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Brownie
22-03-04, 00:07
Hi all,
I just wanted to write this to let my feelings out a bit. Panic and anxiety disorders are something that millions of people suffer from, But yet why isnt it more talked about why are there not many doctors or therapists that just specialize in just anxiety and panic disorders. Im sure there are probly some doctors and therapist that do just specifically work with panic and anxiety and I dont know if there are a lot of these specialist in the UK but not here in the US. But I feel that how can these people help you if they havent been through it themselves? Because I get more help from this site then i have ever gotten from any therapist....and I have seen quite a few therapists. I just think that this illness that we all share is very serious, some of us cant live or function properly day to day or even go out of there homes. I know that there are millions of other people that have life threating illnessess and things And I know we are all thankful that we do not have those illnesses. But we suffer and we go through hell with all the things we have to go through day to day. And I really think that panic and anxiety disorders should be made out more to be more of a serious illness then it is made out to be. I know that we all do not need to go to doctors and therapist for our disorders....we can help ourselves. Especially by having this site because this site has helped me more then i could ever say and I know it has helped everyone on the site., Because this site is our therapy . We get to talk to eachother freely about what we go through because we all go through the same things. And I just feel like the only therapist or doctors that I could ever go to would have to be one thats has gone through the struggles of our disorders. I just figured i would get that off my chest because i think it is a pity that what we go through is not as well known as other illnesses and that botheres me.
I am also thinking about becoming a therapist speciallizing in only panic disorderes but Im not too sure about it yet lol.
well thats it i guess lol;)
-Christie[:I]
PS
Thanks to Nicola for making this site.......I dont know if she knows how big of a help she has been to everyone here. thanks Nic:)

kate
22-03-04, 09:29
Hiya Christie,

I agree with you 100%.

Go the the doctors with a sore throat or a stomach upset and they can help you.

Go with an anxiety disorder, and from my experiences, they are totally stumped.

What a relief it would be if all doctors and therapists had gone through what we had and truly understood the crazy thought patterns and the oh so real physical symptoms.

Only people who have suffered truly know what it is like.

They may have the relevant letters after their names but it still does not help them to totally "get it".

This has been a problem for a lot of people for a long, long time.

We feel so low anyway and then feel that we are wasting the doctors time and can't often express ourselves as fully as we would wish.

I would also like to thank Nic for this site. I have looked round at several and none of them even come near to the fantastic standards of this one.

Nic has also been a good friend to me, talking to me on MSN even when I've been moody and feeling crap.

So, THANKS Nic!!

Anyway, Christie, keep smiling matey!!

Kate x

stimpy
22-03-04, 10:26
I think a lot of people are too embarrased to visit a doctor.
Most people only find out they have panic disorder when they are taken to hospital suffering from a "heart attack".

I mean who can blame us!
One minute we are relaxing on the sofa and the next we can't breathe and we start running around like headless chickens screaming for help, and we have no idea why.
It just isn't normal, The doctor is going to think we are a nut job and send us for a nice rest in shady pines rest home.

But the truth is, it just isn't the case.
Suffering with panic disorder is not certifable, it just means that we have over exaggerated symptoms of stress.
It is a shame that many people don't realise this.

I have to agree 100%, how can people help and understand us, if they have never been where we are now?

I've been quite lucky really. I have a wonderful doctor, who has been understanding and helpful. I have a CPN who is great. And I have a CBT Starworker, who has been where I am now and understands just how we feel, as she feels it too.

I have to admit Nic's site has been a great comfort to me and my husband too. I think it is resuring to know that you aren't going mad, and you aren't the only person suffering.
The best thing about it, is when you start to feel well you can give other people support and pearls of wisdom.

Thanks Nic !

Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx

[:p] Panic Monster & Scatty Eccentric

Laurie28
22-03-04, 13:10
It is a shame that we don't get diagnosed earlier. CBT therapists have however been trained to help us and while it would be ideal that they had all 'gone through' what we have it is not realistic (just like not all drugs and alcohol counsellors are ex addicts etc)

i just wanted to echo what you guys said (and i have said it before) that this site is brilliant and it's thanks to Nic putting her experinces of panic/anxiety to good use that we can help one another. I would however strongly suggest anyone with panic/anxiety visit their GP as they CAN help (i know a few of us have had bad experiences but there are some doctors who do TRY to understand and listen)

lucky

diana
22-03-04, 16:22
Hi All,

I agree totally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! with everyone`s post on this topic.

This site has been a blessing for me :).

I am so glad to have stumbled upon this site whilst researching the anxiety/panic monster support groups on line. This is the one that stuck, and the only one I stayed with :).

Everyone here has helped me so much not only with my anxiety/panic, but also on personal issues as well.

Nic I also want to take time out to THANK you!!!!! a million times over for this site.

It just confirms what a lovely, unselfish human being you are :).

Let`s all keep fighting the good fight :-D. At least we all have each other ey?

Brownie.......... It would be quite reassuring if in fact the docs and therapists actually have suffered as we have, but like you say very unrealistic.

Hey!!!!!!!!!! but good on you for considering becoming a therapist that specializes in anxiety/panic :).

Let us know how you get on with that.

Take care all,

Love Diana xxxxx

nomorepanic
22-03-04, 23:48
All - thanks for the kind words. :D:)

I really don't deserve all the praise for this - what would it be without all you guys to help out and post replies - I could never cope alone. Meg has been a big help to me both on this site and for me personally so I want to thank her too. I don't deserve all the praise but I will tell you why I did it....

I wrote this site cos I was so alone with my panic and so frustrated with doctors etc. None of my friends suffered and no-one understood - how can they when they never had a panic attack in their life. I decided that there must be people that can help me and we can swap ideas and coping techniques.

In November 2001 the site first went on to the WWW. I had been writing it for sometime. It started off as notes and thoughts and coping techniques and then the symptoms. I wrote about things I tried like Hypnotherapy and Reiki and just carried on writing.

I had my email address on the main web page and it said in big letter - EMAIL ME ABOUT PANIC ETC [:p]

I got a chat room (still going now) and sat in there every night alone, waiting for someone to come in.

Then one day I got an email saying "help I suffer from panic". I was delighted! I replied and we exchanged many more emails.

Then one night Su came into the chat room. You will know her on here as Sunomates. So me and Su sat in the chat room every night alone. :(

Anyway, to cut a long story short, things got out of hand - I was receiving 5-10 emails a day from sufferers and it was taking so much time to reply. A few more joined the chat room and I felt that things were on the up but getting too big for me.

In February 2003 I set up this message forum in the hope that people would come here and post messages and others would reply relieving me of some of the emails I was receiving. The message forum was online from about April onwards. I started directing people here to give me some time off replying and as they say the rest is history....

Sarah was one of the first of the current gang on people to join on 19th April 2003 and Matt joined on 26th April. Radar joined in June 2003 after she emailed me her questionnaire and asked me if I could help her - which I did. Kate came along in July, Charlie in September, Diana, Lucky and Emily in October, Sadie in November and so on. Even Liz's hubbie came on in Sept 2003 and now she posts herself [:I]

So you can see that it just took off from there and it is what it is today.

I am very proud to be part of this forum and have such wonderful caring people on here that take so much time to reply to others and offer all the support they can.

I never imagined things would get this big and I would be here surrounded by so many friends. All of you have helped me so much too cos I get advice and tips off you all - so thanks to everyone that posts on here and especially the regulars. :D

Ok I will stop rambling now - lol.

I will always be here for you all and I will continue to develop the website and add more and more info as I can.

Thanks to everyone that has kept the site going and made it what it is.

Wishing you all good health [^]


Nicola

Meg
23-03-04, 00:14
The reason I love this site so much and I looked around at a few for a couple of months is that as well as understanding and compassion there is a glow of progression. We all have some bad days but overall there is movement and the energy of working through issues and sharing things that haven't seen the light of day for years and so on.

When I first joined I was wanting somewhere that I could post and help and coach people to move onwards in their recovery as I was through it and am now fine.

I did not want somewhere where the common denominator was simply a communal daily whinge.

Nic is a brilliant hostess as she has a patient, welcoming manner to the site. It manages and grows itself and there is no redtape. If there is a problem a couple of emails whizz round the mods and a decesion is reached.

One site I went to all your spelling mistakes got corrected . Another was supposedly for panic but was in essence taken over by 2 extreme religious girls and so forth.

Its also grown into the community that is referred to above to the point where members can contribute to the homepages.

Everyones opinion is valued and we have respect for each other too.
As Nic says, it's really time consuming to get loads of emails and whilst people do email direct and I do do daily personal emails to get people over a difficult period , there is always someone keeping an eye out for those in the most need.

I love seeing new people appear in distress and settle down within a short period of time and learn how to manage themselves and indeed help others.

Thank you all for your contributions.

Thanks Nic for making it happen.




Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

nomorepanic
23-03-04, 00:47
Meg

Thanks for the kind words and your support.

I know that you love a challenge and rise to it every time - always there to help. I hope that you aren't getting too many emails from here that are taking over your own time for you! Thank you for replying to them anyway.

All - I am always happy to add any contributions to the website and of course I will always accredit them to you and not take them as my own!! The site works with different opinions - it is not just my web site - it is yours to add to so you are all welcome to contribute, even if it is just a simple coping technique that I can add.

No-one is paid to be here or write anything for the site and the only income comes from the "Reading" page when I recommend a book (that helps pay for the chat room and web hosting fees. It is very little to be honest but it all helps). Please don't offer me money at this point - I was not hinting or anything!

I am not out to make money from the site so I really appreciate people that take time to write articles for it.

As for the member situation - I emailed all those that joined in 2003 and never posted and emailed all those that posted but have not been back this year. So please welcome back old members that haven't been here for a while. I have removed a few members that said they didn't want to come back so the numbers may go up and down for a while.

Overall I think we have a solid Message forum going here and I will do my best to keep it moving forward.

xx

Nicola

diana
23-03-04, 16:56
Thank you Nic and Meg,

You are both so sweet and caring, and this is the best site there is going.

So let`s keep it going :). This site has been my safe place, my family, my friends and my therapy for these past 5 months or so I have been on here.

I have not had so much help, support and advice that has actually "worked" so well as what I have gained here.

So again Nic and Meg thank you for all of your time and special attention you both have given each one of us.

Take care,

Love,

Diana xoxoxo [:X]