My 26 yr old granddaughter has suffered from anxiety/ocd since childhood. A couple of months ago she began having panic attacks. They went from one or two a month to daily to almost nonstop. Concurrently, she displays a collection of symptoms associated with movement and position. She is currently bedridden, unable to stand, using a bedpan, and almost constantly terrified. On top of these issues, she was given Ativan. It was marginally helpful for a short time and she is now being weaned off with diazepam and having withdrawal (though it’s hard to know what symptoms are coming from where).
Her blood pressure and pulse are all over the place. Her vision is impaired, sensitive to light and she can’t look at a phone or computer screen. Her muscles twitch. Around her mouth and her toes have been blue. A blood vessel in her neck throbs.
Her PCP is less than helpful and it’s been nearly impossible to get to specialists — appointments months out.
She’s been to the ER four or five times in the last month. Apparently, last time she was offered admission to the psychiatric unit but refused. She is negative about hospitalization and therapy. She has had a couple of very brief attempts at therapy over the years, never anything sustained.
She is being cared for by her mother who is by her side almost every minute of the day and is unable to manage the home. Gets no sleep and is at the end of her rope from dealing with the system. Seemingly obsessive and irrational. She also is negative about hospitalization and therapy.
My wife and I have tried to help, cleaning and cooking, transporting. But we’re old, live hours away, and can’t continue.
I think my granddaughter should be hospitalized or in some kind of care facility . Fortunately, we have some resources if it has to be a private place. But even if she’d agree, I can’t find any place that seems appropriate.
I’d like to talk with a specialist who if unable to directly help could at least advise me on what to do.
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HailMaryPass
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Hello HailMaryPass: What a complex, disturbing, and challenging set of problems! I will try to help in one way. There is a known science based method for preventing anxiety attacks. Briefly it is as follows: 1. You must be aware of a shift in breathing from long and slow to rapid and shallow (hyperventilation), 2. Immediately proceed with cycles of "pursed lip" breathing. You can learn this technique from many videos on YouTube. Try to find one by a health professional. Practice the technique when you are stable, so you will be ready, 3. The cause of an anxiety attack could be an external threat or an internal threat (unknown) but the anxiety attack itself is a physiological/biochemical response to hyperventilation where excess carbon dioxide is exhaled. Although a waste product, CO2 is critical for maintain blood PH whose equilibrium is within a narrow range. An anxiety attack occurs because the blood's pH becomes alkaline and "pursed lip" breathing restores normal range CO2 and blood pH. This technique should be guaranteed to work if applied properly as you are simple reversing a biochemical process.
She needs medical care ASAP. I am not a doctor, but there are conditions which have systemic effects such as MS, Parkinsons Disease, Brain tumors etc. Physical diseases need to be eliminated before psychological causes can be considered. someone needs to push very hard for specialist medical attention. Again, I am not a doctor, but I would think your granddaughter's survival is at stake.
Sounds remarkably similar to my 27 yr old daughter. While she also has anxiety & OCD (& ADHD), most of her symptoms are from chronic migraine.
She did a month once in mental hospital. Wasn't much of a fan. She has been in therapy for years, and says it helps a little.
She gets some relief from the migraine from botox and rimegepant. She's just started her third CGRP trail (eptimezumab). This one is done by IV infusion, like dialysis.
An MRI of the brain would be a good place to start if you can get her to agree to one. And Xanax may be of great help to her although it's frowned upon by many practitioners. If any one should have access to it it's her. Best of luck to you all and God bless.
Hello, I was reluctant to reply at first as I don’t share my story, but I hope I can be of some help.
About 5 years ago due to OCD (didn’t know I had it at the time), I noticed a choking sensation in my throat. I went to doctor after doctor, hospital after hospital with no answers other than…”It’s just anxiety, you’re fine. Go home.” I became hyper fixated on this sensation, which lead to…no joke… almost a years worth of non. stop. panic! I admitted myself 3 times to mental hospitals with no resolution, just added to the hardship. I tried every med under the sun, too which also made me feel worse. I then became bed bound, nearly lost my job and no longer wanted to live. Everything was falling apart. I then decided to get therapy. I saw an anxiety/OCD therapist and she saved my life. She and I worked on exposure therapy. She also helped me to retrain my brain. It took A LOT of work…about 4 years worth, but I’m here! I came around. Your grand daughter can too! Don’t give up! I know how scary it is, but I didn’t have much support. She needs you!
Thank you so much. I’m so glad you found help and relief. I think my granddaughter has to find the right therapist — and be open to the process. Success stories like yours might convince her.
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