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Anxiety Ending?
This stress/anxiety period that I have been experiencing for the past 2 months appears to be ending. I have been getting plenty of rest at night (sleeping through the night) and have even taken a few naps without jumping up in panic.
My sex drive is back full force (God help the wife) and I have an appitite again. However, I still have residual fears and anxiety at times. This is mainly in me and my thoughts. I can acutally think up fears and make my surroundings look unreal to the point I am on the verge of panic.
I sometimes think of this condition and wonder if I even have a disorder. Anxiety has never been a constant with me. It usually comes for a period of a month or a little longer then goes away. During this time, I go from a fun loving guy to one that wants to hide from the world.
I went to a shrink years ago and he said I had GAD. He precribed paxil and that was it. When anxiety hits real hard, I feel like my life is starting over and I have to "learn" how to be me again.
Anyone see any similarites or have a comment on this?
My sex drive is back full force (God help the wife) and I have an appitite again. However, I still have residual fears and anxiety at times. This is mainly in me and my thoughts. I can acutally think up fears and make my surroundings look unreal to the point I am on the verge of panic.
I sometimes think of this condition and wonder if I even have a disorder. Anxiety has never been a constant with me. It usually comes for a period of a month or a little longer then goes away. During this time, I go from a fun loving guy to one that wants to hide from the world.
I went to a shrink years ago and he said I had GAD. He precribed paxil and that was it. When anxiety hits real hard, I feel like my life is starting over and I have to "learn" how to be me again.
Anyone see any similarites or have a comment on this?
congrats Edgy!! I do understand the apprehension. some days you feel awesome and then......... but get back into your life--Keep on enjoying it!! I am so happy for you!
thanx 4 ya responce bk!!i av alot of emotionz at thiz time!me meself feelz like im traped in my own mind!wiv no escape!even when i av the energy 2 do 2 thingz!!i av mainly them symptomez 2!i can handle most of them apart from the rushes and dizzynezz!and tension in my face and neck!!which becumz worse upon tryin 2 sleep! day in day out!!hard 2 speak 2 people that avnt experienced it!but also itz only gone thiz bad since i had a baby last month!!and i want 2 get thou 4 him!!will i ever get thou it hun!!thank u 4 your time in replyin!!
thanx 4 ya responce bk!!i av alot of emotionz at thiz time!me meself feelz like im traped in my own mind!wiv no escape!even when i av the energy 2 do 2 thingz!!i av mainly them symptomez 2!i can handle most of them apart from the rushes and dizzynezz!and tension in my face and neck!! day in day out!!hard 2 speak 2 people that avnt experienced it!but also itz only gone thiz bad since i had a baby last month!!and i want 2 get thou 4 him!!will i ever get thou it hun!!thak u 4 your time in replyin!!
You guys are trying way to hard to figure out something that you likely never will, no one has figured it out yet. There IS no cut and dry with anxiety, it does not follow any clear cut pattern a lot of times. Many of us can go weeks, months, even YEARS without one single anxious feeling only to be thrown right back into the throws of panic and anxiety out of the blue. Anxiety DOES typically come and go, and unfortunately, for most of us, it doesn't stay away forever. My experience is, anxiety has been around my entire life, with periods of being completely housebound, to periods of complete "anxiety remission" for years, where I live a normal, anxiety free life, for the most part. Most people report much of the same. While it is heartbreaking when anxiety returns, if we employ our defenses right away, we can usually minimize the extent of the effects.
What's important is how you deal with the anxiety when it is present...that's way more important than the "whys" (minus a past traumatic event obviously). The "why" usually never comes for most of us, and only when we finally stop trying to figure that out is when we can move forward. If you put your heart and soul into therapy, you will learn coping mechanisms you will have forever. Also, the next time anxiety rears its ugly head, you'll be better equipped to identify it right away and you will likely seek help right away. It's important to celebrate any improvements you have, rather than trying to rack your brain figuring out if this is "it", or if anxiety is going to come back. Us anxious people are great for overthinking everything. That's another thing to work on in therapy...the less you do that, the less you will ruminate about anxiety and its patterns.
Also, just FYI...a "nervous breakdown" does not actually exist. It is not an official medical term...instead it is a very old and outdated term used by professionals who didn't understand what anxiety and panic was a long time ago. The term itself is scary and makes people think they are somehow damaged as a result of anxiety, that is not true. Sure, it changes us, but not always in a bad way. Just a pet peeve, but I don't like that term, and I like to make people realize that there really IS no such thing as a nervous breakdown.
Continue to set goals for yourself, and until you wake up one morning and realize that you haven't had an anxious thought or worry for several months, keep working on your coping techniques. Also, while posting on a site like this is helpful, it's also VERY easy to get caught up and before long, you are spending way too much time here, which only exacerbates the constant thoughts about anxiety...you need balance. You need to force yourself to walk away from the computer many times a day and get out in the real world. After a while, something that started out as being a helpful tool can become a tether that is holding you back from a more complete "remission" from anxiety.
Believe me...I've been there, done that with ALL of the above.
What's important is how you deal with the anxiety when it is present...that's way more important than the "whys" (minus a past traumatic event obviously). The "why" usually never comes for most of us, and only when we finally stop trying to figure that out is when we can move forward. If you put your heart and soul into therapy, you will learn coping mechanisms you will have forever. Also, the next time anxiety rears its ugly head, you'll be better equipped to identify it right away and you will likely seek help right away. It's important to celebrate any improvements you have, rather than trying to rack your brain figuring out if this is "it", or if anxiety is going to come back. Us anxious people are great for overthinking everything. That's another thing to work on in therapy...the less you do that, the less you will ruminate about anxiety and its patterns.
Also, just FYI...a "nervous breakdown" does not actually exist. It is not an official medical term...instead it is a very old and outdated term used by professionals who didn't understand what anxiety and panic was a long time ago. The term itself is scary and makes people think they are somehow damaged as a result of anxiety, that is not true. Sure, it changes us, but not always in a bad way. Just a pet peeve, but I don't like that term, and I like to make people realize that there really IS no such thing as a nervous breakdown.
Continue to set goals for yourself, and until you wake up one morning and realize that you haven't had an anxious thought or worry for several months, keep working on your coping techniques. Also, while posting on a site like this is helpful, it's also VERY easy to get caught up and before long, you are spending way too much time here, which only exacerbates the constant thoughts about anxiety...you need balance. You need to force yourself to walk away from the computer many times a day and get out in the real world. After a while, something that started out as being a helpful tool can become a tether that is holding you back from a more complete "remission" from anxiety.
Believe me...I've been there, done that with ALL of the above.
My physical symptoms were only nervousness and tingley feelings in my legs and arms. I would also break out in sweats along with an aching stomach. Adreniline rushes were the worse of the physical symptoms.
Most of my symptoms were emotional. I would get the unreality feelings, I would feel lost and I also I would be filled with fear and intrusive thoughts. the fear of going crazy would always get the best of me.
Let me explain this with an example of one of my fears. At one time, I use to thing of our solar system being inside of the Milky Way Galaxy. I would look at pictures of a spiral Galaxy and think of me being inside ot that mass somewhere. This thought would overwhelm me to the point of panic. I just couldn't believe that all of my life was spent inside of that cosmic mass.
Sound crazy? When I am not in an anxious state, our solar system being part of a galaxy is as natural to me as anything.
The thing I learned over the years is when anxiety becomes overwhelming, everything around you becomes part of it. We attach our anxiety to concrete things to explain why we feel the way we do. It isnt being inside a galaxy that I feared, it was the anxiety I attached to that thought.
Weird stuff to say the least.
Most of my symptoms were emotional. I would get the unreality feelings, I would feel lost and I also I would be filled with fear and intrusive thoughts. the fear of going crazy would always get the best of me.
Let me explain this with an example of one of my fears. At one time, I use to thing of our solar system being inside of the Milky Way Galaxy. I would look at pictures of a spiral Galaxy and think of me being inside ot that mass somewhere. This thought would overwhelm me to the point of panic. I just couldn't believe that all of my life was spent inside of that cosmic mass.
Sound crazy? When I am not in an anxious state, our solar system being part of a galaxy is as natural to me as anything.
The thing I learned over the years is when anxiety becomes overwhelming, everything around you becomes part of it. We attach our anxiety to concrete things to explain why we feel the way we do. It isnt being inside a galaxy that I feared, it was the anxiety I attached to that thought.
Weird stuff to say the least.
hi!im glad 2 era u are doin well:i wish i cud say that 4 meself;i seek help like u did 2;but itz the phsical side thatz takin over my life!!wot sort of psyhical state did u suffer!!did u beleive your life woz over at the time!!wotz your best advice 2 get thou it!!as ive try everthing apart from medz!thank u
Well I have had anxiety off and on for over 30 years. I have NEVER, let me repeat this, NEVER had a major health problem (Thank the Lord above!).
I once thought I was having a heart attack. I wore the monitor for a 24 hour period. It showed I had 1800 irregular heart beats in a 24 hour period. I had a stress test done, normal. I was checked by one of the leading cardiologist in the Philadelphia area.
You know what he told me? I was as healthy as could be. I was just stressed out. At the time I was drinking alot of coffee to keep up with classes I was taking at the time. I was also working full time with alot of responsiblities.
It cost me alot of money just because I stressed mysel out.
I once thought I was having a heart attack. I wore the monitor for a 24 hour period. It showed I had 1800 irregular heart beats in a 24 hour period. I had a stress test done, normal. I was checked by one of the leading cardiologist in the Philadelphia area.
You know what he told me? I was as healthy as could be. I was just stressed out. At the time I was drinking alot of coffee to keep up with classes I was taking at the time. I was also working full time with alot of responsiblities.
It cost me alot of money just because I stressed mysel out.
Right. I'm so freaking confused with you. Wondering why we can't figure it out. omg I was reading something last night and it said that of you have anxiety there is an underlining health issue. Whats your take on that??
I know levels are unbalanced and they need to be regulated. But I'm now feeling unsure if everything because of that reading.
What do you think about that???
I know levels are unbalanced and they need to be regulated. But I'm now feeling unsure if everything because of that reading.
What do you think about that???
Hey "C",
That is why I am optimistically cautious. I might feel like a million bucks today then get hit with something later on.
About a month ago, my wife and I went out for dinner. While there I felt calm and like myself. I told her that night that I was over the anxiety and feeling like myself again. About a week later I was struggling again.
Its really weird. I remember once feeling like crap for about a month after a stressfull period of time. One day the wife an I decided to drive to the shore, something I really didnt feel like doing because of how panicky I felt. I worried the whole time I was there. I went to bed that night and awoke totally free of anxiety the next morning. It was done overnight!
Can't figure it out.
That is why I am optimistically cautious. I might feel like a million bucks today then get hit with something later on.
About a month ago, my wife and I went out for dinner. While there I felt calm and like myself. I told her that night that I was over the anxiety and feeling like myself again. About a week later I was struggling again.
Its really weird. I remember once feeling like crap for about a month after a stressfull period of time. One day the wife an I decided to drive to the shore, something I really didnt feel like doing because of how panicky I felt. I worried the whole time I was there. I went to bed that night and awoke totally free of anxiety the next morning. It was done overnight!
Can't figure it out.
Hey "E"
I'm so happy to see you getting better.. Thats awesome news...
I'm so so glad for you. I'm wondering why when it goes it comes back??
I know if we haven't dealt with the reason it was here in the first place out could come back.
I had been feeling good for the past couple of days. But least night I had an attack freaked me out couldn't stop crying..
I don't understand I was feeling ok..
I'm so happy to see you getting better.. Thats awesome news...
I'm so so glad for you. I'm wondering why when it goes it comes back??
I know if we haven't dealt with the reason it was here in the first place out could come back.
I had been feeling good for the past couple of days. But least night I had an attack freaked me out couldn't stop crying..
I don't understand I was feeling ok..
Are these episodes nervous breakdowns or what? I have had quite a few over the years following stressfull periods or life changes. Some were severe and others very managable.
After going through it, I feel beaten up from all the fear that was generated during this period of time. I went to therapy 32 years ago during a very bad anxiety period that lasted for a long period of time.
The therapy was very good for me at the time as I learned #1 I wasnt insane. This was comforting to know. I also learned about stress and what it could do to an individual.
About 16 years ago I had another episode after a stressfull period of time that I felt like I needed to seek the services of a psychaitrist. He mentioned to me that I had GAD and explained the chemical imbalance associated with it. he put me on Paxil and after about a month, I was back to myself.
I tried going off of it a few times only to have panic follow a few months later. So, I've stayed on a low dose in case I needed to increase to the max of 40 mg/day.
After going through it, I feel beaten up from all the fear that was generated during this period of time. I went to therapy 32 years ago during a very bad anxiety period that lasted for a long period of time.
The therapy was very good for me at the time as I learned #1 I wasnt insane. This was comforting to know. I also learned about stress and what it could do to an individual.
About 16 years ago I had another episode after a stressfull period of time that I felt like I needed to seek the services of a psychaitrist. He mentioned to me that I had GAD and explained the chemical imbalance associated with it. he put me on Paxil and after about a month, I was back to myself.
I tried going off of it a few times only to have panic follow a few months later. So, I've stayed on a low dose in case I needed to increase to the max of 40 mg/day.
I also want to say that it is great that you are feeling better! Just remember that anxiety can definitely ebb and flow and can peak when we think we have it 'beaten.' My piece of advice would be when it does come back, you have the knowledge to deal with it and confront it and having the knowledge is a HUGE part of dealing with this in my opinion. I used to get frustrated beyond belief when my anxiety would return sometimes after months or years of not even really giving it a second thought, however, once I took a deep breath and realized that I had dealt with it in the past and actually knew what to do, I was able to confront it right away. As with any challenge it does take work, but you now know you are able to get through it...keep us posted!
Yes, I do have a comment. I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better! That's great news. For some of us anxiety can come and go. With others, it can be there all the time. Also known as GAD like you mentioned. I know you've been to see a Shrink, but what about getting in to therapy to help with the coming and going anxiety? It sounds like you may not need meds all the time. I do think therapy would really help you learn coping skills for when the anxiety does happen.
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