hello? im new..

[loli1982]

er... hello. im new here.my name is louise and im 26. ive always been quite a anxious person, but its gotten a lot worse the last 4 weeks. had a bit of a bad year, but i thought i was doing quite well, coping with everything.. but apparently not! started having what ive been told are panic attacks, (been to hospital 4 times, lots of tests etc) ive just been put on beta blockers, that arent really having much effect. i cant leave the house because my heart starts racing,i feel dizzy,shaky, chest pains, and i think im about to have a heart attack, ive missed my university interviews, i probably wont finish my college course this year, (way too far behind now)i couldnt finish the orders that i had for xmas, so no cash, i cant drive, my life has just came to a full stop. im pretty much just lying on the couch all day hoping im not about to pop my clogs. i cant seem to calm down at all. on the positive side, i have been able to watch quite a lot of daytime tv! im really glad to have found this website, and i feel a little better, just really glad to know im not alone!

[diane07]

Hi loli1982

We just wanted to welcome you aboard to NMP. We hope you enjoy your stay here and get all the support and advice you need.

Please take some time to read the website articles on the left as well for loads of advice and tips.

[AJS]

Hi Loli1982
I've just replied to you on the " anyone from glasgow" thread.
Just read your introduction.
I'm 27 and have been suffering anxiety and panic attacks for around 12 weeks, it all started with a huge panic attack that came from nowhere and lasted hours - i was out in the street in my pj's and wanted to go to a & E. Went to the docs and got beta blockers as well - they help slow your heart rate down and stop the big panics coming back but they don't seem to take away the constant anxiety.
My doc put me on citralopram just over 2 weeks ago and they have helped me so far (the first few days were not great) but i am starting to feel a wee bit normal again. the citraolpram seem to take away the constant knot in the stomach and i'm still using the beta blockers when i need them.
I've also found that making a few life changes has helped, stopped smoking, no alcohol, relaxation cd, breathing etc. (recommended by a stress counselor that i saw twice)
I only found this website a few weeks ago and i'm finding it great - the people are lovely and everyone offers support and advice - it's really good to hear from people that are in the same boat - i have a lot of good friends and a supportive partner - but nobody really knows what it's like until they have been there - i've got a daughter and believe me childbirth is nowhere near as scary as anxiety and panic attacks!!!
I hope you start feeling better soon - try and take little steps each day. Go back to your doc if you don't improve soon.
Have a lovely christmas.
AJS

[Corinne]

Louise, I went through the same exact thing as you are describing. I was diagnosed with agoraphobia. It was a long time ago, and I recovered. I read all of Claire Weeke's books and they helped me tremendously. Stay strong. You will beat this.

[loli1982]

hi, thanks really hoping to get past this quickly, cant believe its got this bad this quick, 4 weeks ago i was a full time student, drove to glasgow every day, ran my own wee workshop and had things to look forward to. now i freak out when someone walks past the window. i used to have sort of anxiety attacks, where my heart would race, but i could always calm myself down. on the positive side im getting really good at spider solitaire! thanks again for taking the time to reply, and have a good xmas.

[unspoken]

Hi, welcome.

Like you, I was coping fairly well with life despite stress and anxiety till I suddenly stopped being able to cope. It sounds like you've got a lot of things to worry about but for now, treat it like you've got flu or something, give yourself the time to rest and recover without constantly worrying about when you're going to be able to live life at full speed. You will be able to get back into doing more things with time and support but you probably won't be able to dive back into your busy life straight away. For now, concentrate on the here and now and making little steps forward because worrying about the bigger picture will only make you more panicky Your health and wellbeing is most important and remember that. There's lots of supportive people here, you'll be glad you found the site

[magpie girl]

hi loli and i found this site very helpful and the people are great,everyones hear to listen and help with friendly advice.

[Sweetpea6]

Welcome loli! I hope you can find lots of advice here, and make some good friends.

[loli1982]

hello again, feeling slightly better today, actually got off the couch! am sadly proud of myself!! going wandering round the house every hour or so, out to the back door etc. tommorow....bottom of the drive! thanks again for all the messages, im finding this website brilliant, and everyones so nice.

[Deepest Blue]

Hey ya and welcome to NMP.

Take Care.