Hello

[Vanessa27]

Hi,

I'm new here but I am struggling severely tonight with my anxiety and I don't have anyone I can speak to about it at the moment :(

The background to my 'relationship' with anxiety goes back some time. Growing up I used to have occasional panic attacks but nothing too bad. Six years ago I had an accident and an anxiety disorder ensued. It got bad - I developed agoraphobia and remained in my house for 6 months straight. On begging my doctor to give me something so I could meet my partner she prescribed valium and insisted I went back to her. I started citalopram and it helped me a lot.

Fast forward to 2008 - I had my daughter and was unable to find out if citalopram was safe while breastfeeding so I stopped the medication. Seemed to be ok, although was under the care of my doctor and midwife more carefully than most new mums here.

I could go on but it's worse again. I've been prescribed citalopram again but am reluctant to start it because I am getting married in a few weeks and don't want to be in the initial stages of adjustment on the day.

I'm so tired of it. Counselling/therapy hasn't helped.

I feel lonely, scared, trapped. Terrified that my daughter will develop this, guilt that she has a mother who isn't 'normal'

[ThePhoenix]

Hi,

I'm new here but I am struggling severely tonight with my anxiety and I don't have anyone I can speak to about it at the moment :(

The background to my 'relationship' with anxiety goes back some time. Growing up I used to have occasional panic attacks but nothing too bad. Six years ago I had an accident and an anxiety disorder ensued. It got bad - I developed agoraphobia and remained in my house for 6 months straight. On begging my doctor to give me something so I could meet my partner she prescribed valium and insisted I went back to her. I started citalopram and it helped me a lot.

Fast forward to 2008 - I had my daughter and was unable to find out if citalopram was safe while breastfeeding so I stopped the medication. Seemed to be ok, although was under the care of my doctor and midwife more carefully than most new mums here.

I could go on but it's worse again. I've been prescribed citalopram again but am reluctant to start it because I am getting married in a few weeks and don't want to be in the initial stages of adjustment on the day.

I'm so tired of it. Counselling/therapy hasn't helped.

I feel lonely, scared, trapped. Terrified that my daughter will develop this, guilt that she has a mother who isn't 'normal'

Hi Vanessa, sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment, its not a nice feeling at all is it. I cant really help you in terms of the adjustment with the meds because I am not really familiar with it but it could be something worth discussing with your doctor, especially if your anxiety is going to impact on your enjoyment of your wedding day.

Try not to worry about your daughter developing it, anxiety has a number of triggers and kids are resilient so dont worry about her! Just focus on controlling your own anxiety responses, the rest will take care of itself.

[palow]

I would like to recommend that you try one of the online anxiety treatment programmes like Panic Away and Linden Method.

There will be people writing in soon to protest this, I think, because people on this forum generally don't like internet marketers like me hawking their products. But I started selling them only after I was cured of my GAD with the Linden Method. Linden might be better for you because you are on benzos and Charles Linden when through that hell a lot worse than you.

Anyway, Linden Method has a one year money-back guarantee so you've got absolutely nothing to lose except your anxiety. It is not an easy ride. It took me almost 4 months before I got over it. But you've tried drugs and therapy. This is something constructive that you can try. I wrote a personal account of my experience with Linden. If you want to read it, click on the link below my name.

Good luck,
Patrick

[forwells]

Howdy

Hi Palow Good to have you back :D

Vanessa27

I agree with palow .

You need to learn the turth behind anxiety , The real turth not the BS that is taked about it . As Palow said anxiety is something we learn and get stuck in because the information to get out of it is so hard to find .

I tried panicaway and didnt like it , sorry i liked it but felt it was as detailed as i would have liked .
I havent tried Linden but did look into it . I like that it has surport but i also like that the information is based on fact . Example the way it explains on the way the brain is when you have anxiety .

I have seen Palow here for a while and i would say if he says it worked for him then it is worth looking into .

Myself found my way out many different ways but mostly with help from the anxiety center .

You can do it but like i said you have to find the right imformation.

Terrified that my daughter will develop this, guilt that she has a mother who isn't 'normal' Dont worry about your daughter . Find the info and you can fix yourself and then your daughter will follow . You are also as normal as anyone your brain is just tired and overworked .Remember anxiety is from us and it is not something you catch

cheers kev :D

[palow]

Hi Kev, thanks for supporting me. I launched a magazine so I've been really really busy the last month.

I know what you mean about Panic Away being not too substantial. But they are good for people who have mostly panic attacks that were recently developed. And no long-term GAD. Even Linden stole his technique for stopping panic (the emergency MP3 that he provides is the same as PA).

Vanessa, Linden has the best phone support. If you decide to try it, make sure you call them whenever you're stuck. There is a lot of material to go through but take your time. Watch the DVD carefully and do the qigong even if it feels weird at first.

[kenja]

hi pallow , im not long on this forum so wouldnt be as used to you as some of the others may be, and i see that you have made many posts and no doubt contributed to helping some members through your expieriences and wisdom.

im not making a comment in relation to the online programmes that you are speaking about as the way i see it is that after talking to many who have suffered anxiety one thong is clear that different things work for some and not for others, so there is never any reason for someone not to try something, worse thing that can happen is that it doesnt work!! and im glad that the linden method worked for you

my concern here is that i have noticed many members come on here and only make one or two posts, we all stumbled across this forum somehow and probably at a time when we were at a low point and looking for words of wisdom or support and i think the forum does a great job of doing that for many of people, and people will get good help by returning and talking and learning,
anxiety is a horrible illness that words can fail to discribe most of the time and we all expierience our hell in many different ways, many of the phyical symptoms are simular but the feelings and emotions we all feel are unique to oursleves thats what makes us human
and as i said im glad you got your relief and obviously have a great amount of respect for this person but i think that to make a comment like

'Charles Linden when through that hell a lot worse than you.'

to the woman who posted this original post when she was clearly at a very low point is simply wrong and is unlikely to help anyone, really who is to say wha one person has been through was any worse that what a person is currently suffering. its quite possible that he may have been through absolute hell i know for sure i have too and continue to do so , but i would never suggest to someone that what i have expierienced was in any way worst than their pain, because i have no idea what they are expieriencing.

point is iv been on this forum a few weeks and i think its great
especially when we can see some people getting relief from what people have to say and sharing information and i realise that is all you were doing on this occasion but to be fair people need to keep coming back here in order to get the help and advantages from it that the creators intended and if i had of got that in a reply to my first post that i made at a time that i was suffering despite clearly seeing your intention to help , i wouldnt have come back either.

i know this post isnt very useful to anyone but it was niggling at me so i had to say it. it is in NO way intended to play down the advise you were giving to this person or anyone else on the forum or the help you have clearly given in the past!!

[lawandorder]

This isn't the first time palow has come across as insensitive.
palow i know all you want is to stress how effective the linden method is or other internet programs because you want everyone to get better. That's ok, but there's a better way of saying things.
Seeing how you are free of anxiety, your focus must be away from yourself, so can you please start focusing on putting yourself in our shoes.
thanks

[ThePhoenix]

my concern here is that i have noticed many members come on here and only make one or two posts, we all stumbled across this forum somehow and probably at a time when we were at a low point and looking for words of wisdom or support and i think the forum does a great job of doing that for many of people, and people will get good help by returning and talking and learning.

I agree, its a real shame people dont hang around more, many people make a couple of posts in times of need but dont hang around to share after the fact. There is probably only a small group that are here frequently, in fact I cant think of any more than about 5ish.

[palow]

My apologies to anyone I've hurt. I really want people to know that a big part of my recovery had to do with learning to "disengage" (can't think of a better word) myself from the extremely high emotions involved with anxiety disorder.

The fear is like an avalanche, I know. But Panic Away and Claire Weeke's floating method are both techniques that defuse panic attacks by making you aware of the emotions as a wave of energy, and the less you identify with it, the less importance you attach to it, the more you control it.

Sometimes when I come across a group of people comparing their symptoms, I'll just go tell everyone to cut it out. Because it is really really bad to cry on each other's shoulders if you have anxiety disorder. It is okay for a death in the family or a breakup, but please don't do this if you are suffering from anxiety. That is the message I am trying to get across: do NOT get grief and anxiety mixed up. I would definitely be a total bastard if this were a grieving forum.

Anyway, this will likely happen again. I am not a certified counsellor after all.

The statement about Linden is true. His biography is in the manual and I have never heard of a more horrifying tale of anxiety disorder than his.

Patrick

[ThePhoenix]

Sometimes when I come across a group of people comparing their symptoms, I'll just go tell everyone to cut it out. Because it is really really bad to cry on each other's shoulders if you have anxiety disorder. It is okay for a death in the family or a breakup, but please don't do this if you are suffering from anxiety.

I have to disagree to an extent. Sometimes people just want to hear that they are not alone and that anxiety is causing the same problems for someone else. Many anxiety sufferers feel alone and feel like no one understands them so just the knowledge they are not alone and are not unique in their symptoms is of great comfort.

Now where your right is in a case if people are trying to out do each other or are getting themselves trapped into a mindset of "poor us with anxiety" which is a defeatist approach.

[louiseevans222]

Hi Vanessa,

I know how bad it can feel Ive been there for 7 years....

I always recommend people in this forum a FREE tool that has seriously helped for me....

Anxiety is all in the mind, and its true counselling doesnt really help, in fact it makes things worse because you keep bringing up the same problem and not releaseing it and letting it go, this make the therapist feel stressed and you feel stressed...

there is an amazing curer which you can download for FREE, to get more info, and to get FREE instant access click the link below...

All the best

Louise Evans

[kenja]

pallow you speak about people comparing their symptoms and situations and that they shouldnt do it, yet thats exactly what you did when you stated that lindens anxiety was much worse than this girls and my point is that was wrong, i hope we see this girl around again as her post seemed very distressing

also you again stated that what you said is true, again not only do i think its wrong of you to say this to someone at their time of need as playing down their pain and also in fairness you may have read his book but you must remember for the dake of a book thingd can be made appear as dramatic as necessary in order to promote aand markrt a product and even it were all through wich im not doubting it is, but im sure most of us here could dramatically potrait our horrors if we had the words to do so.

again i think its fair to say that anyone who has truely suffered the hellish and horridness of anxiety attacks and panic attacks would know how truely bad it is enough and wouldnt want to get into an childish argunment about whos was actually worse!!

as others have already we need to focus on those of us that are here now and need help and support without contribution to frightening them off

[kenja]

my concern here is that i have noticed many members come on here and only make one or two posts, we all stumbled across this forum somehow and probably at a time when we were at a low point and looking for words of wisdom or support and i think the forum does a great job of doing that for many of people, and people will get good help by returning and talking and learning.

I agree, its a real shame people dont hang around more, many people make a couple of posts in times of need but dont hang around to share after the fact. There is probably only a small group that are here frequently, in fact I cant think of any more than about 5ish.


i fear you are right pheonix and for what reasons they keep coming back, it is very important that they do keep coming back even if its just to juve that one time poster a bit of support in their time of need

and a big fair play to whoever they are

[ThePhoenix]

my concern here is that i have noticed many members come on here and only make one or two posts, we all stumbled across this forum somehow and probably at a time when we were at a low point and looking for words of wisdom or support and i think the forum does a great job of doing that for many of people, and people will get good help by returning and talking and learning.

I agree, its a real shame people dont hang around more, many people make a couple of posts in times of need but dont hang around to share after the fact. There is probably only a small group that are here frequently, in fact I cant think of any more than about 5ish.


i fear you are right pheonix and for what reasons they keep coming back, it is very important that they do keep coming back even if its just to juve that one time poster a bit of support in their time of need

and a big fair play to whoever they are

I agree, i think it great there are a few that comeback and help support others, especially in there times of need. Sometime just a bit of a reassurance that whats happening is not the end of the world can be a big help to people.

[lawandorder]

I dont believe returning to the forum frequently is such a great thing, rather than directly address your issues, you dive into the issues of everyone elses and compare yours to theres and so on. I feel like people come here for 'the answer', and people keep returning to hopefully find it. But I know for myself that I come here because anxiety has become some sort of obsession, and I'm sure im not the only one who checks this forum multiple times a week. All it is doing is reinforcing that the anxiety is still with us, and even though we find comfort in being here, it's an addictive mentality sort of comfort, not a beneficial comfort.
Maybe coming once to seek advice and move on seems the most appropriate behaviour for an anxiety sufferer. I know that if I was completely free of anxiety, you would never, ever see me on here, as I would be moving forward and never looking back.
The only way I can see why you would return is if you are genuinely here to help and give people advice, but even then if your life outside this forum was busy enough, you would find that you would forget about it. Which would be an amazing thing.
I can't help checking this forum not because my anxiety is bad but for some addictive reason - maybe I'm a little bored, or maybe I want to be heard. For whatever reason, I don't see any significant benefits from dwelling.
Anyway, that's just my thoughts.
good luck

[ThePhoenix]

I dont believe returning to the forum frequently is such a great thing, rather than directly address your issues, you dive into the issues of everyone elses and compare yours to theres and so on. I feel like people come here for 'the answer', and people keep returning to hopefully find it. But I know for myself that I come here because anxiety has become some sort of obsession, and I'm sure im not the only one who checks this forum multiple times a week. All it is doing is reinforcing that the anxiety is still with us, and even though we find comfort in being here, it's an addictive mentality sort of comfort, not a beneficial comfort.
Maybe coming once to seek advice and move on seems the most appropriate behaviour for an anxiety sufferer. I know that if I was completely free of anxiety, you would never, ever see me on here, as I would be moving forward and never looking back.
The only way I can see why you would return is if you are genuinely here to help and give people advice, but even then if your life outside this forum was busy enough, you would find that you would forget about it. Which would be an amazing thing.
I can't help checking this forum not because my anxiety is bad but for some addictive reason - maybe I'm a little bored, or maybe I want to be heard. For whatever reason, I don't see any significant benefits from dwelling.
Anyway, that's just my thoughts.
good luck

Hmmm, thats your opinion and your welcome to it obviously but I rather disagree. I most definitely dont come here for the answer and I am sure many others dont either. I most certainly dont come here to seek reassurance and I am not obsessed by anxiety. In fact the symptoms of anxiety no longer worry me because I recognise them and move on. I do still have issues with my thought processes but for the most part I am able to recognise a symptom brought on by stress.

I come here because I know when I was at my worst I had no one to turn to, no one to give me advice, no one to tell me everything was ok. I just felt alone, lost and afraid and I would have given anything for a bit reassurance. In 1000% honesty if I had of discovered this forum earlier than I did my anxiety would never have reached the points it did and has.

I think theres a huge benefit in having people who are still fighting anxiety or have been there helping out those in need. At the moment I am on here all the time because I am on Uni break and work in front of a computer in a job that gives me alot of time so I take great delight in hopping on here and hopefully helping out. When Uni gets busy then you will see less of me no doubt but I still hope to come on here and contribute.

Just my take on it all! :D