Stress Center Peer Support

I've been on Zoloft (been at 150mg for a month now) for anxiety and Xanax (.25mg) for acute panic attacks since early March. I was doing better, but the last week I seem to have gone backward, which is when I decided to start working the program again.

My question: has anyone else experienced a setback like this? What caused it? What did you do?

Hi Jason,
Thank you for your post and reaching out.
Set backs are very common especially early on in recovery.
May I ask, did you get through the whole program and what was most helpful?

Setbacks are usually associated with an external or internal stress and lots of negative overthinking.
Sometimes diet and exercise also play a role.

I look forward to your reply.
Coach Chris
coachchris@stresscenter.com

HI Chris.

Thanks again for responding. It's good to know that I'm not alone with my setback. Since I posted that things seem to have started turning around again. I'm really not sure what caused that setback. I've tried to think of something that has happened recently to have triggered it, but I really can't.

I did complete the program before. I can't pinpoint one particular thing that was most helpful. Just knowing that virtually all of the "symptoms" I experience and thoughts I have are not unique to me, but are, in fact, common was an enormous help to me. Then, of course, all of the exercises for coping with both stress and the attacks themselves were also very helpful.

Hi Jason,

Thank you for your reply.

Would you say you are a positive thinker?

How are you doing taking care of your body with exercise and healthy food choices?

Coach Chris

Hi Jason,

Thank you for your reply.

Would you say you are a positive thinker?

How are you doing taking care of your body with exercise and healthy food choices?

Coach Chris

Chris,

I am not a positive thinker at all! I really never have been. I know that's something I need to change, but that's going to take a lot of work. As for diet and exercise, I do "okay" but not great. I drink too many diet drinks, and I'm trying to cut down on that. I do eat fatty foods, but I also eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. I drink plenty of water in addition to the diet drinks. I don't get a whole lot of exercise, mostly because my panic attacks make going anywhere pretty limiting and there's just nowhere around my house to get out and walk or run. I did have a check up recently, and my physical health is good. All of my blood work is normal, cholesterol is normal, etc.

Greetings Again
Any caffeine in the diet drinks?
How's the negatives to positives going?
It's very difficult to feel good if we have toxic negative thinking.
Stay patient and keep practicing.
Practice thankfulness and be present moment.