PLEASE - tell me I won't choke???????

[angieb]

Hi Guys

Close your ears - bXgg!r, b!xlo!cks, C!xp!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have not been on for a few days as have had an amazing weekend...which now feels ruined as I have had a major PA over my tongue[V][V][V][V][V][V].

Got over all sorts of fears at the weekend, been out for Sunday lunch with relatives, had 11 people over for lunch on Monday and yesterday drove on my own (and my two daughters) to Suffolk (hour and a half). Went into town with my mum on market day, went food shopping, and had a good old chin wag with my mum till 12.20am when went to bed very chilled.

Woke up ay 4am with a racing heart (this does not worry me anymore) had a wee then thought i'll do a bit of my tapestry for half an hour and go back to sleep. Well I had to lick the wool to get it through the needle and got a couple of little fibres on my tongue. Then massive anxiety galloped in, I convinced myself that I had some fibres in my throat and than I would choke to death. Bought on a full panic attack, shakes, etc and although I feel a bit better now, my tongue feels huge and like it will swell even more and choke me at any minute. It feels like there are wool fibres all over it and my mouth and tongue feel really itchy.

If anyone is reading and can offer a few words of advice i'd be so very very grateful. I don't want to undo all of the good work achieved over the weekend.

Thanks in advance guys[Sigh...]

[linjane]

Hi Angie,
How are you feeling now? I want to reassure you that you are ok (and if you are reading this, you haven't choked yetLOL!!!) but I want to make sure I word it right for you as I'm as experienced as the others and you have been so nice to me.

The PA you had has happened after a lovely weekend and something my counsellor has said to me, is one nice day won't make up for all the bad ones and make the anxiety go away. Does that make sense? You woke in the early hours of the morning and got up and felt fine, I think we have all been there, then suddenly wham it hits you. I have had the same experiences at different times of the days, when I thought I was find and sometimes the panic just washes over you and you can't get rid of it. Try not to fight it treat it as an unwanted friend that you know can't hurt you, but you have to put up with but don't fear it. Have you tried any forms of relaxation. Maybe if you get up in the night again, go straight back to bed, don't try to do anything else (except go for a wee!!!lol) and either put a relaxation CD on or do some deep breathing exercises in bed. Remember to breathe from in with your belly coming out and when you breathe out your belly should come in.

I really hope I have helped you Angie and if I have said anything wrong, I am sure someone will put me right. Remember if you need to PM at any time please feel free to do so, I have suffered with PA's and anxiety for years so at least I know what you're going through.

Take care of yourself and think positive nice thoughts, ie walking on a beach, don't let the negative ones take over.
Love,
Linda.xxx

[FAN]

hi first off im glad you had such a brilliant weekend
but sorry it all went a bit pear shaped afterwards dont let this get you down its just a blip and i think we get those to remind us not to be over confident lol (well i do).............just forget the bad bit and concentrate on all the good things you achieved over the weekend and im sure you will soon forget you felt so bad

fan x

"dont wait for the light at the end of the tunnel..........stride down there and light the bl**dy thing yourself!

[rachel25]

Hi angie, i am absolutely thrilled to bits about all your achievements and we are all proud of you. Just remember that rome wasn't built in a day and then soon you will be having them less and less often

[angieb]

Thanks all

Feeling a little better but really full of anxiety. Having to distract myself like mad. I have to admit that it is a little self inflicted as I realsied that mum and I got through 2 bottles of vino last night[)]

I am cross as I feel I have gone backwards a bit. My chest is so tight and am still convinced I have wool fibers in my throat. We are supposed to be going out shopping this afternoon and I don't know if I will be able too as feel a heartbeat away from a full on panic attack!

I am such a plank,

[rachel25]

don't put yourself down like that and i understand you being cross with yourself as looking at ourselves is the easiest for blame. Go shopping and think of how better and happy you feel when you walk through your front door afterwards and you have got over another hurdle!!!

Rach xx

[seh1980]

hi Angie,

Well done for doing all those things over the weekend!! We all freak out about 'silly' things sometimes but don't feel that it is just you. The important thing is that you are feeling better and can pick up from where you left off..

Sarah

[mjh74]

Hi Angie,

So sorry to hear about the PA. I'm having a second bad day too (throat) related, this morning has been terrible so far. I do exactly the same thing tongue wise, if I've had something in my mouth that has touched my tongue I then feel like it's all over it and that I'm swallowing what was in my mouth, maybe after using my teeth to open something etc. Part of my throat "thing" is feeling like I want to choke or gag, so the tongue plays a big part and I get sick of feeling like it's too big or I'm about to choke on it. I feel blind to the good days when I feel like this but am telling myself another good one will be just around the corner, the same for you too.

Mark.

[Meg]

Angie - Many congratulations on such a lot of progress recently.

This is not ' going backwards' at all, this is letting one thing -Your thought process surrounding the fibre - get the better of you.

When we learn a new skill - like thinking rationally and mainly positively - or like learning your cross stitch it takes a while to get the hang of all the techniques and sometimes you're more in the mood to do a good job than other times.

It does not mean you've forgotten or have to relearn it all.

Sometimes, it's just too hard at that moment and when you're tired or under the influence or just caught off guard you are more vulnerable.

So - today is another day. Remember all the progress and lovely days you have had recently.

Have a good tooth brush and mouth wash and then rationalize that in reality our bodies have several fabulous self defense mechanisms to stop what you're describing happening such as a cough reflex which kicks in at the back of the mouth not even allowing anything into the vertical throat bit unless it's clear air or voluntarily swallowed stuff like food.

The generic thoat/tongue fear is often subconciously triggered by stories of anaphalactic shock where tongues etc can swell but again the reality is that there are a limited amount of substances that can spark this off and generally you get a lesser reaction the first time you're exposed to the substance and this progresses in severity at each subsequent exposure.

As adults we have all been exposed to those substances by now so will already know whether there are any active sensitivities.


Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[angieb]

Thank you all so very much, Linda your words were perfect hunny thank you. The support I get here is amazing and is so helpful in getting me through this.

You will all be pleased to hear that I have got over myself and although still feeling throaty and itchy mouthed I did manage to get out with my mum and girls to the supermarket and to the warehouse shop. We also went for a little drive[^] I was anxious at times and had to distract myself but I did it.

Just about to have a cup of tea then going to walk the girls down to the park about 5 mins from my mums house - believe me this for me today is no mean feat but I am OK.

Lesson learnt about the booze, just a couple of glasses tonight [:O]

Onwards and upwards eh team!!!!!!