Ask me anything!

[laurendoesntknow]

Hi! I was wondering if you could help me with something...
I'm scratching myself in my sleep to the point I wake up with a face covered in blood and red pillows.. I've cut all my nails off and even tried wearing gloves but they always fall off. I'm only 15, so I'm still living with my mum and she is gettting andgry about it and i dont reallly know how to stop! I made a post about it, if you want to look at that, but no one responded (yet).
thanks so much in advance/anyway!!
lara (15)

[imcoolksk16]

Hello everyone...I am sharath from india ..I joined this forum to clarify few doubts with the experts pertaining to that field. Basically i am no from medical background . I work in automobile company and i need some information for my research.
Here goes my first question....
1) Can you please give me details regarding temporary shock or anxiety in human when he is about to meet accident or unexpected things. I have felt this personally many times while riding bike. When i see a sudden vehicle in front of my bike i feel temporary numbness in heart for 1 sec and then i evade away the bike to avoid accident.
I dont know if i alone have experienced this or there are many out here who felt the same.
Kindly share me details regarding this shock.

Thanks in advance.
sharath kumar

[RealisticTrain]

Hello everyone...I am sharath from india ..I joined this forum to clarify few doubts with the experts pertaining to that field. Basically i am no from medical background . I work in automobile company and i need some information for my research.
Here goes my first question....
1) Can you please give me details regarding temporary shock or anxiety in human when he is about to meet accident or unexpected things. I have felt this personally many times while riding bike. When i see a sudden vehicle in front of my bike i feel temporary numbness in heart for 1 sec and then i evade away the bike to avoid accident.
I dont know if i alone have experienced this or there are many out here who felt the same.
Kindly share me details regarding this shock.

Thanks in advance.
sharath kumar

Sharath, your reaction while riding a bicycle is completely normal. It is as a result of a sudden surge of adrenalin that floods your brain and prepares you to get out of any trouble.
- Dr. Dan

[RealisticTrain]

Hi! I was wondering if you could help me with something...
I'm scratching myself in my sleep to the point I wake up with a face covered in blood and red pillows.. I've cut all my nails off and even tried wearing gloves but they always fall off. I'm only 15, so I'm still living with my mum and she is gettting andgry about it and i dont reallly know how to stop! I made a post about it, if you want to look at that, but no one responded (yet).
thanks so much in advance/anyway!!
lara (15)

Hi Lara,

Tell me, do you find yourself scratching during the day? Would you say that you are doing it consciously or sub-consiously? If you don't know what these words mean, basically when you extend your arm to push a button, you are doing that consciously -you are fully aware that you are doing it. When you breathe normally, that's a subconscious movement -in other words, most of the time you don't realize that you are doing it. Answer these questions first so I can have a better idea of what's going on.
- Dr. Dan

[RealisticTrain]

How do I get myself to attend mass again after dealing with my closest family members funerals at 1 parish and my other parish is my former elementary school and jr H.S parish. It just brings back so much old stuff, and I dont really want to drive to another city either. The 1 place I would love to go is near the theme park, and has a huge statue made of metal of the Blessed Virgin Mary.But, i don't know how to drive that far away, as I am an agoraphobic, of course..

Ask your doctor about CBT,especially exposure therapy.
- Dr. Dan

[RealisticTrain]

Hello RT ..... I also have a question. I am 49 years old and have dealt with anxiety off and on for 20 years now. I also have had a significant fear of death for as long as I can remember. A few years ago my husband aunt who was terminally ill passed away with me by her side. While at the time I was impressed with the process of her death and it didn't seem as bad as I had thought. Within 6 months I was driving on the freeway and felt like something was pushing my head to the side (thought it was an inner ear issue) which triggered my anxiety and panic so I pulled off and drove side streets the rest of the way home. The closer I got the better I felt so I knew it was anxiety related. Within a week of that episode, I was mentally paralyzed. I was afraid of literally everything ..... driving, public places, the woods in my backyard, everything I looked at I immediately thought of something negative (for instance if I drove by a body of water I would instantly think there might be a body in there ), and I couldn't touch a sharp object of any kind . Now as I do have that fear of death and I value my life , I would never ever hurt myself or anyone or anything ...... but why was I afraid of everything all of a sudden. I did go to counseling for a few months and we felt that distraction is my best friend. I do find when I am at work around the public I am much better. It continues to be a minor struggle every day ..... at least something I think about daily. Things are much better than a year ago, but I just can never get anyone to give their opinion on what happened. The counselor had thought maybe a minor PTSD thing with dealing with his aunts death...... but Im not sure. My anxiety in years past has always been relatively manageable ..... this time it really scared me. Thanks for any input you might have :-)

Basing off only what you told me, I'm not necessarily convinced that you have true blue PTSD. People with PTSD suffer from constant, pervasive and un-welcome thoughts of their traumatic experiences. They tend to have the same dreams most nights of the week, their subconscious playing back the traumatic event like a never-ending tape reel, in an effort to cope. They get sudden and vivid flashbacks without warning. Elements of their traumatic experience might also serve as triggers, like a veteran choosing to stay inside on Independence Day because the fireworks brings back those difficult emotions.

Fear of death is perfectly normal. What I believe happened to you is that you had a slight panic attack on the highway, and that panic is now fuelling your anxiety. If I were your doctor (and I'm NOT, you have to be clear of that), I might think you have a case of panic disorder with some accompanying agoraphobia. This is not a clinical diagnosis, it's just my personal opinion based only off of what you told me. Please check with your own doctor and get his opinion before you attempt any treatment based off of what I told you. Hope this helps and good luck
- Dr. Dan

[Scoofynewfie]

Thank you so much RT and yes I do plan on talking to my doctor again ....... now that it has been a year, I want to touch base anyway and update him on whats been going on. I guess since I just have never experienced fear to this extreme , especially of everything ...... and every thought I had was about death of something or someone it seemed ...... it was all very confusing. I know the mind can do all sorts of things ..... even with anxiety for instance, the day you experience a panic attack they tell me may have nothing to do with what happened that day ..... it could be something from weeks or months prior. Kindof interesting too because when I was coming home from nursing school that day on the interstate ..... it was about 5 days earlier that they were showing an autopsy on video in class and I had to leave the room ..... simply couldn't handle it. I always figured everything was based around my fear of death ...... and its not at all about "how" one dies ..... its the process and the fact that I really really don't want it to happen .... to anyone. My grandparents are all gone now and my mother who I am the closest with is now the oldest in the family and it rips me apart to think of her ever passing away . I wish I know of a way to mentally prepare, because I seriously don't know that I will be able to handle that.
Anyway, sorry for babbling ...... thank you so much for your insight ! Good luck with your career !!!

[zac1234]

Hi daniel,

For the past 2 to 3 months i have experience 24/7 dizziness, fatigue, sudden dizzy spells, head pressure, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, out of body feelings, feeling very distant, slight depression, sudden mood changes, sinus troubles, the list goes on. I have been to doctors and been told that its all due to anxiety, which I'm not against but rather skeptical, was just wondering your opinion, can all these symptoms actually be caused by anxiety?

[Joe.]

Hi daniel,

For the past 2 to 3 months i have experience 24/7 dizziness, fatigue, sudden dizzy spells, head pressure, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, out of body feelings, feeling very distant, slight depression, sudden mood changes, sinus troubles, the list goes on. I have been to doctors and been told that its all due to anxiety, which I'm not against but rather skeptical, was just wondering your opinion, can all these symptoms actually be caused by anxiety?

You said yourself anxiety right? All the mental experiences like fear, panic, mood changes and anxiety are almost certainly due to anxiety of some sort. I advise you to make sure the physical symptoms are not underlying medical problems and then you know exactly what direction to go with improving your life.

[Damavandi]

Hi Lauren...:

You may be allergic to your pillow. Do you use a feather pillow ?
I remember using a feather pillow many years ago, and I was allergic to it.

Best wishes,
Ali