Help
I am brand new to this posting stuff. I am hoping this will make me feel a little better. Nothing can make things worse at this point. I have ben dealing with an extreme case of anxiety/panic disorder since September. It keeps getting worse by the day it seems. Is there any hope? Will this ever go away? Will I ever be able to live my life to the fullest like I desire so much to do? I feel like I have been in an accident and am paralyzed because I cannot do anything. I can hardly make it to work, I can't go out of town, and every little discomfort my body feels makes me think it's the end. I've never been so afraid in my life.
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I am also new at this...got the program in the mail a few days ago. I also have panic disorder with agoraphobia..I have been better lately with going to work, but making a trip to Turkey hill or the mall is a struggle. I hate driving with anyone. I always feel like I am going to throw up and I dont want anyone to see me get sick or go crazy.
I actually got this program about a year ago..it sat in my living room for a month until I returned it 30 days later. I just got it again and commited my self to doing the whole program.
There is one thing I can tell you. Fix it now! If you have only had this since September, do something right now. I dont care if you go to a family doctor, a therapist, get a book...something. I have been doing this for 4 years. I thought that one day I would just wake up and the panic would stop, the incredible fear would go away...it didnt. In that way you are lucky because you are in the beginning and it hasnt really embeded in your head yet and became a routine part of life. Actually, it only costs 15 dollars to get it shipped to your house for a month, you just have to return it buy 30 days later and it doesnt cost you anything...if you wana try it. It seems to be helping me so far...
I actually got this program about a year ago..it sat in my living room for a month until I returned it 30 days later. I just got it again and commited my self to doing the whole program.
There is one thing I can tell you. Fix it now! If you have only had this since September, do something right now. I dont care if you go to a family doctor, a therapist, get a book...something. I have been doing this for 4 years. I thought that one day I would just wake up and the panic would stop, the incredible fear would go away...it didnt. In that way you are lucky because you are in the beginning and it hasnt really embeded in your head yet and became a routine part of life. Actually, it only costs 15 dollars to get it shipped to your house for a month, you just have to return it buy 30 days later and it doesnt cost you anything...if you wana try it. It seems to be helping me so far...
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Hello! Thanks for the feedback. It is somewhat comforting knowing that I am not alone in this. Actually I have been going through this for a long time, around 8-years. When it first started years ago it was to the point where I couldn't leave town without getting extremely sick and I always had a hard time breathing (or so it seemed) when I was driving. I was put on Paxil and took it for many years and all was well with the exception of about three times a year. At the beginning of 2009, my doctor and I agreed that I could probably stop the Paxil. All went well until the end of August and I started to get to the point where driving was miserable. I went back on the Paxil. A week after, I went to lunch with a group of co-workers, which are all women. During the lunch I had my worse episode ever and a few of the women rushed me to the ER. I've never been so embarrased in my life even though they were extremely supportive. Ever since that day, my life has been hell. The doctor took me off the Paxil thinking that it is now having the reverse effect. I tried Celexa for a month and no success with that either so I stopped it. Now I take Ativan as needed which is 2-3 times a day. I see a psychiatrist in two weeks. I have been seeing a psychologist weekly for the past month but it seems a waste of time as he just sits there and listens. I am dizzy and spaced out daily. Whenever I get behind the wheel I feel like I am having a heart attack or stroke. Any bodily discomfort makes me feel like I am dying. It doesn't make sense either because I love to drive. It used to be that driving relaxed me and now it's a nightmare. I am hoping and praying that the psychiatrist can find the right meds cause I am afraid this will never go away. I used to be the top employee in the agency I work for and now I cannot even make it to work consistently as it requires a lot of travel. My finances are getting messed up because of me not being able to work. I feel like my whole world is falling apart. I can't seem to be able to do anything. I wish I could afford the program. If I ever get my financial situation straightened around, I will order it. Thanks for listening.
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Bengalfan,
On the left of your screen under this topic, go to the thread called Wouldn't You Help Others for No Profit. Go to page 2, to the post by CarolynEdDir. Carolyn Dickman is the Education Director of StressCenter. She says they will not deny the program to anyone, to write her if you cannot afford it. She gives her address. I don't know what they will decide to do, but it is worth a shot for you to write her.
You will improve once you find the right help. You need cognitive behavioral therapy and all psycholigists don't know what that is or are not trained in it. The program is based on cognitive behavioral therapy. Now I'm not saying you'll 100% get better, but it has definitely helped me improve. If you are already paying for a psychologist, find one that is an expert in anxiety disorders and understands cognitive behavioral therapy. You can also buy books by David Burns, who is kind of considered the father of this type of therapy.
There is help out there--you may have just been looking in the wrong place. There is also a good book by Edmund Bourne, Ph.D called The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook--it cost me $20.00 and it is pretty heplful and has a LOT of good information. In the back of his book (Appendix 1) he says for a comprehensive list of professionals specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders, organized by local zip code, go to Anxiety Disorders Association of America's web site www.adaa.org
The pychiatrist you are seeing in two weeks should be able to give you the names of some good cognitive behavioral therapists in your area.
Also try deep belly breathing. Do it at least twice a day for 20 minutes at a time. Do you know what progressive muscle relaxation is? Do that too. Dr. Fisher, who is the medical director for the StressCenter.com says that the relaxation tape in the program is the most important part of the program. He says it lays down neural pathways for your body to relax. You don't have to use that one if you can't afford the program--you should be able to find one somewhere else, although I don't have any good ideas for you there, because I use Lucinda's.
Good luck Bengalfan. You can get better--you just need to find the right kind of help. The main thing is that you are trying and not giving up. There are lots of people on these boards who have fully revcovered. so it CAN BE DONE!!!
On the left of your screen under this topic, go to the thread called Wouldn't You Help Others for No Profit. Go to page 2, to the post by CarolynEdDir. Carolyn Dickman is the Education Director of StressCenter. She says they will not deny the program to anyone, to write her if you cannot afford it. She gives her address. I don't know what they will decide to do, but it is worth a shot for you to write her.
You will improve once you find the right help. You need cognitive behavioral therapy and all psycholigists don't know what that is or are not trained in it. The program is based on cognitive behavioral therapy. Now I'm not saying you'll 100% get better, but it has definitely helped me improve. If you are already paying for a psychologist, find one that is an expert in anxiety disorders and understands cognitive behavioral therapy. You can also buy books by David Burns, who is kind of considered the father of this type of therapy.
There is help out there--you may have just been looking in the wrong place. There is also a good book by Edmund Bourne, Ph.D called The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook--it cost me $20.00 and it is pretty heplful and has a LOT of good information. In the back of his book (Appendix 1) he says for a comprehensive list of professionals specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders, organized by local zip code, go to Anxiety Disorders Association of America's web site www.adaa.org
The pychiatrist you are seeing in two weeks should be able to give you the names of some good cognitive behavioral therapists in your area.
Also try deep belly breathing. Do it at least twice a day for 20 minutes at a time. Do you know what progressive muscle relaxation is? Do that too. Dr. Fisher, who is the medical director for the StressCenter.com says that the relaxation tape in the program is the most important part of the program. He says it lays down neural pathways for your body to relax. You don't have to use that one if you can't afford the program--you should be able to find one somewhere else, although I don't have any good ideas for you there, because I use Lucinda's.
Good luck Bengalfan. You can get better--you just need to find the right kind of help. The main thing is that you are trying and not giving up. There are lots of people on these boards who have fully revcovered. so it CAN BE DONE!!!