I hope you'll read..

[newskin0318]

Hi Everybody,

I am new to the site, and really glad that I found it.

I first experienced anxiety in 2005 - It arrived unexpectedly, and I began my journey of trying to discover what was wrong with me. I did have a few panic attacks, but they were few and far between.

I was prescribed Zoloft by my Doctor, and I began seeing a Therapist. After only 8-10 weeks of taking the Zoloft, and seeing the Therapist my anxiety just sort of went away. I am gathering more and more that it just going away is uncommon (Maybe I'm lucky?) - I stopped taking the Zoloft in an unconscious way - I just forgot to take it for a few days, and by the time I realized I just, well.. Stopped. I never looked back.

From April 2005, until just two weeks ago I was 100 percent panic/anxiety free, it was gone. I viewed it as just a chapter in my life, and never paid it any mind.

Then, two weeks ago Tuesday I had a very unexpected panic attack at work. Rather than being able to isolate it, and just move forward it brought back "THE FEELING" and now the monster is back. My anxiety is back, and I do not feel well.

I have gone to a Therapist, and he seems great. We are going to do a general council/CBT sort of therapy, and I am now 3 days in to Zoloft again.

I feel sick, I have no appetite, the anxiety is there.. Some moments are better than others I guess, but it hasn't been good.

I'm not sure what I am looking for. This website kind of gave me hope. I just want it to go away again.

Thank you for reading.

[Veronica H]

:bighug1:sorry your nerves are sensitised again.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 physician and scientist. She was a fellow sufferer (nominated for the nobel prize for medicine) and 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

[looking4answers]

Sorry you are going through such a rough time. I was away for three years..thought I was cured then it came back.. so there are others that feel the way you do.. If you aren't sure of what you are looking for just keep looking here , If its on your mind im sure you will find it here. Michael

[Bill]

It happens!:winks:

two weeks ago Tuesday I had a very unexpected panic attack at work.

Think back to the day it happened. What were you doing, how were you feeling. Were you feeling under more pressure than usual, did you have a bad night, a bad experience, anything worrying you etc etc?

What I'm saying is that there is Always a trigger that causes an attack. What it was isn't really important but knowing what triggered the attack can help us to rationalise why it happened.

If you can imagine walking along a street carrying a heavy sack on your shoulder but not realising you're carrying this sack until there's a downpour which makes the sack too heavy to hold any longer so you collapse under the extra weight, that's how an attack can happen and how it can affect us.

When we stand up and look round, we often can't figure out why we collapsed because we've grown so used to carrying a weight we didn't realise we had. It just takes that extra straw to break us.

We then start dwelling on the fall rather than the miles we walked previously without a problem. We become afraid of falling over again so each step fills us with dread because we don't know what it was that caused us to fall when we felt so fine before.

It's interesting when you say this because it proves a point that we all tend to forget after a panic which is why it appears "uncommon"..... (I've underlined the important words)

After only 8-10 weeks of taking the Zoloft, and seeing the Therapist my anxiety just sort of went away. I am gathering more and more that it just going away is uncommon (Maybe I'm lucky?) - I stopped taking the Zoloft in an unconscious way - I just forgot to take it for a few days, and by the time I realized I just, well.. Stopped. I never looked back.

In other words you treated "Yourself" without realising how! When we suffer a panic, the panic creates Fear which frightens us So much that we keep "thinking" about it. We become terrified of the panic returning which then creates tension within us which in turn causes stress which then creates more panics. However, what you did is what you need to do again...."I just FORGOT".

You forgot to take the meds Because you didn't feel you needed to take them Because you weren't feeling ill. You stopped feeling ill because you'd stopped "thinking" about panics so you forgot to take the meds. See the cycle of thought and how it creates panics?
You see, when you "forget", it means you're not dwelling on the fear that a panic will return. You just got on with work and everything else as if nothing had happened which is why "it went away". You forgot about it so it forgot abou You!

As it proves though that even when we do learn to "forget", it doesn't mean another sack won't appear on our shoulders without us realising it. The important thing though is to remember how we made it go away before. You just don't realise what you did before but YOU "made" it go away by forgetting about it.

When we have a fall, we need to wipe the slate clean and start over as if nothing had happened which is exactly what you did.

It wasn't the meds, it wasn't the therapist....you cured YOU! You just need to remember how you cured yourself last time!

Too much stress in our lives will always create panics for us but so will dwelling on fear of panics. Forget the panic and it'll forget you.:winks:

[agnes]

Hello New, and welcome.

I can't really add anything that other members haven't already said, but I found Bill's post particularly helpful, I hope you do too.

This site is so supportive and there is so much helpful information here too.

Take care

theia

[Bill]

I'm glad you found my post helpful Theia.:hugs:

I was reading Michaels (looking4answers) thread just now about peoples posts sometimes being ignored. I think I can understand why it happens and the reasons involved.

The reason I've mentioned it though is because if you hadn't posted to tell me you found my post helpful, I'd have never of known it was actually of any good to anyone! It often happens but it's just something I've learnt to accept because I often hear good things later telling me that I'm not wasting my time but it can be reassuring to read a post like yours.:hugs:

Thank you Theia for going out of your way to let me know my post helped you. It makes it all worthwhile!:bighug1:

[looking4answers]

Maybe I haven't said thank you for your post.. and forgive me if that is a fact.. but I have tried to interact with you on a level of one male to another and share views and conversation about the places we live.. In one of our post.. we were discussing living here and there but from all the praise I see all over the site here for you and all the care I see coming from others for you ..I figure you must know that you have been appreciated and everyone enjoys hearing from you , Its nice to have interaction between members chatting about places ,things and whatever.. Anyway if I have never answered and said thanks im sure its in my same post at the end where im telling everyone thank you and forgive me.. Michael

[Bill]

No, please don't think that Michael.:) I've enjoyed the little post chats we've had. I've found it fascinating to hear about life on the other side of the pond! You've no need to thank me for anything, and nor has anyone else for that matter.

It was just that after reading your thread it made me think that I don't always know if what I've said has been of any use to people or not because often I don't hear anything just as you were saying about threads not being replied to.

It doesn't really matter and I'm not asking for or expecting thanks. The satisfaction I get is when someone posts to say that what I've said has helped them in some small way. It's not important. It's just nice to hear from others sometimes but I certainly wasn't directing anything at you Michael. I was only referring to your thread because it made me think so please don't think anymore on it. I enjoy reading your posts. They make alot of sense to which often I feel I can't add!:)

[looking4answers]

No just wanted to make sure I had thanked you ..and I enjoy reading your post.. You have a lot to say and it has helped others and many have indeed told me that I did and I thought Im not sure how but ok..Lol.. Hopefully it helps knowing people are here.. I wish you could visit the U S and look around and see the diversity .

I know you would love it just as I would love to come to my well kind of homeland.. My fathers family originated in the U.K.. they were Anglo Saxon Germanic conquers that came there around 1064 and stayed . I have traced my fathers line back to 1530 around London..I still have many relatives there in around that area that on occasion I have talked to but I really don't know.

My mothers side were in the middle east for about 35000 years ago and about 8000 years ago they traveled to the north of Europe and live around the Baltic areas until about the year 800 where they settled in Norway, Denmark and Sweden .. they were pretty much Norsemen that conquered alot of Europe and wreaked havoc .. Im also related to Leif Erickson and Eric his son.. and the King Of Norway Olaf Haroldson on my mothers side also the Romanov's of Europe via genetic identity and well many other famous people because of genetics and genealogy

I have found out so many things about my blood lines on both sides.. The lineage goes on and on.. but most of all I found that it really doesn 't matter who you are related to because they say that every seventh person you meet you are distantly related to.. lol.. so I did the research and the findings are amazing who you share blood lines with.. but then again why should anyone be surprised that we are all related.. I honestly don't know why I mentioned all this .

I guess im an old man rambling but I think my original point was although I have many relatives I have never met right there in among all of you .. I feel in some way a connection to the UK and its people.. My fathers family were there and are still there. I have never been there but hope to go one day.. Thanks for listening .I must be getting tired. Oh and if you are wondering.. I don't use my real last name on here but you would definitely recognize it as common in the UK.. Michael

[Bill]

All I can say is one word....Fascinating!:winks:

Really enjoyed reading that! Looking up the family tree is something I've always been interested in but never got around to because of time, expense etc.

And by the way, I'd Never describe you as an "old" man! "Very Interesting" perhaps, but Never old!:winks: It's a Pleasure to have crossed your path in the timeline!:)

[looking4answers]

:D:D:D:D:D Ditto.. Michael

[maddie]

Good grief - Bill rendered speechless :D Never thought I'd see the day :hugs:

It is really interesting doing your family tree. As Michael found, it's quite surprising what you find. It needn't be expensive, Bill. Many UK census' are free online. It just takes a little initial information then time and patience to trawl through them. There are genealogy sites too where you can ask other members if they have any links to your family. That often brings up fresh leads, and visits to local registry offices and church records are free too.