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Topic : Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

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Created on : Thursday, July 07, 2005, 08:58:51 am
Author : dataimport
Do you have an irrational fear of flying, spiders, leaving your home, or one of a host of other fears? Do you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks? You're not alone. Join those who understand as we struggle to overcome our fears.

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coffeeklutz

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November 22, 2007, 9:29 pm PST

Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

Quote From: beckie007

"Anxiety Disorder" is only the manifestation of the root problem that the medical industry has made up a name for.

 

Give your life over to Jesus Christ and he will heal you from all of the fears! Pray to God tonight and He'll set you free!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing I went to church and served the Lord for over 20 years and guess what I still suffer from anxiety. People like you have no idea what this disease is. If you want me to quote the bible, Paul had a problem that the Lord did not take away. As a christian you should know that the Lord can heal but he also gives each of us a cross to bear. Hmmmm  you. I am glad that God has a big heart cause too many so called christians have very hard hearts. So who needs to ask the Lord for freedom to understand.

 
 
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coffeeklutz

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November 22, 2007, 9:40 pm PST

Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

Quote From: drphilfan_2007

I CAN RELATE TO THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS SEVERAL YEARS AGO I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ANXIETY,PANIC ATTACKS,DEPRESSION, AND POST TRUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. I THINK SOME OF IT WAS CAUSED THE WAY I WAS RAISED UP. AND SOME DUE LIKE PTSD DIDIN'T HAPPEN TILL AFTER MY BY PASS HEART SURGERY, WHEN I WAS RAISED UP I WAS PRACTICAL A PRISONER IN MY ROOM. I WASN'T ALLOWED TO HAVE A NORMAL CHIDHOOD AND TEENAGE YEARS LIKE MOST KIDS. I HAD VERY FEW FRIENDS BECAUSE OF IT. I PANICED DURING A LOT OF MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF MY PHYSIATRIC DOCTORSTHAT I WAS AFRAID OF AUTHORITY FIGURES. WHICH I THINK WAS CAUSED BY MY PARENTS WHEN GROWING UP THEY WERE SO STRICK WITH ME. IT AFFECTED TRYING TO COPE WITH SUPERVISORS, TEACHERS, AND OTHER AUTHORITY FIGURES I HAVE DEALT WITH. ALSO IF I GO AWAY FROM HOME AND DRIVE TO A STRANGE PLACE I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I'M BY MYSELF OR HUSBAND WITH ME I'LL GO INTO PANIC MODE PLUS OTHER  THINGS I'LL PANIC OVER. I'M CONSTANTLY WORRYING ABOUT SOMETHING HUSBAND TELLS ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS BUT I CAN'T HELP IT AN IT TURNS INTO ANXIETY. I ALSO HAVE SOME EXCESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER AN DON'T KNOW WHY.  I HAVE MEMORY LOSS AT TIMES BUT MY CARDIO DRS TOLD ME I WOULD JUST HAVE TO DAEL WITH IT. I'M A VERY NERVOUS PERSON AS WELL. AND I HAVE DAYS I JUST DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE AN LOSE INTEREST IN ANYTHING. I'M BEING TREATED BY PHYSIATRIC DR'S AN COUSELORS AND TAKING MEDS FOR MY MENTAL PROBLEMS BUT IT DOSE'NT HELP ALL THE TIME.  BUT ALL I KNOW IF IT WASN'T FOR MY HUSBAND AND THE GOD ABOVE I COULDN'T GET THROUGH EACH DAY. I ALSO LOST MOM AND DAD THAT RAISED ME THEIR DECEASED I WAS ADOPTED BY THEM AN MY REAL REAL FAMILY WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. I ALSO LOST ON MY ADOPTIVE FAMILY  MOST ARE  DECEASED AS WELL EXCEPT FOR AN AUNT AN UNCLE AN TWO HALF SISTERS AND COUSINS. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM FOR PERSONAL REASONS. AND OTHER THAN MY HEART SURGERY I HAD A FULL HYSTERECTOMY, AND AFTER THAT WAS IN PHYSIATRIC WARD FOR SEVERAL REASONS. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH. BUT LIKE I SAID HUSBAND AN GOD ABOVE HELP ME. BUT ONE THING I HAVE IS MY HUSBANDS FAMILY HIS MOM TREATS ME AS ONE OF HER ON SO THAT HELPS A LOT I CAN TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON WITH ME AN IT SEEMS TO HELP SOME.  WELL THAT'S MOST OF WHAT MY LIFE IS LIKE.  IT ALSO HELPS FOR MY SON TO VISIT I  DIDN'T SEE MUCH OF HIM UNTIL HE RECENTLY GOT DIVORCED I THINK I AM AT MY HAPPIEST WHEN HES' AROUND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN A FAMILY UNTIL HIS WIFE LEFT. I FEEL FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE I CAN BE A MOM AGAIN AN SO THAT HELPS  TOO. HE ALSO HAS SOME PHYSIATRIC PROBLEMS AN WAS GOING TO DRS FOR IT BUT CAN'T RIGHT NOW FOR VARIOUS REASONS. I TRY AS MUCH AS I CAN TO TALK TO HIM AN HELP HIM AS MUCH AS I CAN BECAUSE I UNERSTAND WHAT HES' GOING THROUGH BECAUSE I IDENTIFY WITH SOME OF HIS PROBLEMS CAUSE I HAVE THEM TOO SOME OF HIS IS DIFFERENT THAN MINE. HE'S JUST GONG THROUGH A LOT SINCE HIS DIVORCE AN IT HURTS ME WHEN HE HURTS. HE NEEDS TO MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE AS MUCH AS HE CAN. I THINK IN MY OPINION IT WAS HIS WIFE THAT KEPT HIM AWAY FROM US FOR SO LONG. AN THAT BROKE MY HEART I USED TO CRY A LOT ABOUT THAT CAUSE I MISSED MY BOY YOU KNOW. I KNOW I'M JUST RAMBLING AN GOING FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER BUT MY MIND JUST FLOODS WITH THINGS TO SAY. SOMETIMES IT HELPS TO TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE FAMILY TOO. WELL THATS ABOUT ALL I CAN SAY FOR NOW ABOUT MY LIFE. AND I HOPE OTHERS LIKE ME CAN EVENUALLY HAVE SOME KIND OF NORMAL LIFE IN THE FUTURE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO READ THIS AND REPLY IF YOU WISH. SINCERELY, DrPhilfan_2007

 

I understand, I too am adopted and suffer from many of the same things you suffer from. Yes the Lord can be with you, trust your doctors advise. The Lord gave us doctors. The Lord gave the doctors wisdom. My son means a lot to me and the best gift I can give him is to be happy and not worry. He knows I worry but it is not taking over.
 
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jackskell
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November 29, 2007, 6:27 pm PST

GAD

Hello, my name is Wendy

 

I started having panic attacks after having a fat burning drink at the gym. I didnt know what was happening to me and I went through a lot until finally. I went to see a psychologist 6 months later. I am off meds and still feel a bit anxious but no longer taking ativan. I feel my thinking is more like myself. When I was on Meds I felt dizzy most of the time. I am slowly healing and feel understanding anxiety was very hard for me to accept. I would get more worried and try to challenge it but it just got worse.

 
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wildforce
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December 1, 2007, 6:49 pm PST

I don't even know how to title this one

Quote From: beckie007

"Anxiety Disorder" is only the manifestation of the root problem that the medical industry has made up a name for.

 

Give your life over to Jesus Christ and he will heal you from all of the fears! Pray to God tonight and He'll set you free!!!!!!!!!!!

If the were only true. I have given my life to God and me and my three sons live every day with aniexty and depression. I've been praying to God since I was five years old and guess what I still with anxiety and depression every day. It people with those judgements that hold back people with these disorders from seeking the proper help and learning it's okay to have and illness and still function in the world. My mother chose to ignore my problems and continued to pray to God instead of getting me the proper treatment and now my anxiety has made my OCD worse if my mother and used the doctors God had given her to help me I may have an easier time in life and not have had to go through all the suffering that I did.
 
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azaelynvelrose
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December 2, 2007, 2:01 pm PST

New with STRANGE fear

Alright.  I am going to apologize ahead of time because there is no doubt in my mind this will be a LONG post.  Even now, as I type, my arms feel shakey, and I have butterflies in the pit of my stomach.  This is a constant thing for me now. 

Two months ago, my husband switched jobs, and began working third shifts.  Of course, I HATED this idea. I love my husband and believe it or not, I actually LIKE being in bed with him at night.  XD  BUT--he had to do what was best for him and our family.  The job was LOADS more money, and a lot less stress on him.  No more on call, no more working holidays... that sort of thing. 

Well... the very first night was rough for me.  I brought my 4 yr old daughter into my bedroom because I felt more comfortable with her in there.  (I was getting up every half hour and checking on her)  I put a 10 lb bag of cat food in front of the living room door and locked both locks.  Phone was brought into my bedroom, bedroom door was locked tight and I snuggled down with my laptop to watch something to take my mind off of things. 

Slowly though-- it progressed. Soon I was afraid of the apartment catching fire.  With me being in the back bedroom, how could I hear if someone knocked on the front door to let me know there was a fire?  Well...I remedied this by purchasing a new smoke alarm and installing it in my bedroom.  I thought... problem solved. 

Hardly.  Soon-- it turned into--well... I have electrical cords running under my bed?  What do I do if my bed catches fire while my daughter and I are asleep?  Would I wake up? 

Remedy-- Move the cords. 

Easy enough, right? 

Wrong. 

The next day, two hours before my husband was to leave for work, I broke down into tears.  I was shaking terribly, couldn't breath, there were butterflies in my tummy and I KNEW something bad was going to happen.  Within minutes, the fear manifested itself and I knew, if he left and I was alone all night long...I would catch fire and die.  Let me repeat that.  I WOULD CATCH FIRE AND DIE.  Me.  Not the bed...not the apartment...Me. 

o_O

For three days I had this impending sense of doom.  I was in hell, hot flashes, nervousness and I know it sounds silly, but I spent hours in the bathtub soaking in water and crying, convinced that if I stayed in the water, I wouldn't burn. 

Finally my husband made me call a doctor.  A few days later I had my first visit with the dr.  He prescribed Lexapro and ativan.  Four days into taking the lexapro (I hadn't taken an ativan yet)  I tried to go to sleep one night, and this thought popped into my mind. 

What if I sleep walk into the kitchen and get a knife, and do something to hurt my daughter?

I had never had fears like this...never had such terrible terrible thoughts and the images that came with it made me sick.  I was in tears, shaking...home alone with my daughter.  Finally...I called the Dr,s office.  It was midnight.  (Mind you, I called them as I have no family anywhere around here, and no real friends to speak of)  I got to speak with the on call Doctor, who was a wonderful woman.  I think she saved my sanity that night--she told me these were fears, and not impulses.  I wasn't going to hurt my daughter, and she stayed on the phone with me for close to an hour or so, just talking to me.  She also pulled me off of the lexapro.  I just remember I kept telling her, "I love my baby girl, I would NEVER NEVER hurt her..."  Thinking about it now makes me tear up.  I feel so guilty for ever having such a fear. 

The guilt from those thoughts remained with me for three or four days, and have since been gone.  I've been off of the Lexapro for two or three weeks now...but I am in a constant state of worry and nervousness.  I've always been a worryer, but never like this.  The IRRATIONAL fear of spontaneously bursting into flames remains with me.  It's always at the back of my mind...it's always there.  If I have had a good day, and not thought of it much, by the end of the day, this thought pops into my mind--"Wow...great job, you didn't think about burning up all day long...but now...now...you are" 

I'm seeing a therapist now.  I have only had one visit, and my next visit is just over a week away, but these thoughts, the nervousness, the anxiety, the irrationality of it all...it's so tiring and it is driving me nuts.  I want to feel like my normal self again.  I want to be comfortable in my own home, and being alone.  I never had issues being alone before.... 


 
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swan6893

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December 2, 2007, 5:49 pm PST

Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

I have had generalized anxiety for a about 10 years now.  I tool paxil and xanax for about 6 years and got tired of the weight gain so i stopped  about 4 years ago. I had pretty bad panic attacks before all that. The last year has been hell on me. I have tried other meds that don't seem to work at all.     I am OBSESSED with dying.  There is absolutely no reason for this at all. NO deaths on the family or anything.. Now I am convinced that I have some terrible disease (like MS) my muscles feel weak, numb, tired, etc...... I never had any of these symptoms before and its freaking me out!!!   I have tried to talk to a doctor and she pretty much dismissed me. I was given medicine that I had alreay tried before  and didn't work. I left there in tears..  I need help. If anyone out there has had anything like this happen to them would you please let me know.

 

Thanks
 
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ellecon
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December 3, 2007, 12:44 am PST

Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

Quote From: azaelynvelrose

Alright.  I am going to apologize ahead of time because there is no doubt in my mind this will be a LONG post.  Even now, as I type, my arms feel shakey, and I have butterflies in the pit of my stomach.  This is a constant thing for me now. 

Two months ago, my husband switched jobs, and began working third shifts.  Of course, I HATED this idea. I love my husband and believe it or not, I actually LIKE being in bed with him at night.  XD  BUT--he had to do what was best for him and our family.  The job was LOADS more money, and a lot less stress on him.  No more on call, no more working holidays... that sort of thing. 

Well... the very first night was rough for me.  I brought my 4 yr old daughter into my bedroom because I felt more comfortable with her in there.  (I was getting up every half hour and checking on her)  I put a 10 lb bag of cat food in front of the living room door and locked both locks.  Phone was brought into my bedroom, bedroom door was locked tight and I snuggled down with my laptop to watch something to take my mind off of things. 

Slowly though-- it progressed. Soon I was afraid of the apartment catching fire.  With me being in the back bedroom, how could I hear if someone knocked on the front door to let me know there was a fire?  Well...I remedied this by purchasing a new smoke alarm and installing it in my bedroom.  I thought... problem solved. 

Hardly.  Soon-- it turned into--well... I have electrical cords running under my bed?  What do I do if my bed catches fire while my daughter and I are asleep?  Would I wake up? 

Remedy-- Move the cords. 

Easy enough, right? 

Wrong. 

The next day, two hours before my husband was to leave for work, I broke down into tears.  I was shaking terribly, couldn't breath, there were butterflies in my tummy and I KNEW something bad was going to happen.  Within minutes, the fear manifested itself and I knew, if he left and I was alone all night long...I would catch fire and die.  Let me repeat that.  I WOULD CATCH FIRE AND DIE.  Me.  Not the bed...not the apartment...Me. 

o_O

For three days I had this impending sense of doom.  I was in hell, hot flashes, nervousness and I know it sounds silly, but I spent hours in the bathtub soaking in water and crying, convinced that if I stayed in the water, I wouldn't burn. 

Finally my husband made me call a doctor.  A few days later I had my first visit with the dr.  He prescribed Lexapro and ativan.  Four days into taking the lexapro (I hadn't taken an ativan yet)  I tried to go to sleep one night, and this thought popped into my mind. 

What if I sleep walk into the kitchen and get a knife, and do something to hurt my daughter?

I had never had fears like this...never had such terrible terrible thoughts and the images that came with it made me sick.  I was in tears, shaking...home alone with my daughter.  Finally...I called the Dr,s office.  It was midnight.  (Mind you, I called them as I have no family anywhere around here, and no real friends to speak of)  I got to speak with the on call Doctor, who was a wonderful woman.  I think she saved my sanity that night--she told me these were fears, and not impulses.  I wasn't going to hurt my daughter, and she stayed on the phone with me for close to an hour or so, just talking to me.  She also pulled me off of the lexapro.  I just remember I kept telling her, "I love my baby girl, I would NEVER NEVER hurt her..."  Thinking about it now makes me tear up.  I feel so guilty for ever having such a fear. 

The guilt from those thoughts remained with me for three or four days, and have since been gone.  I've been off of the Lexapro for two or three weeks now...but I am in a constant state of worry and nervousness.  I've always been a worryer, but never like this.  The IRRATIONAL fear of spontaneously bursting into flames remains with me.  It's always at the back of my mind...it's always there.  If I have had a good day, and not thought of it much, by the end of the day, this thought pops into my mind--"Wow...great job, you didn't think about burning up all day long...but now...now...you are" 

I'm seeing a therapist now.  I have only had one visit, and my next visit is just over a week away, but these thoughts, the nervousness, the anxiety, the irrationality of it all...it's so tiring and it is driving me nuts.  I want to feel like my normal self again.  I want to be comfortable in my own home, and being alone.  I never had issues being alone before.... 


Where you are right now is a scary place to be, but you will get through it. I've been there myself and know many other perfectly nice people who have as well, so I'm not speaking out of my bum (not that I would even know how). Unwanted thoughts,compulsive behaviors, and the dreaded "panic attack" are normal for a person with an Anxiety and/or Obsessive-Compulsive disorder.

The bad news is that you have an illness and the good news is that it can be treated. Cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT)  would be especially helpful. It teaches a person to identify thought patterns that lead to anxiety/fear that lead to further negative thoughts that lead to greater fear,etc.etc. You basically learn to step off the worried/scared/disturbing thought merry-go-round. The behavior part teaches you things like how to be able to go to bed alone without worrying.

The right medication can make a dramatic difference for many people as well.  Lexapro is probably not the medication for you, and perhaps you just need another type of SRI. Know that it takes at least a week for enough of the medication to be absorbed by your system before you will notice any change.

Do you know precisely what your condition is?
 
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ellecon
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December 3, 2007, 1:29 am PST

Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

Quote From: swan6893

I have had generalized anxiety for a about 10 years now.  I tool paxil and xanax for about 6 years and got tired of the weight gain so i stopped  about 4 years ago. I had pretty bad panic attacks before all that. The last year has been hell on me. I have tried other meds that don't seem to work at all.     I am OBSESSED with dying.  There is absolutely no reason for this at all. NO deaths on the family or anything.. Now I am convinced that I have some terrible disease (like MS) my muscles feel weak, numb, tired, etc...... I never had any of these symptoms before and its freaking me out!!!   I have tried to talk to a doctor and she pretty much dismissed me. I was given medicine that I had alreay tried before  and didn't work. I left there in tears..  I need help. If anyone out there has had anything like this happen to them would you please let me know.

 

Thanks

The illness is the anxiety and the death obsession/MS fixation are symptoms. Doctors are humans, and like the general population, some can be jerks and some just don't know as much as others. If  you are able to do so, see a psychiatrist or psychologist.  They are mental illness specialists, unlike busy GPs who deal with such an unending variety of illness/health that they cannot be expected to have specialist knowledge in any one field.

Sometimes a GP may know so little about mental illness that he or she will have to look up your symptoms/illness before prescribing medication. Sometimes they just read in your chart that you were on medication A without serious side effects and prescribe medication A rather than risk trying something new. 

You might  also want to try looking up anxiety support groups,therapy sessions,university research studies and the like in your area. There are a lot of people who empathize with what you are experiencing and you're not alone. (or crazy or weird or a bad person).

Peace :)

Research has reflected favorably on SRIs combined with therapy and physical activity for some people.  
 
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ellecon
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December 3, 2007, 1:32 am PST

Whoops

Swan,

If the last line of my previous response seems odd, it's because it was supposed to have been cut, and I don't see an edit feature on posted comments.
 
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azaelynvelrose
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December 3, 2007, 7:56 am PST

Fears, Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

Quote From: ellecon

Where you are right now is a scary place to be, but you will get through it. I've been there myself and know many other perfectly nice people who have as well, so I'm not speaking out of my bum (not that I would even know how). Unwanted thoughts,compulsive behaviors, and the dreaded "panic attack" are normal for a person with an Anxiety and/or Obsessive-Compulsive disorder.

The bad news is that you have an illness and the good news is that it can be treated. Cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT)  would be especially helpful. It teaches a person to identify thought patterns that lead to anxiety/fear that lead to further negative thoughts that lead to greater fear,etc.etc. You basically learn to step off the worried/scared/disturbing thought merry-go-round. The behavior part teaches you things like how to be able to go to bed alone without worrying.

The right medication can make a dramatic difference for many people as well.  Lexapro is probably not the medication for you, and perhaps you just need another type of SRI. Know that it takes at least a week for enough of the medication to be absorbed by your system before you will notice any change.

Do you know precisely what your condition is?
Just having someone reply is a big help.  I have been on other forums before, just trying to vent and get this off of my chest, but usually no one bothers to reply.  I'm sure you know, it feels so much better to know I am not alone in this, because here, with the people around me in real life, I do feel alone.  My husband tries to be as supportive as possible, but I know it is very, very hard on him.  Who wouldn't become stretched thin when their spouse is freaking out on an almost constant basis?

The Dr, originally told me (about a month ago when I saw him the first time) that I had GAD with Panic disorder or something along those lines.  My therapist has also added that I have obsessive tendencies, which she wants to look into more, as she thinks (and I have come to believe as well) that along with the anxiety, I might be suffering from OCD. If it is OCD--I don't suffer from counting or anything like that, but I check doors, the stove, windows, electrical outlets constantly.  Years ago, if it got the least bit cloudy outside, I was GLUED to the television watching the weather...and forget it if there was actually BAD weather....full out panic mode.  For years (from about the age of 14-19) I also had a red backpack that was like a security blanket for me.  If I left it one room, and went into another room, I would feel anxious, not right and did not feel better until I got the backpack.  If I DIDN'T go get it, or I wasn't able to physically come with a reason to justify stopping what I was doing (say...washing dishes) to go get the bag, I had to at least go check on it.  I also refused for years to drive a car, or even get my license because I was convinced if I drove my car, I would wreck and kill someone.  Since my husband began working third shift though, I drive!!!  I am so proud of that fact--I might only go two miles up the road to walmart, but the point is... I drive!  All these things I always thought were simple personality quirks, now I am beginning to wonder.  However, I never had such severe panic as I do now, and I NEVER EVER EVER had these intrusive, obsessive thoughts.   Add to  all of this an insane stress level since a young age (age 14 I started working to help my mom pay rent, went to school, and helped raise my two younger brothers in the evening and on weekends when mom worked,) unresolved anger issues with my mother, father and other family members and I am lovely cocktail of nervous wreck. 

I understand completely about the medicine.  At this point, I'm not going to argue if they decide to put me on something else.  I'm not in the position to.  I have heard so much about CBT therapy--and everything good.  I wonder if this is something my therapist is going to try with me, or should I bring it up myself?  Does it really get rid of these irrational thoughts?  That would be an absolute lifesaver if it did! 


 
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