Quote Originally Posted by Lys22 View Post
Hello. Soo here goes my first post.. I'm 28, and anxiety and panic attacks control my life. I remeber my first panic attack at 8 years old, and it still haunts me. Even with this anixety, I was able to live a happy normal life up until recently. I used to be able to control my panic attacks by simply distracting myself. The past 6 months, I lost complete control. I even developed new symptoms I never had. It's sad. It's scary. I was given medication, but my anxiety prevents me from taking it! Why? Because I swore I could control it, but here I am fighting it. I still cannot take the medication that I carry around everyday...why? Because I'm scared to death of side effects, or it killing me. That's how my brain works...that's my main cause of anxiety...dying.... I say to myself how the heck you get over that fear? That's one thing for sure you will never have control over! :sigh: I never felt so stuck.. Everyday I wake up and say, I want to live my life n have fun, and I do try.. But with lots of restrictions. I used to be fun, and funny.. But they girl is so wrapped up with worrying about getting sick, health problems.. And dying...
So, In case anyone was wondering, why now reach out on forums.. My family and friends are tired of hearing my complaints, or what ifs.. Their answer is, " nothing is wrong with you, it's just your anxiety" .. The word "just" kills me!! Just my anxiety, like it's nothing...unless you suffer from it, you have NO idea what goes on , physically, mentally and emotionally. -Lys
Hiya, Lys. Congratulations for reaching out to others. It is never too late to do so, either. I have had OCD and panic since I was in middle school, but it wasn't until I was 22 that I was actually diagnosed with the former and the latter...It's hard for people who don't have anxiety orders to understand what you are going through, but it is important nevertheless to understand that each individual's experience in life is unique. I have heard people describe their OCD in ways I could not imagine living with, and yet they do it. It's important to recognize the reservoir of strength that exists in all of us...If you have health insurance, I would advise you getting to see as specialist who may be able to do some type of behavioral therapy to normalize the panic. It is good to keep in mind that panic in and of itself is harmless. I can tell you that I have benefited from the proper use of medicine for acute panic. Believe me, most likely what they've given you will be fine in your body. Usually psychiatrists prescribe small doses of these types of drugs. I would avoid taking it if you have to drive anywhere until you know how it feels in your body. That said, the medicine is a back stop. Good luck with everything, sister and check in. God bless.