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Wow! To coin an old phrase.."You've come a long way baby"...I'm so happy for you. I'm so glad you are still with us...both on here and in reality. You are such an inspiration to so many of us. If you can beat such severe anxiety so can the rest of us.
"The hardest simplest thing you will ever do" is my quote from you that I love the most. Thanks for reminding me of it.
I love your new picture too..we are going to put a hummingbird feeder up this weeekend. I enjoy watching them flutter around.
You know me, but neither one of us have been on here long enough for you to have known me two years ago. I was a mess. I saw my therapist yesterday for a friendly visit and to discuss some ideas I had about anxiety. She told me about me two years ago when I first saw her. I was suicidal, and Agoraphobic so bad I could barely walk down the hall to her office. I would not believe that there was any relief short of taking medication for the rest of my life. I swore up and down that I would never get better. I would have to psych myself up for days to go to town and many a time the anxiety when in the grocery store was so bad I thought I would pass out. I would drive slowly by my favourite coffee shop and want a hot chocolate so bad but I just could not go in. I would cry so bad all the way home because I was sure I was going to die either from this or by my own hand. I locked my gun cabinet and threw the keys on the roof out of my reach. I had panic attacks every night at around two in the morning and they lasted one to three hours and left me drained the next day. I was scared to sleep. I was addicted to Ativan and it took me a year to get off it and I was off for a year before I got relief from the damage it had done. I had myself committed to the Psych ward for rest and observation. I had to be in a hospital for Staph infection any way so I might as well get answers. The answer was that there was nothing mentally wrong with me I just had an anxiety disorder.
No for some of us twelve weeks is too short. But even taking two years to get freedom is worth it and I am well on the way to being able to do what ever I want, when ever I want. So for any one who thinks I haven't been there, I have, there and worse.
Any way a few of the things my therapist said: most people have Agoraphobia in one or more of it's forms, The what if thought is the most common form of anxiety and journaling is the best road to relief. There were a lot more questions and answers but most were to make sure I was on the right track and just for my information bank.
All of you will get better if you want to, all you have to do is replace all that negative thought with positive. "The hardest simple thing you will ever do". But if you stick too it, it works. And you know if you don't put a time limit on yourself two years goes by pretty fast. Look at all the things you will get to celebrate in that period as you get better.
I used to work as a Home-Care nurse...for the first while it was great...cause alot of people I saw got better...that was always nice...then the focus went to Palliative care...that was not for me at all...visiting 6-8 dying people of all ages a shift made me so depressed. I switched to geriatrics, and really enjoy it...all of the residents are elderly, so when they get die I can handle it. Dealing with acute care/trauma must be very stressing. I could not do that.
When I have to go and get my BP checked I challenge my worry with the 10 questions. This really helps calm me down. I start days before the appointment. Like today...and I don't even go until Friday. My first thougth is always the same..what if its sky high? Your doctor knows you have anxiety/phobias right? So they should take their time with you, take your BP more than once, and see if it goes down at all. Do you have your own machine? Maybe taking it alot will help get you more comfortable ? I'm not great at that yet either...but tons better than before I started here.
My new doctor is so good. When I didnt want to know the numbers she turned her computer away from me and said..ok..maybe next time you will be ready. What a relief.
I too do not like the idea of relying on medications, it was a last resort for me...I still feel like I gave up...but I'm also at the point I will do whatever it takes to get better. I do feel much better. I know this is called a 12 week program..I guess peole do get better in that time...I'm still working on exposures..slow but steady.. So if you commit yourself to this I think you will see big improvements, and all that positivity will make you realize you can beat this.
Thanks for replying :-) Its nice to relate to others. I only began CBT approximately two weeks ago and am trying to stay motivated to write thoughts down and do breathing excercises to bring myself down when I get anxious. I have tried the medication route before which did work somewhat but never eliminated the anxiety and panic. I am not a fan of taking medication but we will see if it helps. I hear the combination of the CBT and the medication can be very beneficial in time. I developed a fear for my health while in school to be a Paramedic and as of lately it has turned into a phobia. Now my big struggle is the fear that my Blood Pressure is high and whenever I go to the doctors in a panic, obviously it is extremely high. When you see sick people every day of all ages I suppose it has an effect on you.
Good for you for starting a CBT program. This program is very beneficial..the techniques work! It takes time..but its worth it. I've been here for almost 2 months now. I am also in Health Care (LPN) and over the years I have developed phobias about all things related to my health. I don't know why. I recently started on a SSRI..and it seems to be helping. I did not visit a doctor for almost 10 years due to my doctor phobia...and now have one, and although its not easy, by using the breathing and positive self-talk I've learned I can go see her fairly calmly. I have had medical tests done lately that a little while back would have sent into panic attack and made me so anxious that I could barely cope.
Being a Paramedic must be extremely stressful . Do you think your career has something to do with your increased health phobia? How far are you in the CBT program? Please post often, we are all here for each other.
Welcome to our support community and thank you for sharing your story and
support with us. There are many people within this support group that share the
same questions and concerns as you. We are all a group of
individuals who support each other.
If you look to the left of the screen under "TOOLS" you will find
many supportive tests. These tests are not diagnostic tools and are
not a replacement or substitute for a physician's advice. The purpose of these
tests is to prepare you with information that you can present to your
physician. When you're finished the test, you can either print your Final
Report or email it directly to your doctor.
We also have developed a Panic Program. This program is 12-weeks and
involves the tools mentioned above. Each session is based on the
previous session, so we strongly advise that you work slowly through the
program and not jump ahead.
These tests may or may not be for you but they are
"free". If you have any question or concerns with our
“TOOLS”, you can contact us at support@paniccenter.net. We are the
Support Specialist for The Panic Center and are open to any questions or
concerns you may have.
The program will also discuss exposure therapy, which can help you overcome phobias.
I am a 25yo male who has suffered with anxiety related problems for approximately five years now. In the past two years I have developed a Health Phobia where I get extremely anxious when in a clinical setting or undergoing any sort of medical tests.
Prior to the other day I have not had panic attacks in years and lately I am finding it hard to get through the day. I saw my doctor recently who prescribed me Paxil and I am undergoing CBT. I am a Paramedic and work in the healthcare field everyday. Does anyone have any other suggestions.
Carnations: Try to remember why the good days were good. What made the bad days bad? Where can you change something to make it a bit easier for yourself on the bad day? It does take awhile to get better and it seems so slow at times that you wonder if you ever will. Pls. don't give up. It will get better. Hope you are reading the program and practicing the breathing and relaxation exercises. They really do help, practice every day.
Keep the exposure small and restrict it to good days only. If this still doesn't work then it is too soon and you need to spend more time on relaxation and coping skills.
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