Sound Familiar?

[manda266]

Ok, I've been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for about a year and a half now. Thankfully, my symptoms are not nearly as intense as before, I can go into Wmart or some other strore with none to minimal anxiety. However, I am always on gaurd. I think about it every day, constantly. I'm so fearful that I will once again have those same feeling come back, that constant anxiety in which I feel like I want to rip my skin off or fight with myself to stay out of the ER. Occassionaly now, for no reason, I will have feeling of what I call flashes of anxiety. I will be sitting down thinking about something and have a dropping feeling, which makes me think of the anxiety. Or I'll for a flash have a dizzy feeling. I am much more sesitive to stimuli. Bright lights, such as those in drs offices, department stores really bother me. I usually wear my sunglasses to prevent those "old feelings" from coming back. I often feel jumpy at night when trying to go to sleep, perhaps because of just being tired and the anxiety counteracting. I'll take an Ativan and get to sleep an hour or so later and awake to feeling like crap. Or if I wake in the middle of the night, my heart will be pounding and I'll have those same old feeling, and again take an Ativan. I was just wondering if these were common symptoms and feelings that you all have. I'm going to have to go back to work soon. And now I'm afraid of freaking out in a job interview and running out of the room like a fool. Anyway, any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

[MichelleFl]

I really understand what your going through Manda as I get this "on edge" feeling too when going into public places.  At first I try going in all cool and normal but the dizziness begins when I am not even feeling stressed!     I work for a pharmacy and the bright, white countertops get's me going or the computer screen here and at work will get it going.  At times I think I am public phobic as I am shy... But I was never this bad to this extent!  Best wishes on the job interview!

[tigerpaw]

Goosh it appears you are seeing a dr due to the ativan use, but you should be able to take a MED and sleep weel through the night. DOSGE TO SMALL?

Also why haven.t they given you a generalixed anxiety medication for during the day.

I would ask the question of your dr.

[manda266]

Hi, I am prescribed Ativan .5s, I will take up to 1 mg at a time when I am at my worst. I really don't want to go over that. I was prescribed zoloft, which made me very nauseated, then paxil. The paxil seemed to help with anxiety, but it did leave me rather zonked. I was in college at the time and I didn't have any ambition to study while on the med, so I stopped taking it. I do think that I need something to perhaps keep me "stabilized". I have a fear, however, that by adding another med into the mix it will throw me backwards. It takes a while to overcome the side effects and I am sensitive to changes in my body. What are you taking? What side effects did you experience?

[tigerpaw]

For generalized bipolar I take seroquel.  I have also a quick acting med called LORAZEPAM for those intense anxiety moments similiar to the xanax med. I am sensitive to meds too so I cut the .5mgs of loraz. in half usually and it does the trick.

I pretty much face each day on its own merit.

Everyday is a little different and I use the lorazapam as needed.   But the seroquel really has helped my overall anxiety symptoms which were HORRIBLE back in February.

I hope to hear from u in Chat At the forum some time.

[Sammmy]

Hi, I too am in the same situation you are in, and you mentioned putting on your sun glasses to prevent any old anxiety feelings from showing its ugly face... thats what I do... strange enough it does seem to help!!! Feels more like a safety barrier than eye protection from the sun. What I do is if I am standing in line at a store, or where-ever... I wear a hair tie or a lacker band around my wrist and snap it back every time I get the falling or dizzy feeling. It takes my mind of what dizziness or anxiety I felt!
Bye

[manda266]

Good idea. I think divertion is the key to this disorder. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Yeah, I always feel rather strange wearing sunglasses into stores or wherever, but those bright fluorescent lights really get to me. Along with the other commotion that may be going on. I've got a bit of OCD with water bottles as well. I carry one everywhere.  This started with a bad panic attack I had in which my mouth got incredibly dry and a my throat seemed to swell up while in Wmart. I take sips when I feel the anxiety creeping up and like the sunglasses, it actually works. Kind of takes my mind away from the anxiety, and I take in plenty of water, which is a good thing too :). Many people here have little ways that help them manage their symptoms. I say, whatever works, who cares what other people think! Nice chatting with you

[katierose]

I do the same thing with a water bottle. Its funny because I feel like I am pretty good at masking my anxiety, since I usually get it when I am around others.. but there are times when I'm having SERIOUS anxiety and or panic, and I am able to keep it in my head. I'm usually even able to carry on conversations without the other person having any idea how uncomfortable I am. Anyway, when I start to feel anxiety, I start drinking from my water bottle. Somehow it helps. I also will look at my phone. Like if I'm on the bus or something and can feel it coming on, I'll hold my phone in my hand. Not sure why it helps...

I hope things start to improve for you. Good luck.