I have a question about anxiety and depression?

[shay1988]

Ok so I Kno I suffer from health anxiety but I'm thinking I may have depression as well? I know anxiety has a ton of different side effects u get but is feeling like your doomed, and always sad and crying, can this be from anxiety or could i suffer from depression as well? It's so bad I can't even get out of bed today. I feel helpless and like it's not even worth getting up cause I'm just going to feel worse. I am doing a little better with my anxiety attacks with acceptance and just letting it come and not adding fear, but this other feeling I have is way darker and I just don't feel right.

 

[Phillies Phan]

That does sound more like depression. Sorry if you’ve stated this before, but are you on medication? Perhaps see your doctor and as k about an antidepressant. There are many of them. Each one takes time to work and yes, there are side effects. Working closely with your doctor and the one that will work for you can be determined.

 

[shay1988]

Hello, no I am not on any meds I'm getting ready to start treatment and with these meds I can't take anxiety meds or depression meds or antibiotics or allot of other stuff because it will interfere with my treatment. I hate this cause I know I really need something. My treatment will only last for 3 months so after I'm done I will for sure try something for my anxiety/depression. But I am suffering so bad I'm not sure what I can do in the meantime to help cope without meds. I'm trying acceptance for my anxiety and I'm doing ok with that I have bad days and good days but I can't get rid of this feeling of doom and dread. It's making my life miserable

 

[Jonathan123]

Hello, no I am not on any meds I'm getting ready to start treatment and with these meds I can't take anxiety meds or depression meds or antibiotics or allot of other stuff because it will interfere with my treatment. I hate this cause I know I really need something. My treatment will only last for 3 months so after I'm done I will for sure try something for my anxiety/depression. But I am suffering so bad I'm not sure what I can do in the meantime to help cope without meds. I'm trying acceptance for my anxiety and I'm doing ok with that I have bad days and good days but I can't get rid of this feeling of doom and dread. It's making my life miserable

This is all happening because you are mentally exhausted. When we have had anxiety for some time we do get tired, both physically and mentally. Anxiety drains our vital energy, the energy we use for day to day living. This results in feelings of doom and gloom. I do suggest that when the treatment you are having stops you do see your GP about some antidepressants. They can help a lot short term, but do take time to click in. I was on them for a while many years ago and they helped a lot. They give you the chance to calm your mind and look at your situation with some reason. Good days, bad days! It's what I call the 'YO YO' effect. Being up one day and down the next, even from hour to hour. It can be frustrating and make us think it will never end. It will if we go on with acceptance however hard it may seem.

 

[shay1988]

Hello Jonathan123 you always have the best advice. And u have helped me so much. I really am mentally exhausted! It's so hard to explain my symptoms. It's like my whole body hurts and my head is busting all the time I just feel like I have the flu! But don't. It's so crazy. And u want to tell yourself something is wrong but u try and think positive but it's so hard to when you feel like your dying. And u don't wanna do anything. I kno acceptance is key. And I will continue to practice this.

 

[shay1988]

I'm afraid I took another step back. My mom just had to call ambulance for me cause I really thought this was it. I couldn't breath, couldn't swallow, my heart was beating so fast I almost passed out I really thought I was done for this time. I'm at hospital now and of course I've calmed down some. But I feel as if I'm losing my mind. I really feel that way. What set all this off was I was sitting on my couch and I felt this weird feeling in my chest and I knew I was going to have a heart palpitation u can literally feel right before one happens, but it did it again and again which is odd for me usually only happens once for like 3 secs then goes away. So my mom took my blood pressure and it was 132/91 which ain't bad but it is a little high for me mine usually runs low. Well the heart monitor on the blood pressure thing kept going off saying my heart was beating irregular. So we checked my blood pressure again 3 more times and still it was saying irregular beat, well I guess that's all it took cause I just knew I was dying. I mean this is the worst one yet! So I'm going to have a good talk with the ER Dr while I'm here and make sure I go over all my fears while I'm here! I think I really do need like a counselor or someone I can go see and talk to. I think that would help some as well. I had both my kids freaking out and I hate seeing them upset. The ambulance wouldn't let my daughter come with me so I went alone. But I'm waiting now to speak with Dr. I want so bad to just push a button and all this is over. But I kno, I Kno it takes time.

 

[Phillies Phan]

So many things you list that scream anxiety. First, the heart palpitations. Because they were a bit more intense than usual, you began to panic. Then (why?) your mom took your BP and you get some reading about the heart. My advise is unless your doctor instructs you to monitor your BP/heart, toss those machines directly in the garbage. What you are doing is called checking. For me, I got on a kick taking my temperature, and as soon as it would on occasion exceed about 99.0F I was certain I had an daily fever. I mentioned It to my doctor, temperature was fine and he said stop this nonsense of checking your temperature all day long. Then one time I did the same thing with my weight. I was sure one day that my weight went down 2 pounds because I must have cancer. Then the “thrill” of seeing the weight return the next day. I finally stopped that too. Checking = bad unless your doctor instructs it.

So all this not surprisingly leads to a panic attack and all those symptoms that tell you you’re dying…until you don’t and it goes away, as the adrenaline and cortisol you’ve allowed to spike, gets to finally calm down.

Finally, I have kids too and it’s the worst feeling when I’m in an episode of anxiety, hypochondria and I know it affects them. I fear one or more of them will take after their dad in that way and it makes me very sad.

Agree with Jonathan, when you’re able to, have that talk with your doctor about medication. I agree with you that until then it would be great if you could find a therapist to chat with a couple times a week. Also as Jon said, I agree go to anxietycentre.ca (or .com I forget) and look over that site and consider starting up a session with a counselor who him or herself is a recovering anxiety survivor.

 

[shay1988]

Hello, and thank you for your answer! I kno I shouldn't keep check on my heart rate but I was feeling so bad my mom insisted I check it. I just feel so bad I mean the hospital done X-rays , blood work, urine, ckg, and I'm still back at home now worried! What is wrong with me why can't I accept that it's just anxiety. And that I'm ok. But my heart still feels like it's racing my chest still hurts, I feel shaky and my head is busting! Sick at my stomach. I think maybe I just haven't calmed down all the way from my scare today. First time I've ever went in a ambulance for somthing like that. I have rode in one only once when I went into labor and that was the only other time, so I think it was a little dramatic for me. I just want so bad to just have one day! Just one day to feel good. I cry all the time now cause I can't help but feel hopeless. I'm lost and I'm going crazy!

 

[Jonathan123]

Hello, and thank you for your answer! I kno I shouldn't keep check on my heart rate but I was feeling so bad my mom insisted I check it. I just feel so bad I mean the hospital done X-rays , blood work, urine, ckg, and I'm still back at home now worried! What is wrong with me why can't I accept that it's just anxiety. And that I'm ok. But my heart still feels like it's racing my chest still hurts, I feel shaky and my head is busting! Sick at my stomach. I think maybe I just haven't calmed down all the way from my scare today. First time I've ever went in a ambulance for somthing like that. I have rode in one only once when I went into labor and that was the only other time, so I think it was a little dramatic for me. I just want so bad to just have one day! Just one day to feel good. I cry all the time now cause I can't help but feel hopeless. I'm lost and I'm going crazy!

Now stop thinking that way! YOU ARE NOT GOING CRAZY. NO WAY!! As a counsellor I saw many cases like yours on a daily basis, and all down to adding fear to fear. Can you see the cycle you set up? The fear begins with a feeling like palpitations, you begin to get alarmed, then maybe you panic. More fear more adrenaline. Checking yourself with a BP machine is about the worse thing to do. We are not doctors so can't interpret readings. Let the diagnosticians do the diagnosing! You know you are doing this to yourself. When you feel something coming, STOP, take deep breaths and let it come. No fighting or struggling with 'IT'. Can you see it's your reaction to 'IT' that causes the anxiety? Why can't you accept it's anxiety? Because your reactions have become a habit. Yes, anxiety can become an habitual response to any fear that may arise. Hope is always there, but you should try and give in. That is not giving up, oh no! There is a big difference. Give up the struggle. Let it all come with calm acceptance, well as calm as you can manage it at first. It takes time and patience, but the result is inevitable if you stick at it.

 

[shay1988]

Hello Jonathan, I Kno I put myself up for failure when I tried to fight it. I think once my mom called the ambulance is when I really got fearful thinking well maybe this time it is my heart! But as soon as I get to hospital my heart is fine. And it's no figure huh cause my heart is fine! My blood is fine x-ray was fine. But soon as I got home it happened again and I laid in bed crying thinking I'm going crazy! So I looked up Claire weeks on audible and started listening to her and it makes total since what she's talking about! It will take time we will have fall backs but we have to keep calm and not fight it because it will win! Just float and accept the feelings that come and kno it's just anxiety and it's totally normal! I think I made myself worse because my not eating or moving, I need to eat and get up and move and just kno if the feeling starts to come to let it come don't fight. I kno I can do this and I think I really need a counselor that I can talk to along my way to recovery and also to help me threw my treatment which has brought on this anxiety to begin with. I think once I start my treatment and I take those first few pills it will help me calm myself because I don't have to fear starting treatment anymore. I think listening to Claire weeks I also know now that I suffer from agoraphobia. So I need to practice on accepting that as well when I'm going to work and out to the store, I need to tell myself I'm ok and all these feelings are normal.

 

[Jonathan123]

Our minds can become like the old gramophone records, stuck in a groove and playing the same notes over and over. Many fail to see that anxiety can become a habit. Our reaction to any symptoms is always the same, adding more fear. It's a kind of knee jerk response. When we begin to realise that all those awful emotions are nothing but illusions we begin to recover. 'How can what I am feeling be an illusion, it's so awful?' What is an illusion? 'Something seen or felt but not real'. Like a mirage in the desert. Our minds tend to take in what we see as a reality when most of it is an illusion. We may run toward the mirage only to find it recedes the closer we seem to get. Is that not the same in anxiety? We run around looking for ways out when staying still and accepting it all is best.

 

[shay1988]

Yes that's so true! When u think of it like that. The night I went to the hospital I was fighting it so hard freaking out! And it lasted for about 2 hours then some later. But last night I got so worked up my heart started pounding so hard and fast I told myself to lay down accept it and breath! And I did this! And within I think ten minutes it went away. I calmed down faster then fighting it. And I realized doing this is way better then making it worse! It was very hard to breath! But I did it anyway. It's just your mind wants to fight it and your scared but it just makes it worse. I also talked with my husband about it. I told him I felt like I'm going to go crazy if I keep having these attacks. He said no your not going crazy it's all normal reaction, he went to a counselor when he was younger and had bad anxiety and he cured himself from it he knew it's all in his mind. But I'm glad I told him how I feel. And I know it's not the end there will be more maybe even today but I have to keep telling myself it's all ok and don't fight it.

 

[shay1988]

Jonathan123 I do have one question about anxiety, can some of the effects last all day? Like today I have had the feeling that my heart is beating faster then it should and plus a kind of tightness in my chest and throat? I kno it's anxiety but is it normal for this feeling to last all day? Constantly? It's very aggravating but I Kno now how to control my severe attacks but this lasting feeling is such a nuisance.

 

[Jonathan123]

All day!! It is possible to last all week or all year if something is not done about it. Try and accept that it is all anxiety based, and that if you continue to accept without feeling fearful about it all it will gradually stop. But it takes time. Try not to be impatient with time. Very difficulty, and you may feel I am asking a lot, but it's the only way to be rid of the symptoms. Stick with it . Don't give in.

 

[shay1988]

Thank you Jonathan123, I needed to hear that. I've been having these horrible migraines every night that last for hours as well. I kno it's stress related I'm sure. And bad stomach sickness. Can't even eat, I know that's bad. I need to eat. It's takes so much out of you. I try to take ibuprofen for my head and it doesn't even work so it's gotta be stress headache. I can barely even work. I have to leave sometimes. And I'm not going to give up my hard work. I tried to have a good night last night no matter what but my head wouldn't let me with all the pain. I'm going to make a Dr appointment and see if they can't give me something anything to help me even while I'm treatment cause I for sure need something.

 

[Phillies Phan]

Yes, as long as you are anxious, the cortisol and adrenaline still course through your bloodstream causing the symptoms. Even after you calm down, these chemicals only dissipate slowly, so you could be over a crisis for a week, or longer and suddenly you get a migraine or even a panic attack. As noted before, you need to get to the point where you say, oh another panic attack. Whatever. Who cares anyway. No freaking out. Calm acceptance and eventually, when the body has time to calm itself fully, you can rid yourself of the symptoms.

This and many other things are masterfully explained in that website Jonathan and I have recommended to you. It’s free for most content and $5 per month Canadian should you want even deeper information. You should read the site owners personal story. You’d be amazed what he went through and it was all anxiety caused.

 

[shay1988]

It's the axietycenre.com right?

 

[Phillies Phan]

It's the axietycenre.com right?

Correct. The site owner is Jim Folk. it’s easy to navigate. Look up for example 100 symptoms of anxiety

Correct. The site owner is Jim Folk. it’s easy to navigate. Look up for example 100 symptoms of anxiety

anxietycentre.com. I suggest you scroll all the way down and select site index

 

[shay1988]

Thank you. I looked it up. It's there any techniques for helping with anxiety and stress headaches? That's my main problem now is migraine. I've had one for two days straight now. I've tried ibuprofen but that doesn't even touch the pain. I've tried cold packs on my head as well. Nothing is working.

 

[Phillies Phan]

There’s prescription meds for migraines. Might want to check that out