Need4Change

Hi everyone

So after a month of medical tests (colonoscopy, CT-Scan, etc) lots of stress and anxiety and finally being told that my results were normal, I came home relieved and decided to "celebrate" with a case of beer.

As the evening wore on I was feeling better and better. My results for cancer (and other nasty things) had come back negative, I was relaxing with a beer and feeling just great.

Then a HUGE storm came through. It sounded like the earth was cracking in two. My dog is terrified of storms so as I'm sitting there wallowing in beer and watching videos, suddenly I hear this clawing, scraping and chewing and right away I knew what was happening. My dog was going berserk.

I did everything I could (humanely of course) to calm him down and prevent him from chewing up my house but he was hysterical and slipped out of his collar and continued chewing and running around frantically as the thunder and lightening clashed all around him (it was VERY loud!).

Finally, I tried to lead him to where I thought he would feel safe and quiet and he was rearing up and struggling like a wild stallion and at some point I got bitten on the leg. This is the nicest, quietest dog I have ever had (I've had him for two years) but he gets this way whenever we have a thunderstorm. I'm still very hurt and shocked that my own dog bit me and I'm having serious trust issues with him now and having a very difficult time getting over it. Imagine if your best friend suddenly punched you one day. Thats how I felt. Betrayed. He didn't actually lunge at me, snarl or "attack" me. It was more of a scared, defensive bite because he was terrified and I was trying to restrain him when all he wanted to do was "run away" from the thunder and lightening.

So anyway, he is up to date on his rabies shots, a mostly indoors dog and is a very healthy and normal dog. Still, I suffer from Hypochondria, anxiety and panic attacks so the next thing I know, I'm online researching "rabies" and "tetanus" and looking at scary pictures, calling the vet and posting like crazy on dog forums. Everyone told me that I had nothing to worry about at all except that I needed to keep the wound clean and yet my anxiety went through the roof over the coming days. Every muscle twitch...every bodily sensation...anything would send me into panic mode. The panic would come in waves as if someone had given me an injection of pure adrenalin. My heart would race, I'd get the lump in my throat and start swallowing a lot, feeling like I couldn't breath, etc. Not even a Ativan would touch it.

So last night I turned to an old "freind" for help. Beer. What a mistake that was. This morning I woke up with out-of control anxiety, multiple panic attacks and so I took a whole Ativan and an Atenolol and was finally (but just barely) able to get the symptoms under control. I still feel like a wreck.

So how was YOUR evening?...

- Regards, Need4Change

Pilgrim

Hi need 4 change. Sounds like you might need to make some changes!!

Sorry to hear about things being rough.

I remember those out of control fears. I have been doing steps in AA and working everyday on learning new ways to cope. It works really well for me. My night was stormy too and I have a dog, a cat, 2 guinea pigs, a full time job, 2 mice and 3 children (one is autistic). I love the chaos these days and I wouldn't change a thing.

Have you got a programme? Alcohol is not my friend.

CarolD

My life goes so much smoother AA sober.


Please ask on your doggie sites for training tips on thunder issues.
I remember something about playing a thunder sound very low
then increasing the noise level very slowly over time.
I have not personally use this...so ????

Blessings

Jhana

Well MY evening was fine, really. It's today I am concerned with. It is time to start a new life (I moved, left a very hi-profile job in NYC for a small town life in Maryland). I do have a new (freelance) career I am starting , but truthfully although I did this work for years previous to having a job-job, I am terrrified.

Now to the dog and the beer.

I wrote here on some other thread that my dog suddenly freaked out about a storm and clearly was not herself in all the ways your describe. I did not get bit, but I could have.

I thought, however, how "alcoholic" of her. When was so freaked she ran out INTO THE STORM for comfort. I had to get sopping wet to retrieve her. In my alcoholic behavior I did just the same: ran back into the storm rather than face my fears, and I "bit" quite a few friends.

Sorry if this sounds like stretching an analogy, but I think it is worth thinking about. Dogs have a way of knowing if a storm is truly threatening or not, and I think being over the house, her house, is what made my dog beserk.

For me, I think I will count today as Day 1 on sobriety, because I might as well have been drunk for the last 3 months. Soooo, with all these blahs blahs I am just here for support. Want to be a pal counting days? (While I am not an AAer, I find having friends in the same place as myself helps, so day-counting is not a bad way to keep marching,

Jhana

Anna

The beer will increase the anxiety. It sounds like you figured that out.

I am sorry your dog bit you. I have been bitten by a cat and I know it was because I was trying to give him a pill and he was being held tightly and panicked and acted defensively. Please don't hold this against your dog as it seems he was acting in a panic mode. Next time you have a storm is there a different way you could handle it. Maybe try putting the dog in a small, safe room with toys and blanket and he might feel a little more secure. Do some research on google for how to help him get through the next storm.