Panic attacks an agraphobia

Yes dave im exacley the same.. I take my children to school in the car (litally round the corner) an straight bk home.. Its a push to do things an that all depends on wat day im havein..

Danielle

And how do you feel Danielle whilst you're outside taking your kids to school? You're still doing it yourself so that's good, I guess if you were really bad you'd ask a friend to come round & take your kids for you or something... but you don't! That's got to be positive, right?!

When you say "it's a push to do things" is that because you've just lost interest?

Dave.

If i didnt have to do it i wouldnt.. So i have to push myself to.. I dnt go shopping on my own or anythink.. I get very parranoid feel everyone is talking about me (when there not)

Ah but that's just it Danielle... you succeed in 'pushing yourself to do it', so your anxiety/social phobia, call it what you will, isn't so all consuming & controlling that you try to avoid taking your kids... Each day you take a deep breath & leave your house to go do the school run, no matter how short, is a small victory to you over your anxiety!

If you don't view it that way you certainly should!

I understand what u mean dave.. I am still doing things but little by little its still very hard but ye i do push an push.. I was at a point where i didnt go out the house for 4 months but i did get up an go only cause i had my kids an felt so sorry for them.. My mind plays game cause if i no i have got to do it i will but if i no i dnt have to i wont..

Hi Danielle,

If you're doing things little by little you're moving in the right direction. I guess I'm at the point now where you were before; since I quit my job last September I've kinda hibernated... To put into perspective how few people/how little interaction I have with anyone else I recently had an hours telephone conversation with my cousin & the next day I'd lost my voice completely... you don't use your voice when you don't see anyone so I hadn't spoken for weeks! It's a pretty random existence. I don't feel like I'm interacting with life in anyway nowadays, just surviving day to day & going through the motions.

I would give Fluoxetine a try if I were you; it may be the final jigsaw piece in the puzzle, you could take it then be back to normality by the summer, you won't know if you don't try!

Dave.

I wonder what you wrote that caused the moderator to delete your reply Danielle? I'm curious now... I didn't realise you were such a rebel 😁

Im the same an its not nice.. Someday i feel right thats it im going out an ill do it but only to certain places that im used to an not panicked why iv been there before

Hi lousie i took it for two years but didnt really do me any gud.. U take it of a night time an it makes u very sleep an the next day make u groggy but then dnt really help u the nxt day cause u have slept it off so u get the benifit of a night but ur asleep so didnt really see the point in them.. My doctor has giving me fluoxetine but not yet started them as i wana try an control it by myself.

Hi Louise,

I personally have taken 30mg Mirtazapine daily for 14 years with a year's hiatus in 2010. I guess that'll probably surprise you; it does most people. My own anxiety/depression comes & goes, seemingly (and very frustratingly) at will. I'll suffer a bad bout of anxiety, always for a prolonged period, months or years even, where I experience pretty intense anxiety/depression or both, hit rock bottom & eventually claw my way back from the depths. I usually perk up towards the summer months, although that didn't really happen last year which is concerning.

Obviously we're all different so don't be put off hearing of my somewhat prolonged Mirtazapine prescription; it may aid you in such a positive way that you're literally only taking it a month or two. A cautionary proviso is to have patience with the Mirtazapine as it takes a couple of weeks to settle into your system & begin working.

Do you mind if I ask how your anxiety & depression manifests itself? I have a mixed bag really; OCD, health anxiety, rituals etc. These are facts I've established myself through research & recognising signs/symptoms, I've never been diagnosed by a health professional.

I personally believe we, as fellow anxiety/depression sufferers, experience all emotions at a much higher & more intense level to 'regular' people. Conversely when I feel 'good' I feel *really* good too; the enhanced interpretation isn't just reserved for 'negatives', thank heavens.

I know chatting here with other like minded folks offers reassurance that I take solace in. I hope you find it as rewarding too Louise.

Dave.

Dave is right louise dont be put off just cause they didnt help me.. Ever person is diffrent. Im ment to start fluoxetine but iv been scared to as iv had good an bad reviews so i know how ur feeling

Thank you for you reply sorry it didn't work out for you have read good and bad about it I will give it a try though as I have had almost all the antidepressants going lol 😁💐

Thankyou for your reply I still have not started the mirtazipine as yet I need to be strong and just do it .I have to come off venlafaxine at the same time been on that for two years and I feel like hell 😞 I just want some sort of happiness back I pretend to laugh be happy be ok but I'm really not I feel useless guilty massively depressed my anxiety is through the roof just can't go on like this and sometimes I do feel suicidal but I know I have to get through this and try the new meds constant racing thoughts I just can't relax sorry for going on .so would you say the mirtazipine did help ? How did it help you ? Hope you don't mind me asking I don't know who else I can ask thanks again 🌼

It did work at first with my anxierty but made me more dazey when i woke up that why i didnt like them felt like i cudnt focus in the day.. As i said everyone is different hun.. Try them there worth a go x

😁 thankyou so much I will be a brave girl and try it as you say some meds work for others and some don't 💐 x

Im the same louise iv been told to take 20mg fluoxetine got giving then in December an still wont take them im to scared myself so ur not the only one x

Hi Louise, thanks for your reply too...

I would say the Mirtazapine helps, there's three main areas it's designed to treat; anxiety, depression & to aid sleep (although the third is more of a fortunate side effect, I say fortunate because insomnia is often a complaint associated with anxiety & depression anyway). I'm not sure if it works as well for me anymore, as I mentioned previously I've taken it for years so maybe that's why. I'd definitely suggest you give it a whirl; from what you said you sound fed up with suffering, feeling suicidal is horrible... don't ever think you're alone in your suffering though Louise because you're not, I think we all feel each others pain & torment as well as compassion & empathy for each other here on these forums. So yes, I would recommend you try Mirtazapine, if you sometimes feel so bad you're suicidal things can only improve, you certainly have nothing to lose & everything to gain. Just remember the tablets take a couple of weeks to begin working and you will feel pretty groggy when you wake the following morning for a little while (I guess you already know they're taken 2 or 3 hours before bedtime). Are you having any CBT or therapy of any type? I can't emphasise how important it is to talk your problems through with someone who you trust, that's the thing I miss most, having someone to get into a deep conversation with!

So to recap; yes, try the Mirtazapine, even if it takes a little while to work concerning your anxiety & depression it'll calm you sufficiently from the first time you take it so your thoughts shouldn't race so much & you should sleep better as a result.

Dave.

Hi Dave thanks again for replying I'm gonna go for it I know I have to like you say when I feel so bad what is there to lose 😊 I am waiting to be seen by a councillor although I have seen one in the past and it really did not help me but willing to try again .

I feel like I can only be totally honest with how I feel on things like this as I don't want my family to worry .

They do know I'm ment to be changing medication though so they do have some idea .

I hope that you are feeling ok 🌼

Hi Louise, thanks for your reply.

Glad to hear you're going to 'go for it' concerning changing medication, this could be the beginning of you returning back to your old self! I hope seeing a councillor will be more beneficial this time too, I know what you mean though; I saw a therapist before & it was helpful... but only whilst I was seeing them, within a month or so of the CBT ending I felt the buoyancy slowly fading once more. I've always been one of those people who thought 'there must be more to life than this', I even thought that way during extremely successful employment periods where everything was seemingly going fine. I guess my constant search for something more satisfying & fulfilling can be detrimental to my wellbeing... I just really want to make a difference in a positive way while I'm here.

I always used to keep exactly how bad I was feeling from my Father, I guess that's why it's a relief to come & be (almost) totally honest with how I feel on here. I say 'almost' because I'm a very private person, if I was ever planning anything crazy or stupid I certainly wouldn't tell anyone anyway.

Wow... after reading that back I realise it's not very 'upbeat', apologies!

I hope you're feeling ok,

Dave.