Anxiety Attack Story.. ill answer you're questions.

[jry0701]

ok let me start this off with saying how messed up i have been and can be. this goes out to whoever wants to hear someone else's weird story of inner delimmas. ok. well i have gotten to the point in my life where i dont care how people see me, because i am who i am no matter what, take me or leave me. ok. the weird thing about me is that i have had anxiety really bad and trust me it gets worse as you get older, it may change, but the intensity of it can only get worse. there is treatment and things one can do for it, but let me tell you, i have had panic attacks out the *** since high school. anyways, i dont wanna tell a sob story, because thats not my intentions. i just feel like sharing this interesting slab of information that has come from within myself to the outside world, kind of. so...i dont seem messed up yet.. so why did i say am i so messed up earlier? because anxiety attacks will alter anyone's ******* brain if you're not careful. youll lose all feeelings in your hands and feet, youll start breathing incredibly fast, your heart will pound the **** out of your chest, and then your vision can get blurred, and sometimes if you are not in a place where you can control it you can actually fall out, or in other words black out and forget whats going on around you, basically its a huge step away from reality and not a pleasant one. thats why i refuse to do drugs, even the herbal ones, because i know if i get high, the possibility of me freaking out subconciously (this is also from self experience) is increased to a point that i know i will probably have an attack so bad that i'll start running a false alarm fever and even start puking. its really embarassing, but not really anymore, because i dont give a ****, i just think the human body is a strangely incredible thing. Ok, so who has a question about anxiety attacks, etc? I am sure I can give you an answer on just about anything..

[be still my beating heart 13]

I am sorry to see that your post appears to have ruffled a few feathers.  Please keep in mind that a high percentage of people that visit this forum are doing so to receive positive uplifting support, and the remaining percentage is here to help them.  I am not surprised to see that not too many people who are new to (or STUCK IN) anxiety disorder didn't respond to your post, and that the responses you HAVE received are a little bitter.  You have to keep in mind that not everyone is the same (differing symptoms, triggers, severity and duration of panic attacks, etc.), and on this forum you will find people who are only a few months into this disorder, or people like me who didn't seek help until YEARS had passed, along with anxiety survivors, anxiety warriors, or in other words, those people who can honestly look back and say "I remember when..."  I know how this has made you feel, and if you're interested, something similar happened to me here on the forum and it made me feel so terrible (after all I was only trying to HELP, right?) that I wanted to quit the forum.  I posted that I was leaving the forum because of the disagreement and people who'd been watching/reading what was unfolding that had remained silent until that point began to speak up and ask me to stay.  I went from feeling helpful and supportive, to feeling worthless and unwanted, and back to helpful again.  It was a crazy time, and as I read what unfolded here I felt compelled to tell you that you are not the only one who has offered their hand the best way that they know how only to have it slapped as it's extened.  My best advice to you is to be yourself, give the most truthful informative advice available to you (by experience or research), and take EVERYTHING people say here with a grain of salt.  It reminds me of that passage from the Bible: "Do not cast your pearls before swine, lest they turn and rend you."  What more can I say!   Glad to hear that you finally have a handle on this anxiety thing!  I didn't read any of your posts before I responded, but I have a feeling that just like me, you don't trust your doctors (only a psychologist could REALLY help with our symtpoms anyway!) because their only solution is to mask the symptoms with medicine (that I refuse to take), which only leaves us with a few options:  Learn how to live with anxiety and the disruption is causes your life, self-help (which is just the BEGINNING, better than nothing, but not the best solution), and finally real psychological healing from a doctor  who has studied psychological traumas and the resulting behavior patterns who can help us retrace our steps and pinpoint that moment that our inner-thoughts got stuck in a "doom-and-gloom" aspect of life in general.  There are so many variables and differing factors that create these anxiety disorders that no two people experience the same exact triggers, symptoms, or recovery methods.  Our goal here should be to find and help as many people as we can that have the same triggers or symptoms that we have and help them to the best of our ability with our limited experience.  We should also look to the "veterans" here who are able to boast PROUDLY that they are fully recovered from full-blown panic disorder, who have pinpointed their triggers, addressed them, and have now learned to dispell the anxiety the moment it appears.  Don't get me wrong, there are only about three people that I have found here on the forum who boast full recovery, while the vast majority will tell you that while they have had anxiety for DECADES, they still suffer from it, even though they may experience YEARS of dormancy.  My opinion:  Once a person's mental capacity get pushed beyond the point of reason, where instinct takes over, your mind will begin to respond to any and ALL threats with "fight or flight" reactions, causing body sypmtoms, DAILY symptoms lasting for MONTHS, and of course panic attacks.   While you are right that a majority of us here will suffer from and battle anxiety for the rest of their lives, there IS hope of a full recovery from this thing called anxiety, and "we few, we lucky few" have found a place to seek refuge from the storm and a guiding light out of the abyss we call anxiety.  Like I tell my husband "Don't let the Bastards get you down, baby!", and the same goes for you, my friend!  Like Sylvia Browne said, "Take what is right and true to you, and leave the rest..."  I hope this helps you, and that you felt well today!

Cori

[Sue357]

Hi.  I have been suffering from anxiety for the last 6 months.  Prior to that, I dealt with being a clinical depressive, since age 9.  I am 51 now.  I had an invasive colon surgery in January and now am diagnosed with GAD.  I need some hope as my shrink is great and seems very compassionate.  We have recently upped my meds to 150 mg Zoloft and 1.5 Klopin daily, but it does not seem like it is working.  What I am noticing is nausea and intense anxiety upon waking that comes and goes through out the day.  I have a call in to him as I am going on vacation, this week, and can not imagine feeling this way.  I am also blessed to have a supportive husband and best friend who is an RN.  Back in 1995 I was feeling this way and ended up in the hospital for 9 days " overwhelmed and unable to cope".  Now, I feel like I have some better coping skills so don't think that will happen again.  Gosh, I hope not!  Just wanted to hear from some people who are feeling the same way.  Other symptoms I have are shakiness and a little difficulty breathing as well as intense worry over my health.  Thanks again for listening.

[cnote]

I don't think it's necessary for you to say "anxiety and the intensity gets worse as you get older".

Where do you get this fact? JSGeare had panic for nearly 50 years, and now he's gone 10 years without it. He gives me hope. =) His anxiety has gotten better with age. My Dr. told me that anxiety get's better with age too, and that gives me a great feeling.

It may be factual in your experience, but this kind of information is not very positive thinking.
This may very well in fact be part of your problem. And "that" statement may have sent some other people on here into panic. lol.

I don't want to think that anxiety and its intensity gets worse as "you"/"us" gets older... so I try and not think that.

If you are against drugs and herbs... try a therapist. I think it could help you.

I really don't think deep down, you want to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety the rest of your life. Do you? I think it's great that you accept the fact that you have anxiety and panic... and maybe that's how you deal with it.

But please don't tell people on here it get's worse. Just not a good/positive thing to say. With all do respect.

This forum is here for people to help each other.

[Heather3418]

It may help to understand this post better and the poster, if you read their other posts.  I was just about to answer, when I read th e other posts.  After doing that, I believe that Jikan and JS said more than I could ever add.  Great replies gentlemen.

[JSGeare]

Interesting; most people come here looking for answers -you come here with answers. Rather like me; I try to come up with answers based upon my experience; nearly 50 years of panic, but now I am free of it, have been so for ten years, and expect no return. There's no question in MY mind: you know panic well. I can only hope the day comes when you KNEW panic. Good luck.

[jry7188]

well you know what.. i never said i know everything.. i said i could answer to anything.

[strwberryGURL]

i'm very scared of my anxiety getting worse.
Right now i have it but its not TOO BAD it just
makes me feel terrible. I cant even concentrate at school.

[Jikan]

Namaste,

Rather than offerring to give advice(which is appreciated), I think you'd be in a better position to seek advice from those of us who have sufferred for many, many years.

Also, from what you siad, it does not appear as if you are or ever have sought assistance with your issues.  I don't know if you've been diagnoised with a particular disorder, but if you have, you need to have it treated properly.

If not, you need to see a mental healthcare professional who can conduct a thorough evaluation and history to make a diagnois and then, put into place a treatment plan which may include medication(s) and/or adjunct therapy.

You're only doing yourself a disservice if you think you know all there is to know about anxiety and anxiety related disorders.  Believe me, with all the knowledge available within this forum(and we have some very knowledgable people here) we wouldn't be able to even touch the surface of all that can go on in the life of one who is sufferring from an anxiety or anxiety related disorder.

Do yourself a favor and rather than thinking you've got things under control, succumb to the advice of others who have experienced much more than you and can give you some real life examples and pertinent advice.

Michael(Jikan)