Darn my anxiety

[Missi]

I have to get a little personal right now. It's 12:35 AM. I can't sleep. I woke up with a tummy ache, then my heart started pounding out of the blue. I get panic attacks and have bad anxiety at times. Usually I am strong enough to over come it and go on with whatever I am doing but I am going on overload worrying right now. So I know my anxiety makes my heart start to pound, it even makes me feel like I'm going to pass out, but I haven't had a panic attack in so long that it feels kind of like a slap in the face and I worry I am having a heart attack I know it sounds nuts, but i have to vent about it. I want to wake up my boyfriend to comfort me but he is fast asleep. I have to get up at 6:30 AM so I should try to lay back down but I know I will just focus on my heart pounding and lay there freaking out and awake. I know better than that, but what can ya do. Anyone else have anxiety and panic attacks? I used to be on Paxil but didn't like being on a medication so now I just deal with it on my own which isn't too bad because, like I said, I don't often get them lately. Sucks so bad when I do, though! Well, my pulse has slowed a bit since typing this so off to bed I go. *SIGH!*

[Darlie]

Try running cold water over your hands until you're bored with it. It sometimes helps. Of course this does not work if it happens while you're driving! For those times I've snapped a rubber band that I've worn on my wrist. I too went off of the Paxil.
Good Luck.

[catschair]

Poor Missi. I find that Nick at Night generally puts me back to sleep, but that probably only works when you are sleeping with cats who ignore the TV. Hang in there....morning soon....deep cleansing breaths......

[gbird]

I take Atavan for my anxiety/insomnia. I get that knot in my stomach, can't catch my breath, and start worrying about everything that hasn't happened yet, and if I try to sleep I just toss & turn all night. Have you been to a doctor about it?

[RachelLynn]

That sucks...I know how it is. I have socail anxiety disorder which led to agoraphobia, a few years ago it started to get bad and then the panic attacks started (I have had anxiety attacks... but nothing compares to that feeling like you are having a heart attack).I just started taking paxil and klonopin (like xanax but doesn't make me as tired) a couple months ago and I am starting to feel a little better but still get them sometimes. It helps to have the klonopin when you start to have that feeling coming on.

Try doing breathing excersizes(sp)....take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth...it helps a little bit. And I know it is hard but just keep telling yourself that it will be over soon and that you will be ok.

When I get them I can't be around noise and I just like to be by myself so I usually go into the bathroom and just try to breath. But sometimes I just have to get up and walk around a bit.

Paxil sucked at first but I am finally getting used to it. I don't blame you for not wanting to take them. Maybe klonopin or xanax could help you though for when you do have them...you don't have to suffer through them.

[Missi]

Hey guys Well I got about 4.5 hours of sleep *falls over* I don't know how I'm going to get through work 8-5 today but I have to! Gotta pay those bills! *ugh*

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and ideas with me. I have been to a psych. He was a really big ***hole though and didn't listen to me and just kept upping my meds so I just stopped all together. Let me tell you, that was HELL stopping Paxil cold turkey! I know of some people who are prescribed klonopin, but they abuse it and even sell it to their friends! How terrible is that. I don't think think I'll ever take any meds again unless this starts effecting my ability to go to work. I get them at work but I usually just get up and walk around and try to get busy with something and it goes away. Oh I hate getting them while I'm driving That's been happening often lately as well what with the terrible traffic coming home after work. I have been dealing with my anxiety and panic attacks for, what, 7 years now. Have been off meds for 4 years.

[Irish]

I get them at night, when I'm stressed, or when I'm in crowds. It's terrifying. Because I am diabetic, the heart-pounding stuff scares the pee-diddly outta me. I never know if it's a heart attack coming on or not....

At night, it helps me to have the tv on, but no sound. When it goes off after a couple of hours, if I wake up later and have an attack, I DO wake Z up. He wraps around me, and I feel safe and after awhile, everything's ok, and I can go back to sleep.

During stress or in crowds, there's less I can do, except hold tight to Z. I don't go in public alone, generally, so I'm less likely to have an attack when I'm alone. I don't take meds--anxiety disorder runs in our family (all the females seem to have it--my mother, my sister, my daughter, myself), so we just learn to lean on each other and cope.

[Missi]

Originally Posted by Irish

I get them at night, when I'm stressed, or when I'm in crowds. It's terrifying. Because I am diabetic, the heart-pounding stuff scares the pee-diddly outta me. I never know if it's a heart attack coming on or not....

At night, it helps me to have the tv on, but no sound. When it goes off after a couple of hours, if I wake up later and have an attack, I DO wake Z up. He wraps around me, and I feel safe and after awhile, everything's ok, and I can go back to sleep.

During stress or in crowds, there's less I can do, except hold tight to Z. I don't go in public alone, generally, so I'm less likely to have an attack when I'm alone. I don't take meds--anxiety disorder runs in our family (all the females seem to have it--my mother, my sister, my daughter, myself), so we just learn to lean on each other and cope.

I'm sorry to heart that you're diabetic. I can see how that would make it worse. That part that usually scares me the most is when I feel like I'm going to "pass out". For some reason that's my major concern. Scares me to death, especially when I'm driving.
A lot of the times when I'm in crowds, rather than getting a full on panic attack (like I used to), I get kind of numb and out of it. I think that's my body's way of dealing with it anymore. It kind of sucks. So I basicaly avoid the mall and places like Walmart and stuff. I am more comfortable going somewhere with my boyfriend so I can grab on to him and he can remind me that this has happened before and I'm okay.
Like you, wake up having one, I have to wait a while and see that everything is okay and that I'm not getting worse, then I can sleep again.
Gee, fun stuff we have to deal with, huh?

Do you ever feel like your fids feel it in you?

[ROYJOY]

i take quetiapine fumarate. (no side affects) thats the government name. i think the civilian name is seriquil (sp?) and play soft music, breath slowly, and think about your birdies.

[Vega]

I agree with the breathing exercises, I do those myself. Usually I end up getting light headed and giggly from being light headed though. lol

I also took paxil and HATED that stuff. Switched to Wellbutrin and I have to say that was MUCH better! Didn't have the side effects of Paxil and was a thousand times easier to get off of.

I started having anxiety/panic attacks while dealing with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) . They eased up a bit the past couple years, but with a certain trigger they're coming back on again. Crowds and traffic--can't stand it. Shopping was never a favorite activity of mine, but there was a point that if I stayed in a store longer than 5-10 minutes I would freak out. IT's hard to explain to people who never dealt with it. Just know you aren't alone.