Your symptoms sound just like mine! Mine is panic attacks. For no reason. It just would happen! Try a mild form of Paxil or Zoloft. I've takin Paxil for ten years. Never had another panic attack. It's horrible living with those, there are to many meds that help to not. Or look into the natural way. Many herbs. I wish I would of tried that.
If you're dealing with anxiety, and it sure sounds like you are, you are FAR from alone. Almost 20% of the US population is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Those are only the people who have been officially diagnosed. There are MANY more who haven't been diagnosed yet. There are estimates that upwards of 40% of the US population has come kind of chronic anxiety. That's a LOT of people!
The best way to approach this is to ask for a referral to a psychiatriat. He/she can thoroughly assess you, and give you a proper diagnosis. There are many different kinds of anxiety disorders. You may be dealing with panic disorder...that would be my hunch anyway, from what you have described. There is also GAD, or generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and many more.
Once you get a diagnosis, the doc will discuss treatment options with you. The most common method of treating anxiety disorders is with medications (usually an antidepressant, possibly with an "as needed" anxiolytic, like Xanax, ar Ativan), and therapy. There are MANY different kinds of medications that are used to treat anxiety. It's a popular treatment modality, because it it successful for a lot of people.
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Medications are helpful in that they help to control the symptoms, while therapy arms you with knowledge, and coping mechanisms. You have to learn how to deal with the feelings of panic when they present themselves. It's a very scary sensation, but the good news is, panic attacks, without a serious underlying medical condition, are harmless.
Please take that first step and get yourself to a psychiatrist. The most important thing you've done thus far is reaching out for the first time (here), and also coming to terms with the fact that what you've been experiencing may, indeed, be anxiety. It's very hard for a lot of people to accept that, mainly because the physical symptoms that come with anxiety/panic are so very real, it's hard to imagine that "just anxiety" could cause such significant symptoms, but they do. So, you're ahead of the game in that respect. A lot of people chase their tail for YEARS, visiting every kind of specialist, having hundreds of medical tests, only to end up realizing it WAS anxiety all along.
This forum is an amazing resource too. You will get loads of info, compassion and support here. You're among people who are in your shoes. We've all lived it, or are just starting the journey. You are NOT alone, don't forget that. When you're feeling terrified, and hopeless, it's very easy to feel like you are, but you're not.
Welcome aboard, very glad you found us. Please update us, so we can help you along the way!
(Sorry for the split post, MH is working on a glitch that limits posts to 2000 characters)
Thanks for the advice. I have never been one to like medications other than a headache tablet. I am so afraid of what or how zoloft or medications like that will make me feel. but i do realize that i may need to try that. Its hard for me because I am also raising a Five year old, son, who is my everything, my life and he has autism. Sometimes its hard enough for me to handle his behaviors and keep a level head. I guess i should discuss with my doctor a referral to a good therapist, so i can be healthy for my lil man.