2009]

Mikem
It's happening because you're afraid of it - that's it, nothing else. Since joining here a few days ago, I have come to realise that the only way to beat it is to embrace the fear. Just been reading a great website called panicend. It's well worth a look. I've made an appointment with a hynotherapist/CBT to help me to face up to it. I've had panic attacks now for nearly 20 years and I'm sick of it.

Good luck to you xx

[phil06]

I've been doing alot of worrying and looking for answers for weeks but I came across this link:

http://www.chronicanxietydisorder.net/

It matches up how I feel and I believe some stress or event can cause a period of Chronic anxiety. Each day I feel very nervy and anxious over nothing and it affects me going out.

Is there anybody else who has suffered Chronic anxiety?

[Mya]

Yup that is me! I suffered a nervous breakdown 2 years ago due to a very high stress job, the sudden death of a loved one and near death of another loved one. I also got married during all this as well. The daily stress of work, as well as these traumatic events thrown in there caused the breakdown. For 2 years now I have daily chronic anxiety. I have no stress in my life at the moment, however, I am always worried. I don't remember what normal feels like and I fear I will never see life the same again :lac:

[JT69]

Hy Mya,

Dont you ever get any rest-bite? Is the anxiety there constantly day in day out?? Dont you feel better as the day goes by??

Tried any meds to help?? Sounds awful....I suffer alot at the moment with anxiety but if I thought it was going to be like that day in day out for 2 years I dont think I could cope!!

I so know what you mean when you say you dont know what normal feels like anymore. So unfair hun.

Take care.
Jo.xx

[Mya]

Hi Jo!

Thanks for your kind words, they really mean a lot. No I have not had a rest for 2 years sadly. If I get any it may be for about an hour a day. I go to therapy, I even tried an AD recently and that made things worse! I have been an anxious person my entire life and sadly have a very overactive brain. I have been diagnosed with GAD, OCD and Adjustment disorder. My doctor said there were just so many life changing events that took place at once plus a very high stress job on top. It has flipped my brain into being in high alert for some other scary experience to happen at any time. Awful way to be. Yes normal is so foreign now, terrible isn't it? I actually have a friend that has been supportive to me because he has suffered 8 years with chronic anxiety as well. He sadly is afraid he is brain damaged from drug abuse. 8 years of living this hell I cannot imagine.

I am so sorry you are feeling crap too but I am hopeful once we find our passion in life, we will feel more complete with ourselves. Wishing you all the best and thanks so much again. xoxoxoxoxox

[Idstain]

Hi :)

May I recommend you check out the book in my signature, as horrible as it seems just know that it can be overcome.

[Mya]

Thanks very much, will check this out :)