Stress Center Peer Support

Hey, I've had this scary thought that my "unreal" "spacey" feelings are never going to go away and that I'm going to get worse n worse, no wont recognize anyone or anything around me! Is this rational? Has anyone had this happen to them? With this disorder I seem to only have the real bad unreal feeling when Im having an attack and the rest of the time I feel more spacey. I tried to look it up online and just scared myself into an attack.

Hey Jewel,

A common fear amongst those initialy suffering with the symptoms of anxiety/depression is that we'll ultimately regress to the point in which we "go crazy" ... "lose our mind"...."won't recognize anyone around me...". I can identify with your post because I used to ask myself the same bad questions resulting in alot of irrational "what if's?"..alot of anxiety. I began combatting these fears through education about anxiety/depression and responding to these bad questions with facts...the truth. Reality is the mere fact that individuals who "lose their mind" are unaware that they are losing their mind thus they wouldn't pose the questions you are asking yourself. Reality is this is just anxiety at it's worst. Nothing more. Right now your following up alot of bad questions with bad more questions and catstrophizing. Reality is God has the resources in place for your recovery so long as we continue to put action behind our faith. God bless and feel free to e-mail anytime for support.

Your post really helped. Your right. Sometimes I need to hear someone else say what I know is true in the back of my mind. This anxiety is lasting because I'm afraid to face my fear of driving by myself since my bad attack 1 month ago. Everyone I try I have another attack n its not getting easier. I still worry the night before about driving to work the next day. N then I worry about how I'll feel at work cuz I started getting attacks there too.

Hey Jewel,

As per "bad attack". Reality is no one is attacking us. We are just talking about our thought process at a heightend level. We have to say what me mean and mean what we say. Our brain doesn't know the difference. When we perceive anxiety as "attacking us.." we'll feel as though we are being attacked. We literally create an entity or boogeyman. The term panic attack is merely a cliche. Again, reality is that no one is attacking us. We are just bombarding our brain with alot of irrational "what if's?".

As per "worry about driving.....cuz I got attacks there..". Alot of times we think ourselves into what is called "fictitious nueroassociation". For example, we think ourselves into anxiety while we are driving and irrationally conclude that driving is the source of our anxiety. We then reinforce this fear by avoiding to drive. Reality is we think ourselves into anxiety and reinforce these irrational conclusions over time. I recommend this program along with The Feeling Good Handbook by Dr. Davd Burns for startes. God bless and keep putting action behind your faith.

I ordered that book on amazon. Right now I'm reading "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey M. Schwartz. Its about OCD. I dont have a bad case of physical OCD, but more mental with the obsessive thinking. My Doctor recommended it. Jennifer

Hey Jennifer,

Feel free to e-mail anytime for support.