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Difficulty coping with everyday.

Posted , 5 users are following.

craig24371
craig24371

Hi Everyone,

I have just experienced what I think is my first "anxiety" problem. About 6 days ago I became very anxious at work and didn't like the way I felt. It didn't feel "normal" and just wished I could go to sleep and wake up feeling "good" again. I work away from my home and had to endure a 5 hour flight to get back to my house. This flight was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Minutes felt like hours and I had to constantly do things to distract me form losing the plot. I didn't feel like I was going have a panic attack but it was so removed to what I would call feeling "normal" I feared I would never come back to my version of safe reality. I am in a country with not so good medical services and when I went to a GP he just prescibed Xanax and sent me on my way. I took the Xanax (0.5mg twice a day) but didn't really feel that much better. It made me less on edge but certainly didn't completely take the feelings away. The only way I can describe my feelings is that its like being on a "bad trip" that never stops. I don't take drugs or drink heavily. 

I don't know if I have axniety or depression on something else. I'm really scared and need some answers. I have an appointment with a psychologist in the next few days who hopefully has some more answers. 

Can anyone offer some advice on how to "keep my thoughts together"

Thanks

0 likes, 29 replies

29 Replies

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  • cara11004
    cara11004 craig24371

    Posted

    My anxiety started literally overnight. Also from a stressful situation, but no where near as stressful as yours. Sounds like that is where yours has come from. I've had anxiety and panic disorder for 2 months now, and I'm afraid to say there is no quick fix, I have had CBT, acupuncture, reflexology, and tried different meds ( which didn't agree with me and made my anxiety worse so I stopped) I had to take 7 weeks off work, but the last fe weeks I've felt normal again, but this week I feel like I'm back to square one, it started again as I was supposed to be going away on a hen do and it just sent me over the edge I think, needless to say I didn't go. Download some breathing apps on your phone, and there's some really good books about, and the more you understand anxiety the easier it gets. Also stay off the caffeine as it is a stimulant and really doesn't help, drink chamomile tea instead and take herbal supplements like at johns wart or valerian root as they are a natural relaxant, I find they take the edge off. You'll be ok, remember it's only anxiety, no one ever died from it and it's all in our heads. Funny that our own mind makes is feel so aweful. But hey ho, onwards and upwards.
  • kevin66749
    kevin66749 craig24371

    Posted

    Yea the mornings are normal anxiety time I wake up and my legs feel like jelly 
    • craig24371
      craig24371 kevin66749

      Posted

      Hello Kev,

      I tried to not take my xanax today until absolutely had too. I probably could have lasted longer but the uncomfortable feeling was getting too much ( I lasted til about 11am). I noticed a while after I took it that it was the most "normal" I had felt since my initial problem started (only a week ago I know but a scary week it was) The problem is that it although it felt considerably better than I had been feeling, there was still the slight "niggling" in the back of my mind that i was having problems. Do you ever get to a point where you can "forget" for long periods that you have this condition or will it just be something I have to cope with?

      PS How are the jelly legs?

  • david60485
    david60485 craig24371

    Posted

    I had my first major panic attack quite a few years ago, I could`nt see the doctor for a few hours and those hours seemed like weeks as I was having one panic attack after another and pretending I was ok to the rest of the world. I never want to go through is again. My advice is if these feelings are becoming part of your life more frequently then you must go to your doctor. If you ignore them it will consume you then you may have a major breakdown possibilly. I`m sorry you are having this problem and I wish I could say there is an easy answer ...In a nutshell if it is starting to interfere with your daily life then get some help. You may need meds but who knows not always the case . All the best, David :-)
    • craig24371
      craig24371 david60485

      Posted

      Thanks David. I got some meds yesterday but at first they didn't seem to do anything. Late this afternoon they seemed to kick in and tonight is the calmest I have been for several days now. I don't want to drop back into the way I felt before as it was super scary. I don't let things go and think "I will be ok". I am the first guy to run off and get help at the first sign of anything bad happening. 

      I served in the military for a long time and saw the pain many people went through trying to "deal" with stuff on their own. Now I have some idea of how they felt and feel rather bad that I didn't try harder to help them. 

      My boss came to visit yesterday and was shocked when I told him what had happpened to me. He said I was the last person who he thought would have this sort of problem. I will tell everyone at my work what I went through to try and get some of the stigma taken away from this sort of thing. I work in a developing country where this sort of thing is more associated with being possesed by evil spirits as opposed to being a real medical condition. 

  • david60485
    david60485 craig24371

    Posted

    Could you have post traumatic stress disorder ?. Traumatic events and seeing things you can`t control may bring it on. It is well known Vietnam vets suffered from it as they could`nt deal with what they saw in the war. The fact they were forgotton about when they returned is whole nother matter. But most countries when their troops have served their purpose they are discarded. I live in the UK and its like that here. I wish people would think very carefully about the armed services, its not like on the ads , if your in battle there is nothing glamorous about it :-( . Let me know how things progress with you ok . David :-)
    • craig24371
      craig24371 david60485

      Posted

      My military career was rather uneventful. What I did after involved seeing some pretty horrible things in the last 10 years. I work in developing countries where rule of law is rubbery and the killing of soldiers and police is common. Im still trying to figure out the underlying cause behind my "out of the blue" anxiety/panic attack but I know if I don't deal with the root cause it won't go away on its own. 
  • david60485
    david60485 craig24371

    Posted

    It does sound like post traumatic stress disorder as you have seen traumatic events that you can`t control so can`t come to terms with them. As a result anxiety starts to creep in and then takes hold. You may have to change your life style as this may not be helping you to heal, is this possible ?
    • craig24371
      craig24371 david60485

      Posted

      Hello,

      I'm sure PTSD is possible but my symptoms don't seem to fit. I'm very axious but manage not to have any "panic attacks" so to speak. I don't have flash backs or nightmares. Maybe fears manifest themselves differently for me? I think all day of just being able to feel like I did last week before it all got out of control. The problem is I don't really understand what this very distressing feeling is that I have all the time. As I said before the only think I can compare it too was when I smoked grass about 20 years ago (the one and only time) and not liking it at all. It made me feel very uncomfortable all I remember wanting to happen was for it to "end" and I could feel normal again. 

  • kevin66749
    kevin66749 craig24371

    Posted

    Think its something ur have to cope with am afraid! Jelly legs are still bad m8 lol 
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