cheekiemunky13

Open Anxiety

I have always been an anxious person. It started at age 5. I had a very abusive father. I was always trying to protect my twin sister from him. I felt it was my job. I have some health problems associated with having the anxiety for so long (GERDS and IBS). I don't sleep well at all. And I have chest pains alot of the time. I've been told it's a combination of GERDS and anxiety.

Treatments

Ambien Somewhat Helpful

It helped me to go to sleep. I was given Ambien at 17. It gave me a "high" feeling. It was like the world around me or my vision would narrow more and more until I had to go to bed or I'd pass out wherever I was at the time.

Ativan Working / Worked

I am on 2mg at night to help calm me down. Sometimes I have to take a 1mg during the day if things get really bad. I tried to come off of it a few months ago, but I found that my body kept inducing horrible panic attacks just to get it. I started college again, so now isn't the time to try and get off of it. It helps though.

Breathing Exercises Somewhat Helpful

It helps to ward off a paic attack. It also helps when my IBS is out of control and I'm in a lot of pain.

Lexapro Somewhat Helpful

It helped for awhile, but we (my doctor and I) kept having to up the dose for it to work and stay consistent.

Paxil Somewhat Helpful

It helped, but again the effects weren't consistent unless the dosage was increased.

Xanax Somewhat Helpful

I was put on it at 20. It helped, but I was also on pot at the time, so who knows what the real affects were.

Zoloft Working / Worked

Saved my life!

Open Physical & Emotional Abuse

I grew up with a very abusive father. From age 5 he started calling me fat b/c I was a lil bigger than my twin sister. He humiliated me on a daily basis and he hurt my siblings and I physically. The physical had to stop b/c of legal reasons, but the emotional has continued all through the years.

Treatments

Group Therapy Working / Worked

The support group I was in was incredible. It really helped opening up to other women about our experiences and learning ways to help relieve some of the pain.

Leave Working / Worked

I finally told my father at the age of 13 that if he couldn't stop what he was doing then I wouldn't come to see him. I haven't seen him since I was 13. I've talked to him like 8 times since then, but I haven't seen him.

Psychotherapy Working / Worked

Not only couseling, but angermanagement as well. They really helped.

Talking Working / Worked

Utilizing my family (the supportive ones) as a sounding board.

Writing Working / Worked

I used to get my feelings out through poems and short stories. I used to write angry letters as well.

Open Sexual Abuse

I was my father's "favorite". I had to go to him every night and "snuggle" until it was my bedtime while he laid next to me naked. That is just a start of what he did and exposed me to. It's too painful to talk about anything further. I'm sorry.

Treatments

Group Therapy Working / Worked

It helped to have other women their who had gone through similar things sharing their stories.

Open Obesity

I have always felt fat. Probably b/c my father started telling me I was fat at age 5. I wasn't. I didn't actually start gaining an inappropriate amount of weight until I was 17. Now I am starting to wonder if I have an addiction to food. I'm afraid I turn to sugar to comfort me; and I'm diabetic! Can we say STUPID!

Treatments

Avoid Certain Foods / Chemicals Somewhat Helpful

It's really hard to avoid the stuff you crave so much. I guess I don't have the will power

Physical Exercise Working / Worked

I loved Yoga! It has helped, but with my current pain, exercise is very difficult. I hurt so bad afterwards.

Slim-Fast Not Working

It affected my IBS too much.

South Beach Diet Somewhat Helpful

It was too expensive to buy all the new food and the food took too long to prepare. I didn't have the time.

Weight Watchers Somewhat Helpful

I've spent most of my life obsessing about food and this seemed to really make me obsess about what I was eating. I always questioned everything I ate.

Open Panic Attacks

I have been on meds since I was 15. Back then, kids were just trying to get attention, so I was put on Prozac and then moved to ambien at 17 to help me sleep. At 19, Xanxax was added to my nightly regimen. That was 10 years ago. My condition has worsened quite a bit and now I'm in nursing school and have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia too. I'm ok though

Treatments

Ativan Working / Worked

Started on 0.5mg 3 years ago, moved up and up and up. I am on 1mg during the day and 2mg at night. It takes the edge off

Paxil Working / Worked

Only worked for a short time

Psychotherapy Working / Worked

Very helpful!

Xanax Working / Worked

Worked for a short time

Zoloft Working / Worked

Worked for years, just had to increase my dose every year and a half

Open Fibromyalgia

Treatments

Cymbalta Too Soon to Tell

I was just started on this b/c the last med stopped working

Heat Somewhat Helpful

Heat has been helpful to relax my tense muscles, but doesn't make the pain go away. It does help to keep the pain from getting out of control.

Ibuprofen Somewhat Helpful

My doctor doesnt want to try any pain killers yet so Im stuck with OTC for now. I just hope my liver will last. Ive discussed this with him but hes not concerned for now.

Lyrica Too Soon to Tell

I just started it. I have been on it a week at night and then I'm starting two doses a day now.

Vitamin B12 Somewhat Helpful

This is newly prescribed= helps a bit with fatigue, but not pain