Anxiety....why....

[tinkerbell23]

Here goes........

I have posted many a time about anxiety/ panic attacks

Ive just had a lovely lovely weekend so im annoyed that im a bit "on edge" today.... Had a nap as im feeling really tired (that makes it worse i think) but so many times today, and anytime i have a panic attack.... Its because i think about death....

Im asleep and i jolt out of a sleep at times and into a fullblown panic about dying.

Im not ill, i know im not, and i dont panic about how ill die or when its about being dead.

Its hard to type this cos its making me feel panicy writing it as will the replies cos ill be thinking about it. !!!!!!!!!

Ive no propanolol left which i was given - need to see doc for more as they helped somewhat...i take kalms as night time is my worst time for my mind running riot on me.

Feel really daft! I deal with death as part of my job NO PROB but more and more this is coming into my mind.

Does anyonelse get this? Is it a phobia? I mentioned to doc when i told him about panic attacks but beginning to think speaking to someone is wht i need ie councelling or CBT?? ........ Can feel the heart racing just now and have had to shake the thoughts away a few times today.....

Sorry for the long post. Deep breaths!!! X

[Greedyfly]

I used to have a doctor who was off the 'just snap out of it' vein. Not at all helpful when you suffer from anxiety/panic attackswhich are medical problems. Needless to say I left the doctors for a new one. With regards to treating it, I would suggest talking therapy and or hynosis. Hypnosis really helped me with panic attacks and with insomnia. GL Tinks

[cazzz1975]

I personally think you need to cut back on the chocolate, it can cause feelings of anxiousness and panic. especially if your eating pattern is irregular

[tinkerbell23]

Thanks all! Strangely im a chilled kind of person! I avoid the dramas, i have a nice chilled room i listen to nice music etc as suggested and it does help! Im busy, and i have my life ahead of me i know that! As you say fear of fear is terrible!!! And because its at night you then begin to dread night! Terrible!

Im really open to talking on here (as you well know LOL) and doc and anything they may offer- ignore the clown with the silly advice! ;0>

you always all help me. Ill live to see another day im sure lol and glad to hear that others feel the same way!!!

Funily enough i dont think my job is detrimental honestly i love it so much and would JUMP at the chance to work in a hospice or palliative care ireally would. Its not of others its of myself xx

[tinkerbell23]

Cazz very true i agree i eat a tad too much choco ..i drink loads of water and exercise - could exercise a bit more of late!!

(sometimes i look worse on here than i am with eating- but i agree with you 100%) xxxx

[ummmm]

I was going to suggest your diet as well x

[cazzz1975]

it has nothing to do with weight management to be honest, chocolate can provoke anxiety feelings or feelings of being jittery, which can make you feel even worse.

drinking water and exercising wont dilute the feelings if you are still eating the chocolate, if your diet is irregular it will make you feel bad. im not being preachy I promise x

[tinkerbell23]

I know you arent you are being helpfull and i agree- being off just now its easy to snack and i will cut it out aswell as the other advice. It can only help :) xx

[tinkerbell23]

And the best answer goes to unsureme ....

Why the f%@& didnt i think of that!!!!

[DTCwordfan]

Hee hee to best answer

and I guess it's no more Choccy eggs for you, tinks! I get nobbled by late pm onwards coffee by the way, (but not tea - or wine; thank god on that latter one)

[tinkerbell23]

Hahaha well no more gorging on full eggs no. Lol!!

Xx

[flump1]

Tinker, try not to self analyse as you will go around and around in ever decreasing circles, which adds to the anxiety. Don't beat yourself up , this condition has no discrimination, it creeps up and gets the old, young , ill healthy, poor rich, idle, busy , men ( not so many ) women, it can just come. Just keep reminding yourself every time it strikes, that it WILL pass and you WILL be ok. Great big hugs from me xxxxx

[tinkerbell23]

Flump thank you SO much!! Im very analytic!! Extremly actually!!

Thanks all... Seriously thanks so so much x

[pastafreak]

I think being very analytical is not uncommon for those with panic or anxiety. I started getting panic attacks when I was a bit younger than you,tinks...and then became agoraphobic as I was terrified the panic would happen when I was out and about. I could analyse and pick apart my behaviour endlessly. But it didn't help me to relax and go with the flow,so to speak. Boxy is correct about 'fearing the fear'...it's too easy to worry about 'what ifs' that won't happen.

[boxtops]

pasta - and even if they DID happen - I was counselled to think "what would be the worst that could happen?" when I was panicking - and as often as not it would - nothing. I might fall over, I might look an idiot for a few moments, but so do a lot of people who aren't going through that!

[tinkerbell23]

Yeah...thats it! I KNOW panic wont hurt me as such, i know im well and healthy but i also KNOW i will die and its that that causes it....so untill i sort thi my panic will always be there...

You are all so great. It helps to talk and ill definately do something about this...especially as i have free time at present.

So im not a crackpot!?? Ive even plucked up to google fear of death and it describes me to a T x

[boxtops]

Tinks - nobody wants to die, but we've come to learn to put that in the part of the brain marked "too difficult", it just might pop out on low occasions. It's hard to say at the moment, but it's about getting fears into perspective, and counselling and hynotherapy helped me enormously when I was going through a very bad state with anxiety many years ago. I'd advocate that route, based on my own experiences. It might never go away entirely, but it gets into perspective so whatever it is doesn't dominate your life. Life is for living.... at one bad point, a good friend said to me "it sounds as if you're more afraid of living..." which wasn't at all the case, but the fears were dominating everything. It was at that point I realised that I needed to go something about it!

[tinkerbell23]

I think it will help. And hopefully come with age too!!

Im going to sort this...i need to xx

[seadogg]

Its good that you can work it out on here Tinks. Most older people think about death several times a day and it is worse if you lead a happy and fulfilled life. This is natural. To be so concerned at your age is unfortunate. CBT could help as it enables one to face the fear and press on through it. I am agoraphobic, which is not a fear of open spaces- I love the Moors and the sea. It is being in a public space with no control over what is happening. The feeling of panic is horrific but it has to be faced, sometimes only just! Have a word with a sympathetic doc. Caffiene is bad news for me too

[tinkerbell23]

My caffiene comes from chocolate i think as i dont drink much fizzy juice- rarely and dont take it in other forms... Thanks for the support- my docs are usually great but i think ill go and suggest to them what i want and not wait for them to say it to me. More propanolol would help too as i only took it when i felt
On edge not daily.

Im taking kalms daily just incase!! Xx

[lcg]

hi tinks....have you considered taking anti-depressants which are specific for helping with anxiety? those indicated for panic disorders (which you have written extensively about) include citalopram, clomiprimine and sertraline - at a low dose. women tend to respond better than men with ssri's; you can include drugs such as propranolol to augment the effect and it takes at least six weeks to start having a decent effect. to treat your symptoms successfully, you should take ssri's for at least six months and has others have suggested, should also consider cbt (from the maudsley guidelines - mental health treatment bible!).

the nice guideline for anxiety states these are first and second line treatments for anxiety and you should either ask your doctor to refer you, or insist on a psych assessment where these treatments would be identified. it's no fun moving through life with such levels of anxiety and you should be aware of the options and treatment pathways open to you. good luck -lisa x