Freaking out

[Portland]

Hello all. I am a 23 year old male and my life changed after I had a panic attack out of nowhere February of this year. I was given Xanax initally which helped a lot but it is not meant for the long term I know. I was then put on Paxil which initally was the worst anxiety I've ever experienced in my life. It did make me feel better once I got used to it though.

In April I started treatment at a place called the Psycological Services Center. It has been hard but has helped out a lot for the most part. As part of this I got off all medication and tried to get used to any physical sensations that were causing me anxiety. That has been the hardest part. Like many of you here I am extremely hypervigilant and tend to diagnose myself with something and freak out when I have any unusual or alarming sensations, which just furthers my anxiety. I have been trying to change my thought process and cut down on my negative thinking and catastrophizing. All in all I have gradually been getting better.

Today has been a bad day for me though. For some reason when I was vacuming my apartment I started feeling confusion or delirium. It is really hard to describe what it is. I have felt it before when i was younger and was sick with a fever, and also once when I was smoking a cigarette a few years ago, and also when I stopped my paxil a few months ago. It comes on all of a sudden. It was like the loud noise of the vacumn triggered it too. It is not like I am hearing voices, but my mind just kind of goes crazy for a few minutes. It could be I was dehydrated or something, i don't know. But then I started googling symptoms again (something I need to stop doing) and decided it was delirium. I have never been to medical school, but somehow I was able to diagnose myself with this. ;) This is something that can be a sign of severe mental or physical illness. Ever since then today I have had extreme anxiety and was pretty close to having a full blown panic attack. I was able to control my breathing and prevent that but I have had extremely frequent urination like I would have if I had a panic attack. Anyway, sorry this is so long, but has anybody experienced what I did earlier today? I know anxiety was not the cause but it sure caused me to be anxious. All I want to do is go get a CT scan now but I should probably calm myself down and resist seeing a doctor again. Any thoughts?

matt

[Kayla-Annie222]

HI,

Seeing your doctor and telling him about your symptoms is the best, DON'T google, it makes things worse. Plus, not everything on the net is accurate. I used to put a whole bunch of junk in my head from what I read on occasion of worry, and trust me, it's not the way to go:)

I'm sure you're just fine, anxiety can bring upon states of delirium, but I'm sure you're not delirious - still, if a CT scan will help relax your mind, do it. I got every kind of test done, and I still didn't feel better until i was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. I have been on Cipralex for a little over a month, and feel so much better, it's done wonders.

Hope this helps, let me know.

[imported_admin]

Hi Portland, Kayla is 100% correct...do not google symptoms. It will only make things worse. Google has given me so many panic attacks in the past that I should sue them! :P

Unless your doctor says otherwise, I wouldnt even bother with a CT. I did the exact same thing...got a CT...then diagnosed myself with something new. It is an endless cycle. Keep going to your Psycologist, and also give meds a try. Many people try meds (like myself) for a week or 2 max...then decide they don't work. It took a month or two for me to feel the benefits of lexapro.

Take care
Admin

[Kjm_x]

I also get "delirious" feelings and was freaking out.
is it true that anxiety can make you feel like this?

[Belle]

Yes, this is a symptom of anxiety and ofcourse your anxiety symptoms that followed were part of your fight/flight response.
I think if it was a serious medical issue or true delirium, it would be constant, by your description it was a passing sensation that you quickly recovered from. I really wouldn't bother with the doctor and I would only go if it was constantly happening.