6 Months of EXTREME Anxiety Hell

[Razz]

I have had anxiety for many years and it usually is just miserable but I can function quite well. Twice now I have gone into a complete breakdown where I can't work, socialize of even function at all. Extreme agitation, almost no sleep and about 100 other symptoms. 5 months last time and now at 6 months and no relief in sight.

I was on benzos a few years backand became extremely paradoxical to them and had to quit. Went through a long hideous withdrawal. Tried all the SSRi's and other psyche meds and all had horrible side effects so medication is out.

Question: does anyone else go into these complete breakdowns. My doctors say that they will eventually burn out.

Raz

[TerryG]

The problem with anxiety is it can be so debilitating. I understand your plight and feel for you when you breakdown.

Besides medications have you explored alternatives, such as lifestyle changes, conditioning techniques and failsafe triggers. The breakdowns are terrible and when it gets to the stage where life cannot be lived to its fullest it does become a problem.

The doctors say it will burn out, probably but it takes quite some time. Maybe its time to take hold of anxiety and start to manage it so the breakdowns don't occur. Good luck.

[Razz]

What are fail-safe triggers and conditioing. I do yoga, deep breathing, cognitive changes and exercise diet.

Seem like once my brain gets this aroused nothing shuts it down.

Razzle

[TerryG]

By suffering such a disorder the sufferer well knows the onset of an episode or what is likely to trigger an episode.

Having fail safe triggers would include identifying what causes the episode to occur. Once identified you can then put in place one of your strategies to lessen the onset. Such as yoga, exercise, deep breathing or tightening.

Tightening is a good technique where you sit quietly and tense different muscle groups. For instance when a speaker is about to go on stage he would tensen his stomach muscles to relieve the butterflies and nervous energy building up in the abdomen.

Conditioning is simply when entering a situation that is awkward such as a shopping centre, just take small steps. These steps might include going to the car park day after day. Then park the car and get out, day after day. Then walk to the entrance of the shops day after day. This is conditioning where you gradually build up to enter the shopping centre.

Its an old trick. People suffering phobias such as spiders do this gradually taking steps to the point of allowing a spider on their hands. By that time it is not so traumatic as they have slowly built up.