I need some help

[sitnbakwrds]

I'm so glad I found this forum. I need some advice from anybody willing to give it. I believe I have some type of anxiety issue but I'm not sure what course of action to take.

Almost every day that I wake up I have the strongest feeling of apprehension about the day ahead. So much so in fact, that my stomach is always nauseated which usually leads to vomitting. I hate to be to descriptive, but my vomitting attacks are usually a few dry heaves and I feel better for a while. Once I get that routine over with I'm good to go for most of the day.

On the days I work (I'm a firefighter of 11 years), I usually feel more apprehension than other days. Sometimes even while I'm at work, if we get a big call or I'm involved with training the apprehension reappears and that sick, nauseated feeling comes back. It takes everything I have to keep myself from dry heaving in front of others but I've been lucky to advert that embarrassment. I hate it and I'm sick of dealing with it.

Over the past seven months I've been involved in some extensive training at work that involves various interviews and test taking. On the days I have a test or a interview I have serious trouble even sleeping the night before. My stomach is a knotted, nauseated mess. As soon as I awake I hit the toilet and the routine starts once again. On some occasions, on real big and important test days, I've even had to pull over on the side of the road to dry heave my brains out.

I'm really at a lose for what is going on with me. I know that visiting my personal physcian is probably the first step to help. What do you all think? I'm so embarassed and discouraged even though I'm the only one that knows. My wife doesn't even know nor does the crew I work with at work. (As silly as it sounds, I run the sink and the exhaust fan in the bathroom and try and dry heave as quiet as possible hoping no one will hear me).

I'm a very healthy, physically fit guy. I'm not opposed to drug therapy if that is what I need. I just need something. Would a therapist or physchologist be more effective than my personal physician? Somebody, anybody, please help. Thanks in advance for you help.

[Mell]

I have this a lot too since I was 5. It's anticipatory anxiety and when it gets really bad it can lead to vomiting. When I was in kindergarten I used to get sick there everyday until they let me go home. I had to go to the dr. to get meds for my anxiety. Right now i'm on Lexapro and temporarlily on Lorazapam which works almost instantly to calm your nerves. You should probably go to your dr. to see if he has any ideas. I'm sure he can help ease some of your fears. It can be a very scary and dibilitating thing to go through. It will get better. Good luck :)

[Robbed]

I'm a very healthy, physically fit guy. I'm not opposed to drug therapy if that is what I need. I just need something. Would a therapist or physchologist be more effective than my personal physician? Somebody, anybody, please help. Thanks in advance for you help.

When it comes to meds, be aware that anxiety medications are NOT a 'get out of jail free card' (although MANY doctors and therapists might promote them as such). Relief is almost never complete. And side effects can be VERY significant - especially if you are a firefighter and need to be both mentally alert and in no less than tip-top shape. There is also significant risk for dependency with ALL anxiety medications (regardless of what any doctor might tell you, many people DO become addicted to SSRIs). Furthermore, medications are just not a necessity for recovery (although they may help some people some of the time, but with a 'catch'). For these reasons, I don't think medication is the best way to go, especially at first. I believe that before trying medications, you should try non-pharmaceutical methods of dealing with anxiety. Finding a therapist or psychologist might be a good first step. But keep in mind that MANY are either completely useless, push the use of medications, or both. You may have to shop around ALOT before you find one who is able to help you. You might also consider a self-help CBT book, such as Complete Self-Help For Your Nerves by Claire Weekes. In any case, it sounds to me that your job is simply getting under your skin in one way or another. Learning to deal with this is the key to your recovery.

[sitnbakwrds]

I appreciate the input. I was really hoping to find a way to deal with my issue without the use of medication first. I do realize, however, that medications are sometimes useful in helping people overcome problems like mine. I also understand that drugs can lead to other problems too. I suppose a trip to my doctor is in order. If anybody has any more suggestions feel free to respond. Thanks!

[Topcat]

I can understand how bad this is for you, I have a life long phobia of vomiting and one of my worst anxiety symptoms is nausea and heaving.

It does sound like your work could be the cause of your stress and that maybe you need to see a professional to discuss this but obviously this will take time and doesn't help you in the meantime.

From experience, you could try the following tips to try and relieve the nausea and heaving. Stay hydrated, being dehydrated causes nausea and will contribute to the gag sensation so make sure you never go to bed thirsty and drink if you wake during the night. Try to make sure you get plenty of sleep (obviously thats not always easy). Don't force yourself to eat anything you don't really fancy but do try to eat something as an empty stomach will also cause nausea. If you like ginger chewing on a couple of pieces crystallized ginger is very effective.

I personally don't agree with taking long term daily medication for anxiety as this is not a fix for the problem it just masks it but I do take a tablet called stemitil prescribed by my doctor which stops nausea, its not addictive and is only taken when necessary (like a pain killer would be) it is extremely good at stopping that gag sensation.

Finally have you tried Rescue Remedy it is herbal and can work quite well at calming the nerves.

Good Luck :)

[worldpar]

It sounds like you are only at the start of the problem. If you can still function at your job you are not as advanced as I. I used to be able to work but the anxiety became so bad that work for me is no longer an option. I have suffered with anxiety sense I was a small child, and it progressed to the point of being totally debilitating. My advise to you is get to a doctor as soon as possible. I agree with Robbed that you will probably have to search for a good doctor or therapist. But I would start with a therapist, M.D.'s in most cases don't understand about anxiety disorders and one of the most common drugs they prescribe is Xanax. Which will calm your body but not really your mind. Which is where the problem really is. It's been my experience that what is going on is your mental issues are manifesting themselves as physical symptoms.
I to was embarrassed when I found out I had anxiety. I was ashamed, men "pull themselves up by the boot straps", "just snap out of it and go on" but that attitude with anxiety can literally kill you. Just remember that there are thousands upon thousands of fellow suffers out there but most either don't know what is wrong or don't talk about it because their ashamed as I was.
Believe me this will not go away, and will not get better, from here it can only get worse without help. As I said it sounds like you still have time to nip this thing I the bud. But get help as soon as you can there are a lot of drugs out there and people that deal with this and there are more every day. Do what you think is right about the drugs, but don't fear them. I would not have made it without them and today I can handle life a lot better. But there were so many years I just wasted trying to beat this on my own. I was blessed with a good therapist that I could trust. But really, man to man, get help as soon as you can. It's kind of like canser the sooner you can catch it the better chance you have of beating it.

[Topcat]

It sounds like you are only at the start of the problem. If you can still function at your job you are not as advanced as I. I used to be able to work but the anxiety became so bad that work for me is no longer an option. I have suffered with anxiety sense I was a small child, and it progressed to the point of being totally debilitating. My advise to you is get to a doctor as soon as possible. I agree with Robbed that you will probably have to search for a good doctor or therapist. But I would start with a therapist, M.D.'s in most cases don't understand about anxiety disorders and one of the most common drugs they prescribe is Xanax. Which will calm your body but not really your mind. Which is where the problem really is. It's been my experience that what is going on is your mental issues are manifesting themselves as physical symptoms.
I to was embarrassed when I found out I had anxiety. I was ashamed, men "pull themselves up by the boot straps", "just snap out of it and go on" but that attitude with anxiety can literally kill you. Just remember that there are thousands upon thousands of fellow suffers out there but most either don't know what is wrong or don't talk about it because their ashamed as I was.
Believe me this will not go away, and will not get better, from here it can only get worse without help. As I said it sounds like you still have time to nip this thing I the bud. But get help as soon as you can there are a lot of drugs out there and people that deal with this and there are more every day. Do what you think is right about the drugs, but don't fear them. I would not have made it without them and today I can handle life a lot better. But there were so many years I just wasted trying to beat this on my own. I was blessed with a good therapist that I could trust. But really, man to man, get help as soon as you can. It's kind of like canser the sooner you can catch it the better chance you have of beating it.



I find some of your comments extremely negative an unhelpful to someone who is asking for help !!

Everybody is affected by anxiety in a different way and although symptoms are usually all very similar to suggest that this man's problems are only just beginning an that he will only get worse is not very helpful at all.

I too have had anxiety an panic all my life, my earliest memory of over whelming panic was when I was 4 years old, I am now 42 and although I am still suffering there have been a few periods in my life (must point out periods where I have been totally stress free and comfortable with my life) that I have had no symptoms of anxiety or panic at all. Some people face stress and worries without any physical or mental change to their minds or bodies, others get run down and get physically ill and for some (like us) it becomes to much and causes anxious thoughts which provoke physical symptoms, most of these are actually caused by over breathing, just increasing your breathing rate by a few breathes per minute which you wouldn't even be aware of can bring on physical symptoms.

Dealing with the symptoms and understanding why they are happening is very comforting and certainly helps, dreading the heaving and nausea each morning is indeed enough to make anyone anxious at the start of each day and so the circle begins.

I had agoraphobia intermittently for a few years and was unable to leave the house or if I did I couldnt make it past the end of the street, for me personally medication didnt change that, talking to a therapist didnt help I suddenly realised that the only person that could over come my fears was me and me alone, I still have them, I still have days where I am really panic stricken but I push myself through it I still go to work (it helps to occupy your mind) and I make myself do things that my body is saying I cant and believe me its hard work, its stressful, its draining and its frustrating, my dream is to take my kids abroad for a holiday and one day I will do that because I will not give in to my thoughts and give up completely. The mind is a powerful thing and the only thing that causes the symptoms is our own thought process, we are not ill, we are not dying we just need to learn to live with/teach ourselves that life isnt over because we suffer from an anxiety disorder.

Sorry rant over :)

[Robbed]

I find some of your comments extremely negative an unhelpful to someone who is asking for help !!

Everybody is affected by anxiety in a different way and although symptoms are usually all very similar to suggest that this man's problems are only just beginning an that he will only get worse is not very helpful at all.

This is all very true. For instance, about 15 years back, I had an anxiety problem after foolishly trying LSD. Much like these days, I tried seeing a therapist or two at first to no avail. But for the most part, I just trudged through it by myself. I should also note that I knew ALOT less about anxiety at that time than I do now. After all, at the time, I looked at my problem as being the result of being damaged by the drug rather than anxiety disorder. But despite all of that, I was back to feeling like myself again after about three and a half years (although there were some pretty dark moments during that time). So clearly, nothing is set in stone when it comes to anxiety disorder. Yes, there is a possibility that things could get ALOT worse for this guy. But he may not progress beyond his current state. I think that it would be VERY helpful for all anxiety sufferers if we got beyond this whole notion promoted by the pharmaceutical and health care industries that anxiety is ALWAYS lifelong, debilitating, and requiring of lifelong medication as the one and only solution. Because these ideas in and of themselves simply serve to make things SO much worse and SO much more hopeless in that vast majority of situations where this is not the case.