Stress Center Peer Support

Hello everyone. I'm brand new to this program and I would like to share some of my feelings and get some feed back and opinions from everyone as well. First off I would just like to say that prior to trying this program I did seek some professional help from both a clinical psychologist as well as a psychiatrist. I was diagnosed, by both, with anxiety as well as some depression. I am also currently taking the drug Effexor (doesn't seem to be helping much). However, some of the feelings I experience just seem so crazy and off the wall that I have a very hard time, despite the diagnosis, accepting that this is just "anxiety". For instance, lately I've been having these feeling of like unreality and depersonalization. It got so bad at one point that I actually drove myself to the ER because I was convinced I was becoming schizophrenic (a disease I have developed an INTENSE fear of). Anyway, I was released because they contacted my doctor and he said I don't have that particular illness, but it still runminates in my head that, "Hey, doctors can be wrong and maybe I do have something worse like Bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia?" Anyway, I can no longer travel like I used to because I am afraid of having a panic attack and because right now I'm feeling depressed because I have that feeling of detachment. It just sucks. Everytime I step outside in the morning I think to myself, "Uh Oh here comes that feeling again" and it screws up my whole day. I was just wondering if anyone else ever gets that feeling or has health fears and obsessive thoughts regarding anxiety. I'm just afraid right now that maybe I do have something more serious and even if I don't I'm just afraid Ill never get back to being a normal person again. Any input is appreciated. Thank you everyone

No, you are not alone. Many of us have those feelings. I've been on Effexor, but it was after a being depressed from the suicide of my son. I had already been on Wellbutrin and couldn't get out of bed due to my broken heart. So I'm only now experiencing many of the feelings you are having. Partly due to weaning of of anti depressants and hormonal changes and dynamics of my family life. This program will help you and I'm not sure if Effexor is the best anti-depressant for you. I've never felt the panicky/anxious moments before I needed the antidepressant, it was my inability to get out of bed and tend to household chores and responsibilities that sent me to the Dr. This was a long time ago...but stress was a major factor in my depression.

I hope this helps somewhat...Paislee

Thank You Paislee, and I am very sorry to hear about your situation. I am beginning to question the Effexor myself and unfortunatley I know it is notorious for its nasty withdrawl symptoms! I hope things get better for you and i appreciate your response. God bless

Hi -My son's death was over 8 years ago, so I've come a long way. When I went off of Effexor, I was put on Cymbalta and stayed on Wellbutrin. I decided a couple years back to go off the Cymbalta and go back on Serzone, because I had gained weight from my son's death and I believe either the Cymbalta or Effexor did that. Anyway, that opened up a new can of worms. As Serzone made me very dizzy and I felt like I was walking sideways. I even fell a few times and had near misses so I went cold turkey off of it and then felt the rubbery leg feeling. I was still on Wellbutrin.

So, a Family Physician was covering for my Psychiatrist and he put me on XANAX to help with that feeling, but didn't explain how Lucinda has that I was feeling body symptoms of withdrawal and probably anxiety, b/c at the time I went through some other family shockers, not like my son's death, but very disappointing news. So at that point I saw a Psychologist and was able to wean off of Xanax and Wellbutrin due to counseling and Dr David Burns 10 Steps to Self Esteem Workbook you can get at Hastings.

Then it was after a road trip I took with an friend out of state and came home to more surprises that I had my first panic attack! So it has been a year since that happened and I haven't had a full blown panic attack for over a year and I'm off of all anti depressants, which a Physician Assistant put me Remeron and Beta Blockers for my panic attacks and anxiety.

So I saw my regular Psychiatrist again he thought it was my hormones and helped me wean off the Beta Blockers and I weaned off the Remeron after that. I see a new Psychologist who diagnosed me with G.A.D. and I've been seeing him along with my husband. He has been helpful, but I can't afford hm right now and I feel my husband gets more upset when he hears of my complaints about family members and about him. So I'm just sitting it out for now, working on what I can do alone.

Maybe after summer is over I'll see how things are going, some days I feel like I want to go back on Antidepressants and then I don't. I'm still able to function and do things and I just have to figure out what makes me feel better until certain circumstances can be taken care of. I do find that eating foods high in protein such as tuna, chicken, beef, eggs, nuts, milk, seafood, helps me feel much better. I do stay away from processed sugar the best I can and eat fruit and vegetables.

Aerobic exercise helps me as well. So when I'm not feeling so good, I decide have I over exercised or over worked in the yard or house. Have I had too many social engagements that have made me tired. Have I eaten breakfast or had some water or milk. And have I listened to my relaxation CD, it is different from Lucinda's. Anyway, this is what I do, because my Drs aren't easy to see immediately, my Psychiatrist whom I love, he is so kind and is sick himself, so doesn't always makes his appts. so I just do what I can to comfort myself and come on here. Sorry, if this is kind of long, I'm resting from garden work and my fingers just keep typing. Paislee

I should note that I am a 26 year old male. I have made some regretable decisons in my past and unfortunatley have some recurring flashbacks to those "dark days" as I call them. I'm not sure if that is at the base of all of this or not. I had everything going for me in highschool (except for a stable home life) and I threw it all away when I began hanging out with the wrong people. Unfortunatley, at that time I began drinking and using some other substances that i hope didn't do any kind of irreperable damage to me (this is where my hypochondriasis kind of comes in to play). I have a great girl in my life and a steady job but I still can not do excel in life like a normal 26 year old should. I worry incessantly about everything and I just feel like I don't know how to get out of this. It's almost like the movie Groundhog Day haha. It's just the same thing day in and day out nothing changes. I get feeling like I can't take a deep breath, palpitations, fear of going crazy, fear of the medicine (Effexor) that I am currently taking and I just feel out of it all the time. Ugh, I just don't feel like doing anything really because things just feel strange and I'm just bummed the medicine hasn't helped much. Some days are better then others but I go to bed scared and wake up just as scared. I should ahve never started "googling" things because I am very impressionable and once I started reading about things like Bi-polar disorder and Schizophrenia I freaked out. I guess a good place to start is by staying off the mental health websites haha.

No you are not alone and not going crazy, when was at my worst with this stupid sickness thats how i was for months and months, i was so detached, everything felt weird and unreal. I can remember one time my sis and brother in law came over to visit and i was trying to stay in the conversation but it all felt hazy like i was in a dream and i was like that for a long long time.
Now i havent done the program in many years but one thing i do remember is that Lucinda said you are not going crazy because you wouldnt know it, crazy people dont realize they are crazy.
This will get better one day, i was anxiety free for years and just recently relapsed, but i was not on medication for about 5 years and did great, i even went through 5 surgeries, one major and having a 2 month premature baby without needing medication so it is possible!! Work the program, do the lessons slowly do all the homework and do it over and over if you have to till it works, i assure you it does. I gave my program away and regret it so eventually im going to invest in it again.
Good luck to you, you have your whole life ahead of you!!

Jennifer

Thank you for your post Jennifer. I wish the best of luck to you and appreciate your feedback.