EvolutionHealth.care

Home
Main Forum
Anxiety
Coping with Setbacks
how to deal with a relapse?

Advanced Search Form

how to deal with a relapse?

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 8760

Hi Mike,

The Center for Addiction & Mental Health ( http://www.camh.net/Care_Treatment/index.html ) offers a variety of treatment programs.

The Canadian Mental Health Association ( http://www.cmha.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=3-109&lang=1 ) has a great deal of information on employment and mental health issues.

You'll also want to speak with your boss and human resources. They can help you arrange a leave of absence and sometimes employee assistance programs have resources such as counseling and individuals to help you transition back to work.

Once you get in touch with a counselor and human resources, they can help you with the financial aspects of this relapse as well.

Hope this helps.

Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 12

thanks everyone for being so supportive. it's inspiring to see everyone make efforts day by day and stay strong.

mike - i thought of camh, but didn't know how to go about it. do you have to be referred from your doctor? i'm happy to hear you are getting over your bad spell. keep positive and i'm sure you will be back on monday.

i was just told about a lucinda basset book that is apparently helpful called from panic to power. the books that i have found really helpful are by claire weekes - she was an australian doctor who really looks at what is physically going on with you, and how your adrenelain is working when you fear fear. i would highly recommend those books - they use old language (ie "nerves") but are very very good. you can actually listen to her speaking on this site, in the third section, for free to get an idea: http://www.controllinganxiety.com/dsp_downloads.php.

best to everyone.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 101

Cael and Mike-

Both of you are really an encouragement to me. You both are actively seeking answers and facing what is in front of you. You may not realize that your posts are answering questions I ask myself too. Your conversations just has me thinking that sometimes my anxiety is trying to tell me something. Sometimes it is something that is really harmful to me and sometimes it is a lie. I'm thinking of when I was trying to be superwomen and do it all. It was physically and emotionally impossible to do everything my perfectionist and people pleasing personality was pressuring myself to do. I finally just couldn't do it anymore. I've since changed my lifestyle tremendously! I got involved with a support group and self care was a big part of their program.

I've heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I guess I think of that with anxiety. If I don't learn ways to react differently to my surroundings, to slow down, to relax, to calm myself, if I go back to something I fear, I will still be no better off. This program is teaching me that I do have a choice to challenge my thoughts and find a healthy way to react.

My anxiety does lie to me to and tells me I can't do some things when I really can. That is when I know I need to face those thoughts and fears head on!!!!

Birdie

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3

Hello Everyone...

Thanks to all of you for responding back...all of your advice was helpful, and it helped to build up my confidence. I actually went out for a drive today by myself. i am going to continue working on getting better this week, so that i can hopefully get back to work on Monday.

i am also reading a book that is actually helping me alot aswell, with my anxiety and setbacks. if anyone is intrested it is called "Mastery of your Anxiety and Panic" written by Barlow and Craske, 4th ed. it is a wookbook, (cognitive-behavioral treatment) that helps you step by step.

i also just purschaed the Lucida Basset "attacking anxiety" cds. Im still waiting for them, i dont know if anyone has heard about them?...

Cael, since your from Toronto, i know a place that i went in the past, and am waiting for a referal from my doctor to go again. Its called CAMH. They offered cbt courses, which were very helpful to me in the past. if you have anymore questions about this, i would be glad to help.

thanks again to everyone...

Mike

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 313

Hello Cael...

Well you've done quite a few great things already. You're hear sharing your story... you've pushed through the fear and gone to work.. and it did get a bit better. All those things start to add up.

The negative thinking..or runaway thoughts are a huge problem for me as I have OCD tendencies along with the panic disorder. Medication is as necessary as oxygen to me ... lol.. and I would be much worse off without it I believe. Although it doesn't cure anything, it does allow me to work through the fear and be a bit more rationale... Sometimes the negative thinking can just be so powerful.. I'm a fellow Canadian but in BC and we have quite a few local resources... I did have to search quite hard though but another option is to check your local hospital for outpatient support services.. Often there are free support groups etc. that are offered. Now although they don't work for everyone you can often gain a lot of valuable insight from the people there as well as leads to great counsellors, books, doctors etc. Just a thought ..... I've mentioned the universities before.. UBC was great here for that.. and it didn't cost me a cent. As well I met a lot of amazing people.. successful strong people that were gong through the same thing. It allowed me to view other people who in other circumstances I would have thought "had it all" in their most vulnerable.. and to learn you can't judge a book by it's cover. This anxiety "blanket"... covers people from all different socioecononic backgrounds.. and all ages.. as well all spectrums.. some with GAD, PD., OCD .. etc... and a lot battle depression too.. People are the best sources of information and admitting you need help is the first step. It doesn't mean you're any less of a person, or weak.. It actually takes more courage to face fear ..than to never face it at all...

You can do this Cael..just take it one step at a time. My thoughts can go crazy sometimes and I too have been known to get caught up in the negative trap.. but I always try to remember that I've had a lot of great days mixed in... and you got to hold on to those... When you're ready to give up or start avoidance behaviours it's time to reach out for a helping hand... Those behaviours only make the situation worse unfortunately.. and you deserve a life full of freedom.. free of fear... you're actually entitled to it!

Take care Cael!

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 778

Hello Cael , well done for going back to work ! I havnt since January , but very lucky because i work for parents and have always covered them in the past so its my time now !!

That old imagine a nice place thing huh . Well i dont know about you but when i was at my peak worst i couldnt do it . Then started panicking because i kept changing it within seconds . I dont know what to suggest really , onky good thing is the deep breathing .

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 12

i am going through the exact same thing as mike is at the moment - and i'm also in toronto, though i haven't found any resources that i think i can help you with. i'm looking for those too. i have forced myself to go into work after several days off even though it is killing me. that first day back is very tough, but i did feel somewhat better after doing so. the longer you put it off the harder it is to do, it gets made into a big event. i think the worst thing is that once you have a big setback you are so much more sensitized to EVERYTHING, and that's the problem i have right now. no matter where i am or what's going on i'm expecting that it's going to push me over the edge. i try to tell myself that this has never happened but it's hard to be convinced of it especially when my self-doubt is so high right now and my self-confidence so low. but i do think as much as possible it is important to force yourself to do things or else it gets worse.

asking about resources is a good question. i've been feeling with things so bad like this that i don't know where to turn. it often feels like an "emergency" and that not another second is bearable or at least going through day-to-day life (going to work, and so on) is an impossibility. i went through my work's employee assistant program last week when things were really really bad and saw a counsellor. it took so much will just for me to make it in there and she told me to "think of a peaceful place" when i was feeling awful. when i asked her what to do when i felt like i was about to break down she didn't really tell me anything that helped, just that i was going to be okay. if i went to the emergency room they would tell me to go into counselling, which i was doing. i know what she was saying was true, but it left me feeling really alone, because if i could do those things i would, and they weren't working. i am trying to work through this set back by seeing it as a chance to face all this once and for all, but essentially i'm just surviving right now, hoping it will pass.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 778

Hi Birdie , also well put and a great example for us

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 101

Mike-

Glad you're here sharing your experience! I think this is exactly the place to speak up cause if anyone has been there it is people here. If you had a year of managing your anxiety I'm confident you will have many more ahead of you. I think a setback is really just another chance at learning more ways of managing anxiety. I agree that sometimes it can be little things that sneak up on us. The negative thinking or what if I can't work, or what if I panic. I have to challenge those thoughts even when I'm not anxious because those things lead me to anxiety.

When I was off work for my anxiety, I agonized over what if I can't work again, what if I fail. None of those thoughts got me anywhere but more depressed. What got me through was knowing I had gone to work for years. I could go to work and work through the anxiety step by step. I wasn't a weak person if I had a bad day. Everyone has bad days and good days. If you need to take sometime to regroup that is ok too! I went back to work after taking time off and took it one day at a time. (I've been back for 9 years now and happier then ever because I know there is help out there for me and real answers)

I think you're really on the right track by looking for outside help. There are many ways to find support. This program, this support group, a therapist, medication, a church family, a close friend, a therapist, your family doctor. I hope you find the support that works for you!!!! One day at a time!!!

Birdie

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 778

Hello Mike . Phew dont know what to add after DazedMommy's reply ! Think she should change her name to Supermom lol . She gave some great advise there .

I too in January had all my anxiety return in ten fold . Was panic free for a couple of years . Its only this last month thats its started to ease .

I also didnt understand why it started up again and thought it was out the blue . Looking back now i dont think it was at all . I ignored my symtons for a long long time till they burst . Now hopefully when im really back on track i will be keeping a better eye on myself .

This programme is fantastic , the people are so wonderful and helpful . I say to myself i got through this once so i will again .

Reading this thread:

today's top discussions:

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Most Active

Most Loved

how to deal with a relapse?