If I could I WOULD

[JoniEdwards]

Im posting here today just to get some thoughts from fellow sufferers...a bit of a background first...I've had panic attacks and anxiety since i was 6 years old I've learned to live with it. This past year though has been very very hard, since the swine flu scare last year....since then every symptoms I have is the worst case scenario, I can't breath I'm dying, my heart jumped, I'm having a heart attack, my stomach hurts, I have cancer, I see flashes of lights in my eyes and I'm dizzy, I have a brain tumor..I never use to be like this...It's gotten so bad that I can't go outside to a mall which I love, because I think I'm going to die when we go out and I get dizzy and scared, I also am scared to eat because I think I've become allergic to food. I want to look forward to things again...and just be normal and happy..

My issue is, ppl tell me, "you're fine just get over it, its easy."
Do you think if I could just "get over it" I WOULD!! $#%^&@ Do you think I WANT to live this way?!?!? I wish for one day they could live my life and experience the fear I go thru everyday, and then see if they would still tell me to simply get over it....

Does anyone else run into ppl trivializing their fears and symptoms? simply because they think you are making it up or that you should just get over it? How do you react to that?

[bmccartney]

We run in to people that are just not going to "get it". That includes me in the past. My sister in law suffers terrible anxiety for many years . I often thought she should just get the hell going and stop whining. Now it is my turn... terrible anxiety for the 1st time in my life since June. Feel horrific day after day. I have apologized ( in tears) to my sister in law and asked her to forgive me. I had NO IDEA what she was going thru... now i get it unfortunetely. I think you have to live it 1st hand to ever be able to understand this sufferring. That is why we all come to this forum... people understand us here. My issue is I rarely tell anyone that i feel this horrible dreaded anxiety.. i feel very embarrassed for some reason. The majority of my friends do not know. I have 5 adult daughters... and i have not told them a thing. I am afraid they will see me as a different mother or something .. not sure really. I think there would be added stress to tell people especially if they cannot support me or worse..tell me to get moving and get on with it. Just noticed you are Canadian! Not many of us here!

[JoniEdwards]

I know its stressful on my husband, he just wants his fun girl back who could go for a random drive to nowhere with him and spends hours at the park and going for walks...I'm sure hes fed up with it, and i feel horrible for putting him thru it as well..He does his best to understand, but he can let things roll off his back, and doesn't know why I shouldn't just be able too.

Im sorry you are now going thru it too, its a horrible horrible thing to deal with, but the support of your loved ones will help...they can be a "safe" place, talk to them if you can and let them know how you are feeling. You have raised and supported your 5 daughters, now its your turn to lean on them and they can give Mom the helping hand she needs to get thru it.

Yay for fellow Canadians!!