New member

[PoppyJ26]

Hi, I'm 26 and have never suffered with any form of anxiety or panic attacks until after having my third baby on August 1st 2015.. They started when she was 8 weeks old.. It literally just hit me with a bang.. Every night I was having a panic attack and all day I had this nervous feeling, nauseas and stomach cramps.. It lasted about 2 weeks before I went to the doctors who put me on sertraline and propranolol.. Over the weeks I weened myself off a very low dose as I hate taking tablets.. Worrying about what affect they are having on my body.. I'm simply worrying about dying (pathetic I know)

Constantly thinking I'm about to have a heart attack or drop dead in the middle of the super market.. I finally have my baby girl after 2 boys and I feel like I can't appreciate her and I'm not going to see her grow up... I need to know how to over come this.. Xxxx

[Hidden]

Hi Poppy, welcome to this site. Everyone on here can relate to how you are feeling so please don't think you are alone. Some great people on here who will help with great advice.

I am on the same medication currently as you.

Congratulations on your new arrival. Things will get better for you x

[Hidden]

Hi. I am sorry you are having a difficult time right now. The first thing is this - your feelings are not pathetic - they are real and they are the symptom of an illness. I myself had a long period of thinking exactly like you about just suddenly dropping dead. It was so bad that I refused to go to sleep as much as I could because of the belief that if I was awake then i would not die. Of course it was all wrong thinking and just made me feel worse and more ill. In my case the trigger for my anxiety was my heart attacks and stroke. It would be useful if you can identify your trigger/s.

The medication you have been given is very well known on this site as many people are taking the same. I would recommend that you develop some relaxation and distraction techniques that will help you when the panic or anxiety attack comes. They will attack your mind when you are most vulnerable and make you believe the most frightening things about your health. It is at those times you will need the techniques I mentioned. For example - breathing is often a difficulty for those of us with anxiety - this is because we tend to hyperventilate when we get anxious. It would help you if you can develop a method of breathing slowly and deeply when you feel anxiety attacking. This will help keep your heart rate down. It is then you can refocus your thoughts away from the negative ones which you may be experiencing.

I dont know if your doctor has given you any medication or not - some people find it helps them keep calm. Also there is the issue of therapy to be thought about. Any illness has a cause - therapy is the most successful way of finding that cause and overcoming the illness in the long term.

Sorry i have gone on a bit. I hope that you feel better soon.

Karl

[PoppyJ26 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Karl, it really does feel better just to talk to someone that understands.. I tell myself it's all in my head.. I know I'm not depressed.. I'm on top of the world when out with friends.. It's being at home on my own that I sit there thinking, googling!!!!

I had diabetes this morning!! I'd literally diagnosed myself!! I take a propranolol tablet when I get an initial anxious feeling and it helps immediately.. I know the propranolol tablets have some effect of slowing your heart rate down which then makes me panic, that's why I don't stick to my prescription..

I should really just bite the bullet and take the meds I have been told too.. I spent all xmas feeling great and it's just all of a sudden come back xx

[Hidden in reply to PoppyJ26]

Dont worry too much about things that are not important. You are right - depression is not necessarily part of the anxiety disorder, but it often becomes so. The slowing of your heart rate can be disturbing I understand - but actually its a good thing on several levels, not least is that it helps prevent hyperventilation when an attack comes on. Suffering from anxiety can be a bit like a roller-coaster ride - one minute euphoric and on a high and the next plunged into the depth of despair. I agree with your feeling that, in general, medication should only be used when absolutely needed. The problem is that some medications need a few days to get going in the body. In addition, I tend to the view that if you are offered medication, then that should be in tandem with an offer of therapy. Medication on its own will often just deal with symptoms and not the real cause of the problem.

Karl

[Aazz in reply to PoppyJ26]

That's just like me I was great during the Xmas and new year period as we were so busy as soon as I'm alone for a few days with the kids my crap starts again it's really frustrating. I think it would be good to seek therapy I've just had my second session. Exercise and think about the medications I'm not on ssri's but I take diazapam or propropanol as needed. I hope you feel better soon

[PoppyJ26]

Can I just say the response I've had from expressing my thoughts on here really helped me at the worse times.. All I had to do was read them over and over and I learnt to control my anxiety!

I have you to thank for that! Otherwise I wouldn't of spoke to anybody! I have been on 50mg sertraline for 1 week now and propranolol when needed and I honestly feel next to no anxiety at all.. I'm hoping I will be completely fine in time for my family holiday next week..

Again thank you so much..

U haven't heard the last from me.. I'm sure I will be back haha x

[Hidden]

Hey welcome to the Group!!!!8

Iam 26 with 2 boys and a girl!

I just had my baby boy september 22 2015! And ive been sufdering from panic and anxiety for 8 years it sucks i feel the same way i ask my self will i be here to see my kids grow??? It kills me anxiety sucks!

[PoppyJ26]

And yet we are still here.. If I'm going to die tomorrow I don't want to spend my last day worrying about it.. This is what I keep telling myself, it's a horrible horrible thing that I've never experienced before.. Congratulations on your little boy my little girl was born August 1st! That's where it all started xx