Hi people I'm 28 yrs old and have been suffering from anxiety/panic attacks since 2007.
I've always been a nervous person, even when I was like 8 years old I used to be scared stiff of standing up in front of my class mates to talk on my own, from what I remember the other kids took things more in their stride and would laugh at me. I was always far more worried about life even back then.
But anyway my real anxiety seems to have been triggered by a nuisance neighbour who harassed me for 6 years. He moved in above me in early 2005 then first of all decided to take my front gate off! and he said to the council he unscrewed it because he was "repairing it" for me. there was nothing wrong with it.
Basically after I reported him that was it! he never left me alone - not for one day......he would bang on the floor at all hours so loud it would wake me up, stomping, solar lights in my garden got smashed and pulled out the ground, plants that I planted got poisoned and died, my bins moved down the road so I had to go and find them. His family members slamming doors on purpose when visiting his place and them throwing litter in my garden, one of them cut my TV aerial as well while I was out.
I also had cars blocking my front gate and they've even found me on the internet and stalked me on here. Luckily I didn't drive at the time or otherwise they may have done something to the car.
These people seemed to know every trick in the book.
I'm not some tiny guy either but these people seemed really unstable in the head and are not scared of anyone it would seem, they would be cool as a cucumber when the police came. Anyway after all the years of harassment and the police/council not doing anything I had to move for the sake of my sanity.
The first anxiety problems I had was in early 2007 and was a shortness of breath and palpatations, dizziness, light headedness and really bad muscle pain in my back after the anxiety has subsided (I guess this is from tensing up?) when I got near to home after work I was thinking what am I coming home to? more broken solar lights?? plants pulled out the ground?? Then came insomnia in 2010 and worrying about the banging on the floor from the neighbour at night and the other issues that may face me the next day.
Sometimes I would suddenly wake up after about an hour of sleeping in a panic not bring able to breath, so I'd quickly jump out of bed and opened windows to get air, my legs felt like jelly too and my heart was racing. This waking up suddenly has carried on right up until last month even though I have now moved, interestingly it was never more than an hour into sleep, I never suddenly woke up during deep sleep unless the neighbour banged on the floor.
I have had an ECG check last month a day after suddenly waking up and they said my heart is fine, and also my "oxygen" is fine - I guess this was checking for asthma? The doctor asked if I was highly stressed, so I explained the past situations and he agreed that it's had a lasting effect on me. So my diagnosis was "Panic attacks"
I had to quit work because of all this. Personally I blame not just my neighbour and his family but also the local authorities for not doing enough to tackle anti social behaviour, as I have now had my health deteriorate because of it. It could have been different.
I have lived at this new address since late 2011 now but I still don't feel 100% recovered after the 6 years of harassment. It seems to have taken a big toll on me, sometimes I just find myself starring out the window sometimes like someone lost. I am on Propranolol 30mg per day which does seem to ease the anxiety symptoms but they always come back, I just want to feel normal and happy again like I was 7 years ago and not feel the need for any medication.
Will I ever feel better for the long term?? anyway thanks for reading I feel a bit better for getting this off my chest.
Gary.
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