I often get many PMs about people feeling down on themselves during this process of dealing with anxiety and panic.  While it is one of the toughest challenges anyone can face, everyone in this forum is doing it and for that give yourself a huge pat on the back.  I know it is not easy, nor is it very fun losing ones self-identity and self-worth during these trying times, but do not discount progress.  Progress can sometimes be gauged in very minute measurements like posting questions/concerns in this forum, getting out of bed, completing normal and everyday tasks that can seem daunting, etc.  Remember, as in life, there are ups and downs in working through this.  By choosing to confront this, you have already earned my respect and a HUGE pat on the back.  Have a GREAT weekend!

I often get messages and questions about my opinions of seeking help through medication and the social ramifications of doing so.  While everyone is different and there is no unique way to beat anxiety and panic, in my personal experience, there are different ways to confront this.  Let me stress, I am not a doctor and I applaud people who choose not to use medication in dealing with this; that is a personal choice and I commend people for making a decision to do so.  

When I first had a panic attack three years ago and realized that this was becoming a problem, I was VEHEMENTLY against any forms of medication to deal with this.  I was concerned about the social ramifications and the fact that I may need help from meds to help me through this.  Obviously, I had a change of heart and as many know, I am a proponent of medication COMBINED with talk therapy.

This combination, in my experience, is the most important point.  Without confronting why this pattern of behavior exists, it is much harder to break through this cycle.  Talk therapy is the most important step in beating this; not medication.  But, as a tool, it has and does help me through all of this.  I think of it this way; if I had high blood pressure, I would take medication; however, there are also many steps that I must take along this road to managing it.  I would change my diet, get regular exercise, and lose weight if I needed to.  Would I necessarily like doing all of this?  Nope, I would wish I could just take a pill and let it be over with, but that is not how life works.  There are many things we can do to control it, just like with anxiety and panic.

The social ramifications about Antidepressants and benzos really do not concern me any more.  If you take them, you have basically accepted there is a problem that must be confronted.  For me, that takes much more courage than pretending a problem does not exist.  During this process, I had also found that my boss was on an SSRI along with many of my coworkers; when I opened up about it, it also relieved a lot of stress that I had been carrying on my shoulders.

Again, this is just my opinion and everyone deals with problems in their own unique ways, but I just want to say that just by being in this forum and sharing your fears and concerns, shows me every member in here has nothing to be ashamed about.

Just wanted to send out a reminder for everyone to continue using this forum.  In many posts and PMs I often see how many people feel like they are alone with suffering through this anxiety/panic cycle.  There are hundreds of people here that have, are, and will go through exactly what you are experiencing.  This can be so debiliating, especially when you lose self-identity and feel like you are the only going through this.  But remember, you are not; and that is a very comfortable feeling.  Another point; no matter how bad you feel at the current time it does get MUCH better and in the long run it makes you a more well rounded person for this endeavor.  So, keep on asking your questions, keep on expressing your concerns, and keep on helping each other!  I have only been here since January, and I am amazed at the progress I have seen.

Being on this forum has sure taught me so much about learning about the cycle of anxiety.  I have answered many posts and PM’s about peoples’ concerns about their physical symptoms.  They often wonder how this all could just be anxiety when they actually feel horrible (i.e. aches, pains, tiredness, etc).  Instead of rambling on, I will try to be as concise as possible.

Remember, when we are feeling anxious, it does take a huge toll on us both physically and mentally.  Being at such a high state of alertness for so long causes us great fatigue.  In my opinion, this is a huge factor in keeping us in this never ending cycle of worry, panic, worry.  We also tend to misinterpret many feelings that people just shrug off of every day.  I usually ask people what they thought of a headache or aches and pains before suffering through this, and overwhelmingly they said that they would pop a Tylenol or aspirin and shrug it off.  But now because of our concerns these aches and pains often become catastrophic in our minds.  So, when I was dealing with this (and I still am to a certain degree), I decided to accept that there was probably nothing major wrong with me and trusted the doctors.  In my mind, acceptance of this cycle over medical symptoms is one of the most important steps in breaking it.  Once you accept it, you open your mind to learning about it, confronting and beating it.