just had the worst chtistmas ever.

[steve71]

Hi. I have recently been diagnosed as suffering from anxiety and panic attacks and was during a sleepless night last night that I stumbled upon this website as my "numb cheek" was the focus of my thoughts and the fire behind what I knew would be another attack.
I prolapsed a disc on my back in august last year and was after an mri that it was seen how bad it was. This then gave me strange feeling in my leg asthe sciatic nerve had been crushed for so long. Then my wife went in for an operation where in the recovery room I conveniently had my first mild attack which really was good timing. Plagued me for weeks after that I wasn't there for her. Then the week before Christmas my father ends up in kings hospital having brain surgery on a condition called trigemeral neuralgia. Which is a condition which involves the nerve in your fact ring on pain constantly. To top it all during this mad Christmas I am changing jobs where my old employer has made it clear they are not impressed and have made my leaving unpleasant. So I then end up Christmas feeling out of body, feeling the numbness in my face as some pending doom. This then spreads across my head and on boxing day I end up in a@e where i'm given a leaflet on hyper ventilating. This is followed by another a@e event an ecg, blood test and another a@e where a male nurse who had experienced this condition and phoned my surgery and made my surgery book me an appointment for counselling and here I am now. Two sessions in I am starting to come to terms with my condition but still have difficulties at night and trying to shut my brain off at night. Hence last night and finding this site and the help I've gleaned from it in one night! Thank you. Cbt has been started but i'm still focussing on the conditions too much but i have been told this should ease and possibly soon as I was
diagnosed by that fabulous nurse in a@e so soon and guided in the right direction.

[nomorepanic]

Hi steve71

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.

[Groundhog]

Hi Steve and welcome.
Your story rings bells with me, our background somewhat similar.
My anxiety first became noticeable with sensitive patches on my scalp leading on to numbness in my cheek all at Christmas a couple of years back. At first it was assumed, probably quite rightly, that I had a viral infection but fast forward a couple months and the emergence of other symptoms I was diagnosed with anxiety. After a bit of detective work I realised the first signs were there a few months previous soon after my daughter had been given the all clear after being quite ill for 18months in and out of hospital.
All I can say is the biggest hurdle I think is accepting the condition and mindfully setting about challenging it. This does take time and there will be dark periods but with the right mind set it can be done. Therapy is brilliant it was the one single thing that helped me the most as I have resisted taking meds, that said I do have some valium in the cupboard and over the past couple of years I have succumbed to a couple when things got really bad.

[steve71]

Thanks. Plus I now see how much I've written and missed out all the symptoms I feel! Apart from the numbness, twitching, and fear of the upcoming neural appt I've got because I may have cubital tunnel, which is like carpal tunnel just the nerve is in the elbow not the wrist. A minor thing but in my head is obviously Parkinsons and the numbness is a stroke and so the cycle goes on and on and on. I've even managed to reduce tje numbness by using cbt techniques but still I can't believe it's me. The symptoms are real. Written b4 reading groundhog.

[steve71]

I never realised how common this was. I've always been the life and soul so to speak and now my wife missus the man she married even though it's really only been severe for 2 months now. How do I get her to understand how I feel if even I have trouble saying?

[buster_uk1967]

Hi Steve, Welcome to the site I am new too. Are you sure your wife feels this way or do you think she is feeling this way?

[margaret jones]

Welcome to NMP you will find lots of good advice and also make friends here x

[steve71]

Probably think more than know. I'm not the man she married at the moment and feel inadequate. And I hear myself and I sound like a constant whine at the moment, analyzing myself out loud so I don't freak out.

Thoughtfully

Steve

[ditzygirl]

Steve

You have had an awful lot to deal with who can blame you for being anxious after all that.
Anxiety and Depression are real, horrid for the sufferer and difficult to understand if you have never suffered.

But you can and will get better -it takes time.

Your wife is probably at a loss to - knowing how to help you best, and you have both endured so much of late.

There is so much support on this site that you will soon realise that you are not alone and just how common anxiety is. Why don't you share some of the stuff on here with her - the more she understands the easier it will be to get through this together.

Good luck and looking forward to getting to know youx

[buster_uk1967]

Steve

You have had an awful lot to deal with who can blame you for being anxious after all that.
Anxiety and Depression are real, horrid for the sufferer and difficult to understand if you have never suffered.

But you can and will get better -it takes time.

Your wife is probably at a loss to - knowing how to help you best, and you have both endured so much of late.

There is so much support on this site that you will soon realise that you are not alone and just how common anxiety is. Why don't you share some of the stuff on here with her - the more she understands the easier it will be to get through this together.

Good luck and looking forward to getting to know youx

That is what I ment to say but somehow could not find the right words.