anxiety or something else

[kuc]

I have suffered with anxiety since my teens, I am 31 now.  I take .25 mg. of xanax twice daily, but it doesn't seem to help much.  My question concerns whether the symptoms I'm expierencing
is due to extreme anxiety or something else.  Frequently, I feel like I'm not really here (sounds crazy I know) and I also feel like everything I do happened a long time ago even though it might have just been 30 minutes ago.  I don't have these feelings all the time, but like I said they are frequent.  My feet are constantly sweating and I often expierence a feeling of something bad is going to happen.  I don't think these are "panic attacks"
because I've had plenty of these where I feel my heart is going to beat out of my chest and they only last a couple of minutes.
The symptoms I expierence can go on off and on all day. Can the time distortion feeling and the "not really here" feeling be caused by my anxiety and is Lexapro a good medication for this.
My doctor mentioned this medicine to me.  Thanks for your time!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Yes, the symptoms you describer are quite characteristic of anxiety.  Lexapro is an excellent medication for depression and anxiety, and is usually quite well tolerated.  Be careful when you go off xanx...you have to go off of it gradually as you replace it with lexapro.

Have you tried psychotherapy... anxiety is a symptom of conflict, and resolving the conflict is really the best cure.

[viejita]

I have an eighteen year old daughter who has experienced high levels of anxiety and depression over the last several years.  She has been anxious since she was very young but the depression was only really noticeable the last 3-4 years.  

She became addicted to methamphetamines for a brief period and has successfully stayed away from them for over a year.  She has exhibited periods of compulsive sorts of behaviors over the last 4 years like constant handwashing, plucking eyebrows, etc.  She experiences insomnia, nightmares and periods of high activity and relatively happy or normal moods and then periods of total non-activity, with no motivation and deep depression.  She can never follow through with Doctor recommendations like improving her eating habits, trying to regulate her sleep patterns, exercise or other suggestions.  Nevertheless she has improved her ability to deal with the down times and keeps a journal to try and chronicle her symptoms.

She has tried Prozac and Celexa.  Prozac seemed to help for awhile and then she complained of increasing nightmares and she began to exhibit intense facial twitching and grimacing.  She quit taking Celexa within 3 weeks complaining of the same symptoms eventhough we were careful to wean her off the Prozac and wait over a month before starting the Celexa.

My question is do you think medication with cognitive or dialectic behavioral therapy would help or would it be better to just pursue the therapy without any medication?

[lucylucy]

I think the symptoms you are describing are those known as "derealisation" or "disassociation".

I have had these feelings... if u do a search on the net on disassociation u will find lots of links, and u might find help there.. good luck..

peg xox

[songwriter]

I am 28 years old, male, living in washington DC.  I have had anxiety for about 4 years, and i can safely tell you that it really really takes it's toll on me both emotionally and physically.  I was on zoloft for about a year which seemed to help mildly, but now im getting off of them and the anxiety seems to be coming back.

I have all sort of physical symptoms like tight muscles, tingling in fingers in both hands, heart palpitations, you name it, ive dealt with it.  Ive been to neurologists, had the test done, the cat scans, all that stuff, and still no answers.

It absolutely sucks and makes you think you are losing your mind.  I think part of my problem is that im also hypersensative and if there is something going on in my body, whether or not its normal, i will focus on it and focus on it until it feels like a problem.  

Of course i always assume im gonna die of some terrible disease cause of these physical symptoms, and no one around me has a clue that all this is going through my head.

Im so sick and tired of being scared and anxious, and I just want some people to talk to who feel like i do.

Please feel free to email me and we can talk, or just post a message, or just read this an feel better for a little while knowing that someone out there feels the same fear you do, and hides it also.

cheers

[Saltwaterfishin]

Hi there Solo,  How's your stress level?  I was at a job where my stess level was out of the building.  I had similar symptoms that you have.  Feeling dissociated, feeling like I was living in a cloud and unable to reach the "real" world.  Feelings of dissociation with time. Your sweaty feet also suggest stress too.  Kind of the fight or flight syndrome.  It's a fact that when we get stressed, our feet perspire in order to provide extra traction to run.  During this time in my life the sress also caused neck and back pain, stomach and bowel problems, feelings of pinched nerves such as tingling fingers.  As soon as I quit that job, my health came back almost 100%.  So my suggestion is to look at your life and your stress level.  Certain people such as myself are very suceptable to stress and I try to avoid it at all costs.

Jay

[ian8k]

I have had anxiety for years i am 21 and had it since i was 17 olso i am very very paroniod the paroniod is the worst i cant sleep at night i keep thinking someone is going to break the door in and hit me every time i hear a car outside. I have been on all sort of medication over the years  but it seems 2 be getting worse everyday i am olso very deppressed i just dont see the point in living anymore all i do is sit about the house worrying about everything i cant even step out the front door ive had help but nothing seems to work i need to overcome this to get back to normal life i feel like im going insane

[shocker]

did you guys have these symptoms before or after drugs.  The pharamceutical companies are cashing in big time on people like us.  More than likley the drugs are causing the problem and withdrawl.  Read Your Drug may be the problem by dr. breggin.

[ian8k]

yeah i did take a cocktail off drugs in my time thats what maybe the problem but i need help bad can u suggest any websites becuse i have been to loads off docters and had loads off medication but it just keeps getting worse everyday ive been in hospital quite a few times aswell thanks in advance

[tagar01]

hi, i was just told by my doctor that i have an anxiety/depression he gave me alprazololam 0.5mg to take twice a day, and he also wants me to start paxil 20mg once a day. what i am wondering is if i start the paxil will i be on it for the rest of my life. i have heard many stories about it some not good. All of this is new to me so any advice anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated.. i am also taking ativan the small tablets that you put under your tongue when you feel an attack coming on,. i have a few medical problems that my doctor before would not help me on so i think that is where the anxiety is coming from and the depression is i am alone alot my husband works out of town and is away alot.
Thanks for listening::)

[shocker]

Get the word out, go to www.benzo.org.uk and go to the forums and ask for Ray, he will help u out and others will help u out.  Please, if you and others want to get out of this mess go there and find out the truth.

[moozie]

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[moozie]

Sorry about the last post, don't know what happened !!

Well, I have been dealing with severe anxiety for the past 3 months. I am taking 1mg of ativan a day, and walk around with the zoloft (25mg ) in my purse. I'm too scared to take it !!
I tried paxil for a few days and it made me feel awful. So now, I'm terrified of using the zoloft.

I haven't been to work in over a month because of this and wonder when I will ever be able to go back.  My problem started when I was having stomach pain in the upper part of my stomach. I thought for sure I have cancer or tumours of something.  I hand an endoscopy done last wedsnesday and right in the middle of the test I had a panic attack, my heart went up to 170 and the doctors and nurses freaked.  Since then, I have been worse. I will not have the test results for another 2 weeks.

The gastro specialist said everything is fine, no cancer, no ulcer. But I am scared that he only told me this so that my heart wouldn't go nuts again.  Now , I'm worried about my heart.

Would this doctor tell me everything is fine if it wasn't ? And could anyone tell me if they take Zoloft and what were the side effects like?

I really hope I can hear from someone out there.



Moozie

[courtsport]

hi i am 25 years old, and have had generalized anxiety disorder for about a year. i struggle daily with symptoms of anxiety like chest pain, shortness of breath, and obsessive thoughts of dying. i take 15mg of buspar twice a day and feel comfortable with that but my doctor wants me to start taking 20 mg of paxil a day. i am horrifired that if i take it that i will die. my main concern is the reaction it will have with my buspar. of course the doctors say it is safe, but when i get home i freak out and the comfort of the doctors words is gone. if anyone out there takes both of these drugs and can give me any words of encouragement that would be great. and to all of you who suffer daily like me, hang in there, and don't give up. we will get better.

[Nicola21]

I am a 20 year old female who had my first panic attack about 2 months ago which was very severe. My heart was jumping out of my chest, I couldn't breath properly and I thought I was going to die.  After a while, dying was the least of my worries as I thought I was going to end up in a mental institute. It felt as though all my memories and thoughts were being sucked out of my head and I feared forgetting who I was. After about an hour I managed to calm down. I later saw my doctor who told me what happened and just told me not to think about it. Since then I have been going through a roller coaster of emotions. After the attack I feared having another one, to the point where I'd bring one on myself because I was thinking about it so much. They were not as severe, only lasting for 30 seconds at a time. Now the fear of having another panic attack has changed into a fear of going permanently mad. I am constantly thinking that the panic attack opened a "doorway" in my mind to insanity and I could slip back through at anytime. It sometimes feels as though I am about to lose it, the world feels so distant and I feel like I’m locked in my head with all these disturbing thoughts of insanity. I sometimes get quite dizzy.  I can't stop thinking about it and I'm scared that I will drive myself mad just because I'm thinking about it too much. People have told me to relax and to concentrate on other things, but I have tried, and it doesn't matter what I do, it is always there in the back of my head. It keeps me awake at night and it's the first thing I think of in the morning. I do not feel part of this reality anymore and am scared that I’m losing myself. I used to be a very confident individual who enjoyed life but now I'm scared of being on my own. It's like I don't recognise myself anymore and I'm not sure what to do. Is this part of anxiety disorder, if not what is it and will I gradually get worse? I believe that the mind is a very powerful thing, and I’m scared that I will go mad just because I think I am, like a self-fulfilling prophecy?  I am getting so tired of trying to fight it off and I just want to feel “normal” again.  I would appreciate it if anybody had any advise.

Thank you for listening.

[kuc]

Hi Nicola!  I know exactly how you feel when you say you feel like you're going mad.  That's exactly how I feel.  I know the feelings of having your memory gone and fearing you wont know who you are.  I have been reassured by a psychiatrist that these feelings all stem from extreme anxiety.  I've had panic for many years and in the last year or so I have developed general anxiety meaning I worry about everything and anxiety is always present.
Hang in there and things will get better.

[Nicola21]

Thank you, it is comforting to know that other people are also experiencing this and we're not all alone.  I am currently debating about whether to go and see my my doctor or not.  I really am not keen on the idea of having to take medication, but I'm not sure whether this feeling will go away if I don't. What would you suggest?

[Nutz]

I have suffered with Panic Disorder for over a year now. I was under a tremendous amount of stress and had alot of tragedy for years until "the cup ran over". I had years of depression, treating it only when it started interfering with my job and family.  The last time I was treated with Sarafem (female prozac). I only took it for 6 days, I was so high until it put me in the hospital. I freaked out so bad, like a bad trip or overdose, they had no idea and sent me home. I've been suggested to TRY different medications. I'm entirely to freaked out to TRY something else, there is nothing worse than not knowing how a drug is going to make you feel, and then just waiting for it wear off. I don't understand why there are so many different phsyc drugs that all work on different areas of the brain. If our technology is advanced enough to produce such mind altering drugs then where are the "advanced" test to show exactally which chemical in the brain is at fault so we can properly administer these medications??? Why are we continuing to TRY this one and TRY that one? NO! Until those test are available, I will not be a pharmesudical lab rat!

[4gpact]

I can only comment on my own experience. I have suffered from anxiety, depression and panic off and on over the years. I have been hospitalized as a result on a couple of occasions, when what I really needed was the right medication. This summer it got so bad, I was desperate enough to stick with the anti depressant in spite of the side effects. I take Effexor, and honestly, I never knew I could feel so good. Not like euphoric, weird or high, but just calm and not overwhelmed, and a sense of contentment. I have been weaning myself off the Xanax gradually.
I know some people have difficulty, but it's important to find a good psychiatrist that will work with you and pay attention, and to be patient, and be as brave as you can in spite of your fears. For me, I realize that it is a chemical imbalance, or the medication wouldn't have worked as well as it did, when nothing else did. It wasn't a life/stress issue, it was a medical issue. Don't give up, and keep trying.

[darwin15]

I have suffered from OCD all my life, and severe anxiety and panic attacks since I was in college.  I was originally treated for the panic attacks and anxiety (symptoms of palpitating and racing heart, shortness of breath, fear of death and going crazy) with Xanax and later with beta blockers.  Both worked well in alleviating the symptoms of the panic and anxiety.  I later sought treatment for the OCD and began taking Zoloft and Klonopin for the anxiety.

My symptoms of the OCD are mainly hypochondriasis and fear of death.  The Zoloft has worked very well in counteracting these.

My main lessons learned to those out there suffering from anxiety and/or OCD: 1) Do not wait to seek treatment (I waited for years before finally seeing a psych. about the OCD) because it is quality of life issues that we are talking about here and no one needs to unnecessarily suffer.  These things can be treated, usually quite successfully. 2) Be patient in determining which medication is best for you. I think that Zoloft was the 5th SSRI that I tried before deciding that it had the least side effects and best results.  These types of medications often cause unpleasant side effects until the body gets used to them.  I initially suffered from diarrhea with the Klonopin, but now the medication works very well for me.

[Dustin]

One thing I realize about myself and others with an anxiety disorder/disassociation is that we are all overly sensitive which allows us to be hypocondriacs (spelling?).  Anyway, I just wanted to say that now that i've made that connection and learned that there are others like me and that i'm not going crazy i feel like i have power again.  I can control my thinking a lot better.  I've been on paxil (which only made the anxiety worse) for depression/anxiety but nothing made me feel better or stronger than finding this site.  Whenever I feel myself thinking too much, over-analyzing, or being self-destructive in any other way - i just think about what some of you have posted and my perspective changes.  Now i can stop the process of anxiety and am beginning to deal with my disassociation.  Thank You ALL.  

On the topic of meds -- I don't believe they can put you on the path to recovery; only level out the suffering.

[Dustin]

one other thing -- to those who suffer from anxiety/depression -- Are any of you smokers???

oh yeah -- caffiene was a huge irritant to my condition --

[aak]

The most important thing to remember is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!
It seems that many people feel like they are going crazy WITh or WITHOUT medications. I got extremely sick on Zoloft. I thought I was dying. Nausea, dizziness, shaking, blurred vision...you name it!! And I took this medication just to help me with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). I discontinued it after 18 days because I was so sick and becomming depressed (which I wasn't before) and worse. After 3 days off the medication I still feel flu-like symptoms and awful. I live a normal life I just didn't want to feel nervous and anxious about everything so I thought I would give Zoloft a try...NO WAY never again will I try these SSRI's. My Doctor said some of his patients have been ecstatic with the results. A nightmare for me!
One thing I noticed on the site is that noone is trying any other forms to combat their anxiety/stress/ depression. I am now reading a book called "The Anxiety/Phobia Workbook" which helps in other ways besides always relying on medication. Have any of you tried relaxation methods, vigorous exercise, diet change, and spiritual outlets?? BIG QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT!! I am now trying other forms of methods by taking herbs "passion flower" which is great for the nervous system as well as taking Vitamin B complex and magnesium. Of course, if your symtoms are very severe and really require trying the anti-depressants these other methods can also benefit. What have we got to lose? We all have felt like we're losing it. Our minds are so powerful we can combat this whether it's severe or mild anxiety!
Good Luck to all of you!
AAK

[Hunny]

Hi all,

I've previously posted in the Heart Forum, as I had (and still have) palpitations for the last few months. I had a Holter monitor test that proved fine and my NP suggested stress management. Yes, I've begun to look into that. My problem now is that I am so obsessed with my heart that I feel it beating constantly, especially when I lie down at night. I purposely lie on my stomach to feel it beating and I also feel the need to hear it. I rigged up something with my kids' toys to do that. I like the sound and the feel of the beat, but it makes me feel weird. Is it a comfort to me? I've also been doing lots of surfing on the heart and how it functions. What is this need? I'm now worried about my blood pressure, which was slightly high on my last checkup last month, now I go to those machines and it's sky high on those. What's up with me and my wacky mind/body??

I empathize with those of who may have had similar feelings.

[darwin15]

For those who are not "hot" on taking meds to treat ocd/anxiety, etc. (my personal opinion is if there is a pill that will make me feel better without any major side effects or long term health risks, I will take it), I would like to suggest the work of Albert Ellis, who has written many books on the subject of using cognitive behavioural therapy to combact anxiety and neurosis.  One book that I particularly like has the funny sounding title of "How to stubbornly refuse to make yourself miserable about anything, yes, anything!"  I found it quite helpful.

[territal]

I have been reading alot about anxiety lately.  I am 36 years old with 4 children and a great husband.  How could I suffer from anxiety I ask myself.  A couple of days ago my husband rushed me to the hospital because I was hyperventilating, of course I had no idea what was happening to me, shaking uncontrolably and could not breathe.  The triage nurse at the hospital was able to calm me down and eventually it passed.  Well I have had many episodes of hyperventilation, numbness in the face, sweaty feet, cold hands, and headaches, not sure if my head is burning or my skin.  I am so scared because I think I have something wrong in my brain because of the burning I have experienced.  Went to the dr and of course everything came out ok.  In the hospital they gave me an anti-anxiety medication which helped me, made me real tired but calmed me down.  They gave me Xanax to take at home which I only took 4.  I am so afraid of taking medications, always afraid of the side effects.  I noticed when I did take the xanax I felt better.  Stopped taking it and now the symptoms keep coming back.  I never knew anxiety caused physical symptoms.  I have to go back to the dr so we can discuss what needs to be done so I can feel normal.  I have been only suffering for 6 wks, too long though when you have 4 kids. I hope to feel better soon and get over any fears.  This site has helped me understand anxiety.  Thankyou