What are some of your experiences with anxiety disorder, and what helps you feel better?

Question

I have been dealing with anxiety and depression off and on since I was 15. I always forge ahead with my life despite it, but in the meantime, it's very annoying when I go through several-week pockets of it. I think therapy, medication, and friends are important things to combat it. It's especially awful when I have a bout of it driving at night on the freeway. I'd like to hear from other people who have experience with this-- does it feel like your whole body is tense and tired? Like maybe you're breathing wrong? Fast heartbeat, needless obsessive fear? Tell your story and how you're overcoming it.

NOTE: Please don't try to preach to me about why the drugs are bad. The doctors wouldn't prescribe them if they didn't think they would help.

Answer 1

I actually just got an RX for cymbalta on Monday. I finally went to the dr to discuss it b/c my anxieties are killing me slowly. Let's see - where to start - it started in the mid 90's when i moved out of my parents house and started to face the real world. It would always happen when out in public - i'd try to swallow and feel like i couldn't, then the hearrt would pound, the shaking would start and i would start to freak out. Found out that GAD is hereditary and pop has it, so went on Zoloft. Got it under control, stopped it cold turkey b/c i felt i didn't need it anymore ( i highly recommend NOT DOING THAT). Withdrawl was hard, but i survived. Excercise and diet really really helped - i cut just about 90% of caffeine from my diet and started to eat better. Fast-forward to July of this year - i had a small stroke and now seem to have some post traumatic stress disorder. I don't have the usual panic attacks a lot, but what happens now is every little normal ache and pain in my body i obsess over and think i'm sick or dying or that something horrible is wrong with me. So, after living like that for three months, i went to the drs and found out she thinks that the post-traumatic stress has kicked up my anxiety level. Oh yes - moved 1000 miles away from "home" in the spring, so no real friends/family local which doesn't help much either.

But i do forge ahead with life as well - i find when i get a panic attack - if i am able to - i will go take a nice hot candle-lit bubble bath. For some reason it calms me down. My dr also gave me an rx for xanax for when i get myself too upset.

I hope something helps - it sux to be like this and the worst part is that I KNOW i'm doing it. To answer your one question - it feels like my body just goes Numb at times, not necessarily tense, more of a numb and overall weakness.

Feel better - we can all see we're not alone if anything! :)

Answer 2

A few years ago I started having panic attacks and anxiety. My heart would start bumping, chest pain, couldn´t move my legs, couldn´t go out because I was afraid of getting another panic attack. Was afraid of crowds, etc. I started talking Prozac + Rivotril for a year and the panic attacks were gone. What helps to get better is a combination of medication + psychiatric therapy + will power. For example, I was afraid to go out, but I would ask a friend to keep me in company. After many years feeling ok, recently I once again got anxious. Now I am talking cymbalta and zyprexa. The newest thing I learned was the "spiritual explanation" of depression and anxiety: it is a spirit attached to one´s aura that causes the feeling of sadness, and anxiousness. For that I recommend Bach´s flowers. You are not alone. There is a lot of people in the world suffering from the same. There is hope. If I´m feeling better, I am SURE you will too. You can contact me to ([e-mail])

Answer 3

Take Deep Breaths and Learn to relax...I used to get them really bad when I was 16-20...I'm 22 now and haven't really had them recently! I told a lot of my close friends about it...When it would happen I would say I'm having a PA and they would help me thru it...Surrounding yourself with people you love, knowing that this is the cause for the physical pain was a lot of the reason I got over it..It used to be sooo bad I could hardly leave my house! I used to feel nausea, dizzy, like I was going to pass out, fast heart beat, shortness of breath to the point where I would go to the ER...basically I thought I was dying and would freak out! I still get anxiety here and there and I know I think a lot more into things then my other friends but I know this is the root cause. A lot of people have this that you would never know about...Just keep doing positive things in your life and theraphy and you will be all good!

Answer 4

Ok, had a panic attack today while behind a cement truck in a Tunnel on 395 in Washington D.C. for some reason I was convinced that tunnel was going to collapse. I took a deep breath, turned off the radio, (it was just static cause of the tunnel) and slowed down to put more space between me and the truck. It worked. But then I am use to having panic attacks and can handle most of them by now. I have been on good drugs for it for the past 15 years and have a great doctor.

Answer 5

Avoid caffeine. I used to have panic attacks while driving, but I finally just pulled over, gave in to the panic and said, "OK, I'm gonna die now," and needless to say, nothing happened! I realized I was wasting so much time on the fear when nothing was going to happen anyway. Also KEEP BUSY doing something productive and creative. Painting, gardening, something you can be proud of when it's done.

Answer 6

I have your same symtoms, but I also start projectile vomitting.
Bad story, my mom-in-law took me christmas shopping dec 24th at Wal-Mart people I didn't know were talking to me and touching me and I started to cry, then hyperventilate, then I threw up on most of the mgmt team, they called 911 and I threw up on a really cute paramedic. he ran inside and got me a bottle of water and told me stupid jokes until i calmed down. now i take 1.5mgs of Klonopin before leaving the house, and nothing bothers me (as long as I can take a nap in the car on the way home)
I use music therapy to keep me calm because I can recall the music and lyrics when i'm in a bad place and it helps me ignore whats going on around me

Answer 7

smoking thing that aren't cigarettes always has a nice calming effect..

its hard to be anxiety filled when your all mellow :)