anxiety updates

[Bluecatbooklover]

I got sick right before Christmas and had to take some muscle relaxers and pain meds and honestly if it hadn’t been for me being passed out most of the time I would have been having daily panic attacks. I’d had a UTI and severe lower back pain and as soon as I got over that I got sick with a sinus infection and I ended up covered in heat rash but luckily my husband was home with me so I wasn’t by myself or I think I would have lost my mind. Having him around kept me calm and relaxed but he went back to work this week (he works offshore so he’s gone for a week at a time) and I have already had two panic attacks. I think I’m paranoid to be left by myself. I’ve been trying to get back on a routine. It’s hard though because I can’t ever seem to fall asleep at a decent hour. I did give up caffeine for a while but I decided to give up on that because I was still having pretty rough anxiety and all I wanted was a Dr. Pepper. But I have started to get up at the same time every day. I get a little exercise every morning. I’ve started taking my medicine at the same time every day. I’m struggling to get back on a routine but I am trying. In a few months I’ll be able to get on my husbands health insurance and I can start trying to get to the bottom of my anxiety and these panic attacks.

I just want to say thank you to all the people who have been giving me tips on how to deal with this situation because it’s very new and stressful and I have horrible social anxiety so getting on here and talking to people has been stressful but also very helpful for me. I appreciate all the help and support everyone gives.

[linuxusr]

Hello Bluecatbooklover: I love books, I love cats, but I'm not sure about BLUE cats! For sure, there is nothing worse than the misery of physical illnesses ON TOP OF mental ones. That's a bad combination. Each one is bad enough in itself but combined? Oh, that's a real challenge. I can't quite get a read from your description as to whether the physical problems are now resolved and if you're now mostly dealing with the challenges of GAD, panic attacks, and social anxiety? Are you getting professional help for the latter? Do you know that there is a science based solution for panic attacks that works everytime if you apply the technique correctly? Whatever the cause of the panic attack, the symptoms are the result of a biochemical change in your blood pH called respiratory alkalosis, which can be completely resolved through cycles of "pursed lip" breathing, particularly effective if you initiate it at the beginning of hyperventilation. This technique does NOT work for GAD, only for panic attacks. The reason is that the cause for panic attacks is a biochemical shift in equilibrium of blood pH whereas the cause of the symptoms (not the initial cause) is the triggering of the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system. In both anxiety cases, the anxiety is the same in kind but different in degree but the causes (of the symptoms) are completely different.

[Bluecatbooklover in reply to linuxusr]

If there were blue cats I would be in actual heaven. And yes my health issues have been clearing up. It’s been a rough few months but I’m starting to get back to normal. I am planning to get into therapy when I get on some insurance. I just can’t afford to go now with all the medicine I have to take and my neurologist appointments (chronic migraines). And that was actually a very helpful tip that I will definitely be trying out the next time I have a panic attack. Thank you for explaining that so well.

[linuxusr in reply to Bluecatbooklover]

Hello Bluecatbooklover. I am happy to hear that you are making some progress. Personally, I would not wait until your insurance kicks before you can get into therapy. There is work to be done now! And doing this work now will make you feel better now, knowing that you are invested in self-healing, and it will help you later when you start your therapy. Here are some ideas: 1. There are about 15+ types of therapy. Do you know which type resonates best with you? Maybe you need to investigate a bit and see what is available. Then you would need to find out if those practioners are available in your area, 2. You don't have to pay a therapist to find a therapist! For example, if you find therapists after doing some online research, and those therapists have websites, comb through those websites very carefully and evaluate as you go. For example, recently, when I was looking for a psychoanalyist, I found one specializing in addiction medicine and therapy. Who knows whether or not he was a competent or even superior therapist but when I saw that the main preoccupation at his site was to sell his latest book--and there was almost no patient referencing or orientation, that sent up a big red flag and I crossed him of my list. The psychoanalyst I finally did find, besides having robust credentials, Stanford University and Harvard Medical School in the U.S., had a website that was inviting and 100% patient oriented. I followed up and she is turning out to be a great physician. So, find your therapist now. Again, you don't need money or insurance to find a therapist. Even better prepare a short list, first choice, second choice, third choice, etc. along with contact information. 2. Many therapists offer a sliding scale where you can pay less if you have financial hardship, 3. If you find someone you think you really like, squeeze out a little cash, and have your first evaluation visit and pay in cash. If you feel that you are a match, you've found your therapist. If not, move down the list. Or you could consider a yard sale, a small loan, etc. This way, when your insurance kicks in, YOU ARE READY, and you will have learned a lot along the way. Hope this helps.

[Bluecatbooklover in reply to linuxusr]

That’s some really good advice. Thank you. I’ll start looking into it.

[linuxusr in reply to Bluecatbooklover]

Let me know how this works out. I'll do whatever I can to help you.