God it's like looking in a mirror. Congratulations! What a feeling hey! (canadian word) I know what you mean. What I could have done and been if not for panicing every time I got close to doing something impressive. I started out in the electronics feild and dropped it so I wouldn't have to deal with people. (crowds) The only good thing I got was that I read a lot and improved my knowledge base. I haven't been as panic free as you or for as long but I know in my mind I can be and will because I want to be. I don't want to be a timid little mouse hiding in the corner watching others live. The key is I want it! It is so good to hear some one else saying they beat it. It is so good to have some reinforcement when I start to doubt. (me doubt, Oh yeah.) Again CONGRATULATIONS!
There are some sites on this subject but the going is pretty heavy. So correct me if I am wrong. It would seem that the sympathetic system floods the synapses with, and I'll keep it simple here, chemicals to stimulate the receptors and the parasympathetic system removes them when not needed by either degradation or by putting them back into storage. Medication stops or slows down the release of these chemicals. But it does it wide spread which causes the side affects, dry mouth watery eyes etc. because the signals that need to be there to alleviate that problem aren't there. This is where the idea that the nerves are wearing out comes from. This I believe is where the saying nervous breakdown comes from. Is it possible that when a panic attack just won't quit it is because the parasympathetic system isn't doing it's job. I can't believe that it is due to depletion of the chemical needed because a little pill will do the job. The little pill can only work as a stimulant or a depressant as the case may be. So this being the case that the nerves can't wear out, it still leaves the question, why a panic attack instead of the normal anxiety of a flight or fight reaction? It would seem to me that it is caused by over stimulation of the sympathetic system or under stimulation of the parasympathetic system. Now here I get led into wondering about deficiency problems, vitamins minerals etc. and what about allergys? But that is another subject. To get back to the main one. Can the right thoughts either stimulate the parasympathetic system or depress the sympathetic system? If this is the case then a person with enough practice should be able to stop panic attacks by thought alone. Or at least the right kind of thoughts. And if this is the case how do I stop the wrong kind ot thoughts. I need more information here. Put this way it seems so simple but it doesn't stop panic attacks from being scary. Any one out there with thoughts or information on this? Am I on the right track here or wasting my time? Going searching for answers.
I have been able when very tired to just say "I am not dealing with this now. GO AWAY", and it has gone but most of the time it has needed a little help from some Lemon Balm or Mint tea and usually some calcium. That is why the deficiency Question. I don't think I use Calcium efficiently. I do something similar to your systematic desensitization. Since the majority of causes for panic are unrealistic. I have been able to say to my self,"What is this, this isn't real, this isn't happening, " and over time I've found myself stopping the panic before it starts. But then it may work for me because the causes for me to panic are thoughts that aren't real. Does any one get panic from real situations? If I am in a crisis that causes the flight or fight reaction, I don't panic then. I panic later when I think about it and add unrealistic thoughts to it. But this is normal and shouldn't cause the sort of reaction that causes panic. Or have we been having minnie panic attacks all our life and never had them cause the terrifiing reaction they do now. Any way this is only more grist for the mill. Thank you for looking into this. I am sure that I and every one else will apreciate any information you come up with. I feel that more than half the battle is not knowing why! Not knowing what to do! And possibly when! (Pevention exercises) How much do relaxation exercizes help before doing something stressfull? My panic was never of that sort but I read here that a lot of other peoples is.
Good question. Get drunk and sleep through it! NO! Actually even though I'm single and can't find a good reason to celebrate it I still do. I cook a turkey and make pie and my favourite, steamed suet pudding. I turn on the lights which I never take down. There on my chicken house which looks more like a kids play house. This will be the first year without a tree because with the infection in the pins in my leg it's to hard to get on the tractor and go get one. Maybe I'll buy one. But this doesn't stop me from getting depressed so today I'm going to see the Doctor and get some Celexa to get through the season. I have to see my Therapist today too. That works better than the Celexa, which I will take in as small of a dose as I can get by with. The main thing is to keep busy. drive around, look at lights, go visit.
Thank you! Lately I've been thinking about Pavlov's dog. How much are we conditioned by repetitious unpleasant situations. I know most if not all of us just block out unpleasant situations. Say for instance you don't like your job but you do it any way. You can block it but it is still there, or maybe you like your job but you don't like the drive there. You may block the thought but it is still there and being recorded and stored. Then all of a sudden you panic and the gate is open to all these unpleasant thoughts. In the case of the dogs the trigger was a bell. I don't know what my trigger is. I know what the disturbing thoughts are and what to do about them but I don't know what triggers them. Why can I be having a perfectly fine day and out of left field comes this attempt at panic. And immediately I go into prevention mode and stop it which is fine but! I'd like to know what started it in the first place. If I knew that I could break the cycle. As JGD84 put it,"remove a stair". I would no longer be one of Pavlov's dogs. In the near future I am going to do some thing I don't want to with the intention of inducing panic. I will have a friend along and between the two of us we may be able to find the trigger. The only problem being that since I will have a safe person with me it may not happen. Wish me luck.
Here it is 2:00 in the morning and I have just started Celexa again 5 hours ago and got a reaction to it that I never got before and now am going through the stupidity of a panic attack all be it a mild one. I phoned the hospital to make sure the pharmacy gave me the right pill. (paranoia) Can't help that, that's just the panic. I also went to "drugs .com" and added it to my list of other medications, looking for a reaction. There is nothing significant. I knew this would happen but wasn't expecting it to be this bad. All in my head right. So hopefully I can forget how I feel right now or I won't want to take the next dose. Sitting here drinking Ginger Mint and freezing my but off thinking about all you poor people who have bad panic attacks. This is good because I was getting a little out of tune. A little to complacent. I was probably starting to sound like an idiot droning on about how well I was doing. Sorry but the thing is I am doing well! And this little attack will pass and maybe when I take the next pill (if I do) this won't happen. Positive thinking.
Thank you very much for the concern. It is just a reaction to the pill which will go away and I knew it would be there which is why I started it now so it would be gone before Christmas. The biggest problem right now is that it makes the side effects from the cloxacillin that I take for infection in my leg worse. I get a bit of anxiety from the cloxacillin and now I have diarrhoea on top. That is the s--ts, no pun intended. I just need to let my body adjust. In the mean time I will cut it in half since I can't stop the antibiotic. And of course it makes it impossible to go to town now for a few days which is why I stocked up, and I will call a few friends and see if they will shop for me till this is over. Of course they will, that's why there friends. But this brings me back to one of my bugaboos. Are there things other than medication and caffeine that can make panic worse. What about sugar. I had too much of that yesterday. Or fermented foods like cheese. How about nitrates. I love hot Italian sausage. My vegetarian friends ears are probably ringing.
The other problem I have and have always had is that the more physically better I get the more depressed I get. I have arthritis pretty bad and with the infection in the leg I broke I've only been able to coast along, but now it's getting better and there is so much I want to do and I don't know where to start. Do I do something I want to while I can or do I do some thing that should be done in case I relapse again. Now this is just silly thoughts because I know I will do the stuff that has to be done first and try to fit some fun stuff in also. But it's all this thinking that is driving me nuts right now.
Unlike you I haven't lost any one close to me and I do feel for you and hope you can cope. But (I'm going to wear that word out) I live in a village of older people so I have lost a lot of acquaintances and I think that bothers me subconsciously. Unlike all the people here that have a fear of dying I have a fear of living. I spend a lot of time fighting suicidal thoughts. I'm single, I have a lot of pain at times, I can't do the things I want to etc. That sort of crap. And one of the side affects of Celexa is a tendency towards suicide in people who may be prone to it. Which I may or may not be. Any way there are people watching me and our little hospital knows to accept me if I show up serious. Why am I venting here, I would never tell any one this. Besides I have done Celexa before. So if I show up here sounding weird it is just the medication which thankfully I will only have to take for a while if I can. Again thank you for your concern it is nice to know some one cares, it makes all the stress less. I have a friend who wears out the word " persevere".
I developed a fat phobia a while back when I was having trouble breathing and it has stuck with me. I still have difficulty eating some times but I find that when I can I like to spend some time making something nice and enjoying it. I am really looking forward to Christmas which is why I started Celexa again. Right now I'm having a hard time getting myself to do all the baking. I like to prepare as much as I can ahead of time and freeze it in small portions so it's not all sitting in my face on Christmas day. One of the things that helped my self esteem was losing close to fifty pounds. I do the same. I never refuse myself something I crave and if I can't stop from eating it all then I have less of something else.
Hi sunny
I've had to say no to a couple of invites because it would mean not doing my own Christmas thing. It's not that hard especially if you have a good reason for it. It really surprises people to know that I'm not having a stuffed peanut butter sandwich and a beer for Christmas. I do hope to find the time to visit though.
Thank you. I was thinking about wimping out and not taking it because I'm not that bad but you know with the stress of the holiday and every thing leading up to it I think I better. I couldn't go shopping because of the nausea etc. so one of my neighbours is doing it for me. I know that tonight is going to be horrible so I'm not thinking about it I got through it last night and I'll get through it tonight and it will just get easier. It's just the conflict between it and the antibiotic. Last time it was IV, this time it's pills which I don't want to stop since I am so much better. So am I to presume that the Celexa is working for you. You got through the first two weeks which if I remember is the worst part. Did the side affects go away. This is a good opportunity for any one reading this to realize that although it starts off horrible I survived it last time and so did you and I will this time too, and we will be better for it. And it will make dealing with the anxiety a lot easier. I have had the flu worse than this I'm sure. So thank you again, I was pretty sure I was not alone but it's nice to hear it. It makes it all worth while.
I started a low grade panic about five in the morning, it's one thirty and it's gone now but the nausea and head ache are still there along with restless leg syndrome and some confusion. I do woodwork and it has all gone for pot. Of course that annoys me. I was going through my journal and I had the same problem last time only not as bad and I lost so much weight I had to use suspenders to keep my pants up. I dropped to 159 lbs and still couldn't eat. And all I want to do is sleep. Funny thing is I don't remember feeling this bad but it is all there. The other side effects, dry mouth, metal taste and diarrhoea I can live with but the other four I can't handle especially as I absolutely have to have food with the arthritis pills. If I take gravol for the nausea then I can't go near my tools. I don't think I can do nothing till I get better. Especially since the Restless leg bit never did go away. It was so bad that I walked like a drunken sailor. There was a fair bit of muscle pain too. Now I attribute all of this to a reaction to it and the Cloxacillin. If Colleen isn't getting these side effects then it is the combination of pills. If it continues to get worse I will have to stop it after all I don't need it. I can get by with what I was doing and at this rate it will mess up my plans for Christmas any way. Since the panic starts in my sleep I haven't been able to look for the trigger. At least that would make it worth while. I think the getting worse when I'm feeling better is the fear of failure which can lead right to failure if allowed to. Reading the posts I would say I'm not the only one. Forgot to use my light this morning so I'd better do that now. I had visitors this morning and I could barely tolerate them. Once again thank you for the concern and I won't let this little set back get to me, If any thing it will make me a stronger more determined person.
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