Do you suffer anxiety? How bad is it?

[lilypadrees]

Like my mother and her mother before her, I suffer from severe panic attacks. Because I needed to be put on meds for it after my mother and I were assaulted, I had to see a psychologist for an official diagnosis. She told me that mentally and emotionally, I handle things well but that my body has a physical reaction to any kind of trauma or change. (I do not handle change well.) This was something I’d tried to explain to Mama before the official diagnosis of PTSD and OCD came. So good to have a professional understand and agree with me.

 

[christofirst]

My anxiety has lessened considerably since retiring, but a worrier will always find something to worry about. What bothers me most is anticipating what might be a difficult or unpleasant event. I had many sleepless nights worrying about the day to come, and almost always, once I got to actually doing whatever it was that I’d been dreading, it was never as bad as I’d feared it would be. Even so, my prayers were never more intense and earnest than they were when I was dreading something.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I have anxiety disorder and have suffered from panic attacks in the past.After thirty some years I had a massive attack this past September at nearly 65 years of age! I started on Zoloft and feel great.That with some mindful relaxation exercises ,my anxiety is pretty much subsided .I still worry and do some what if thinking but the Zoloft helps me to move on so to speak and I don’t feel all stirred up inside as much.
I also don’t post on the Workd News Subforum much anymore and that has reduced my anxiety significantly

 

[christofirst]

Happy birthday, @Jeanne_S !

One of my best friends found relief with Paxil and has been on it for years now after suffering several panic attacks at work. One time the paramedics came and carted him off to hospital, the symptoms so resembled a heart attack.

I had a “false alarm” heart attack too, which I now believe was due to anxiety. After getting the bill from the ER, I consider my symptoms much more carefully before rushing to see the doctor.

 

[Jeanne_S]

ThankYpu for the Bday wishes!:blush:Yes that was exactly my experience was this past September.I too thought I was having a massive heart attack Was carted off in an ambulance and ended up staying overnight in the hospital:scream: I agree with the whole ER thing I pray that I never have a panic attack like that again,however I hopefully will be able to handle it better if I should .The cost is ridiculous re ER etc!

 

[MaryEstelle2]

Yet, a little anxiety can make us achievers.

 

[ConstantLearner]

Happy Birthday, @Jeanne_S Hope it’s a terrific one!

I found a lot of relief from Paxil, but I had to stop it because it caused bleeding. Now, my doctor wants me to take Lexapro, but I’m not doing it because I’m on too much aspirin due to my accident. Can’t combine SSRIs and aspirin or any anti-inflammatory. I take the old tricyclic, Sinequan, which helps, but not as much as an SSRI. For me, just getting out is the best thing. I have some anxiety and PTSD that set in after being robbed and beat up in Europe. I jump at the tiniest noise.

 

[Jeanne_S]

What an awful experience that must have been! Sorry to hear of that.I avoid aspirin and Advil because of the bleeding issues.Tylenol works for pain.
Thanks for the BDay wishes!

 

[oldgraymare2]

Happy Birthday, @Jeanne_S!

I wish you all of the very best, today and always!

May God bless you on your very special day, and always! :clinking_glasses:

 

[ConstantLearner]

What an awful experience that must have been! Sorry to hear of that.I avoid aspirin and Advil because of the bleeding issues.Tylenol works for pain.

I didn’t even know about the bleeding issues until it happened and either did my doctor. I did some research online and found a Dutch study that linked SSRIs and bleeding. As soon as I stopped the Paxil, the bleeding eased, then stopped. Then, a little later, everyone was being warned to avoid blood thinners, including aspirin, and SSRIs.

Anxiety is awful, isn’t it?

Hope your cake day is happy and anxiety-free!

 

[ConstantLearner]

I have PTSD, too, Lily. It’s horrible, isn’t it? The smallest sound in the house causes me to jump. Normal, everyday sounds.

Sorry to read you suffer from this, too.

 

[Jeanne_S]

Thank you Old Gray Mare!

 

[lilypadrees]

I remember being on the bus after Mama left for work. I was going downtown as I normally did. I passed the hospital Mama worked at and got past my fav bookstore and was just reaching the hospital (where I will having my surgery next month and where Mama stayed after we were attacked). I started to feel like I was suffocating. I wanted to scream “Stop the bus!” but couldn’t because my heart was beating so loudly in my head.

People I knew as fellow passengers were suddenly strange faces and blending voices. I knew I was having a panic attack and told myself everything was alright. But it seemed like the bus would never stop. I just knew we were going to crash or a bomb would go off. My imagination really ran rampant from panic.

The bus finally stopped at our destination. I got off, still in the grips of my panic attack. I looked around and had no idea what I was doing there. I sat down on one of the benches to calm down. Thankfully, I quickly remembered what I was doing and why I was there. But the panic attack freaked me out so much that I only ran one errand before turning around and coming home. I just didn’t feel I could trust myself being out.

 

[ConstantLearner]

I know every one of those feelings, Lily. It’s horrible, isn’t it? One time I said to a man I know who also suffers from panic attacks, “They can get so bad, you’re afraid you’ll die, don’t they?” and he answered, “No, I’m afraid I won’t die.” He’d rather die than suffer so intensely.

I’ve heard some people say that if you just “go with the flow” of the panic, it will abate, but in my experience, it just keeps going on and on and on.

I don’t have panic attacks so much now as just attacks of extreme nervousness, and I only have those when I’m worried about someone other than myself. And then I feel guilty for being so nervous, like I don’t trust God enough or something similar.

Anxiety is the most horrible thing in the world. And it can cause a plethora of physical problems to crop up, too.

I really feel for you. I’ll keep you in my prayers.

 

[goodcatholic]

Anxiety is the most horrible thing in the world.

I might agree with you but then there many other things competing for “most horrible in the world”.

 

[ConstantLearner]

I might agree with you but then there many other things competing for “most horrible in the world”.

Yes, you are certainly right about that. I would rather have anxiety than heart disease, COPD, cancer, or a host of other things.

I should have written, “Anxiety is one of the worst feeling things in the world.” It is not the worst by far, though when in the middle of it, sometimes it seems that way.

 

[Jeanne_S]

Exactly! In the throws of a panic attack,one feels as though they are having a heart attack,COPD,etc.Anxiety as you said presents itself with myriad symptoms.Its the pits.

 

[ConstantLearner]

I used to feel like I couldn’t breathe or swallow. I lived on liquids only for five or six years. Since I was a teen then, with a high metabolism, I was quite thin. I’m still slim, but not skeletal skinny. I do eat just about anything now, but I eat slowly. I’m not a person who can wolf down her food only slightly chewed like many. I’ve even learned to swallow large pills when needed, something I never thought I’d be able to do.