Anxiety, advice....

[gemini8026]

Hey all, I wanted some opinions/advice on some stuff. Im at a point in my life right now, where im dealing with some issues, and dealing with a lot of frustration. I have a fairly easy life, far from complex and I have no major worries. Yet, starting 2 years ago or so (im 27) I started getting bad attacks. It manifested in weird muscle spasms in my groin and stomach area. I would get bad headaches, and lose a lot of sleep.

A few months ago, I was having bad attacks, that kept compounding with health worries. The worst of it happened 2 months ago when I received some bad news about a loved one. I had an anxiety attack and I felt somethign like a muscle pull in my neck.. To this day, Im having trouble talking, my throat spasms, it closes up, I cant talk to people for long because the muscle constricts so much. I have a lot of music I want to record, but I cant even think about singing.

My brother had a nervous/anxiety breakdown a few years ago, and my father had/has it bad.

Here's my problem, I dont want to be on pills (they are $$$, I H ave no plans) and I dont want to change the person I am. But at the same time, my quality of life is shit right now, when it shouldnt be. I should be living it up, having the time of my life, not having constant panic attacks, and worrying about my health.

I'm no whining, or looking for sympathy, but I am curious if anyone on here can shed some light on if they think the pills are the way to go, of if a person can mentally face it head on and beat it with some positive thoughts and practices.

How have you dealt with it?


p.s - My doctor (whom I dont like, I loved my old one, but he went away, now I have a young pill popper who prescribes drugs for anything and everything) wants to put me on for a full year, making sure NOT to go off of them.


I find it tough to talk to friends or family about it. My family discredits it all with (what do you have to worry about, your life is easy) and my friends are the same way.

Anyhow, just another 4am session where I couldnt sleep and looking for some support....


Thanks to any and all who can contribute...

[Cygnus X1]

I'm sure you've gone for a second opinion, right?

I don't have any insight to anxiety attacks. Sounds easy, but if I get stressed,
I strongly remind myself:

Don't worry about the things I can't control. Focus on what I can control...
one step at a time!

[horns666]

Dude, it's after 5 am and I'm waiting for my xannax to kick in. I wish I had more time to discuss this. But I have to get my wife to the docs just a few hours from now. You're not alone..trust me. Even by talking about this is picking the scab off my own issues...which are getting increasingly worse compounded by my wife's serious health concerns.."concerns' nothing..I'm freakin' the F out!

Keep your chin up. Get yourself in a stable mindset and see your way through the bad waves..the best you can. Alot of people tell me the St John's wort is supposed to help..I've been on a medical merry go round for a while.

Take care bro,

it's starting to kick..

Bill Z

[Rsmacker]

Use the drugs to help you if you simply can't see any other way round, but most important of all is to confront the root of all your problems. Drugs will deal with the symptoms but you won't move any further forward unless you deal with the cause.

Easier said than done, but at the end of the day, only you can sort things out. No-one can understand what is important to you, what seems like bollocks to me might be life and death to you and vice versa, so ignore anyone who thinks your problems are nothing. It might be painful, or it might seem like you are getting wound up over nothing, but you are the one to grasp the nettle. If you don't, it'll always be there, and you'll constantly be under the shadow, or fear being under the shadow.

Don't think because of your family history you are doomed, it doesn't matter who else has suffered, you are you.

Get out and do some exercise, get some fresh air, get a routine, make a plan to do something, anything, then DO it. It all helps focus your mind, you won't be dwelling on other issues so much then.

Best of luck

[SEEGERMANY]

Best advice was already given. Get a second opinion and for pete's sake, remember that we're all different and what works for some may not work for you.

[bibz]

Cases like this can totally be hereditary, but can lie dormant until provoked or never emerge at all. My panic disorder started when I was getting vertigo symptoms with a middle ear problem, I just 'wigged' out for lack of a better term. My first panic attack was absolutely horrendous. It totally felt like the entire world was collapsing, but only around me. It lead too a few months of agoraphobia until one day I made an appointment to see my gp and predictibly had a major panic attack in the waiting room as soon as I got there (valium rules btw). I'm now on zoloft and inderal (though my case is compounded mainly with ocd and have had depression) and honestly, seeking the right help is EVERYTHING.

Your doctor sounds like one of these run and gun doctors that work off of numbers. Yeah, drugs tend to work in a favourable sense, but theres two parts to it. Pharmacological and medicinal. You have to have a hand on both to live a full quality life, not just one or the other. The drugs mightn't have to be permanent, and wont change who you are. Short term yes, because your overcoming a trauma, and only slightly longterm because you've experienced all this. Thats based on finding the correct medication mind you, I've tried alot of them over the years. The whole a year no less thing is bullshit aswell, you need relief now! I had some sort of pill I took when I felt an attack coming on that I could use (here is where cognitive treatment helps greatly, pinpoint what is occuring to start your attacks or spur the behaviour on). And I've had some drugs I knew right away were not for me (takes about 2 weeks).

Doctors and Psychiatrists are like any other profession or trade, and finding the right or good ones is paramount to the quality of the service (hence, life!) they provide. Good luck man and dont hesitate to shoot a pm if I can help.

[Spivonious]

If you don't like your doctor, find a new one. Your doctor should be someone you can trust.

I'm assuming this doctor is a psychiatrist. Go to your family doctor and get his recommendation for someone else to see.

[Jason1212]

My wife has pretty bad anxiety issues. Like you she doesn’t like taking the medicines that they prescribe for it. I help her a bit with it, reassuring her when I can and letting her know I am there for her. She went to a therapist for a few months and that helped her to realize what was causing her anxiety. They also taught her some things she can do to ease the anxiety when she would feel it coming on. In her case the anxiety was caused by some things she had not fully dealt with (my nephew's suicide) and her own fear of dying (her health wasn’t the best at the time). She has started exercising, has gotten her health in check and is really doing well. Remember this is not insurmountable and like everyone else has said find a second opinion. My wife’s doctor that was initially treating her started out as a pharmacist and basically had a prescription for every problem you posed him with. I finally convinced her that if she didn’t want a chemical cure she was going to have to try other doctors. She did and she is doing great.

[hippietim]

Xannax.

[Bengal]

Better living through pharmaceuticals. Gotta love it...

[Bert]

Do you take medications to treat your other illnesses? Given your family history and the fact that you are experiencing full blown panic attacks and not just generalized anxiety, I doubt your problems are simply due to "not fully dealing with some issues." You have an illness, don't be ashamed of treating it.

[Bengal]

Lets also not forget that a lot of doctors are paid kickbacks from drug companies to prescribe their medication. So any doctor that just wants to put you on drugs without looking at other issues always raises my eyebrows...

[Tashtego]

Can you call up your old doc, tell him whats going on and get some referrals?

[AlexL]

A regular exercise program is a great stress reducer; doesn't need to be at a gym. My friend gave me a treadmill, which is a great companion during stressful periods. I actually would find myself looking forward to a run to release the stress.

Xanax. Taken as needed. A bottle of 30 lasts me about 2 months or more.

Don't rule out some therapy to change your approach on things. You say you don't want to change who you are; but you need some kind of change since "who you are" is causing your stress.

Good luck.

- E.

[Jason1212]

I dont think that the doctors can legally get kick back. Not saying they dont. I totally understand a person's choice to for go these medications. I was on them and had to quit because I lost my coverage. I went through about two weeks of feeling like my brain was shaking inside my skull. I decided never again. I learned to deal with my depression which basically meant I had to quit letting people walk on me. Now I am an asshole, but I feel much better.