some help please with my anxiety!!!!!!!!

[dannyb193]

hello i have been suffering from anxiety attacks/panic attacks. i have suffered on my own for about 8 months as i have been to scared an nerves to talk to any one bout my problems. but i just cant live like this any more. some thing that started from one attack has now taken over my life... :weep: so i plucked up the confidence to go and see the doctor to day very proud of myself as i haven't been in a public place with lots of people for a long long time i couldn't sleep last night cause i new i was going to the doctors today! so i see the doctor...... done a blood test and put me on 6 months of tablets (citalopram) (10mg) and he also told me to go on this website :) these are my symptoms so hope fully some one can share stories and advise/help.
*my brain over thinks every situation which starts of paranoia, thoughts start bouncing round my head. when i have to do something i get butterflies in my belly and it goes tight makes me feel sick my heart starts racing fast get dizzy and short breathed.. normally the result of this i freeze on the spot and have to escape the situation :weep: this is ruining my life i wont go in shops anymore get my hair cut go hospital to see my nan see my family etc... i am hope ing this medication is going to make me normal again i have lost all my mates because how unsocial i become and now scared and nerves to talk to them. im on my own 24/7 in my room alone on my playstation the only thing i am confident on. i got to overcome this cant live like this no more!!

[Anxious_gal]

welcome, stay on here long enough and you'll see this is all NORMAL when you have anxiety, there is always someone here who will be able to relate to you.
I hate to burst your bubble but medication on it's own won't cure the anxiety.
BUT therapy can, CBT therapy and learning about anxiety and panic and your half way there with recognizing that you do get paranoid , a lot of what happened is you start to imagine the worst! then you fear the worst.
check out this long book list http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8017
then this CBT course which some of us personally found helpful
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91696
don't ever feel like your alone, you can come here ask the most riducloius question ever and get lovely replies, I my self have gotten lots of help and support here.

heres a list of the common anxiety symptoms too http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61477&highlight=list+anxiety+symptoms

[Tyke]

Hi Danny

As Mishel says. the medication isn't a cure, but it can give you a bit of a helping hand to improve your situation. It can take a few weeks to take effect and the side effects initially can be unpleasant, but stick with it if you can. Gradually face the things you are unable to do at the moment, but start with the easiest one and keep going. You may find this easier to start something like this when the medication takes effect, but if you can start on it now all the better. Maybe you could start off just visiting a local shop or even just looking in a shop window and extending it each day, or maybe visiting a member of the family who is sympathetic and will support what you are trying to do.

The key to recovery in the end is being able to accept the feelings of fear you have, but learn not be afraid of them. This takes the power out of the anxiety and you then start to find the symptoms reduce. I have always found books by Claire Weekes to be particularly good in helping achieve this. Rather than think 'oh no, I can feel my anxiety is getting worse, I will have to go' think 'I can feel this anxiety, but it won't harm me and I am going to continue what I am doing regardless'.

This can be beaten, but it does take time. Best of luck with it Danny.

Tyke

[kelly31]

danny this might sound heartless and thought that wen someone said it to me they were so right but u need to stop been scared and help yourself no one can make u better but ya self ive been tere and still suffer anxiety agrophobia at times but im fightin it and at times i do feel like givin up but u only get one life and i want to live mine im sick of feelin like a nutter lol so now i force my self to go for a walk no matter how i feel just go round block then abit further each day u will start feelin calmer each time at first u will feel terrified cos i was but once u do it u will feel great honest i no at moment u feel isolated like no one understands how u feel but believe i do u can say i been there bought t.shirt and am now beating it i still have bad times but wat i do i force my self to carry on wats worse that can hapen if u have a panic attack it cant kill u it feels to u as if it can but it cant just count to 20 wen u feel u gunna have one and say if u goin to come on do so then by time u counted to 20 if its not come on cos it wnt cos u showin u dnt care then do wat u want to do it sounds daft but it works honestly i no it sounds scary to ask the thing u scared of to hapen but believe me once u show u dnt care it wnt cos its mind over matter good luck x