General Anxiety and Panic attacks (blood, experience, recall, confess)

[jonny]

Originally Posted by Jensa

I'm pretty resistant to stuff like that... if I'm stressed, it's like it barely affects me. I've been given 20 mg of Valium which I was told would knock me out, and next to nada. I can't take stuff just a half hour in advance... I'll have myself in knots a good day or two before the appointment if I know it'll involve a needle. I usually can barely sleep the night before.

That's how I am with public speaking, but I can usually deal with it from some of the breathing exercises I learned (I guess the therapy was worth it ) and then I take the pill to get me through it at the time.

If you want a good book about dealing with Anxiety get The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne. It has a lot of good tips in it to help you relax.

[Solon]

Xanax, is Alprazolam, and is a deriative the of Valium group. And as Jonny mentioned, is a miracle drug where panic attacks are concerned. I have had arguments with doctors and pychiatrists over what is addictive or not. I would argue that Xanax is not addictive, but you can become dependent on it. Addictive drugs act on the pleasure centers in the brain, and substances such as cocaine, heroins, nicotine are addictive as they effect dophamine levels. Xanax does not, and therfore is not addictive,addiction means a need for more and more, wheras researchers have proved that anxiety sufferers do not tend to increase the levels of the tranquilises being used.

[Solon]

I might add that the some anti-depressents, such as Seroxat, Paxil in the States, which control serotonin levels, are far more addictive. Valium has had a bad press which it does not deserve.

[Dark_Waltz]

Originally Posted by Solon

Well, I should like to start off with a confession, I've suffered from General Anxiety and Panic attacks most of my life. My problems were cited by my ex-wife as one of her reasons for ending our marrige. I'm never free from some anxiety on a day to day basis. I am prescribed xanax to keep it in check, and personally, I have nothing against anti-anxiety meds. I do not support the anti-drug lobby, and I strongly believe that many people could of been helped by Benzodiazaphenes, have been given less effective meds, such as beta-blockers, and anti-depressents, useless for anxiety in my personal experience. Anybody who suffers from anxiety is welcome to contact me, and I'll try to help via my own experiences.

Also, thanks to Michel for this forum, I believe it to be a very worthwhile adition to RF.

Thanks,

Solon

Hey I started on Beta blockers and my doc convinced me I should not go on anti depressants but I used the tablets as a bit of a respite.
I had them as a child then they stopped and they came back last year.
Thankfully things are calming down again now, so you guys are not alone

[Solon]

Beta-blockers in my personal experience are useless for anxiety/panic, all they did for me was slow my hear rate down, they had absolutely no effect on the brain, which is the seat of anxiety. I also refused to use anti-depressents for the same reason. And Buspar, was rubbish, it made my head really weird, like someone was twanging a bow string in it.

The only effective treatments I've found are Benzo's and I use Zopiclone to sleep, Zopiclone is very effective for me.

Solon

[Dark_Waltz]

Well yes the doctor made it quite clear she wanted me to beat this myself,
But it was so hard I was panicking and crying and the smallest things and fearing my next attack,
these tablets didnt stop the internal panick but did stop me from getting that feeling of wanting to pass out I was on them for 3 months just to give me time out from this fight,

I wouldnt want to be on permanent drugs for it

[Halcyon]

I don't know if anybody would like to hear a tale from the other side of the fence, but i'm gonna tell it anyway

About a year ago i was seeing a girl who suffered from constant anxiety, occasional panic attacks, paranoia, self harm and agrophobia. I'm the kind of guy who easily gets emotionally involved with people, practically an empath, so for me this relationship was extremely draining.
I tried my best to help her, i got her to see a councellor (spelling ?), i sat up till the earlier hours listening to her problems, and some of her paranoid fantasies, then i'd comfort her when she cried. But no matter how caring and loving i was, she never trusted me, nor did she improve psychologically in any other way.

I stuck with it for about 6 months. She had this thing she used to do i think was linked to her paranoia, but also i feel was a way of boosting her minimal esteem. Every few weeks she would break up with me, only to want to get back together a few days later, one day she did it and i decided that i could not take it any longer. I was depressed myself by now, so the next time she broke up with me i said i didn't want to get back together.
Needless to say this did not go down too well, and long story short she eventually took an overdose of painkillers, luckily she survived.

This is obviously a single case, but it does make me wonder if people with such problems realise the effect it can have on those around them. To me it seemed that she was very self involved, so much so that she believed herself to be the only person in the world with problems. I don't know how typical this is.

I empathise with you guys i really do, and i wish you all the best and that one day you overcome your anxiety. But, i can also understand those who do leave people with such anxiety issues, i often felt people saw me as an evil person after the relationship ended, especially after her overdose.

What do you guys think?

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

What do you guys think?

I think you did the right thing. If your relationship wasn't doing either of you any good (which it appears it was not), then there was no reason for you to remain in the relationship. Some people allow their fears to take such a hold on them, that no amount of thearpy or reasoning can get them back out. At this point, and only in the most extreme circumstance, people may want to consider medication; otherwise, the disable themselves from maintaining fulfilling relationships which hurt not only themselves, but the people that love them.

[jonny]

I would have done the same thing. You shouldn't get into relationships to try and save people and if you find out that you're in a relationship like that you should get out!

My anxiety isn't as severe as what people have described. I can function without the medicine just fine - I just feel more comfortable with it.

[Saw11_2000]

Originally Posted by Solon

Well, I should like to start off with a confession, I've suffered from General Anxiety and Panic attacks most of my life. My problems were cited by my ex-wife as one of her reasons for ending our marrige. I'm never free from some anxiety on a day to day basis. I am prescribed xanax to keep it in check, and personally, I have nothing against anti-anxiety meds. I do not support the anti-drug lobby, and I strongly believe that many people could of been helped by Benzodiazaphenes, have been given less effective meds, such as beta-blockers, and anti-depressents, useless for anxiety in my personal experience. Anybody who suffers from anxiety is welcome to contact me, and I'll try to help via my own experiences.

Also, thanks to Michel for this forum, I believe it to be a very worthwhile adition to RF.

Thanks,

Solon

I have generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. I have never had long term treatment with a benzodiazepine, but I have had short term treatment with one, lorazepam.

It totally $#*@ed me up. I was amazingly tired, sure my anxiety was gone, but that was practically because I was falling asleep. Also, they are addictive drugs.

Typically, they don't prescribe these long term.