a ? about anxiety & paranoia PLEASE HELP!?

Question

If I'm out in public for too long, or if or I am in a public place thats far from home I get anxiety & just want to get home as quick as possible. Is there a name for this?

I also have paranoia. Im certain that I am going to be in a bad car accident, so I vividly picture accidents happening when I am driving (for instance when a car is merging, I picture it slamming into me). Also if my dad or sister is running late, the first thing that I think is that they were in a bad car accident. I picture an accident & getting a phone call...i see it all in my head. I think its possible that this stems from my grandmother being killed in a car accident, but Im not for certain. These are just examples, Im quite paranoid when it comes to alot of things. Is it typical that I would have mental pictures of aweful things happening? Sorry its hard for me to explain.

Im on zoloft & dont think its working the way it should. I just want to be normal, I see that all my symptoms are getting wors

25 yr old female by the way. Oh & I also have bad axiety when I eat, 90% of the time anyways. I usually eat alot, but lately, even with my favorite foods I just dont have an appetite, i have to force my self to eat most the time b/c I just dont feel like. Its another thing hard to explain, but I know I DO NOT have an eating disorder.

ANY help is appreciated! THANKS!

Answer 1

hi
I think you r suffering from an anxiety disorder actually I'm having one but it's worse than yours "it is about death" and I just relate everything to it .
I think you have to visit a therapist because it is really awful to live with this anxiety.
have fun.

Answer 2

Hi there, I used to have those same fears sometimes i would even be physically sick if my mum was running late to pick me up and stuff like that, but then i got to age twelve and started smoking cannabis and drinking heavily that took away those fears until i started using meth (speed) then i turned into a total paranoid mess and have only recently come off drugs leaving me back to square one, having social phobia (being surrounded by hordes of people) anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. I have also tried anti depressant drugs like paroxetine, zoloft. lexapro and they all made me worse. ( now im 22 ) I am now on two drugs one is called Valium and the other is temazepam, these drugs are known as benzodiazipines, For the first time in my life I feel normal, relaxed and know i've got something to fall back on when i get panicy. My suggestion is to get off the anti-depressants and try to get some valium or xanax. You will probably need to go to a few docs until you find one that will prescribe you a benzodiazipine, Doctors dont like to prescribe these drugs as they can be habit forming (because they make you feel good) So instead they'll gladly hand out crappy antidepressants to just about anyone. If you decide to stop taking zoloft remember to cut down gradually even if it takes a couple of weeks. My email is [e-mail] if you want to talk to someone and I may be able to help with what you need to say in order to get a benzo prescription ( only to help your condition not for abuse) hope you feel o.k.

Answer 3

This really sounds like a combination of Social Anxiety Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It's definitely possible to have them both together.

Social anxiety can cause these feelings, which can also lead to severe depression,
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

if not you could be suffering from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/general_anx...

There is hope; I've been there, and still am there, it is a long, hard struggle. I recommend
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me, with mild anti-anxiety meds. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

I recommend a mild anti-anxiety med in addition to CBT therapy.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!

Answer 4

Zoloft is NOT going to make this go away. Only counseling can do that. Get counseling, find out why you do this and learn how to not do it and you won't even need medication. So many people just want to take a pill to make things go away. If you really want to stop feeling like this, then you have to do the work. If all you see are car accidents, then yes...your grandmother's accident is probably the big reason. Get some help.

Answer 5

you're not paranoid. What you're talking about with the car accident thing is apart of your anxiety. You should maybe go to a therapist, he/she could probably help you figure out where that is coming from and get it out of your head. I used to have the same issue in a way. I was terrified of losing my mother (many friends of mine lost their mothers at young ages and I witnessed it all growing up). I always thought she was dead or something. I would go into the hallway by her room in the middle of the night just to listen for her breathing. My therapist got all of that terrible anxiety out of me and I know that you'll be able to get over your problems too. Just go into it with an open mind and don't let your fears control you.

Good luck.
ah f*ck it, you don't need luck, you'll be fine.

oh, btw, the public place/far away thing is just anxiety as well, I still have that issue but I know how to deal. If you want to talk about any of that feel free to e-mail me. (that_girl_kristine@yahoo)

Answer 6

Eliminate Social Anxiety Shyness - http://SocialAnxiety.uzaev.com/?fteh

Answer 7

Evil forces are in your brain messin with you.
Learn a good bible verse or christian song when all this
comes over you.
U probably can ditch the pills and when these evil thoughts
come over you, be ready and repeat Jesus loves me in your
brain- or say back off satan by the blood of jesus.
works miracles--better than pills anyday.

Answer 8

Wow, I just had anxiety reading your post! :) I have suffered with anxiety and depression since age 12. I have alot to say here and I know what I'm talking about because I've been there and still am there so listen up ok. I started having problems with major depression, then anxiety crept in. The anxiety got worse as I got older.

I had the same problems in crowded places. It got so bad that I would break out in sweats when I was having an attack and would have to just leave my cart and leave a store. It was hard to stand in line, to walk past people, driving was hard for me, especially traffic lights, restaurants etc.

I went on zoloft which is what you are on now when i was 21, back in 2000, i was on it for 2 years, helped me alot with my Social Anxiety, thats what it sounds like you have "social anxiety" do a web search on it. But listen im not done. I still have these problems and I am 28, I know what is causing it for me now.

Alot of it is chemical but I also have major low self esteem, when I look in the mirror I want to vomit, people tell me im beautiful but I dont see it. Ive also suffered with eating disorders. Right now im eating but barely because I want to loose weight, (but im not over weight, in my mind i am) Im eating though so Im not completely starving myself. Back in December of 2004 I hit a major depression again, and decided to get help, I had been in therapy when I was younger and decided that i couldnt live like this anymore so i got help. I started to see a therapist and a psychiatrist in january of 2005.

the psychiatrist diagnosed me with Bipolar II Disorder (a mood disorder), Borderline Personality Disorder (which is a emotional disorder, not mental and not a split personality, read up people) and PTSD (post tramatic stress) I have improved alot with therapy and meds, but im not cured. I can go into a grocery store etc with no problems now, i love to shop but malls freak me out and restaurants. Right now I'm taking Lamictal for my mood disorder (to control my moodiness, anxiety etc) but I'm actually weening myself off of it right now because i want to learn to control my moods without meds.

I'm having cosmetic surgery on april 2nd for something that has always played mental mind games with me, my nose. I was teased for it since age 12. even as an adult i have been ostricized. I know that after I do this it will improve my self confidence as far as how i look goes, it will not cure my problems because I still have a mood disorder but it will make me more confident to go into these situations. for me it is feeling like everyone is stairing at me that throws me into these attacks.

You have to learn your triggers (what is causing you to feel this way) when you have an anxiety attack, ask yourself, what is happening right now that is making me feel this way? Once you realize what is causing it, you can learn to control it. I have major paranoia too and assume the worst with things and my loved ones.

For example, my brother and his wife and baby went to russia last summer to visit her relatives, she lives in an area of russia where there is alot of terrorism, because we hadnt heard from my brother in a few days i assumed he had been killed for being american but then we found out he had gone on a hunting trip with her father. Ive had myself convinced that I had cancer, etc, if any little physical thing is wrong with me i assume the worst. I have really bad fears of electrical fires, but i know where it stems from. we had a stove fire when I was small. Alot of other things too.

So listen, I dont know if you are seeing anyone or not but i would suggest going to a therapist AND a psychiatrist, only the psychiatrist can help you be diagnosed. Do a web search on Bipolar Disorder. There are different types of it. Bipolar one is severe and it involves hallucinations and delusions, I am not Bipolar one, I am Bipolar two, which when you look it up they show it like this " ipolar II " I think you sound a little Bipolar II to me, look it up and see what you think. I think your anxiety is social anxiety and your paranoia sounds like Bipolar. Good luck 2 u.

Carmen