The good Ole days.

[Concernedgal]

Does anyone here ever think about how many things you took for granted before the anxiety? I remember being able to go into grocery stores, being in a car, able to withstand social situations without the worry of a panic attack. The day I had my first panic attack, was the day my life changed forever. For the life of me I can't even understand why. 1 minute I was having fun and going on with my normal life and the next.. panic attack. I swore that day I was having a heart attack or a stroke,. I just knew that whatever was going on wasn't right. ( to be honest, I thought I was going to die that day) but, every since then . .. I can't enjoy life anymore without the worry or concern of my anxiety and panic. I just wish that my life could go back to being what it used to be. Does anyone else feel this way?

 

[JCP]

I wish I did remember days I didn't have anxiety but I've had social anxiety for pretty much as long as I can remember, so I can't really think of a time where I didn't have it, it's just normal for me now

 

[Concernedgal]

Don't feel bad. The ability to remember an anxiety free life makes it so much harder. It really does. It makes you severely depressed sometimes just thinking about it.

 

[JCP]

I can image

Are you taking any meds for panic attacks? Or anything natural?

 

[Concernedgal]

It's hard to find an anti depressants that's right for me. The only thing that helps are benzos. Ativan to be exact.

 

[JCP]

That's great that Ativan helps you. I'm in the UK and they almost never prescribe benzos. With the meds they give me ( Zoloft, Lexapro), I get negative side effects like headache etc. So I never keep taking them. At the moment i'm taking Kratom daily, it really helps me with GAD and SA

 

[Alex]

Yes, I hanker for the old days, but back then I was so busy doing things I didn't stop to think too much. These days I can see more clearly, have a little more empathy, and appreciate smaller things in life. I also have learned that you can gain strength from facing things.

I look at it as a new phase, a wiser one where I can consciously decide on doing things rather than to do them because society expects me to. I think back to the things I have done, and know that I could do them again, but do I need to? Probably not, but day to day things I can do at a push and it's okay. Often I find we pressurize ourselves and I realized that there is no need.

 

[Natasha0717]

Does anyone here ever think about how many things you took for granted before the anxiety? I remember being able to go into grocery stores, being in a car, able to withstand social situations without the worry of a panic attack. The day I had my first panic attack, was the day my life changed forever. For the life of me I can't even understand why. 1 minute I was having fun and going on with my normal life and the next.. panic attack. I swore that day I was having a heart attack or a stroke,. I just knew that whatever was going on wasn't right. ( to be honest, I thought I was going to die that day) but, every since then . .. I can't enjoy life anymore without the worry or concern of my anxiety and panic. I just wish that my life could go back to being what it used to be. Does anyone else feel this way?

I used to, my first panic attack was at the age of 12. I was just a kid, so you can imagine how scary it was and I didn't even know what the heck was going on. But one day, something happened that made me realize that it was my own mind causing the attacks. We were in class (I was 13 at the time) and the principal announced over the loud speaker that there was a gas leak in the school, and that we would all be sent home early because of it. I immediately had a panic attack, because I already believed that I was breathing in "toxic gas" and I was feeling the effects of it. But then I looked around, and realized that no other students were. That was the day I finally "caught myself in the act." Just hearing that there was a gas leak was enough to make me believe that I was suddenly inhaling dangerous chemicals, and already feeling the effects of them, and I got all dizzy, heart racing, light-headed, feeling like I was about to die, you know, the usual. All from the principal's announcement.

So I was officially BUSTED. From that day on, I knew it was my own mind creating the panic attacks, and after that, they slowly dwindled down to almost nothing. It takes A LOT to bring on a panic attack for me these days....not like before, when I was little....I was getting them almost every day, for no apparent reason. Until it finally hit me that I was the creator of them. That's the day I won. I truly hope this happens for you one day, because that's how you conquer them.

 

[Concernedgal]

I really hope so I can someday achieve what you have achieved with your anxiety. Most of my panic attacks occur in my car. Riding in a car... it just gives a situation where I 've lost control. If i'm at home and I have a panic attack I can easily do relaxation techniques to get through them but, on a car however, there's just no way. I should ask my doctor about phobia.

 

[JCP]

Have you ever tried therapy for your panic attacks?

 

[Concernedgal]

Have you ever tried therapy for your panic attacks?

Yep. The usual cbt therapy. Wish there was an easier solution than that though. Lol. Takes patience for it. That's something i'm not.. lol

 

[JCP]

Yep. The usual cbt therapy. Wish there was an easier solution than that though. Lol. Takes patience for it. That's something i'm not.. lol

Yeah I'm the same lol . I'm doing cbt too, but for social anxiety, I have to say i'm not really getting any benefit from it yet. Although I've only done about 4-5 sessions.

 

[Concernedgal]

I know what you mean . To me it's almost like they want to pretend that you don't have anxiety. They want you to say to yourself... these are just symptoms of panic, your not going to die .. . It sure feels like your go

 

[Alex]

CBT works for some people, but I knew it was never right for me. I think it's what most therapists suggest, and I was fortunate no one pushed me to do it when I said 'no'.

Therapy takes time, courage, and also support. When you have these, plus a good therapist then you are lucky.

 

[Concernedgal]

Well, it definitely wasn't right for me either. I just can't pretend or ignore the fact that I have anxiety. Like if I have a panic attack and I get that sense of doom that comes along with it. .. I can't brush that off and tell myself that it will be alright. Cbt claims that it can give you ability to look at anxiety differently, I just can't see how. Anxiety is scary and it dramatically alters your life.. (it does mine anyway) maybe if they did more research on anxiety and actually found the reason why people who have it... well... have it. Then maybe they can be able to eliminate it all together. Fingers crossed.

 

[JCP]

I know what you mean . To me it's almost like they want to pretend that you don't have anxiety. They want you to say to yourself... these are just symptoms of panic, your not going to die .. . It sure feels like your go

Yup, I have more social anxiety than panic attacks, but I still know that feeling, I had a severe panic attack once when I took weed on holiday(I know my own fault ), that feeling of panic when you think your gonna die is bloody terrible! Wouldn't wish it on anyone

 

[Concernedgal]

Yep. And it only takes that 1 severe panic attack to change your life forever. It did mine. Now I constantly fear another one. That's why I have more panic anxiety than social anxiety.

 

[JCP]

Yep. And it only takes that 1 severe panic attack to change your life forever. It did mine. Now I constantly fear another one. That's why I have more panic anxiety than social anxiety.

That's true, I had 2 minor (well relatively) attacks a few weeks after. And that was before not having any all my life! One when I was talking to a receptionist at a therapy session (random?) and the other after taking Kava, which is suppose to be anti anxiety herb/sedative! It's weird, i guess one attack subconsciously opens doors in the mind which aren't usually opened. And that's where the triggers start. (And in my case that was weed).

 

[Concernedgal]

Exactly. Now your body and your mind knows what panic and anxiety is. So now your main "mission " is to avoid them at all cost. It becomes your life mission. You avoid potentially stressful situations at the fear of another attack. But, the bitch of it is, is that there's really nothing you can do. They come at random and for no good reason. I hate it when they come while i'm a work. So inconvenient. I've had an ambulance come at my job because I couldn't control my panic. Now that's embarrassing.

 

[JCP]

Gosh that sounds terrible

Do you not take benzos everyday? I would of thought Ativan would be pretty good at preventing them?