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jabailey1982
10-24-2016, 12:03 PM
Hello,

I am new here. I joined because I am looking for some insight form fellow anxiety sufferers.

About a year ago I had my first panic attack which put me into a constant state of unbearable anxiety. I could hardly function and was unable to go to work for a few weeks. The physicals symptoms were too much for me to deal with on my own. I felt like my chest was being crushed and my heart rate would not slow down. I became obsessed with taking my pulse. So after about a month of this I started taking 10mg Lexapro. I took it for 4 months and then weened myself off April 2016. I felt great, it actually eliminated my fear of flying and really eased my health anxiety. I believe the health anxiety was the cause of last Fall's terrible anxiety.

I felt great all summer and into fall. I have an odd work schedule and it is all project based and remote in the arctic Circle. Sometime I go months without work and sometime I work for months at a time. This summer I did not work. Well, as September work came closer I started feeling the anxiety again. When I arrived at work I begin feeling the heart palpitations again (made me start taking my pulse again), couldn't fall asleep, etc. The, of course, I start to worry about the anxiety. I worked for 2 weeks and then went home for three. I felt good the first week home but the last two weeks of my time off the physical symptoms reappeared. I am back at work now, going on 4 weeks of feeling the anxiety. This time it is manageable and it seems to come in waves. Yesterday I felt great but this morning as I was working on a job application It just washed over me again. I know it is an inappropriate response to stress and when I feel it I know it is anxiety and there is not something physically wrong with me. I don't freak out. I take magnesium taurate which seems to help, also vitamin D and a B complex.

I know that work contributes to my anxiety (I am currently looking for other employment) although I do enjoy my job. I am able to identify the anxiety when I feel it coming on. And I also know there is no reason to panic so I don't. It is just this thing that is part of me that I an manage without medication. I know what it is, I know not to panic and I know it's an inappropriate physical response. Knowing all of this, will is ever just subside? Will my body ever get the hint that I know there is nothing to be afraid of?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated,

Jeaneen

FruitSalad
10-24-2016, 03:10 PM
Hi jabailey1982,

Yes, my poor body is scared of things as well. :-). But getting better. I had OCD, major anxiety, depression and health anxiety, today I don't take any drugs and run a business. My new phase is loving others, and I'm doing well. For me the first stage was fixing my body, I feel my health anxiety was a warning to myself. I embarked on 2 years of heavy detox (google: Robert Morse). And I continue my detoxification today. OCD gone, depression gone, anxiety under control. Haven't had a panic attack for around 2 years either. Thoughts change as well :-).

Anyways, just my perspective, your a strong guy I bet, you probably detox quick :-).

PM me if you need anything.

fixmybrokenmind
10-25-2016, 12:14 PM
Welcome jabailey! Knowing where your problem lies is half the battle. I have a secret weapon for panic attacks almost identical to your situation. It is called propanolol and it is a heart medication with an off label anti anxiety effect. The great thing is it works within 30 minutes. Its anti anxiety effects come from the fact it controls your heart rate so you don't get the panicky feeling in your chest, if you have the right mindset mentally (which it sounds like you do) it is super easy to talk yourself down.

I was dealing with panic attacks roughly 2-3x a week before this stuff and as soon as I found it I went down to 1 a week. Just knowing I had a fall back dramatically reduced my panic. It has now been 2 months since I have touched the stuff