Aa
Seever anxiety....please help me.. if you can..
Hi my name is Kay. Im 20 years old and Ive been suffering from severe anxiety for about 5 years now. Its so bad that I havent been able to leave the house in 3 months. I havent seen our town mall in 2 years. I had to cancel going to college and cant get a job to help out my family. I cant hang out with friends, visit family members..go out shopping, eat at restaurants..I am not able to do anything I want to, even go for walks with my dog or car rides with my family. Even having friends over is really hard...which is why Ive lost most of my friends. I feel fine all day and the minute someone mentions leaving the house I feel sick and feel as though I have to run to the washroom to throw up. Then I feel sick the rest of the day. I start to get dizzy and hot and my head starts to sweat. All my roots get soaked and I feel like Im going to faint. The main symptom though is that im going to vomit and that doesnt go away. Ive been on Effexor for 3 years and it has not helped. Im on prevacid, domperidome,buscopan and was recently just put on paxil...also a few other pills that I cant recal the name. Im 20 years old and I take 8 pills a day....I do not want to live like this forever...plus I dont want to live my life being forced to stay in my house forever either. There would be no point to living. I just want to be normal. This all started in grade 10 for no reason and with no warning...I just felt sick and I thought it was the flu..but it stayed everyday causing me to miss alot of school in highschool...having to quit a few months before graduating..but having a doctors not to get my diploma...I missed my graduation..my prom..which I counted the days down since grade 9 for id say...I havent been able to ever party with friends...go shopping with friends..go out to bars..I cant leave my house...I get soo depressed about this that I start having a hard time seeing why I should live this life. Ive tried other kinds of treatment....ginger pills...esodynamics...nothing has helped me..I just want to give up. Im at a point where I dont even know what to do anymore. My family is getting annoyed and is starting to think im making this up. My doctor just keeps uping my dosage and adding in more pills...I dont want to be on pills my whole life...especially if they arent even working...can anyone please help me...I havent even had the chance to really live my life yet...or do anything normal ppl do at 20 years old....or any year actually....what can I do to help this stop. I cant take it anymore... I want to leave the house so bad and everytime I try and I get sick...it makes it even harder to try the next time. I havent seen the outside in 3 months and I want to just quit....please help me.. thank you for reading this..
Hey thank you for that wonderful msg!! You give me hope when I read it haha. And dont worry I was never good at math myself!!! thank god for my arts and music in school or I probably wouldnt of graduated hahaha. My plan.....oh gosh I have no idea... I was saying now that its a new year ..my new years revolution would be to change my life..to find ways to get better and by next new years I wouldnt have one bit of anxiety and who knows maybe ill go to ireland for the new years party! ha ha ha ha I wish!! But the thing with me is...I dont even know how to get started to change things...dont even know where to start. Im the type of person who needs a book that tells me step by step how to get over this hahaha...like "get over anxiety for dummies" book or something if that existed! haha I need to be told what to do or I have no idea. But I am happy that I decided to look for a site with something..and I found this..and Im happy I decided to talk about it and for once feel that ppl are not looking at me like im retarded and just using an excuse because i dont want to leave or something. I go on this forum every day! ha..So thank you for posting...and ill keep you updated if i think of a plan....or like i said...if i find that non-existing book haha. bye for now, love Kay
You are probably already feeling a little better since connecting with all these folks who know 'zactly what you're talking about. By the way, when I was going to my panic support group (it was called Power Over Panic) we heard from someone who wanted to join -but was housebound. And so, we made her house our new meeting place! Where there's a will, there's away! The trick is: finding the way.
Since you know that you DO feel good once you're out of the house, and you also know that you do survive all the nasty feelings associated with "jumping the fence," would it be possible, I wonder, to stay out longer? Your aunt's might be a good place to stay overnight, for example. The point is, the find your baseline, to find the boundary that you want to cross -and that you CAN cross. Gradually push the limits -stretch them out here and there, not by forcing them, but rather, they way a horse does it -just lean your weight up against them and wait for the boundary to fall away.
The fellow who started Power Over Panic had been a school teacher. In his late 30's, decent salary, pretty wife, 2 nice kids, nice house in a small, western Maryland community. Theo was handsome, athletic -real eye candy. He was also possessed of a great sense of humor and was extremely intelligent. And then, one day, he felt his heart acting up while at work -and within 6 months, was housebound. For 5 years. The first 2 years he spent in front of the TV, and eating. He learned how to get things delivered to him, how to get others to do things for him. Then, he decided that as long as he was going to HAVE panic, he might as well become an expert. He read everything he could lay hands on, he became an expert in writing applications for disability. Then he started Power Over Panic. The local hospital gave him an area to use for meetings. His wife drove him to meetings and picked him up afterwards. Theo and I became friends after I joined POP, started a tradition of dinner together Wednesday night before the meeting. He started driving himself to meetings. We both became noticeably improved. That was 5 years AGO. Today, Theo lives in California -and drives a Harley, anywhere he pleases. He calls once or twice a year. "I can't believe I'm feeling this good," he say...
I tell you this story not for the usual "if he can do it so can you reason," but rather because it sends a message about how people get over the panic. The meds and the desire and the therapy and the support of people who understand are essential. The other essential ingredient is actively doing something to change things, change youself. Take charge of something.
Tell us -what will it be? What will Kayla do differently today? What edge will you have that you didn't have before?
You've got the energy, girl. Read your own writing -perfectly electric and alive. And you've got the sense of humor -how many ha-ha's? I lost count. (Never was any good at math Ha ha!) Anyway, start putting together all your assets -and you mount a formidable array of advantages.
So -what is your plan? What will you do differently today? And how can we help?
Since you know that you DO feel good once you're out of the house, and you also know that you do survive all the nasty feelings associated with "jumping the fence," would it be possible, I wonder, to stay out longer? Your aunt's might be a good place to stay overnight, for example. The point is, the find your baseline, to find the boundary that you want to cross -and that you CAN cross. Gradually push the limits -stretch them out here and there, not by forcing them, but rather, they way a horse does it -just lean your weight up against them and wait for the boundary to fall away.
The fellow who started Power Over Panic had been a school teacher. In his late 30's, decent salary, pretty wife, 2 nice kids, nice house in a small, western Maryland community. Theo was handsome, athletic -real eye candy. He was also possessed of a great sense of humor and was extremely intelligent. And then, one day, he felt his heart acting up while at work -and within 6 months, was housebound. For 5 years. The first 2 years he spent in front of the TV, and eating. He learned how to get things delivered to him, how to get others to do things for him. Then, he decided that as long as he was going to HAVE panic, he might as well become an expert. He read everything he could lay hands on, he became an expert in writing applications for disability. Then he started Power Over Panic. The local hospital gave him an area to use for meetings. His wife drove him to meetings and picked him up afterwards. Theo and I became friends after I joined POP, started a tradition of dinner together Wednesday night before the meeting. He started driving himself to meetings. We both became noticeably improved. That was 5 years AGO. Today, Theo lives in California -and drives a Harley, anywhere he pleases. He calls once or twice a year. "I can't believe I'm feeling this good," he say...
I tell you this story not for the usual "if he can do it so can you reason," but rather because it sends a message about how people get over the panic. The meds and the desire and the therapy and the support of people who understand are essential. The other essential ingredient is actively doing something to change things, change youself. Take charge of something.
Tell us -what will it be? What will Kayla do differently today? What edge will you have that you didn't have before?
You've got the energy, girl. Read your own writing -perfectly electric and alive. And you've got the sense of humor -how many ha-ha's? I lost count. (Never was any good at math Ha ha!) Anyway, start putting together all your assets -and you mount a formidable array of advantages.
So -what is your plan? What will you do differently today? And how can we help?
heyyyyy! ok so seriously...I think sometimes we are the same person hahaha...what you described is how I feel to a T. Its awful....everytime I have to go somewhere I feel that way...or like yesterday I was anxious all day cause I knew my friend was coming over...and dont be embarrassed about your husband helping...I had to get my bf to help curl my hair in when i went to my cousins wedding in Sep; because I was sooo dizzy and sick and I knwo what you mean by just out of it...you feel so weird and lightheaded and feel like you have to throw up..and sometimes i just shake if im trying to do something cause im just so anxious,..and my problem as well is getting out the house....and the part leading up to leaving...im so anxious about leaving that i feel im guna pass out and puke and i start to sweat ..mainly my head gets really hot and like al my roots start to get wet and its awful..i have to put my hir up most the time cause it helps cool me down if i get like that....but usually once im out aswell about 15 minutes into it and relax im great for the whole night...and they could be like..lets fly to europe and id be like ok! without feeling sick..cause once im out and feeling good i usually feel great the whole night . most the time...enless its like shopping or a place packed with ppl...then i get to hot and worry that i cant get to a bathroom in time if i need one....i find things that calm me down are like...ok ill be sitting down so my stomach can settle when im there...and if i need to they have a bathroom. but even if i have a great time it goes back to the beginning all over again the next day...like today i woke up and knew i was going to my aunts for supper...which isnt toooo bad cause ive been there a 100 times...so i woke up got ready didnt eat...if im going anywhere in the day..i cant eat a thing.. that way i know i wont throw up anything ! its weird i know... so i had a easy time going! i was sooo happy..i mean i wasnt feeling 100% but it was veryyy mild feeling of being sick that i was actually able to just say im ok its my aunts ..ive thrown up there a billion times through out my life..they dont care i got my ginger ale...and i was fine.. i had a good time..i loved it..didnt want to go back home cause i knew once i got back home..it would be back to normal...at supper time i couldnt eat much..i started to feel a lil sick..but i just ate slow and it was all good. after supper i felt amazing the whole night. so im really happy with myself...but i know tomorrow it will be as if it didnt happen. my sisters were telling me they were happy for me that i did it with no problem. they were saying like " see you did it and it wasnt hard" and it felt good..but its so stupid cause say if they want to go somewhere tomorrow..i wont be able to...my friend asked me to take lil steps and just go sit at tim hortons for half an hour...and i dont even think i can do that...im kinda avoiding answering that question. im so happy for you though that you were able to go to disneyland!!! thats huge!!!! i would never be able to... no bathrooms for miles! hahaha but thats so great...i understand how tough it is so i really am happy for you. thats such an accomplishment....I still havent broken the news to my bf yet about having to prospone the trip to alberta next wed. ...i dont think i could ever do that right now... hes going to be heart broken..hes so excited to see me.. but i just..im not ready..i want to ask my docter to get off these pills and i think ill need to be at home for a while to do that..so i hope he understands and maybe by next month ill be well enough to try going! maybe the docter can drug me up for one day with some extra strong relaxant and ill be able to go! cause once im there im sure il be fine! so ill sk for like a needle of super strong medication for a day hahahaha....anyways i hope to hear from you soon! i love chatting with you...im feeling alot happyier lately...not so depressed and hating life...because i know someone out there understands.. and we can help each other..im no longer the insane one who is the only one on this planet who has this..i feel more normal now knowing other ppl have this too and its common ya know? and ya wii eases my anxiety too! but I wish there was someway I could show you the crafts ive been doing lately....nothing eases my anxiety more than my hobbies...and thank god im talented cause i would go insane stayingin the house all this time and not able to do anything to make the time go by hahaha..bye for now!!love kay
Lets see where do i start my night started horrible. I was so dizzy and my stomach felt like was going to puke my body became weak all over. I litterally felt like i had to throw up. This is embarrassing but my husband had to help me get ready by doing my hair and make up i was soo out of it! I kept telling him i wasn't going! He said it was ok i didn't have to go but still got me ready and before i knew it i was out the door and driving myself and my husband to Disneyland! When i first got there i was miserable for about 15 min i felt like i was going to pass out it was soo crowded! But as soon as i saw my friends the panic went away and i ended up having a great night! For me i think the most panic comes from the point were i have to get out of the house and ends about 10 to 20 minutes once im at the place i need to go. Im so glad you had a great night as well that makes me soo happy! I love playing wii it eases my anxitey! It's fun anyways got to go chat at you later. Love Bowla004
Hey you! thats awesome that youve been married for 3 years! like you said sometimes you just know your in love! I think its cute and congrats on it! Thats really cool that your going to disney land! I couldnt even think of going..I wish I could! my bf bought me a ticket to go see him in alberta and its on jan. 9th....next week...and i dont know how to tell him but its a 90% chance that I wont be going... I cant...how can i? I cant even go to my friends how am i going to take a plane 3 provinces over..then be away from home for 2 months...it isnt happening...im guna have to tell him I have to prospone it....plus I was thinking about making a docters app. and asking to get off my pills... they arent helping me in any way....so why stay on them right? so Im guna ask if I can start weening myself off,,,I live off effexor at 225 mg...most ppl take 75...if i miss it for one day...I lose my motor controls and man....cant even explain it...im addicted..but they do nothing for me..so i really want to get off..im scared ill get worse...but how much worse can this get i guess? I cant leave the house to go for a walk to the mail box....im guessing thats as bad as it can get...and dont worry about joking around about what we have...i do it all the time...its the only way of keeping myself sane about it! I always say..because the one place i never feel sick going to is my docters...and im always saying its because I know they have so many drugs there if i need any! haha...and I often joke about no one being able to swallow pills better then me now cause im a pill popper and take 8 a day....I need some laughter when it comes to my life! haha...so my friend called and said ill be at your house in 5 minutes....so i didnt have much time to worry and have a panick attack...all day I felt nauses and dizzy and very anxious in my stomach like I felt my muscles just going crazy and really just needed them to relax...and i was worried about getting worse when the time came that she would get here.. but i was fine...alot better then the last time she came over.. the last time it was so bad..i was shaking and dizzy and felt like i was going to faint..trying to poor myself a glass of ginger ale to help me and i was shaking..it was awful...but this time..it happened so quick i didnt have time to think about it. and the it went well cause we just sat and played nintendo wii with my family....she said her friend asked if we wanted to go to her house for a few hours..and i wanted to so bad..but i couldnt do it so i said no i was just guna stay home..and she left a bit later..tomorrow my aunt invited us over for supper...i used to have no problem going to my aunts...ive been sick there many times through out my life..its not like she cares she my aunt ya know? shes seen me sick since i was little so I really hope I have an easy time going. Im realy excited..havent seen anyone in a while...wasnt even able to go visiting on christmas so.. I pray it goes wel..i got my ginger ale..and my bag in my purse of course if i get sick.. and no pressure at my aunts..just alwys have fun so..ill just keep thinhking that...and hopefully when i go to bed tonigth i wont be anxious all night worried because i know im going there. I really want to hear how your night went and i hope it went well! thsi new year we will get better! and next new years eve we will go out with not even a second thought about it! no sick feelings at all!! we can do it! hope you had a great night!! bye for now! love Kay;
omg im so lightheaded and my stomach is bothering me so much today! Just the thought of going out tonight is bothering me! And im going to Disneyland which is sooo crowded. Im still determined to go out though! At least if i pass out at disneyland they are trained professionals lol! Sorry sometimes you just got to laugh at yourself. You want to hear something shocking i have been married for 3 years now! lol! Hey all i got to say is when love hits it hits. And im sooo glad i have a supportive husband to get me through this. Im the only one of my friends that are married too. lol But i don't regret it for one second. So hey let me know how it goes tonight. i ll do the same. Oh and you want to talk about being drugged i live of off xanax i know i need to slowly ween myself of but it is soo hard.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
