Hello everyone, this is my 1st post here, as I recently received the program in the mail about a week & a half ago. I'm 24 years old, male, a college student & I work full time as well.
Like many of you, I came across the program by way of the infomercial. It was around 2am and I was having an episode (anxiety attack), and as I was watching peoples' testimonials, the infomercial seemed like a Godsend.
My experiences w/anxiety are fairly new. My first anxiety attack happened around the end of August, I didn't know it was anxiety, I thought I was having a heart-attack because the left side of my body was numb, I had chest pains, and shortness of breath. I went to the hospital and was discharged for "palpitations," and was instructed to follow up w/my PCP. Since then, the attacks have recurred about 4 or 5 times if I remember correctly. I did in fact follow up with my primary doctor, and she prescribed me Celexa (citalopram)--more accurately though, she "let me" choose which drug I wanted to take. I'm a pharmacy technician, and am knowledgeable of most of the prescriptions drugs available, but was sort of disheartened by her approach of treatment. I did not fill the prescription, nor did I decide to take it. Call me stubborn, but I just don't want my level of functioning to be reduced to a pill. So when I came across StressCenter's program, I decided I had nothing to lose.
My most recent anxiety attack was last night, which is what prompted me to post this. I went to a concert in NYC with some friends, and after about 2 hours of being in the middle of sold out crowd I started feeling nauseas--partly b/c I was congested to begin with and ppl were smoking, it made it harder to breathe. Point being, my heart started racing so I removed myself from the crowd sat down, and I tried to relax by using the breathing techniques as outlined in the index cards w/the program. After the concert let out, I went to a nearby pharmacy and purchased the generic equivalent to Mucinex-D for my congestion, and after about 10 min, I don't know what happened but I was overcome w/extreme irritability, I couldn't sit still, I was hyperventilating, and scariest of all my fingertips were NUMB. Mind you, being in the middle of Times Square at 11:30pm didn't help much either, but prior to August, I never had issues w/social phobia. The attack lasted for about an hour. I spoke w/a pharmacist and he says that pseudoephedrine is infamous for causing restlessness, irritability, and even nervousness/dizziness.
To those of you who actually took the time to read my post and provide any feedback, I thank you. It wasn't easy sharing this.
Newbie, 1st Post
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Guest
hi and welcome i as you are fairly new to the program as i am only on session 3 i have suffered with anxiety for quite some time but like you do not want to take medicine this program does help although it is quite a bit of work being a college student and working full time you will have to make time to do it but its worth it well good luck to you and if you have any questions just post them we are all here to help
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Guest
welcome 2/10 and pan, both of you. 2/10, you are very disciplined to have just gotten the program/college/full time job/social life...to have already dstarted to use the index card on panic attacks. you are doing GREAT!!!!! no, its no fun....noe of this stuff is...but i have every confidence in your determination to work thru this---to the other side of feeling better. each time you work thru this using skills you are learning, you knock it down some more, til one day you are master over it, and can get thru quicker and quicker. yes the day you do NOT have to deal with this is even better day, and that will come too. yes working thru the program is alot of self work. meds are something so many with these problems do NOT want to take or are scared of or think they are a lame way to work thru. many more, myself included, have found them helpful. i know how you must feel--being able to 'choose' which pharmaceutical----it would be so much more comforting having a personal best a doctor would know right off the bat. welll, so sorry that is often not the case, but i would give it a try...if one not right, after good try, then maybe another. it will just level the 'playing field' for many, to aid their own efforts working thru the program. we all need a bit of help from time to time...and NO, its not meant to always be "The Cure"=....its simply an aid to help you work thru to the other side....unless of course, with some folks, its absolutely necessary per their doctors for some prescription. best to you 2/10. hugs