ANXIOUS! FOR SOMEONE TO COMMENT!!!

[cnote]

25 Male.
Just want to know if people have the same symptoms?

Out of nowhere last Friday, my wife and I were on our way into town.
I started having a panic attack in the car... I just had this overwhelming feeling over my body.
I kept trying to fight it... and kept trying to fight it... then my stomach felt nauseous.  I didnt eat dinner that night...
and then after the panic attack left... it left me with a worryful stomach (nervous stomach if you will) bad butterflies. Like when you are about to get up infront of a classroom and speak nervousness.

That evening it passed... and I was fine... slept good that night.. then the next morning I woke up with a nervous stomach again. It sucked!

It has pretty much stuck with me the past few days... yesterday it acted like it was leaving.. I ate a great meal and felt good. Mowed the lawn etc. Then in the evening it came back...

It came back REALLY strong when my buddy called me to tell me my manager was going to have a talk with me tomorrow.. about something I did wrong. I slept okay lastnight, but woke up really early this morning and really couldnt fall back asleep...

My stomach was nervous again this morning... even after my manager had a talk with me over something that was NO BIG DEAL.

I didnt have an appetite all day today... now I'm home and my anxiety is still bad! My heart is racing... my stomach is nervous... I just keep thinking about how I want this to end, and I keep repeating in my head "will this go away soon!?"

My past anxiety spells would last for a week or more... so I keep telling myself it will pass...

This is not as bad as my previous spells... but it's getting old... I hate having a nervous stomach.

And I have nothing to be nervous about!!!

My question is to all of you... Does anyone relate to this?! The nervous stomach for no reason!?

Does anyone have any advice? Any natural ways to help the healing process? What causes this? Is it possible to get anxiety from things you don't even know is giving you the anxiety?

I don't want to go back to the Dr., b/c I've tried the lexapro thing... and anti depressants werent for me. I do have a safety bottle of ativan but only when I need it. And trust me I only take it when I really really need it. I used to see a psychiatrist.. and he helped a lot. But I'm not going to see him yet.. b/c I really think this will pass like it always usually does.

Do you guys think this will pass like my other spells? Or do you think I'll be feeling like this forever!? Such a crazy thing to say! My wife always tells me "Honey... just remember... last week you were feeling GREAT! and Normal! You've managed to overcome all your other spells.. .what makes you think you wont overcome this one?"

I think she's right. =) Just need a little motivation here. Thanks guys.

-Chris-

[smileybrunette]

My anxiety kicked in when my mother got ill, had scary symptoms and no one to lean on but me after which she died.  I wound up with something like post traumatic stress syndrome.  I had so much depression and anxiety I could barely function.

That was 20 years ago.  The depression finally lifted with the help of anti-depressants, but the anxiety has been ongoing, sometimes lowgrade and other times manageable by long acting tranquilizer.  I'm still on the anxiety med. It just makes life easier not struggling constantly to try to control it.  After all, if it were diabetes, and anxiety is no different, it can't be seen but it has physical causes, then I'd be on medication management for life. So it makes sense to me to just manage it.  I wouldn't try to control diabetes by will-power either.  You can't manage a chemical imbalance by will-power and anxiety is a chemical imbalance in your brain.

It doesn't make you weak.  Would you say someone with diabetes or a thyroid problem was weak?  Anyone who has a predisposition (shortage on feel-good brain chemicals) can be triggered anytime during their lives. It appears to be genetic.  Both my parents had anxiety issues.  My mother had OCD and my dad had anxiety after he retired.  So I come by it honestly.  My sister has it too.  No biggie.  Doesn't really impact my life anymore.  I take my meds, and I live my life. :)

[remar]

i agree with nursegirl, take an ativan if you really need to. it sounds like this will pass soon, hang in there. try some pepcid ac for your stomach, it helps me when my anxiety is sky high and my stomach is in knots and upset. i hope you start feeling better soon and it sounds like you have a wonderful wife. take care. remar

[nursegirl6572]

The cycle is really the crux of anxiety.  As hard as we sometimes try to stop it...sometimes we feel almost powerless, like the more we tell ourselves..."RELAX, there is nothing to fear"...the more anxious we become.  :0(

It IS very typical, and you're not crazy.  It sounds to me like the big stressors (your grandma's passing and your daughter's birth) triggered an anxiety response.  Are you destined to have it always?  That's a tough one.  I personally was anxious all of my life, even in childhood.  It finally came to a big ole head in my early 20's.  Since then...I've gone thru what I call periods of "anxiety remission", where I will be perfectly fine, anxiety FREE, no limitations...literally not even a passing thought about anxiety for YEARS, and then all of a sudden, it rears its ugly head again...and I start the process all over again until I get to another "remission".  That is what it has been like for me.  The biggest thing in MY history was when I decided I didn't "need" my medications (SSRI) anymore (they have been very helpful for me, personally). I'd be fine for 6 mos-1 year, then yhe anxiety would be back.

Everyone is different of course.  It IS very possible that you are going thru a "phase"....but even if it is only temporary, you still should actively work on addressing it...so that A.) you are better equipped to deal with it when it happens and B.) so that you dont keep yourself stuck in the cycle.  It would be nice if we could just "shrug it off", but unfortunately it doesn't usually work that way.

With the great support you have from your family...and the way you are already dealing with it quite well (you may disagree)...I think that even IF it sticks around and visits you once in a while...you'll be able to effectively cope, like so many of us have.

In the meantime, ask your doc what you can maybe take for your GI issues while you work on the anxiety...even something OTC like Pepcid, Tums, etc may be helpful.  Your system is in overdrive with the anxiety, which is in turn...causing your GI system to be hyperactive.  There are options to improve that.  Ask your doc what would be best to try for you.

And, most definitely take an Ativan here and there when it gets bad...you don't have to be a hero you know.  I know you don't care for taking these meds, and there is nothing wrong with that...just don't let yourself suffer unnecessarily either.  Ativan when taken periodically for severe anxiety, is very helpful.

Keep us posted!  Hang in there,.

[cnote]

Not on any meds. I tried antidepressants last year for about 4 months... werent for me. I do however have a safety bottle of ativan. .5mg. Just only when I need them. I don't use them much at ALL! Last time I took one was 6 months ago!? I'll probably take one tonight... helps me chill out and sleep good. Meditation is hard for me... It wont hurt to do it. It's just hard trying to Meditate when my stomach is in knots. Hard to concentrate.

Thanks for writing.

[cnote]

Thank you so much for responding... Your answer about "the fear of fear" is my problem. And I'm so glad to hear that it is typical. Sometimes I think I'm crazy.. .and I always ask myself... why did this happen to me? I'm so young! It started after my grandma died.. and after my daughter was born. I was just praying that this was a thing for 2007 and would not continue... but its like I "relapse"... and it *****... I just want to know, is it possible for this to be eliminated for good? Is this something I created myself? After all my 25 years of life... this just happened last year.

Maybe it get's better with age? I dunno.

How do I beat this cycle of fear!? I wish there was an easy way... b/c it's so hard to stop the cycle...

What is my fear? Me feeling this fear? Yeah... how can I make this vicious cycle stop!?

I went 6 months without it!

Thanks for listening. =)

[katy71]

Hi Chris -  I would agree w/ Jikan (Michael) in finding out the cause of your stress so you can enjoy life again.  Are you taking any medications / doing meditations perhaps?

Namiste & G. bless,
katy

[nursegirl6572]

**and my fear of having the worrying stomach.. is making me worry more? Possibility? **

BINGO!!!  It's that anxiety cycle...the "fear of fear".  That is so typical of anxiety/panic...we fear the sensations and the fear itself, not so much ONE particular thing (ie job, relationship issues, other stressors).

It is very possible that this too may pass, and it is good that you seem to be pretty aware of your emotions and anxiety tendencies.  Another thing to think about however, is the fact that perhaps a more consistent therapy/psych visit schedule would benefit you rather than simply going back when you are having another epsiode of anxiety.  You know....maybe a more steady program to help you cope, and help you prevent the anxiety when you can.  This is will eliminate some of the ups and downs you are having.  Only you know how frequently you are having anxiety issues and how severe they are for you....just give it some thought.....it may be helpful.

Also...it sounds like your wife is very supportive, that is great!  A good cry!!!  That is one of the things that ALWAYS makes me feel better if I am particularly anxious.  It is like a huge load is lifted after a nice long good hard sobbing fest!  If you get the urge...by all means...let it out!!!!

Let us know how you are doing ok?  Hang in there, "Sister CNOTE"  (lol) !

[cnote]

Thanks for responding. I actually broke down and cried tonight b/c my wife told me it will pass... it felt good to cry... maybe that is my bodies way of releasing some bad energy?

Jikan, when you say "the symptoms will pass as soon as whatever is causing the stress passes"

What if I don't know what is causing my stress? Is it possible for your body to stress out like that without me knowing what's the source?

I know I'll start feeling better... I think right now, it's a cycle... a cycle of fear... and my fear of having the worrying stomach.. is making me worry more? Possibility? And maybe once I just focus on something else... and stop being so self centered... maybe I'll just kind of forget about it? B/c obviously the more I think about it... the worse it gets.. or it just sticks around.

Thank you all for responding.

[remar]

yes, i can relate to the nervous upset stomach. i think your wife is right too, she does know you and your anxiety cycles. if you can't eat solid food then get some boost nutrition shakes, at least your getting something into your body. hang in there, you'll probably start feeling better soon. take care. remar

[Jikan]

Namaste Chris,

It doesn't appear to me that you suffer panic attacks as much as you do anxiety which manifests itself in your stomach.

From what you've described I would say that currently this anxiety is derived from a number of factors, but in particular stress related to your job.

The symptoms will pass as soon as whatever is causing the stress passes.

If your symptoms persist however, I would seriously consider seeing your psychiatrist again for an evaluation.

Michael(Jikan)