overwhelming anxiety

[least]

I am bothered by the mother of all anxiety attacks. This is the second day now that I've woken up in a state of horrible anxiety and it's lasted all day. I am on Neurontin for anxiety (off label) as my Pdoc won't give me benzos anymore because I'm so easily addicted. I'm at my wit's end dealing with this. I laid down this afternoon and napped for a couple hours, only to wake up feeling just as agitated and nervous as ever.

I've tried chamomile tea, valerian, and all the calming herbs but no relief. I feel like I'm about to jump out of my skin! Last year at this time I would have been drinking away my anxiety, only to deal with worse anxiety the next day, of course. Now that's no longer an option, which is a good thing as it only made the anxiety worse. I don't know what else I can do to treat this, to make it less or make it go away. I'm just venting my frustration and anxiety cause I don't think there's anything else I can do.

[historyteach]

Least,
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time.
Have you read the sticky above on anxiety? There's a lot of ways to help manage it.
It's expecially important to eat right, exercise regularly, make time for your emotional and spiritual self and to learn new things. In short, to take care of your entire self.

I found a full meditation, with deep breathing, and progressive relaxation along with imagery really helps. Gloria Steinum has a book, Revolution From Within, that has a great one. It's available at Amazon.com very reasonable.

Shalom!

[kathy306]

Buspar is used alot for anxiety and it does not have addictive properties such as the benzos. Are you seeing a psych? He should be quite familiar with it. By all means try life style changes first, but if you need a medication, this may help.

[mxchaos]

I use progressive relaxation like historyteach. It helps. I also walk and swim to help. Emailing my tdoc also helps try putting pen to paper. get all out.
good luck

[least]

For all that I know drinking won't help, I gave in and drank a bottle of wine last Saturday. And of course, as I knew, it only made things worse. It was only one bottle and only one day, but am now on day three and still feel horrible anxiety - as bad as going thru withdrawals. Found out I'd have to pay my shrink - either for an appt or a telephone consultation - so will tell my counselor today and maybe can work it out between her and the shrink. Anything so I do'nt rack up another bill, as money is the biggest source of anxiety right now.

Am tired of feeling too hot, then too cold, then shaking all over, can't relax a bit or I'd just spend the day in bed. I've been trying deep breathing relaxation but it's just not happening for me. I am wound up so tight I feel like I'm about to explode.

Also worried and upset over youngest kid's refusal to consider moving back home from the nice neighborhood she's been living in for over a year, with the nice private foster mom who puts few restrictions on her activites and doesn't seem to be keeping very close watch on her. The whole idea behind this 'short term' break was to allow our relationship to 'heal', but she seems to be doing worse for herself than she was before she moved out. Very poor judgement and poor choices of friends, and her counseling sessions don't seem to be making much difference in her attitudes or behaviors. I'm at a loss, and my 'mentor' who arranged this whole deal, has temporary guardianship and doesn't seem willing to turn my parenthood back over to me.

Her reluctance to let kid move back with me shows she doesn't trust my abilities as mother, which is another source of anxiety, as i've always doubted my abilities as a mother.

I feel so awful I don't even want to leave the house but will go to counseling appt and lay it all out on the table. She'll be disappointed over my small slip, but not as disappointed as I am in myself.

I'm living on chamomile tea this morning but just feel SO WOUND UP!!

[doorknob]

Hi, Least. Good luck at your counseling appointment.

DK

[jaguarpcb]

Least,

I'm new here, as is my husband, and when he read your post he thought I might have some advice for you. I've had some trouble with anxiety myself, and one of the things my therapist showed me that has helped a great deal are some acupressure techniques. Maybe some of this will be helpful for you.

The one that's helped the most for me was to firmly press my temples with the tips of my first two fingers....just hold that and see if it helps you calm down. It takes me from hyperventilating and crying hysterically to calm in about 30 seconds.

Another she showed me was to press on the fronts of your cheekbones. This one actually intensified the anxiety I was feeling for a bit, but then it calmed down some. Not so good if you're suffering with sinus problems though - ouch!

She also gave me a sequence of things to do in times of acute stress, and I'm going to try to remember the whole sequence (I used to keep the card in my purse, but now it's at home and I'm at work).

1. Put your hands on the sides of your face (an "oh my god" type pose) and press on your temples with your first two fingers. Hold and breath in through your nose and out through your mouth three times.
2. Pull back with your hands (she calls this the "mommy my braids are too tight" pose, lol), hold for three breaths
3. Run your fingertips over your ears and down your neck to your shoulders and press your fingertips into your shoulders, hold for three breaths
4. Press your fingertips into your shoulders harder, really pull all the tension up out of your shoulders into your fingers, and then shake the tension out of your hands into the ground (she does get a bit metaphysical at times)
5. Roll your shoulders forward 5 times, then backward 5 times (I sometimes roll my head around a few time to loosen up my neck a bit too)
6. This is the tricky one to explain.....put your left hand under your right arm and place your right hand under your left elbow, cupping your elbow. Now with your right thumb try to find a place just above the bone in you elbow that feels a bit like you've struck your funny bone when you press it with your thumb, maybe a bit tingly and sore. That's another acupressure point that's supposed to help with stress. Hold that spot for a few breaths, then repeat on the other side

That last one can be hard to find, and isn't as effective for me as the temples, but everyone is different so it might work well for you.

I hope some of this is helpful.

-Judi

[least]

My shrink really is a good guy. He's not requiring an appt or phone appt, but is calling in a month's scrip for buspar - and it only costs five dollars. I can afford that and can get started on it today.

I had been depressed cause my counseling appt was cancelled today, and I didn't think this could be taken care of so easily. His secretary called me after finding out how cheap it was, so I wouldn't be unable to get them today. His office workers are as kind as he is.

[Candygirl]

You may want to join a CBT group for more lasting relief.
Here's a link to a post I just sent to RandyRiot on here a minute ago if you are interested:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...t-flashes.html (Panic attacks and hot flashes.)

[bluebird78]

Have you ever tried theanine? I've never had much luck with nutritional supplements and such, but I tried this because it does cross the blood/brain barrier and

I was surprised that it helps ease anxiety. And I was once addicted to benzos, and my system is still recovering, so I'm not easily sedated.
They just kind of take the edge off.

Apparently it's important to get theanine that has "suntheanine" on the bottle. I didn't notice until after I'd bought mine, and it was just called theanine, but on the bottom backside it said "suntheanine," so I'm not sure if this is a special way of processing it? But I've read that this is the kind that works the best. I haven't tried anything else to compare, but what I have now is definitely helping.

[Candygirl]

I have not had much luck with supplements either, but would like to look into it more. Where did you buy it?
Thanks!

[least]

Any "natural food" store should have it, maybe even walmart. I will look for it and give it a try.

[VeXun]

what helps prevent panic attacks? i have had many of them

[VeXun]

I heard quitting smoking will help with anxiety is this true?

[Candygirl]

Originally Posted by VeXun

what helps prevent panic attacks? i have had many of them

Join a CBT group it's the best treatment for anxiety issues. I was in a group and it changed my life. You have to be pretty disciplined and counter your thoughts in the TEA forms everyday but they work really well.

[Candygirl]

Vex did you ever give CBT a try for anxiety? It helped me a great deal!

[least]

Anxiety so bad recently that I may have to cancel my planned trip to MN end of this month. Am afraid to leave the house for nine days. Am afraid of everything and anything. Have been taking naps, as much as I can, just to avoid being awake and aware. But my mind isn't letting me escape into sleep as my dreams are very disturbing. Hanging on by my fingernails here and hoping 'it' gets better but don't know what to do until "it" gets better.

[least]

My daughter (the one who will be caring for my dogs) insists that I go to MN tomorrow. I'm still really anxious about leaving her and her younger sister in the house when I'm not there but have decided to go anyway. I only get to see eldest daughter and family once a year so don't want to miss my chance... still nervous about being away from home for nine days tho...

[Candygirl]

I think it is good that you are going because confronting your fears can be quite freeing emotionally. Too bad you are leaving already though because I would have suggested that you try some cbt exercises before you had to start confronting your fears
Good luck on the trip and I hope it goes well and builds your confidence in yourself

[chairmanma084]

what's wrong with a truly controlled addiction to something if it completely improves someone's life?

[least]

Originally Posted by chairmanma084

what's wrong with a truly controlled addiction to something if it completely improves someone's life?

[least]

The stress level before I left and after coming home was/is so unbearable I just ordered myself some ativan online. So now when the stress gets to be too much, I can take one of those instead of buying a bottle of wine. That should be a big help to my sobriety, since stress is my biggest trigger of drinking. Thank goodness for online pharmacies...

[suki44883]

Oh, least...I don't know about that. Don't you think you should speak with your doctor before just ordering Ativan and self-medicating?

[least]

I will be seeing him in a week or so and will advise him then. It's the lesser of two evils. I can take ativan without abusing it but cannot drink responsibly. So I'll take the lesser of the two. If it can keep me from drinking it's done its job. I've never abused pills, only alcohol. So it doesn't bother me in the least.

[suki44883]

Well, I've never been a pill abuser either, but still...I don't think it's a good idea. Why not call your doctor before the pills arrive and ask his opinion? How are you able to get Ativan online without a prescription anyway? I'd just be very careful with this sort of thing. I just don't think it's a good idea to order this type of medication without first seeing or at least talking with a doctor.