Anxiety?

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Thank you for that post. :) It's nice to hear such a well articulated thought on the matter!

Things certainly do get complicated though. I've seen so many therapists and psychiatrists, read the books, been on the meds...it's nuts.

I think the hardest thing though is the exposure therapy, forcing yourself to do whatever it is you fear. There is a very, very thin line between helping yourself and making it worse. Sort of like Pavlov's dog...you ring a bell and it drools. I suppose the learned anxiety would be the drool. ;) Ringing the bell could be the action you were trying to avoid. So the next time you do it you may feel anxious. However, it needs to be pushed sometimes. The problem is knowing when to push and when to back off. I feel that's been my greatest challenge. Medication's high up there but going through everyday life and feeling frustrated with myself most of the time for not being able to be a normal young adult all the time and only on some days is really tough.

I love this thread by the way. I don't really know anyone with anxiety as bad as mine.
 
yes, exposure can be tricky... that's where the need for a highly skilled coach comes in. If you can figure out exactly what sensations or thoughts set off the anxiety, then you can get the proper sequence of steps for exposure. Many people make the mistake of pushing themselves too hard.

Exciting news is that there are new drugs that can be taken only during the exposure sessions. They help the person extinguish their fear response more quickly. You need a doctor and a therapist to collaborate on this.
 
My current psychiatrist basically told me to get my boyfriend to dump me in a mall, let me have a few panic attacks, and see that I survived. ¬¬ I'm not a fan.

I've worked with many therapists and all gave up on me simply because they had no idea what I had. My symptoms don't match any specific anxiety disorder or even a mish mash of them. After all these years of trying different people, medications, and methods, it feels like it's up to me to figure it out, to notice a pattern of what works. : /
 
So...I wasn't sure where this would fit, and since no one's home I think writing is the next best thing! I'm taking a calculus course and have to submit an assignment on campus which is mildly unusual as I'm accustomed to sumitting online. Anyway, the point is this is one monsterously large step to leave the apartment, walk to campus on my own, and hand in these various papers/forms. The biggest worry is blacking out as that seems to be what my body does now when experiencing anxiety.

How weird is that, to feel like walking to school is a huge hurdle?

Um, that being said, if I don't post for a few days, er, send a search party around U of Guelph ;)

*takes a deep breath* Time to find my coat. :shock:
 
:grouphug2:

Thanks you two. I know it seems silly to be afraid of that, lol. It turned out to not be so okay, but a lot had to do with a flash blizzard and me exposed in a field without a hat or mitts annnnd it ended up in a blackout but my friend thankfully came to get me when I came to. She's amazing. Then we got into a minor minor car accident.

I'll try again when the weather is not so insane! Classes have been cancelled once again "until further notice." :sled: Just our region too.
 
You are getting some terrible weather down there. I guess I am happy to live in the north. We get some storms up here too but we deal with them a little bit better. We don't have the population or the traffic.

Ann
 
Yeah it's just amazing. I don't recall weather this bad or even fluctuating so much in my lifetime. It was something like 10 C two days ago. Now it's so terrible out there (again) only a fool would leave the house. I'm hearing sirens all the time. :(
 
I'm so on the fence about that whole thing, lol. As in what's causing the weather fluctuations I mean. The Ecology articles had a lot to say, as well as the Philosophy of the Environment course. Really interesting stuff. :) Like, humans aren't contributing as much as we think we are to condense one idea. We are certainly not helping, but natural phenomenons like volcanos trump us in terms of carbon emissions.

Um, what was the original topic again? :lol:
 
Bron, I know how you feel. I went to one of my morning classes then came home for a few hours, but I have to leave at 1:30 to head back to the college to give a mini presentation. I am starting to freak out about the whole leaving the safetly of my home thing, but I've missed too much school and I can't miss this project. Argh, I know I will feel like crap all day and it will be horrible. At least its only an hour or so, I will try and sneak out early if I can :S
 
Aw Ashley. :hugs:

Anticipatory anxiety is the worst! And it's even worse when you finally get home thinking, "Whew! I made it!" only to realize you have to leave again in a short time. It's really tempting to stay in.

Just keep your eye on the goal! I find it helps to plan out exactly what's going to happen, in my head that is, from leaving, walking to campus, which path to take...just visualizing the whole thing over and over. You'll feel pretty amazing when you get the presentation finished. :D I couldn't do that right now!
 
A few of you kindly PM'ed me with words of support and suggestions regarding therapy methods back when this thread was active and I thought I'd post an update for all of you to let you know I've returned to the therapist that got me so far in high school. She said she's dealt with people who black out due to anxiety and I can't tell you what a relief that was to hear. I just had my first session with her (I left her in 2003/2004) and she thinks she can help get me back to my independent life. :D Here's hoping!
 
:grouphug:
I'm not sure it's what I learn at this point, it may be how the words are delivered. Or rather, I know the tools, I just need structural help in putting them to use. I'm not entirely sure what her plan is to get rid of agoraphobia but she did it for me when I was 16, I have every confidence she can do it again, as does she. : ) The different spin on it was my blacking out - I didn't do that back then. Today was sort of reacquainting her with my situation and updating her on the past five years so there wasn't much therapy happening. She did really want to know -how much- I want to be free of it and apparently that's critical, to really be open to help. Also, not letting anxiety get a grip on you, but you getting a grip on anxiety. That's all I got today, haha, I'm assuming future sessions will be more helpful and I'll pass on what I can.

Thanks guys, I know I'm just text on a screen for you but it does mean a lot to have cheerleaders, even if they are far away.
 
Effexor was the first drug they tried for me, the first of many, but they soon gave up on all SSRI's. I know it's supposed to help depression and anxiety for most, I'm glad you're one of them. :) Clonazepam is the only medication that didn't make me really, really sick.
 

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