<p>EK, you need your IRL friends right now, in addition to your cyberfriends.</p>
<p>Please call one of those IRL friends, ask her to come over, and take the plunge: tell her what’s going on and ask her to sit with you while you call your doctor. </p>
<p>You can do this. You can!</p>
<p>Please don’t let the anticipation of “what if” stop you from finding out what the solutions might be. If you are concerned about some aspect (you mention dependence), remember that you can decide what you do or don’t do after you hear the options.</p>
<p>Has this ever happened, to any degree, before this week? It is possible that you are having a physical reaction to something. Regardless, whatever the trigger, the cause, you are having symptoms, and it sounds like you need to treat the symptoms so that you can do what needs to be done to figure out why you feel this way…a difficult process. I hope you can open up to your friend who will take you to book club and she can help you take other steps. Since you were able to post here, perhaps you can make that contact via e-mail, to your doctor, a family member, other resourceful friends. It does not matter how you reach out, just that you do it. </p>
<p>Get the new book “When Panic Attacks” by David Burns.
Even though you feel you can’t, you should push yourself to get out-take care of yourself, shower, dress, exercise, communicate with friends.
Don’t forget to breath/when we’re anxious we tend to hold our breath and consequently get more anxious. If nothing else, just exhale-like you’re blowing out-that should help the panicky feelings.
The benzos and the SSRI’s can be helpful if you can’t move out of this in the next few days-
Make sure you get a good night’s sleep/hold back on sugar and caffeine-but don’t forget to eat at least three healthy meals daily
Also pay attention to your self-talk. Many people when they begin to have panic attacks are too consumed with “why” and scare themselves even more thinking they are falling apart, going crazy, etc. They also try to fight the anxiety which usually makes things worse. Instead, have a nice cool glass of ice water, take a walk, dance to a video and just accept the
fact that you are feeling lousy at the moment-this will pass.</p>
<p>E, I have absolutely no expertise in this area but I want to reinforce the suggestions of others to ask friend(s) for help and not be ashamed to tell them exactly what is going on. This is what friends are for. Your husband’s lack of support must make this especially difficult, but don’t let that stop you, and don’t be put off by worrying about dependency. Right now you just need relief. If your internist can help in the short run and you don’t like your psychiatrist, why don’t you ask your internist to recommend someone whose personality and style are compatible with yours? Even if they’re more than ten miles away, once you’re in the car it’s no big deal. Your friend can drive. You are right to want to solve this, and you deserve to get past it so you can enjoy your garden, enjoy your daughters, and enjoy this sunshine!</p>
<p>Emerald, I know someone who went through something very much like yours and it was believed that it was set off by her youngest going away to college. It happened after all was done and you would think that it would be relief, instead it was panic attacks and an unwillingness to go out, etc. very much like what you have described. Their doctor perscribed medication which gave immediate relief and then sent them on to a psychiatrist, who fine tuned the medications, after a few months she was only taking the meds for depression, although she did keep a RX around just in case she had another attack. I urge you to at least get in to see your family Dr. You will be amazed how much better you can feel, quickly. And once you are feeling better and have a handle on things then you can learn what may have caused this and make some choices going forward. Panic attacks are funny things and can be caused by many things, physical and mental. Good Luck and keep us posted.</p>
<p>I don’t have much in the way of advice, other than try some yoga. It could help. The real reason I am posting is to tell you that we are here for you. Keep posting. Maybe <em>talking</em> to us will help you get yourself out & about. Big hugs!</p>
<p>E, hope things are going better for you. I have spent years unable to answer our phone. I have a form of PTSD. Just wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you and understand in my own way, what you’re going through. Take care.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry, EK. If you can’t manage calling your doctor, please see if you can get in touch with a friend who can come over to help you. Don’t be embarrassed. A lot of people have experienced things like this, to a greater or lesser degree. I’ve certainly had my share of disabling anxiety attacks in my life, which, combined with depression, have made it impossible at times to get out of bed, let alone get out of the house. </p>
<p>And, yes, anti-depressant medications do take some time to start working. I know that when I first started taking lexapro for anxiety, I was prescribed klonipin to take as necessary until the lexapro started having an effect. It helped.</p>
<p>Oops I was going to post the below post this earlier.:o
I actually did get out today and went to Vashon- by myself since my H makes me more stressed- he is really tightly wound.
It was a beautiful day- I had to focus my breathing- but I took some melatonin last night and I felt a lot better this morning.
Going to call my reg Dr on Monday.
Drove right on the ferry- and to camp at the other end of the island.
Now this sounds really weird and a bit OCD, but I mostly only listen to music when I am in the car and since I haven’t been going anywhere- no music.
But when I start playing the music it " oh- duh- this helps"
It also helped that even though I only stayed at the camp once, when they had family weekend for kids with disabilities ( D#2 ironically), both Ds have been going there as staff and campers for years, so it is pretty familiar.</p>
<p>D was very glad to see me, although she kept asking if I was Ok, I didn’t realize that she would be able to tell that something was wrong. We did talk about it though , she has the same problem at times and I think it was helpful to her to be able to give me some advice. I know it was good for me to hear it.
I also contacted some IRL friends so they will be watching out for me.</p>
<p>I reluctantly came back home & from the sounds of what tomorrows temps are going to be, I may wish I stayed- it was very cool and breezy.
;)</p>
<p>*I haven’t gotten to the PMs yet thank you so much- it means a lot to me…</p>
<p>I did go out for about 40 min yesterday- to a nearby store to get the stuff for my daughter- but it was harder than I expected and I had panicky feelings for a while after.</p>
<p>I may have gotten my H to realize that I need help- he did go to the store last night to get milk & apples & he did want to go with me to see D today- but as he makes me more stressed I think I am going to try and do it myself.
( hope I don’t get stuck on Vashon Island, but rural island in Puget Sound in the summer? Oh well- guess I better bring my contact stuff )
I took some melatonin last night to help with sleep and feel a lot better- I have a feeling my period will start soon- and since my hormones have often been screwy ( when I was young I had really bad PMS- depression), Im thinking that they should be checked- .</p>
<p>Digging in the yard for 12 hours a day, has at least gotten me out into the sun & although I know I need aerobic exercise- playing in the mud is so therapeutic . I am installing new garden beds to take care of some of the soil my H dumped in the middle of the back yard several years ago ( and hasn’t done anything with), when he dug out a small tool shed.
*</p>
<p>So glad to hear you are feeling/doing better and are reaching out to friends, family, doc. You deserve a great deal of credit for focusing on your Vashon excursion and figuring out strategies that would make it do-able.</p>
<p>EK. When you see your Dr. ask about PCOS. This is a hormanal problem affecting about 10% of women that can cause your symptoms and more. Can be passed down through the family too.</p>
<p>EK–I have been feeling rather overwhelmed lately too, it seems to cost so much to go anywhere or do anything. And the weather has been so gloomy that it’s hard to get motivated to leave the house or shut down the computer… but the last few days of sunshine have gotten me outside and I’m feeling better too. I hope the same is true for you!</p>
