A long term solution to my anxiety

[phil06]

I suffered a very bad week of anxiety which lead me being rushed off to the doctor and they checked me over heart, pulse, blood pressure was fine. They gave me Diazepam which has worked wonders never felt so relaxed and happy in months.

Obviously that's only a short term thing. I was on Propranolol for a few years but that only helped a fast heart beat and tight throat. I have another driving test resit coming up and I have to push for a job so I will be under pressure and stress brought this on.

So what's my options..more tablets? Therapy? maybe it will just ease up? I don't want to suffer how I did a few days back..maybe somebody can relate but my heart was absolutely thumping fast, I felt really awful, I was shaking and thought something awful was wrong scared my parents. It reminded me much of my first panic in the cinema where I drank cola and that made my heart beat so fast I had to run and get help and went to hospital and that was anxiety.

Physical symptoms has been a big one for me in the last few months..I was so stressed a week ago I could not go out due to anxiety, felt so weird, it's awful..don't wanna go there. But I have felt great on these tablets, out, enjoying life, fresh air but only have a few more days left of them.

Just need reassurance it was anxiety? I think it was a severe attack...it was beyond relaxation I needed a medication calmer. Such a horrible feeling when I got that worked up... where do I go from here...to enjoy life again like I have in the past few days would be great...still feeling a little tired at times but all in all...JUST anxiety right? :shrug:

[jothenurse]

Just anxiety. I have been in the ER a few times with a pulse in the 150-160 range - all from panic attack. And yes, very scary. I am on a small amount of beta-blocker for the fast pulse. But I am not also taking Ativan, just a small amount to help me keep my anxiety down. I did not do well with the SSRI's (anti-depressant for panic/anxiety), but I know some people do. I had anxiety 30 years ago with agoraphobic/panic and used Serax which is also like the ativan and diazepam. They are addicting, but you can taper off of them.

[phil06]

Tablets have worked good so I know it must be anxiety..that's me almost finished a week on them...

So I now have to see how I am..hoping those awful symptoms of stress don't return ot I may see if the doc will give me propranolol. Sometimes it's not easy to get exercise and stuff...atleast the beta blockers stop my heart going like it did last week when the stress got so bad.

I'm really trying hard for a job now hope than keep me busy.

[phil06]

That's me off Diazepam now..just a little anxiety from the last week creeping up..

Hope I'm ok..still worried I'll go crazy..I felt normal on these tablets as they relaxed me

Does that confirm it's anxiety?

If so..it's managing it as I'm still under stress... :unsure:

[Louise2009]

Hiya,

You are not going crazy - I also feared I was going crazy, but it's just the anxiety which makes you feel like that. I promise it will go.

x

[Vanilla Sky]

I think it does confirm that it is anxiety. We do find it hard to believe though , don't we , but the fact that you are calm and happy after you take diazepam is proof.
Also , I think your first panic attack was not caused by drinking cola , you just happened to be drinking cola at the time , it could easily have been a cup of tea , do you see what i mean, you would have had the panic attack anyway.
Put that first one out of your mind and remember that a panic attack will never kill you and it does pass, as it has been proved to you already. Your ok , nothing happened , your body was just reacting to the fight or flight that your panic set of , thats all .
Maybe you should discuss it with your doctor about another med you can take ,propranlol just maybe didnt suit you but there are plenty more you can try, the next one may be it
Good luck :)

[phil06]

I think it does confirm that it is anxiety. We do find it hard to believe though , don't we , but the fact that you are calm and happy after you take diazepam is proof.
Also , I think your first panic attack was not caused by drinking cola , you just happened to be drinking cola at the time , it could easily have been a cup of tea , do you see what i mean, you would have had the panic attack anyway.
Put that first one out of your mind and remember that a panic attack will never kill you and it does pass, as it has been proved to you already. Your ok , nothing happened , your body was just reacting to the fight or flight that your panic set of , thats all .
Maybe you should discuss it with your doctor about another med you can take ,propranlol just maybe didnt suit you but there are plenty more you can try, the next one may be it
Good luck :)

I'm just back this strange, why do I exist stuff..I think anxiety and the feeling comes on depersonalization I think?

Little is relaxing me at the moment, just sitting planning where to go in life. Nothing is going my way so my brain feels in melt down. I just feel depressed, pressure, stress...it's been mild but as I post it's getting worse..

I duno do I need tablets, counselling, just talking? This is the longest spell where I've not had a girlfriend, job, much to do all day..worse than previous times...I use dating sites each week..and my confidence gets knocked, same with jobs got turned away from one yesterday.

I felt better on the tablets. :shrug: I can't cope with life not going my way and when I was just getting along I was stressed in a bad job..feel I'm having a break down or going mad. :wacko:

[Going home]

I sometimes think that with us anxiety sufferers, we aim to eliminate anxiety completely...zap it out of our lives altogether. But really everybody has to feel anxious sometimes, we can't get rid of it completely, nobody can...our nervous systems will go on releasing adrenaline in reaction to life and all that comes with it...unless we drug it to high heaven just to avoid the feelings. We maybe need to stop trying to find ways of not feeling ANY anxiety because thats just not natural surely?

Anna xx