Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Hi Everyone-
I have been suffering for horrible anxiety and panic attacks. Having gotten fed up, I went back to my doctor and started Lexapro for the second time. I'm 27 and really didn't want to go back on medication since my husband and I want to start trying for a family in the next few months, but I needed to get my anxiety sorted out before I can think about having a baby.
That being said, the Lexapro has been working really well. I started January 1st and only about 3 weeks later I was starting to feel normal again, what a relief! I should note that I was only off the Lexapro for about 3 months, so I went on it at a fast rate, (starting at 10mg vs 5mg and worked my way up to 20mg after 2 weeks) monitored of course by my doctor.
So for about 3 weeks now, I've been doing SO much better. Sleeping well, anxiety not ruling my life, it's been amazing. This leads me to this past Sunday. I was doing some vacuuming in my husbands office and I had bought him a 24x24" wooden sign for Christmas with a quote on it. Well while I was cleaning, I shut the closet doors that this sign had been propped up on and the sign fell on my head. This of course was very painful and scared me. But being anxiety and worst case scenario prone, I immediately feared I had a concussion. My husband reassured be that it was just a nice goose egg and that if I had a concussion I would be nauseous, vomiting, having vision issues...etc. Well naturally I still think I had one regardless of having no symptoms. I googled the day away and worked myself up into a nice panic attack that night. I hadn't had one in weeks and it was not fun.
That being said, I bounced back fine. Monday night, Tuesday night slept great, minimal anxiety during the day, no problemo.
Then last night I went to visit my counselor and in the middle of the session I started feeling anxious. I think because I was very frustrated that she only seems to want to talk about my childhood and I do not want to. I had a very happy, lovely childhood and I don't want to keep "going back" to try and find where all this anxiety started. I want to talk about the present and focus on the here and now, not something that I cannot go back and change. After leaving angry and frustrating of making no progress I went home more anxious than I have been in weeks, and was up 3 or 4 times in the night for hours each time with new floods of adrenaline and panic.
I am extremely exhausted at work today and fear that I am falling back into my old anxiety patterns. Does anyone have any advice? Do you think I'll be ok and it was just a bad night? I CANNOT handle going back down the scary road I was before. Does anyone think I have a concussion?
I have been suffering for horrible anxiety and panic attacks. Having gotten fed up, I went back to my doctor and started Lexapro for the second time. I'm 27 and really didn't want to go back on medication since my husband and I want to start trying for a family in the next few months, but I needed to get my anxiety sorted out before I can think about having a baby.
That being said, the Lexapro has been working really well. I started January 1st and only about 3 weeks later I was starting to feel normal again, what a relief! I should note that I was only off the Lexapro for about 3 months, so I went on it at a fast rate, (starting at 10mg vs 5mg and worked my way up to 20mg after 2 weeks) monitored of course by my doctor.
So for about 3 weeks now, I've been doing SO much better. Sleeping well, anxiety not ruling my life, it's been amazing. This leads me to this past Sunday. I was doing some vacuuming in my husbands office and I had bought him a 24x24" wooden sign for Christmas with a quote on it. Well while I was cleaning, I shut the closet doors that this sign had been propped up on and the sign fell on my head. This of course was very painful and scared me. But being anxiety and worst case scenario prone, I immediately feared I had a concussion. My husband reassured be that it was just a nice goose egg and that if I had a concussion I would be nauseous, vomiting, having vision issues...etc. Well naturally I still think I had one regardless of having no symptoms. I googled the day away and worked myself up into a nice panic attack that night. I hadn't had one in weeks and it was not fun.
That being said, I bounced back fine. Monday night, Tuesday night slept great, minimal anxiety during the day, no problemo.
Then last night I went to visit my counselor and in the middle of the session I started feeling anxious. I think because I was very frustrated that she only seems to want to talk about my childhood and I do not want to. I had a very happy, lovely childhood and I don't want to keep "going back" to try and find where all this anxiety started. I want to talk about the present and focus on the here and now, not something that I cannot go back and change. After leaving angry and frustrating of making no progress I went home more anxious than I have been in weeks, and was up 3 or 4 times in the night for hours each time with new floods of adrenaline and panic.
I am extremely exhausted at work today and fear that I am falling back into my old anxiety patterns. Does anyone have any advice? Do you think I'll be ok and it was just a bad night? I CANNOT handle going back down the scary road I was before. Does anyone think I have a concussion?
And just because you have rough moments here and there with your anxiety, does not necessarily mean you are falling back into your old ways. Dealing with anxiety is definitely a learning process, and as with any learning you are bound to make mistakes if you will. You are going to run into a few bumps in the road and have those times where you feel stressed and overwhelmed, but don't let that discourage you. In those times hold on to the good feelings you've been having as tight as you can and know that you will get yourself out of that stressful place.
I hope you are feeling better!
That being said, I find that I still THINK like an anxious person. I catastrophize.
Here's what helps me. Occum's Razor.
My son told me about this. Occum's Razor says that the simplest explanation is usually the truth. If you have no symptoms, it's unlikely you have a concussion. But if you are afraid you might have a concussion, it makes sense to get checked out.
Another thing that helps is looking back to other experiences - how often have my catastrophies come true? Not once.
Also, I keep a notebook about what has helped in the past. When I'm catastrophizing, I have a hard time thinking straight. So taking a look at that notebook helps me calm down.
I'm sorry you're in that anxious place. Deep breaths and a logical look at things can help.