Depression. Anxiety. Panic Attacks. etc

[australwind]

Ok the results are in sort of.

Somewhere in the over 40`s lecture he was busy giving me he did mention that my neck was tender and this can cause refered pain eg;headaches, he did note that one of the blood test showed that the thyroid was at the lower end of the scale and will need to be retested in 3 months.

The rest was the standard lose weight, exercise, quit smoking, get proper sleep, stuff that we all get once you turn 40.

Hey, this is good isn't it? Nowhere near as disastrous as you were thinking?

The Thyriod activity test is a precaution and I have some other recommendations to make achieving the other goals with out too much pain...
1. Go and buy a new pillow...you will be surprised at the difference it makes to your sleeping and could help with the sore neck as well
2. Exercise in moderation...... at least 4 times a week, a prolonged session of Horizontal Jogging.
3. Diet ...eat in moderation...make sure you chew well and only eat those things you like!

4. Smoking ...try to restrict how many you have and when you have them...only after sex, for instance.

Good Luck!

 

[Quoll]

Hey, this is good isn't it? Nowhere near as disastrous as you were thinking?

The Thyriod activity test is a precaution and I have some other recommendations to make achieving the other goals with out too much pain...
1. Go and buy a new pillow...you will be surprised at the difference it makes to your sleeping and could help with the sore neck as well
2. Exercise in moderation...... at least 4 times a week, a prolonged session of Horizontal Jogging.
3. Diet ...eat in moderation...make sure you chew well and only eat those things you like!

4. Smoking ...try to restrict how many you have and when you have them...only after sex, for instance.

Good Luck!

Yeah it is good, I was just somewhat pissed (F@#% Furious) at his attitude. When I stop been angry I will be very relieved. A visit to the chiro (the hotty I used to go to left, so I haven`t been for a while) and a massage should help the neck.

The thyroid requires further investigation I think.

The rest of the stuff only came up at the end of the session, and based pretty much solely on my age and not my condition, while all these thing are good I wasn`t there for a lecture, I wanted some answers.

1) Got one good one, sleep on my side like a good boy, don`t even sit on my wallet.

2)Hey, I`m not cutting back on jogging for any body.
(wouldn`t that be nice if it was true)

3)Man cannot live on pussy alone, but I`ll give it my best shot.

4)Smoking after sex? I usually smoke during sex. Hmm perhaps we need more lube.

Thanks "B"

 

[Quoll]

http://www.webheights.net/depression/arem/ts.htm


For those here with depression..... read it please! And if you are truly interested in making it better.... get the book. I learned sooooo much!

Skye Hon, I get it ok, sheesh talk about stubborn.

Thank you sweetheart, you have been there for me every time.

 

[australwind]

Yeah it is good, I was just somewhat pissed (F@#% Furious) at his attitude. When I stop been angry I will be very relieved. A visit to the chiro (the hotty I used to go to left, so I haven`t been for a while) and a massage should help the neck.

The thyroid requires further investigation I think.

The rest of the stuff only came up at the end of the session, and based pretty much solely on my age and not my condition, while all these thing are good I wasn`t there for a lecture, I wanted some answers.

1) Got one good one, sleep on my side like a good boy, don`t even sit on my wallet.

2)Hey, I`m not cutting back on jogging for any body.
(wouldn`t that be nice if it was true)

3)Man cannot live on pussy alone, but I`ll give it my best shot.

4)Smoking after sex? I usually smoke during sex. Hmm perhaps we need more lube.

Thanks "B"

Try adding Chocolate...to the diet...it is one of the five main food groups

Build up the repetitions on your exercise programme gradually ...first thing in the morning is best for calorie burning...later in the day for better rest...so spread your regime throughout the day for maximum effect.

Especially important.......remember that stressed spelled backwards is desserts......and you deserve all you can eat!

 

[south_florida_bicur]

question:

has any of you who suffers (or suffered) from depression get really upset and start crying for no apparent reason?

 

[australwind]

question:

has any of you who suffers (or suffered) from depression get really upset and start crying for no apparent reason?

It's a very common symptom of depression.....and yes, when everything seems to be beyond your control, this sort of thing happens to the best of us.

Sometimes it can be a good thing...especially if you have lots of unexpressed emotion bottled up...the body needs to rid itself of some of the excess baggage and this is one way that it does it.

Don't try to stop it...let it flow and curl up for a bit of a snooze afterwards and let yourself rest.....it's what your body is trying to do.

 

[Quoll]

S F B,
Most of us have been there, when it comes there is not much you can do.
australwind, is spot on, just go with it mate, you will be so much better afterwards.
Feel free to have a rant if you need, that helps too.
Good Luck.

 

[SnoopDog]

question:

has any of you who suffers (or suffered) from depression get really upset and start crying for no apparent reason?

Been there, done that. But it's more the crying than getting upset.

But I haven't cried in a month or so. *keeping paws crossed*

Snoopy

 

[SnoopDog]

Been there, done that. But it's more the crying than getting upset.

But I haven't cried in a month or so. *keeping paws crossed*

Snoopy

Well, I guess I was satisfied to soon....

bad 'down-day' again, crying some as well.
Then again I could have seen it coming because loneliness is the major reason for my depression and Valentines-day of course is not too easy for me.

Snoopy,

 

[cricketbug]

Aww hon.....*HUGGGSSS*

That's all I have to offer as of the moment... just an "ear."

 

[Quoll]

Well, I guess I was satisfied to soon....

bad 'down-day' again, crying some as well.
Then again I could have seen it coming because loneliness is the major reason for my depression and Valentines-day of course is not too easy for me.

Snoopy,

Talk about timing, I was thinking about this very thing this morning, how those bad days just really piss you off.
Then it dawned on me, back in the bad old days, there was no such thing as a bad day, every day was just shit.
Having a crappy day sucks, but the fact that we can recognise we are having one, means there must have been some good days in there as well.

I`m having to learn how to cope with the ups and downs, didn`t really want to face the fact that this is back, for however long, but today I see this as a positive thing, it`s there, but not all the time, I`m starting to recognise when it`s coming (all I have to do now is work out how to stop it
) and.......... I have completely forgotten what I was going to say . I guess just try to focus on the fact that we are having good days (whatever your definition of that is) in there somewhere, we`ve had them once we will have them again.

 

[australwind]

Well, I guess I was satisfied to soon....

bad 'down-day' again, crying some as well.
Then again I could have seen it coming because loneliness is the major reason for my depression and Valentines-day of course is not too easy for me.

Snoopy,

You're never lonely here......and Val's Day is highly overrated!

 

[Poss]

c



I write the following for me, I am not writing this to elicit sorrow or sadness, nor to imply that in some way our life is either better or worse than anyone elses. I feel I need to write, and to display these thoughts. I choose to do this here, because this is where I am most comfortable.

My Wife, My Life.
At 15 when my mother died, and my girlfriend walked out, you were my best friend, you comforted me.
I knew even then that you loved me, but I said I couldn`t go out with my best friend, that could ruin everything. You were 9 months younger than me.
I wish I knew then that you had been abused since you were four, I wish I knew then that you had hit him in the groin, to finally put an end to it.
Yet you still comforted me.
Not once did you falter in your determination to have me by your side. Somehow you chased me until I caught you. To this day I don`t know how you got me but I am so glad you did.

You were 17 the day that man ran into you. You wanted me to go with you that day but I was to shy to meet your friends. You were caught between the trailer and the back of the car, the trailer crushed your leg, his car crushed your chest, you should have been safe in the emergency lane, he never even braked. You never lost consciousness. You saw and heard the man that brought his children over for a look, you were bleeding, gasping for breath, you heard him tell his children that, this, is what happens when you are bad.
You thought you were being punished for the abuse.

I heard on the news about the accident, I knew it was you. I didn`t go to your house like I usually did I sat at home, I knew someone would come for me.

They wouldn`t let me in ICU because I was not family.
How did you get them to let me in, you couldn`t breathe by yourself, you couldn`t talk, you could only blink, yet somehow you got me in there. I still have nightmares where I hear that machine, when it stopped, to make you breathe, and you didn`t. And yet you comfort me.

When we couldn`t have the one thing you have wanted since the day I met you, eight years of trying, I felt I had let you down and you comforted me.

Through all the IVF cycles you never gave up hope, even when none of them worked, you tried everything you could to fulfill your most treasured dream.
When that dream finally came true, I cried, you, the one who cries at anything sad, not a tear, why should you, you were holding in your arms the thing you had wanted all your life. Yet you comforted me.

When the depression took over my life, you were scared, unsure, at times terrified, you tried to comfort me, but I wasn`t really there. You had every right to go, I gave you too many reasons to go, I almost broke your heart, and yet you stayed.

If ever a woman was meant to be a mother it was you, for four more years you did whatever it took until again I was amazed at your strength, as I fell apart, you sat there, glowing with pride at our newest child.

When I finally started to come good, but walked away from all decisions, you did what needed to be done even though it scared you.

When I wake in the night drenched in sweat, you comfort me.
When I am afraid, frightened, you comfort me.

When I am in desperate need, no matter where you are, you find me and comfort me.

Ther is nothing on this earth that can separate us, no matter how far apart we are.

You are my soulmate, but that is something you have always known.













edited only for spelling, she deserves no less.

I would like all of my possy's other friends to know.His lit friends as you all are referred to.
He has posted a lot of stuff that l haven't read but l will try to get through some, maybe all of it.


I have loved my possy for a long time. He has been wanting me to post for ages but time , busyness or something else happening , has stopped me . I have actually wanted to a few times but couldn't work out how to do it. I would like you all to know that there would be no me without my poss, he has helped me through some serious shit, sexual abuse , car accident which l thought was my fault , (l was being punished for what l had done , the abuse l received was my fault ) for a long time that is what l thought / believed.
When l had my car accident , l knew l had to live because every one my possy loved died , so l couldn't die too. He had to know that not everyone you love dies. I fought like crazy to stay alive to prove this to him, l had very serious injuries, my family were told 80% chance l would die 20% chance of life, l would never walk , not have kids or anything if l live l would be lucky.Well at the time l didn't feel lucky but let me tell you l do now.
So l would like you all to know , I am alive, l can walk , we have two beautiful boys. I cant tell you what he must have gone through all the time l was in hospital. But l am so glad he stuck by me.I know we think differently about things. I thought l loved him as much as l could but l love him more every day.

l never used to listen to the voice that said call him , or get something , but l do now because mostly it is true he needs something or l need to know he is O K . You say when you find the right person for you , you just know that is true l knew , not only that l chased him till l got him . I have a lot more, l could say but no matter what l say or do he will always be my possy. Through thick, thin and everything in between.

 

[MercyMia]

On the Outside, Looking in

What a fantastically fucking beautiful thread this is. I just spent the last 2 hours reading every single post. I've been like a sponge, soaking up any information I can about depression because I sincerely believe my SO has been chronically depressed for the last 10 years or so. Because he's Asian and conservative, he will not seek professional help. In the past year, things have progressed from bad to terrible. He's emotionally unstable, says he is numb and can't feel anything, shouts at me that he just wants to be alone but in the next minute, needs to be held. His sleep is constantly interrupted by bad dreams. He is angry with everyone, especially me, blames me for so many things in our marriage. He has sudden outbursts of anger and rage and then goes silent and brooding. He talks about divorce and yet continues to act married to me. He says he wants freedom and yet calls from work if he is going to be 15 minutes late coming home.

At first, I took his behavior at face value and was convinced that the marriage was over, that he was acting up because he wanted me to leave him. He has entered an emotional relationship with a woman at work and when I've caught him calling her or sending her text messages, he says being in touch with her relieves him of his stress and anxiety from work.

Luckily, I talked about things with a close friend who has suffered years of depression and has done a lot of work with a therapist and used anti-depressants. She encouraged me to read Depression Fallout by Ann Sheffield. If you do a Google search on the author, you will find a discussion board for depression fallout people, i.e., the people who are impacted by the depressed person's condition. The more I read, both in Ann's book, and on this thread, the more I recognize similarities in my SO's behavior and thinking patterns.

So thank you, quoll and all the active posters who have given so much of yourselves. Know that your generous sharing of information (both the technical and personal kinds) has been a tremendous help to me.

I don't know if my marriage will last. He refuses professional help in any form. He says he will figure out how to deal with his condition. But I do know that I will try to support him as much as I can. I am also learning to take care of myself and my needs.

Ironically, I'm the one on anti-anxiety medication right now because I was feeling nauseous and panicky when I'd think about having to deal with divorce and single parenthood.

Thank you, thank you. I've subscribed to this thread. I want to learn how to be married to a depressed person. I hope and pray (and keep trying to convince him) that he will one day come around to seeking professional help and support.

Mia

 

[Lynxie]

I would like all of my possy's other friends to know.His lit friends as you all are referred to.
He has posted a lot of stuff that l haven't read but l will try to get through some, maybe all of it.


I have loved my possy for a long time. He has been wanting me to post for ages but time , busyness or something else happening , has stopped me . I have actually wanted to a few times but couldn't work out how to do it. I would like you all to know that there would be no me without my poss, he has helped me through some serious shit, sexual abuse , car accident which l thought was my fault , (l was being punished for what l had done , the abuse l received was my fault ) for a long time that is what l thought / believed.
When l had my car accident , l knew l had to live because every one my possy loved died , so l couldn't die too. He had to know that not everyone you love dies. I fought like crazy to stay alive to prove this to him, l had very serious injuries, my family were told 80% chance l would die 20% chance of life, l would never walk , not have kids or anything if l live l would be lucky.Well at the time l didn't feel lucky but let me tell you l do now.
So l would like you all to know , I am alive, l can walk , we have two beautiful boys. I cant tell you what he must have gone through all the time l was in hospital. But l am so glad he stuck by me.I know we think differently about things. I thought l loved him as much as l could but l love him more every day.

l never used to listen to the voice that said call him , or get something , but l do now because mostly it is true he needs something or l need to know he is O K . You say when you find the right person for you , you just know that is true l knew , not only that l chased him till l got him . I have a lot more, l could say but no matter what l say or do he will always be my possy. Through thick, thin and everything in between.

Welcome to Lit, Poss. Quoll is so fortunate to have you, for the comfort and measure of understanding that you bring into his life. I know I probably wouldn't make it through most of my days if it weren't for my husband's love and support, so I understand how important it is for you to be in his life. Thank you for posting, it made me think about all the wonderful times when my husband has helped me pull through.

 

[Quoll]

What a fantastically fucking beautiful thread this is. I just spent the last 2 hours reading every single post. I've been like a sponge, soaking up any information I can about depression because I sincerely believe my SO has been chronically depressed for the last 10 years or so. Because he's Asian and conservative, he will not seek professional help. In the past year, things have progressed from bad to terrible. He's emotionally unstable, says he is numb and can't feel anything, shouts at me that he just wants to be alone but in the next minute, needs to be held. His sleep is constantly interrupted by bad dreams. He is angry with everyone, especially me, blames me for so many things in our marriage. He has sudden outbursts of anger and rage and then goes silent and brooding. He talks about divorce and yet continues to act married to me. He says he wants freedom and yet calls from work if he is going to be 15 minutes late coming home.

At first, I took his behavior at face value and was convinced that the marriage was over, that he was acting up because he wanted me to leave him. He has entered an emotional relationship with a woman at work and when I've caught him calling her or sending her text messages, he says being in touch with her relieves him of his stress and anxiety from work.

Luckily, I talked about things with a close friend who has suffered years of depression and has done a lot of work with a therapist and used anti-depressants. She encouraged me to read Depression Fallout by Ann Sheffield. If you do a Google search on the author, you will find a discussion board for depression fallout people, i.e., the people who are impacted by the depressed person's condition. The more I read, both in Ann's book, and on this thread, the more I recognize similarities in my SO's behavior and thinking patterns.

So thank you, quoll and all the active posters who have given so much of yourselves. Know that your generous sharing of information (both the technical and personal kinds) has been a tremendous help to me.

I don't know if my marriage will last. He refuses professional help in any form. He says he will figure out how to deal with his condition. But I do know that I will try to support him as much as I can. I am also learning to take care of myself and my needs.

Ironically, I'm the one on anti-anxiety medication right now because I was feeling nauseous and panicky when I'd think about having to deal with divorce and single parenthood.

Thank you, thank you. I've subscribed to this thread. I want to learn how to be married to a depressed person. I hope and pray (and keep trying to convince him) that he will one day come around to seeking professional help and support.

Mia

Mia
Welcome to the thread, it is not always a happy place, but it is very supportive and caring.

It certainly sounds like your SO has depression, I admire your courage to stay with him through it all, it is a thankless task sometimes.

I hope that somewhere along the way we can all help each other through any tough times ahead.

I have to admit I have seen a few of your post and did wonder if it was depression.

I am so glad you posted here, for many reasons.
Please come back whenever you feel the need.

 

[sxylegs]

Thank you so much for posting about the Depression book by Ann Sheffield......i went on the website and have learned a lot of things that may help in dealing with my SO. some things our councelor hasnt mentioned....

If anybody needs to check it out ....it is great....

"She encouraged me to read Depression Fallout by Ann Sheffield. If you do a Google search on the author, you will find a discussion board for depression fallout people, i.e., the people who live with people with depression"

again....thanks so much

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

Glad to see such a good thread on depression and anxiety

There are some very personal and touching stories here and lots of pain. A sense of community and acceptance is essential for maintaining mental health, so I'm glad to see people able to share so openly here.

If only it were more so in the offline world. Many of my patients carry the additional burden of carrying a deep dark secret along with symptoms that are already very difficult.

My best to all of you, and for those reading who believe you may be suffering from a psychiatric disorder, I'd encourage you in the strongest terms to seek help. There are some good treatments available. You don't have to suffer.

 

[Avery_Chisholm]

I've been battling depression since i was 16, and generally get by each day without meds but i find that i'm having more anxiety attacks these days

 

[Quoll]

Anxiety Symptoms

Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath

Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations

Chest Pain

Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing

Skin losing colour (blanching)

Sweating

Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)

Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head

Rapid gastric emptying

Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea

Symptoms of urinary tract infection

Skin rashes

Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet

Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body

Dry mouth

Insomnia

Nightmares

Fears of going mad or losing control

Increased depression & suicidal feelings

Aggression

Symptoms like 'flu'

Distorted vision

Disturbed hearing

Hormone problems

Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head

Sore eyes

Agoraphobia

Hallucinations

Creeping or pins and needles sensations in the skin

Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell

Hyperactivity

Dramatic increase in sexual feelings

Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache

Derealisation and depersonalisation

Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath
These sensations are amongst the more distressing anxiety symptoms. Sometimes it feels as if your chest will not expand to accommodate the air your body needs, other times it feels as if someone is pushing a pillow into your face. The one thing to remember should you experience this is that it is only a sensation caused by exaggerated nerve impulses. These symptoms will not and cannot harm you; you will not stop breathing, pass out or suffocate.

Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations
Anxiety releases adrenaline into the blood stream making the heart race and feel as if it is missing beats, (palpitations). This is perfectly natural and will not and cannot harm you in any way. Later I will discuss methods you can use to help stop these feelings. A slow heart beat is also a common feature of anxiety, again it does not mean that your heart will stop beating, it may feel odd and alarming but again do not give it any credibility and it will go away.

Chest Pain
Caused by muscle tension, chest pains can make you feel very scared. The initial reaction of anyone with anxiety who gets pains in their chest is that they are dying of a heart attack. This is not true. Heart pain is very different to this pain and very often does not start in the chest. Deep breathing and relaxation exercises are a very effective way of diminishing these unpleasant symptoms. If you can get somebody to massage your upper back, shoulders and chest, it will help to relax tired and achy muscles.

Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing
Globus Hystericus is the correct term for this symptom. It is caused by the muscles in the throat contracting due to anxiety or stress. Sometimes it feels like you cannot swallow anything and trying to makes it worse. This is another example of a symptom, which will improve if you give it no credibility. It is totally harmless and will not cause you to stop breathing, eating or drinking, it is just very unpleasant.

Skin losing colour (blanching)
As blood is diverted to the muscles during the ‘flight or fight’ response, the fine blood vessels in your skin that gives the skin that pink, healthy colour receive reduced blood flow and the skin loses some of its colour. It is not dangerous and will return to normal as the body starts to normalise after an attack. Some people with generalised anxiety can look a little pale most of the time, again this is quite normal and will return to normal.

Sweating
Sweating is a normal bodily reaction and is designed to reduce the body temperature. As the body heats up sweat is released onto it through sweat glands. As the sweat evaporates it takes heat with it, cooling the body. During periods of anxiety the body is preparing itself for either flight or fight and releases sweat to cool the impending exertions. As the anxiety subsides sweat levels return to normal.

Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)
We all shake or shiver when we are nervous or cold. Shaking is a normal reaction to fear and/or a drop in body temperature. Shaking occurs when the muscles spasmodically contract creating friction between muscles and other body tissues. This friction creates heat which raises body temperature. During anxiety it is quite normal to experience shaking or shivering. It will pass.

Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head
The blood vessels and nerves, which supply the face and head, originate in the neck and shoulders. Many of these nerves and blood vessels are routed across the head to the face. When the body is under stress these areas of the body are usually the first to become tense. Facial numbness can be very disturbing but is usually nothing to worry about and is usually the result of this tension.

Rapid gastric emptying
This can be a very unpleasant side effect of both anxiety and tranquilliser use. This condition causes the sufferer to feel full very early on in a meal, sometimes making them feel as if they cannot breathe. Then soon after eating they can experience diarrhea and feel as if their whole digestive system is emptying very quickly indeed.

Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea
During periods of anxiety the body diverts blood from various parts of the body to the muscle tissues in order to supply them with the oxygen needed by them during the flight or fight response. One of the main areas where blood is used most is around the digestive tract. Blood is sent there to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. As blood is diverted away from the stomach during anxiety, the digestion slows and the muscles around the stomach can become knotted. This can cause indigestion, heartburn and diarrhea or constipation. Sexual Dysfunction
Impotency, or failure to achieve or maintain an erection, effects many men for many reasons, sometimes there is a physical reason for this but more often than not there is a psychological element.

Symptoms of urinary tract infection
Medication can have many and some times quite obscure side effects including the symptoms of a urinary tract infections. It is always advisable to get these things checked out by your doctor but even if you do have an infection it can be easily treated. Drinking plenty of water is always advisable to maintain good, general health but even more so when the body is under stress.

Skin rashes
Skin rashes, spots or dryness are all very common symptoms of anxiety and stress. It is quite common to get an eczema like rash around the nose, cheeks and forehead. They are nothing to worry about and usually disappear when you start to feel better.

Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet
The flight or fight response is an intense reaction and causes many systems of the body to react. Circulation, blood oxygen and blood carbon dioxide levels change and muscle tension is altered in preparation for action. All of these bodily changes have a profound effect on bodily sensations, feeling week in the extremities, (arms, hands, legs or feet) is one of these sensations. Tingling is usually caused by the pooling of blood carbon dioxide in the limbs, shaking the hands, arms, legs and feet can help increase circulation to these areas. These symptoms are not harmful and will return to normal. Light exercise is very helpful in reversing these sensations. THEY DO NOT MEAN YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A STROKE OR ANY OTHER NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION!!

Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body
The nervous system is a very complex network of electrically charged nerves which are found in every square centimeter of your body, around every organ, muscle and across your skin, the largest organ in the body. Abnormal nerve impulses due to anxiety can cause a vast array of strange sensations; although quite harmless these can be very disturbing.

Dry mouth
As fluids are diverted for use in other parts of the body during anxiety, the mouth becomes dry. Sip water or suck sweets to lubricate your mouth. In extreme cases your doctor can prescribe a liquid to do this but it is expensive. It cannot harm you and will go away after the anxiety subsides.

Insomnia
One of the more distressing effects of anxiety, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep. It is important to regain regular sleep patterns as lack of sleep can lead to disturbing symptoms.

Nightmares
Dreams and nightmares tend to mimic what is going on in our daily lives. If we are relaxed and contented we have pleasant dreams and usually do not remember them. If we are disturbed or confused our dreams are more likely to be too. Nightmares are unpleasant but harmless, the more you master good sleep and practice breathing and relaxation exercises the better your dreams will become.

Fears of going mad or losing control
We all have a fear of going mad or losing control but rest assured you are not going mad. Going mad is not a conscious act; those who are suffering from severe mental illness are unaware of their journey into it. You are not going mad. Confused nervous messages to the brain along tired nerves in a tired body do not constitute madness. Thoughts are an unconscious product of brain activity. If you are anxious, angry, sad or stressed your thoughts are affected, not only by mood, but also by your physical body chemistry. Blood oxygen levels can affect brain activity and the central nervous system, as can many other bodily chemicals like adrenaline, hormones and even vitamins. These un-pleasant thoughts, emotions and totally irrational fears are not harmful to yourself or others. Any thoughts of harming yourself or other people are perceived only. As you body becomes more relaxed and less anxious your thought processes will return to normal.

Increased depression & suicidal feelings
Depression is a word that is commonly misused to describe a variety of conditions. I hear many people in every day life who say, “I am depressed, I feel terrible, I am so fed up”; this is, in most cases, not depression. Depression is a series of chemical imbalances that create a clinical illness that has strong links with anxiety disorders and can be a side effect of them. Anxiety has many features of depression and can mimic it quite strongly. When someone goes to the doctor complaining of feeling run down and fed up, it is all too easy to write a prescription for Prozac, Seroxat or another anti-depressant. I wonder how many people are on anti-depressants who just needed to reassess and restructure their lives.

Aggression
When you feel tired, ill, fed up and held back by your condition you are bound to feel angry. One of the main causes of true anger is actually sadness. Think back to a situation that has made you feel anger, if you dissect that event you might find that the true reason for feeling so angry was a feeling of sadness. Aggression is a normal reaction to fear also, the fight or flight response prepares us to either run or fight, sometimes to fight may seem to be the best response.

Symptoms like 'flu'
Influenza causes the body to release anti-bodies into the blood stream to attack the virus. This combination of anti-bodies and infection makes the body feel weak, sweaty and painful. Anxiety can have a similar effect, weakening the muscles, making you clammy and achy. Believe it or not the more you do physically the better this will become.

Distorted vision
In order to prepare the body for impending danger, adrenaline release causes many physical changes. During the anxiety response the body prepares the eyes to notice any slight movements; it does this by dilating the pupils allowing more light to enter. This is why anxious people become more sensitive to bright light and often wear sunglasses to minimize the eyestrain it causes.

Disturbed hearing
This is called tinitus and is usually experienced as whistling or screeching noises in either or both ears.

Hormone problems
Anxiety can affect various systems of the body, one of which is the endocrine system. This system is responsible for balancing the glands, which secrete hormones in the body. Although these glands secrete the hormones needed by the body, they do not control the levels of these chemicals, this is done by the brain. Disturbed messages in the brain and nervous system can cause slight irregularities in the secretion of these chemicals. When anxiety levels return to normal so will the hormone levels. There are few examples where these hormones cause serious problems and if they do your doctor can correct them.
Women may find that their menstrual cycle is temporarily effected and men may find that they have mood swings whilst testosterone levels are affected.

Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head
As discussed earlier, tension in the neck and shoulders can cause immense discomfort, migraine and numbness. The feeling of having a tight band around your head is caused by muscular tension in the sheath of muscles covering the skull. Restricted blood vessels and nerves within this tissue can cause very severe symptoms including pain in the eyes, face and teeth

Sore eyes
Reduced lubrication in the eyes when body fluids are diverted elsewhere during anxiety causes the eyes to feel sore, dry and painful.

Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a natural response to anxiety and self-preservation. If we feel threatened we tend to retreat to somewhere safe, like a tortoise into its shell. In anxiety it is important to gain control of this response as soon as you feel it developing. Avoidance of situations is not an effective tool in the fight against agoraphobia.

Hallucinations
Mostly experienced by people in withdrawal, hallucinations can be very frightening indeed if you do not understand what they are and where they come from. Hallucinations are another example of transient symptoms. If you are in withdrawal they will pass, if you are not in withdrawal consult your doctor, as they may be a side effect of the drugs that you have been prescribed.

Creeping or pins and needles sensations in The skin
The nerve endings in your skin are alive with electrical impulses, these can feel like creeping sensations, pins and needles or tickling, they are the result of confused nerve impulses and cannot harm you.

Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell
All of these sensitivities are to prepare your senses to see, smell, hear and feel more when in impending danger during the fight or flight response. All of these feeling are unusual but not dangerous, they are temporary and will return to normal as your anxiety levels reduce.

Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity is a way of describing a range of symptoms that cause you to feel as if you need to talk faster and do things faster. It can make you feel confused and irrational and can make you do things that you would not usually do. This is a common feature of anxiety and drug withdrawal and will pass in time.

Dramatic increase in sexual feelings
As the brain copes with disturbed and confused messages from all around the body, some of the mind’s thought processes can become a little distorted or exaggerated. Sexual thoughts and emotions are typically very strong even when in good health, they are what drive the attraction mechanism when we meet people we find attractive and create the sexual feelings we feel for some people.

Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache
The term “face ache” comes from this feature of anxiety. Most of this symptom is caused by tension, not only in the face, neck and shoulders, which can refer pain to the jaw and teeth, but also in the jaw itself.

Derealisation and depersonalisation
These are both symptoms, which affect the way you experience yourself. Derealisation is the sensation that you and everything around you is not real or dreamy, as if you are seeing everything through a fog or some kind of filter. It has been noticed that people experience both depersonalisation and derealisation during panic. It seems that some people dissociate first which then causes panic and derealisation.

It is not important to try and understand the physiology of the human body but it is important to remember that every symptom you experience can be explained. Do not dwell on what you are feeling, instead, project yourself into more useful subjects, do something constructive, exercise, learn a skill or craft and escape the body trap.


http://www.npadnews.com/anxiety-symptoms.asp

 

[sxylegs]

THERE IS A LIT-TOGETHER TONIGHT IN INDIANAPOLIS........

IT IS AT 4PM AT CLAUDE & ANNIES ON GIRL SCHOOL RD AND MORRIS STREET........HOPE ALL HOOSIERS CAN MAKE IT .....OR ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO.....PLEASE COME.......

 

[SnoopDog]

Ok, countdown is still running.

Four more days before I run out of medication.

I'm very anxious I won't be able tocope with the situation of no pills anymore.

Plus, I'm feeling a down-period coming again anyways, so it might hit me just in time for my meds to stop. Already having difficult mornings and nights, you know, when you're alone in bed, doing nothing but thinking and worrying.

I just hope it will work out.

Snoopy, nervous puppy

 

[Quoll]

I posted this on another thread and that was where I was going to leave it. I had a few people say it explained reasonably well about what it can feel like for some who have depression, today seems like a good day to post it.


I have been reading this for a while and stayed out of it, because I like to be calm when I post. Not sure if I have reached that stage yet.

That is a great analogy, now let me show you my analogy.

Substitute your pit with the light at the top, for a coffin without a speck of light. No matter which way you look there is only darkness, there is not even the knowledge that light exists.

That`s were a lot of us lived, for years.

Everyone that has posted here has gotten help at some time.
But until the depression lifts long enough for you to even realise there is a problem, there is not a chance in hell of reaching out.

Suicide: cowards, weaklings, idiots, that was always my thinking, how dare they do that to their loved ones.

Enter depression. Lying there wide awake at three in the morning, replaying endlessly the things that occured that day.
My wife picking me up from my job, the job I had no recollection of doing, the look of fear on her face, waiting for what would happen next, would we make it home without me yelling abuse at her. Walking into a house that used to be my home and finding nothing there for me, screaming at an eighteen month old baby because he made a noise, again the fear on her face, should she say something, will that make me worse, should she say nothing, will that make me worse. Throwing my dinner across the room because she said something/nothing, the noise frightens the baby, scream at him again. Lying there hating yourself for what you have done, trying to block it out, but it just endlessly loops. Lying there knowing that she wants to hold you, physically cringing at the thought of being touched and hating yourself for it. Knowing that you used to enjoy making love to her, (more like reading it in a book somewhere, not really part of my reality) hating yourself because there was not even the slightest twinge of anything even remotely resembling desire.
Now replay this in your mind every single hour of every single day, vary the volume a bit, some days full blast somedays down low, but never gone.

Suicide! Hell it would have been the only decent thing I could have done for them, three years of torturing them, three years of hating everything I did and not being able to stop it.
She was terrified of me, so was the baby, if I went now they would have a chance to rebuild, to find someone that loved them.
Was I thinking about my life? No, I couldn`t have cared less whether I lived or died.
Try standing on the side of a busy road waiting to cross, you look at the traffic and judge just the right time to start crossing so that you will make it safely across.
Then you think, if I wait just two seconds, I probably wont make it, it might not kill me, but so what, it will give me a break. Yeah I waited for those two seconds to pass and before I got many more chances the fog cleared long enough to get help.

Until the fog clears help is not even a thought, there is no room for those sort of thoughts, there is NO light.

 

[MercyMia]

Anxiety Symptoms

Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath

Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations

Chest Pain

Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing

Skin losing colour (blanching)

Sweating

Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)

Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head

Rapid gastric emptying

Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea

Symptoms of urinary tract infection

Skin rashes

Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet

Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body

Dry mouth

Insomnia

Nightmares

Fears of going mad or losing control

Increased depression & suicidal feelings

Aggression

Symptoms like 'flu'

Distorted vision

Disturbed hearing

Hormone problems

Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head

Sore eyes

Agoraphobia

Hallucinations

Creeping or pins and needles sensations in the skin

Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell

Hyperactivity

Dramatic increase in sexual feelings

Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache

Derealisation and depersonalisation

Smothering sensations and Shortness of breath
These sensations are amongst the more distressing anxiety symptoms. Sometimes it feels as if your chest will not expand to accommodate the air your body needs, other times it feels as if someone is pushing a pillow into your face. The one thing to remember should you experience this is that it is only a sensation caused by exaggerated nerve impulses. These symptoms will not and cannot harm you; you will not stop breathing, pass out or suffocate.

Racing heart, slow heart beat, palpitations
Anxiety releases adrenaline into the blood stream making the heart race and feel as if it is missing beats, (palpitations). This is perfectly natural and will not and cannot harm you in any way. Later I will discuss methods you can use to help stop these feelings. A slow heart beat is also a common feature of anxiety, again it does not mean that your heart will stop beating, it may feel odd and alarming but again do not give it any credibility and it will go away.

Chest Pain
Caused by muscle tension, chest pains can make you feel very scared. The initial reaction of anyone with anxiety who gets pains in their chest is that they are dying of a heart attack. This is not true. Heart pain is very different to this pain and very often does not start in the chest. Deep breathing and relaxation exercises are a very effective way of diminishing these unpleasant symptoms. If you can get somebody to massage your upper back, shoulders and chest, it will help to relax tired and achy muscles.

Lump in throat & Difficulty swallowing
Globus Hystericus is the correct term for this symptom. It is caused by the muscles in the throat contracting due to anxiety or stress. Sometimes it feels like you cannot swallow anything and trying to makes it worse. This is another example of a symptom, which will improve if you give it no credibility. It is totally harmless and will not cause you to stop breathing, eating or drinking, it is just very unpleasant.

Skin losing colour (blanching)
As blood is diverted to the muscles during the ‘flight or fight’ response, the fine blood vessels in your skin that gives the skin that pink, healthy colour receive reduced blood flow and the skin loses some of its colour. It is not dangerous and will return to normal as the body starts to normalise after an attack. Some people with generalised anxiety can look a little pale most of the time, again this is quite normal and will return to normal.

Sweating
Sweating is a normal bodily reaction and is designed to reduce the body temperature. As the body heats up sweat is released onto it through sweat glands. As the sweat evaporates it takes heat with it, cooling the body. During periods of anxiety the body is preparing itself for either flight or fight and releases sweat to cool the impending exertions. As the anxiety subsides sweat levels return to normal.

Shaking or shivering (Visibly or internally)
We all shake or shiver when we are nervous or cold. Shaking is a normal reaction to fear and/or a drop in body temperature. Shaking occurs when the muscles spasmodically contract creating friction between muscles and other body tissues. This friction creates heat which raises body temperature. During anxiety it is quite normal to experience shaking or shivering. It will pass.

Neck & shoulder pain & numbness in face or head
The blood vessels and nerves, which supply the face and head, originate in the neck and shoulders. Many of these nerves and blood vessels are routed across the head to the face. When the body is under stress these areas of the body are usually the first to become tense. Facial numbness can be very disturbing but is usually nothing to worry about and is usually the result of this tension.

Rapid gastric emptying
This can be a very unpleasant side effect of both anxiety and tranquilliser use. This condition causes the sufferer to feel full very early on in a meal, sometimes making them feel as if they cannot breathe. Then soon after eating they can experience diarrhea and feel as if their whole digestive system is emptying very quickly indeed.

Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea
During periods of anxiety the body diverts blood from various parts of the body to the muscle tissues in order to supply them with the oxygen needed by them during the flight or fight response. One of the main areas where blood is used most is around the digestive tract. Blood is sent there to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. As blood is diverted away from the stomach during anxiety, the digestion slows and the muscles around the stomach can become knotted. This can cause indigestion, heartburn and diarrhea or constipation. Sexual Dysfunction
Impotency, or failure to achieve or maintain an erection, effects many men for many reasons, sometimes there is a physical reason for this but more often than not there is a psychological element.

Symptoms of urinary tract infection
Medication can have many and some times quite obscure side effects including the symptoms of a urinary tract infections. It is always advisable to get these things checked out by your doctor but even if you do have an infection it can be easily treated. Drinking plenty of water is always advisable to maintain good, general health but even more so when the body is under stress.

Skin rashes
Skin rashes, spots or dryness are all very common symptoms of anxiety and stress. It is quite common to get an eczema like rash around the nose, cheeks and forehead. They are nothing to worry about and usually disappear when you start to feel better.

Weakness in arms & tingling in the hands or feet
The flight or fight response is an intense reaction and causes many systems of the body to react. Circulation, blood oxygen and blood carbon dioxide levels change and muscle tension is altered in preparation for action. All of these bodily changes have a profound effect on bodily sensations, feeling week in the extremities, (arms, hands, legs or feet) is one of these sensations. Tingling is usually caused by the pooling of blood carbon dioxide in the limbs, shaking the hands, arms, legs and feet can help increase circulation to these areas. These symptoms are not harmful and will return to normal. Light exercise is very helpful in reversing these sensations. THEY DO NOT MEAN YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A STROKE OR ANY OTHER NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION!!

Electric shock feeling anywhere in the body
The nervous system is a very complex network of electrically charged nerves which are found in every square centimeter of your body, around every organ, muscle and across your skin, the largest organ in the body. Abnormal nerve impulses due to anxiety can cause a vast array of strange sensations; although quite harmless these can be very disturbing.

Dry mouth
As fluids are diverted for use in other parts of the body during anxiety, the mouth becomes dry. Sip water or suck sweets to lubricate your mouth. In extreme cases your doctor can prescribe a liquid to do this but it is expensive. It cannot harm you and will go away after the anxiety subsides.

Insomnia
One of the more distressing effects of anxiety, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep. It is important to regain regular sleep patterns as lack of sleep can lead to disturbing symptoms.

Nightmares
Dreams and nightmares tend to mimic what is going on in our daily lives. If we are relaxed and contented we have pleasant dreams and usually do not remember them. If we are disturbed or confused our dreams are more likely to be too. Nightmares are unpleasant but harmless, the more you master good sleep and practice breathing and relaxation exercises the better your dreams will become.

Fears of going mad or losing control
We all have a fear of going mad or losing control but rest assured you are not going mad. Going mad is not a conscious act; those who are suffering from severe mental illness are unaware of their journey into it. You are not going mad. Confused nervous messages to the brain along tired nerves in a tired body do not constitute madness. Thoughts are an unconscious product of brain activity. If you are anxious, angry, sad or stressed your thoughts are affected, not only by mood, but also by your physical body chemistry. Blood oxygen levels can affect brain activity and the central nervous system, as can many other bodily chemicals like adrenaline, hormones and even vitamins. These un-pleasant thoughts, emotions and totally irrational fears are not harmful to yourself or others. Any thoughts of harming yourself or other people are perceived only. As you body becomes more relaxed and less anxious your thought processes will return to normal.

Increased depression & suicidal feelings
Depression is a word that is commonly misused to describe a variety of conditions. I hear many people in every day life who say, “I am depressed, I feel terrible, I am so fed up”; this is, in most cases, not depression. Depression is a series of chemical imbalances that create a clinical illness that has strong links with anxiety disorders and can be a side effect of them. Anxiety has many features of depression and can mimic it quite strongly. When someone goes to the doctor complaining of feeling run down and fed up, it is all too easy to write a prescription for Prozac, Seroxat or another anti-depressant. I wonder how many people are on anti-depressants who just needed to reassess and restructure their lives.

Aggression
When you feel tired, ill, fed up and held back by your condition you are bound to feel angry. One of the main causes of true anger is actually sadness. Think back to a situation that has made you feel anger, if you dissect that event you might find that the true reason for feeling so angry was a feeling of sadness. Aggression is a normal reaction to fear also, the fight or flight response prepares us to either run or fight, sometimes to fight may seem to be the best response.

Symptoms like 'flu'
Influenza causes the body to release anti-bodies into the blood stream to attack the virus. This combination of anti-bodies and infection makes the body feel weak, sweaty and painful. Anxiety can have a similar effect, weakening the muscles, making you clammy and achy. Believe it or not the more you do physically the better this will become.

Distorted vision
In order to prepare the body for impending danger, adrenaline release causes many physical changes. During the anxiety response the body prepares the eyes to notice any slight movements; it does this by dilating the pupils allowing more light to enter. This is why anxious people become more sensitive to bright light and often wear sunglasses to minimize the eyestrain it causes.

Disturbed hearing
This is called tinitus and is usually experienced as whistling or screeching noises in either or both ears.

Hormone problems
Anxiety can affect various systems of the body, one of which is the endocrine system. This system is responsible for balancing the glands, which secrete hormones in the body. Although these glands secrete the hormones needed by the body, they do not control the levels of these chemicals, this is done by the brain. Disturbed messages in the brain and nervous system can cause slight irregularities in the secretion of these chemicals. When anxiety levels return to normal so will the hormone levels. There are few examples where these hormones cause serious problems and if they do your doctor can correct them.
Women may find that their menstrual cycle is temporarily effected and men may find that they have mood swings whilst testosterone levels are affected.

Headaches & feelings of having a tight band around head
As discussed earlier, tension in the neck and shoulders can cause immense discomfort, migraine and numbness. The feeling of having a tight band around your head is caused by muscular tension in the sheath of muscles covering the skull. Restricted blood vessels and nerves within this tissue can cause very severe symptoms including pain in the eyes, face and teeth

Sore eyes
Reduced lubrication in the eyes when body fluids are diverted elsewhere during anxiety causes the eyes to feel sore, dry and painful.

Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a natural response to anxiety and self-preservation. If we feel threatened we tend to retreat to somewhere safe, like a tortoise into its shell. In anxiety it is important to gain control of this response as soon as you feel it developing. Avoidance of situations is not an effective tool in the fight against agoraphobia.

Hallucinations
Mostly experienced by people in withdrawal, hallucinations can be very frightening indeed if you do not understand what they are and where they come from. Hallucinations are another example of transient symptoms. If you are in withdrawal they will pass, if you are not in withdrawal consult your doctor, as they may be a side effect of the drugs that you have been prescribed.

Creeping or pins and needles sensations in The skin
The nerve endings in your skin are alive with electrical impulses, these can feel like creeping sensations, pins and needles or tickling, they are the result of confused nerve impulses and cannot harm you.

Increased sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell
All of these sensitivities are to prepare your senses to see, smell, hear and feel more when in impending danger during the fight or flight response. All of these feeling are unusual but not dangerous, they are temporary and will return to normal as your anxiety levels reduce.

Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity is a way of describing a range of symptoms that cause you to feel as if you need to talk faster and do things faster. It can make you feel confused and irrational and can make you do things that you would not usually do. This is a common feature of anxiety and drug withdrawal and will pass in time.

Dramatic increase in sexual feelings
As the brain copes with disturbed and confused messages from all around the body, some of the mind’s thought processes can become a little distorted or exaggerated. Sexual thoughts and emotions are typically very strong even when in good health, they are what drive the attraction mechanism when we meet people we find attractive and create the sexual feelings we feel for some people.

Pain in the face or jaw that resembles a toothache
The term “face ache” comes from this feature of anxiety. Most of this symptom is caused by tension, not only in the face, neck and shoulders, which can refer pain to the jaw and teeth, but also in the jaw itself.

Derealisation and depersonalisation
These are both symptoms, which affect the way you experience yourself. Derealisation is the sensation that you and everything around you is not real or dreamy, as if you are seeing everything through a fog or some kind of filter. It has been noticed that people experience both depersonalisation and derealisation during panic. It seems that some people dissociate first which then causes panic and derealisation.

It is not important to try and understand the physiology of the human body but it is important to remember that every symptom you experience can be explained. Do not dwell on what you are feeling, instead, project yourself into more useful subjects, do something constructive, exercise, learn a skill or craft and escape the body trap.


http://www.npadnews.com/anxiety-symptoms.asp

Thank you, quoll. I've experienced a lot of anxiety due to my SO's depression and consequent behavior so I can empathize with this list of symptoms, even though what I've gone through is relatively mild. Thank goodness for yoga!

 

[ExistentialLuv]

I am having a current panic attack and there is only one thing that is going to help. Talking about it finally instead of being ashamed and hinding it. I am only making myself emotionally sick.

Right now I fell like I could puke, my chest is tightened, breathing is faster than usaul, and my head is swimming. I fucking hate these things. Went to sleep with it and Woke up with it. Have not had one this bad in a long time........