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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Fainting and blackout spells
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Fainting and blackout spells
by Razorbacklady07, Oct 05, 2007 09:54AM
I am an 23 year old, single, first time soon-to-be mommy from Arkansas. I suffer from PTSD amongst other things. My problem is: I keep passing out and having black-out spells when I lest expect it. I've been seen by too many doctors and ER staffs to not have any answers, whatsoever. One lady told me it might be coming from my disorder, but wasn't sure. I had to leave one town and travel 2, almost 3 hours to see another doctor in another town, just for them to tell me the same things I've been told before. "Everything is looking good. There's nothing showing up out of the ordinary." But, I keep fainting at bus stops, sitting down laughing and talking, and even getting dizzy in church. I get to the point where I actually wonder if I might drop my little girl once she get her, while I'm feeding her a bottle one day! That's scary. Noone has a answer, no matter how bad I need one and for some reason, I find that kinda impossible!!!
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Oct 05, 2007 11:31AM
, Oct 05, 2007 11:31AM
To: razorbacklady 07
It seems clear that you do not have a neurological problem since this has been going on for 5 years without any signs of that kind of a problem showing up on your tests. Therefore it is probably an anxiety equivalent, and you have two options...After your pregnancy is over, you can ask your doctor for some anti anxiety medication. In the meantime, you can find someone to talk to about your life worries....is there a counselor or life coach or therapist in your town or nearby...that would be the best, and most immediate.
Anyway, long story short,...nobody seemed to grasp the fact that I wanted to STOP fainting. But one day in a group therapy session my therapist was telling another girl to BREATHE when she felt like she was going to faint. Had this same therapist just told ME that, it could have saved me a lot of trouble.
So, when you feel like you're going to faint you have to remember to breathe, because when you're nervous or anxious (even if you don't know you are) your breathing naturally slows down and that causes you to faint.