Anxiety panic disorder and disability ????

Question

I would like to know if anyone else suffers with this and if it is severe enough for them not to work/ I have been outta work more than i have been to work with this. apparently i have had it all my life and it gets worse as u get older. this past yr has been especially tuff on me i m currently age 40 and had alot going on in my life which i was told by my doctors that when i was younger i was able to cope better. Now it seems i can't I hate this. I m on 3 different meds for it and ambien cr just to sleep at night. I never go out except to get groceries or to my parents home i do not socialize. Heck i really don't think i remember how. I do drive but i try to only do that when i know it is not high peak times for others or take a longer route. I beleive i should appy for disability. if anyone out that suffers from this and is on disability tell me how can i take steps that way so i can somehow go on. thanks

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I have a regular doc a counselor and a P Doc. I have been on tons of meds since dec 05. the meds i m currently on seem to keep me calmer but only at home or my parents home. I have had 2 attacks while shopping just recently. I try to hold my head up when i see my Phych and tell her I feel good and i want to go backto workshe seems to think i can but i have been in so much trouble at work I am suspended indefinatley and will probably lose my job as a result. and that sad part is i really want to workjust i can't handle it anymore

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all of u are awsum!! okay now for more info. i have been in the hospital 3 tims in 1 yrs for possbile heart attack. I have been on seroquel 100 but ihad to come off and see a endocrinoligst. My heart and legs andfeet swelled it was like abad reaction. i think i have tried too many meds. seroquel prozac and klonpin do not work for me . I m currently on Buspar, Visteril and celexa and ambien CR to sleep at night. i still do not sleep all night every night i wake about 3 times befor morn. im me using abaddgirl I really need to talk to some of u experience people that have this thanks

Answer 1

Yes! You can apply for disability! I will say you might have a fight, but don't quit fighting. If they deny you the first time you apply, Appeal. Keep appealing, because you will and do qualify if you are not able to work because of this disease. I am on S.S.I. for the same reason. You didn't say whether ambien actually helps you sleep?!! Usually Woman over the age of 35, Ambien is used to give them energy everyday and for swelling of the joints. I am 34 and I took ambien when I was 32, It did not work for me at all. What I take for Panic attacks and sleep is Seroquel. Thirty min. after I take this medication I am out like a light. You also stated that obvisiously you have had this all your life. That you were just able to cope with it better. Yes! you have had it all your life, but coping with it better I doubt! Actually you are probably coping with it better now than you did then. Take a look back and you'll see what I'm talking about!!

Answer 2

First of all, get a blood test. I had anxiety to the point that I would go to the hospital and sit in the waiting room at the E.R. in case I had a heart attack. I had been though the various tests, but they never found anything. I got some xanax, and that helped, but still wasn't normal. I took a look at my diet, found a place online called lab test direct, and had a complete blood test to check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I found a really low potassium level, and that stopped the anxiety, depression and made my heart beat normally again (although an EKG said it was normal) I feel for you. There is no one that will understand unless they go through it. You know something is not right, but the doctors are trained to treat depression and anxiety unless you roll in on a stretcher. You have to find out what is the matter with you. Do research and try everything until you find a solution. You can't live your life in fear. There is also a tape program called CHAANGE that I found through a therapist. It teaches you to deal with the panic attacks through relaxation and explanation of what is going on. But I really don't believe all anxiety is mental, so get started finding the problem. Look up the symptoms of potassium deficiency and see if they don't match what you are going through. Also take a multivitamin. I would have a panic attack after taking a vitamin, but with time you will realize it won't kill you, and may help a lot. Don't give up. You can beat this. Good luck, I'll be thinking of you.

Answer 3

Getting off of meds would be a great step. I don't know your situation, but I know generally speaking people aren't afraid of the actual panic attacks but are afraid of having them in public. I don't know if this is true for you. If that's true, a therapist may be able to teach you some relaxation exercises. The thing about giving meds to someone with an anxiety disorder is that the meds are basically an avoidant measure, which kind of reinforces the illness as people with anxiety disorders usually come up with all kinds of avoidant measures. Hope that helped. E-mail me if you have any other ?s

Answer 4

To start off with, you must be absolutely honest with your theripist. Tell him/her that you are unable to work. To appy for disability, go to the social security office and tell them that you want to apply. Honesty is the best policy in this whole situation. The people at the social security office will help you fill out the paperwork. In the meantime, collect all the documentation that you can to support your case. Go as far back as you can. Above all else, be honest about everything. If you cannot remember dates, do the best that you can. If you quit jobs using other excuses when your social anxiety was the real reason, say that. Best wishes. Also, if you have any questions along the way, ask the people at the social security office. They are there to help.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

i suffer from the same problem. In re guards to disability- it can be very hard..... you have to have a long history with doctors... My girlfriend has bipolar.. she was hospitalized over 11 times since childhood. They denied her 2 times, until she hired a lawyer. She recieved 19,000.00 in the end as a settlement

I do not go in public unless i have to or i am drunk... I have add, social anxiety and major depression. I dropped out of school because i couldn't be there anymore.
One thing that helped my out was taking long walk, bringing a Walkman.....

I am no longer on meds- but barley go out in public... I work 3rd shift and see no one so it isn't a major issue right now.

Anywho- i can take a long time to balance out your meds. I'm sUre they changed them several times...

Good luck to ya... Keep ur head up

Answer 7

Hi there, I just laugh about my past 3 years of panic now. I was not able to go anywhere without carrying xanax. Fear of having another attack was the most important subject of my days.When i first found joe barry's web site i started to cry because of my happiness.

Free audio to end anxiety and panic attacks fast?

Answer 8

The reason your anxiety is getting worse is because you are giving in to it. Avoiding what you are afraid of makes it more powerful. Facing it over and over makes your brain less and less reactive (anxious) to the situation. I know it is down right anguishing to face situations which make you panic, but it is ruining your life. I don't know what your history is with actual therapy (not just medication) but it is generally pretty effective for this problem. I know not all therapists are great, but I also know that some are wonderful.

You are throwing away so many opportunities and joys in life. I really hope you don't just throw in the towel and let this ruin everything for you. I too suffer from panic disorder, but the time I found myself stuck in the house unable to go to work I told myself I wasn't going to do this. I was going to fight it with everything I had.

Medication also can help greatly and if what you are taking isn't working you need to find something else to take. I hope also you aren't relying on a family doctor to prescribe you these medications. They aren't nearly experienced enough to know what is best for someone with panic disorder. Please see a good psychiatrist for your medication needs.

Sorry this didn't answer your question but I hate to hear about anyone suffering like this. Good luck.

Answer 9

I do have anxiety attacks but I don't have the disorder. I do know that there is a lot of red tape involved with trying to get disability. I gave up trying to get it after about 6months of taking many tests and seeing four outside doctors that I had to pay out of my pocket.
Good lucky.

Answer 10

Are you seeing a neurologist? If not, I would. Maybe your meds. needs to be reajusted because your body changes as you get older. I would try to get on disability, but make sure you have doctors notes saying that you are disabled or you'll get denied!
I'm going through no health insurance, no job, and suffering from epilepsy. Its tuff!
♥good luck!♥