Someone to understand me

[Stellez]

Hi! I have been dealing with anxiety/panic attacks since June 19, 2010. I have had many trips to the emergency room, thinking I was having a stroke or heart attack. I was experiencing a lot of the same symptoms many of you are familiar with...heart palpitations, tightness in chest, that warm feeling, shallow breathing, pain/tightness in arm, numbness in face, etc. the ER doctors told me that I have panic/anxiety disorder. It was so scary because I truly felt that something was wrong with my heart, as I have (controlled) high blood pressure. The doctors and nurses were just so casual about my diagnosis and which made me even more "anxious". I started seeing a therapist and started relying more on Ativan ( I was taking it everyday). I tried Lexapro and Zoloft, but they actually seemed to make matters worse. A year later, I weaned off of Ativan and am practicing the coping mechanisims I learned. I had surgery (gallbladder removal) and am feeling like I am more in control. I was doing so great for a while, however, the anxiety came back. Tightness in chest/below left shoulder, heart palpitations, nausea, numbness in face, shallow breathing, etc. 2 episodes were so bad, I reached for my (leftover) Ativan. Sometimes, I will just start crying out of the blue and tell my fiance that, "I am not feeling well". He already knows what that means. I hate being home alone (at night), which is when my anxiety can get bad. I hate to admit this, but I get scared that I am going to die. I am not sleeping well. When daylight comes, I feel better because I know I "made it". Can anyone relate to this? Anxiety is so awful. I would never wish this on anyone. Please help...Thank you!!!

[nlk259949]

I wasn't saying that everything natural is safe, but marijuana IS safe, that is why it is prescribed medically in states where it is allowed, by a physician. This is because it has been proven to have no negative side effects. There are no studies out there to prove that marijuana does anything negative or harmful to the body, and the studies that do show that, are bogus (they were done where the participants were smoking everything, which is not good for you). It actually is very beneficial to people though, especially in the forms of vaporizing, oil, or when put into food. It has helped numerous cancer patients be able to eat and sustain themselves, it helps kill cancer cells, and does many other wonderful things for people. I am not talking about smoking marijuana and getting blazed out of your mind, if that is what you are thinking. I am talking about using it in the same way you would any other prescribed " drug" that you speak of. Prescribed medications ARE drugs, and they have so many harmful side effects. There are a few good prescribed medications, but most are not good for your body (hence the awful side effects).They also, in the long term, are completely harming your body, and will typically not cure you. Usually people that try to cure themselves with prescribed medications are still taking them when they feel/get better, because they did not fix the problem. Medications are band aids to the real problem. Supplements on the other hand, are things that our bodies are obviously lacking (hence the anxiety with all of us), and if you find the right ones that work for you, it will cure you in the long run. If your anxiety is cured, then you won't have to take all of these supplements anymore, because your body won't be depleting them so rapidly. You could then just stick with a multivitamin. Also, people with stress/anxiety do not absorb enough vitamins and minerals from their daily diet (unless they are juicing greens and eating vegetables all day long). Most people in this world should be taking at least a multivitamin. Most foods that we eat in the day do not contain anything close to what you would get out of a multivitamin. Also, exercise has been proven as well to raise serotonin levels in the brain, which enhances your mood, and lessens anxiety. Too much running though, yes, is not good. But pushing yourself to run 30 minutes every other day, or even just a few times a week, is good for you. If we depressed/anxious people didn't push ourselves, we'd be locked in our houses all day long, not trying to cure ourselves.    

[gofio]

Natural doesn't = safe, strychnine's natural, like arsenic, hemlock etc etc. Stay clear of any medication that's not been prescribed by a qualified medical professional. If you have an 'average' normal diet you don't need supplements, & certainly no 'drugs'. In the end you'll need to find your own ways of coping with anxiety, good to hear how others have done it, but you are unique. Exercise does 'sometimes' raise the mood, but I've ran marathons & the anxiety's been there every step of the way. Suggest you DON'T push yourself too hard, unless you feel it works. Avoid things that stress you if you know what they are of course. Distraction can work, but therapy/meds are what gets me through the down times. If you want the benefits of meds you must accept the side-effects. Good Luck,

[nlk259949]

Hi! I am so sorry that you are going through all of this, I know that it can't be easy at all on you. I have has extreme anxiety since around 8th grade. It has gotten better in certain ways, and worse in others. I have experienced a full blown panic attack one time about a year ago, and it was just as horrible as you described. The world literally felt like it was closing in, my hearing was softer, I sat down and my heart started pounding. I ran inside the house saying I needed someone to call 911. I laid on the couch and my heart was pounding so fast, I could hear it like you do in a movie when someone has a heart attack. I literally felt like the world was fading away from me. It was the first time in my life I thought I might die. That experience has changed me in a horrible way. I have been to the doctor twice for an EKG about half a year ago, because my heart rate was so high. After the panic attack, I felt uneasy a lot when I got stressed out, and started taking my pulse rate all of the time when I was stressed. My anxiety got so bad that I couldn't even work out because it would hurt my heart. I was stressing myself out so much that I has bruising on the inside of my chest from where my heart was beating so hard/or stressing so much. It was literally horrible. I still have problems since then. My heart always feels tight. If I have caffeine my heart starts to hurt. If I work out it sometimes will hurt. I can't work out with caffeine in my system or I will get extreme bruising on the inside of my chest where my heart is. I absolutely hate it. I also have has stomach problems as a product of my anxiety. I have not thrown up from it like you said, but I had a period where I would get extremely anxious around food, to the point where I could barley eat. I got down to 100 pounds, and was barley eating each day. Honestly, what I have done to help myself, is a combination of a few things.
1.) I stopped caring what everyone else thought. I literally only talk to my fiancee, his family, my family, and a few other people. I stopped trying to have a million friends, and I stopped trying to have everyone like me. I always wanted to please everyone, but you can't do that. So if you just stop caring, it takes a lot of the burden off of you. Life is just life, and it's not worth stressing over people. That's one huge thing I have learned, and am still working on.
2.) EXERCISE. Running 30 minutes a day/every other day will really help your anxiety. Even if you don't feel good, try to push yourself. I notice even if I feel sick or anxious before I run, when I am finished the stomach ache will be gone and I will be a lot more calm and happy.
3.) Take Supplements. I take a Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin D, A Multivitamin, Co Q 10, Magnesium, and Fish Oil on occasion (but it's great to take everyday, I just have trouble keeping up with it). These will all help you GREATLY with your anxiety, I can promise you that. Take them spaced out through out the day, WITH your meals (I usually take them in the middle of my meal, that way there is food in the stomach, and more going down--it helps for absorption).
4.) Marijuana- Not something you have to do, BUT, you can put it on just about anything that you can put in the oven (baked potato, peanut butter on crackers, etc), and bake it for about 20 minutes (cook the baked potato mostly first, then add the marijuana to it and then leave in oven for about 20 mins). This really helps with nausea, and calming me down, and it is completely natural.
I know this is a lot, and you are not obligated to do any of these suggestions. I just wanted to tell you anything that I could think of to help, because I know how much anxiety *****. Just know, it will get better, it just takes time.
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." - Buddha

[Stellez]

Lately, I have been having anxiety after eating. It may have something to do with post surgery (gallbladder removal), but my food just seems to get stuck at my sturnum. The problem is that I can't burp and I start to get anxious. The shallow breathing follows and I start focusing on my heartbeat. The nausea sets in and if by this time I still can't burp, I throw up my food. I read that MSG can cause panic/anxiety attacks. Can anyone relate???