Anxiety

brianlux · October 2015

ldent42 said:
Yea I mean it's also possible she was just trying to use up the prescription pad cuz also gave me the flu medicine ... I wanna say Tamiflu? Lady was just prescription happy lol.

Sound like a doctor version of Payola. I'm not saying there isn't a place and time where prescriptions meds are useful but too many doctors are prescription crazy and I do suspect sometimes there is a payoff. The other thing that kind of blows my mind is the fact that too often doctors don't talk about side effects. I had a very bad experience that way years ago and have learned the importance of being proactive with health care issues- doing my own research, asking the right questions, that sort of thing.

oftenreading · October 2015

PJ_Soul said:
It's just that Xanax is more one of those medications that you need to take for a while for it to really work, similar to antidepressants, while something like Valium or Ativan are more meant for "one-offs" like that, so taking Xanax for a specific thing like getting on a plane doesn't actually make any sense. Your doctor made a mistake with that one. But that isn't surprising. GPs usually know shockingly little about anxiety, be it phobias or disorders. And you can hardly blame them. An acute anxiety attack isn't hard to understand, but generalized anxiety disorder is much more difficult because it has about a million possible symptoms, and they vary a lot from person to person. Sometimes symptoms are mistaken for indicators of something else altogether, and vice versa.

Actually xanax (alprazolam) is chemically very similar to valium (diazepam) or ativan (lorazepam) and would be expected to work as they do. In fact, one of the problems with xanax is that it works very quickly but then wears off quickly, leading to rebound anxiety (or insomnia, if that's what it's taken for) and thus people tend to take more and more. It's a difficult drug to get off once someone is dependent on it; in fact, to my mind it's a terrible drug except in very limited circumstances (as in, a real one-off), but the others in the family aren't much better. Everyone should be wary of them and cognizant of their side effects.

Brian, you are correct, always be proactive in asking for full information about any medication a doctor is recommending to you. And I hope you get some relief from your anxiety soon.

brianlux · October 2015

oftenreading said:

PJ_Soul said:
It's just that Xanax is more one of those medications that you need to take for a while for it to really work, similar to antidepressants, while something like Valium or Ativan are more meant for "one-offs" like that, so taking Xanax for a specific thing like getting on a plane doesn't actually make any sense. Your doctor made a mistake with that one. But that isn't surprising. GPs usually know shockingly little about anxiety, be it phobias or disorders. And you can hardly blame them. An acute anxiety attack isn't hard to understand, but generalized anxiety disorder is much more difficult because it has about a million possible symptoms, and they vary a lot from person to person. Sometimes symptoms are mistaken for indicators of something else altogether, and vice versa.
Actually xanax (alprazolam) is chemically very similar to valium (diazepam) or ativan (lorazepam) and would be expected to work as they do. In fact, one of the problems with xanax is that it works very quickly but then wears off quickly, leading to rebound anxiety (or insomnia, if that's what it's taken for) and thus people tend to take more and more. It's a difficult drug to get off once someone is dependent on it; in fact, to my mind it's a terrible drug except in very limited circumstances (as in, a real one-off), but the others in the family aren't much better. Everyone should be wary of them and cognizant of their side effects.

Brian, you are correct, always be proactive in asking for full information about any medication a doctor is recommending to you. And I hope you get some relief from your anxiety soon.

Thanks, often!

Yes, that was my experience with Xanax- that it worked quickly and well but fairly short lived. After literally years of taking Xanax, by the time I got help to get off it I was crushing the tablets, putting them under my tongue and rubbing them into my gums and mixing them with alcohol. It was a serious addiction and I was lucky to survive those tough years. Xanax is not a drug that should be prescribed too readily. In fact, I'm so wary of prescription meds, I haven't taken any for several years now. I go with herbs, yoga and the aforementioned music therapy. And of course, family and friends and having Annie, our cat, helps also. And being here with you good people is also a godsend.

chadwick · October 2015

never had it

im different... i drink coffee & sleep
when my cars explode in flames i smile & laugh
energy drinks give me a rash & make me tired
my tshirts are fulla holes
i've gas
my beard attracts cream cheese bagels, crust, crumbs, sauce, steam, bugs, christmas lights, lamps, ink, poles, carbon, hemorrhoids, binoculars, water, water, water, water, tree bark & extra shits of bullshit. therefore

no

PJ_Soul · October 2015

oftenreading said:

PJ_Soul said:
It's just that Xanax is more one of those medications that you need to take for a while for it to really work, similar to antidepressants, while something like Valium or Ativan are more meant for "one-offs" like that, so taking Xanax for a specific thing like getting on a plane doesn't actually make any sense. Your doctor made a mistake with that one. But that isn't surprising. GPs usually know shockingly little about anxiety, be it phobias or disorders. And you can hardly blame them. An acute anxiety attack isn't hard to understand, but generalized anxiety disorder is much more difficult because it has about a million possible symptoms, and they vary a lot from person to person. Sometimes symptoms are mistaken for indicators of something else altogether, and vice versa.
Actually xanax (alprazolam) is chemically very similar to valium (diazepam) or ativan (lorazepam) and would be expected to work as they do. In fact, one of the problems with xanax is that it works very quickly but then wears off quickly, leading to rebound anxiety (or insomnia, if that's what it's taken for) and thus people tend to take more and more. It's a difficult drug to get off once someone is dependent on it; in fact, to my mind it's a terrible drug except in very limited circumstances (as in, a real one-off), but the others in the family aren't much better. Everyone should be wary of them and cognizant of their side effects.

Brian, you are correct, always be proactive in asking for full information about any medication a doctor is recommending to you. And I hope you get some relief from your anxiety soon.

Really eh? Well colour me wrong. I had been told different by a couple people who'd taken it, but I have never taken it so there you go.

Apparently Ativan has the same kind of addictive effects, but you'd have to be taking it everyday for quite some (so my doctor said). Having taken Ativan, I can see how thst wouod happen if you're constantly feeling the pressure.
...... What about weed? It doesn't work for everyone because some find that it causes paranoia, but for others it can certainly take the edge off.

Wobbie · October 2015

I don't get it. I'm thankful for that.

brianlux · October 2015

chadwick said:
never had it

im different... i drink coffee & sleep
when my cars explode in flames i smile & laugh
energy drinks give me a rash & make me tired
my tshirts are fulla holes
i've gas
my beard attracts cream cheese bagels, crust, crumbs, sauce, steam, bugs, christmas lights, lamps, ink, poles, carbon, hemorrhoids, binoculars, water, water, water, water, tree bark & extra shits of bullshit. therefore

no

Haha! Your posts are massive rolling balls of energy and goodness, Chadwick! And I'll bet your beard looks great all encrusted with bugs 'n Christmas tree lights!

Love that image of the burning car. Like my brother told me once when I was in a state of dismay, "The world is fire and the air gasoline. You're cool, I'm cool. Cool."

Rock on, Chadwick!

josevolution · October 2015

Thanks for starting this thread Brian my daughter who's 18 suffers from this all good info here thanks again ...

nothinasitseems · October 2015

i suffer from it often. it only started happening late in my teenage years. for the most part i am okay, so i don't take anything for it. never seen a doctor about it. but i do get those moments of extreme heart pounding anxiety (mostly when i am out in public) where i have to get away from other people and just sit and try to calm myself down. it's not fun.

Sprunkn7 · October 2015

PJ_Soul said:
That IS weird you were prescribed Xanax. I think you probably should have just been prescribed a few Valium.

I think it depends where you live, believe it or not. When I had a long flight they gave me xanax. When my friend out west got a script it was for valium. They pretty much do the same thing if you're just taking it once or twice. They make you relax without knocking you on your ass. If you sleep a few hours you don't wake up groggy like with benedryl or a sleeping pill.

As for anxiety I know the feeling as well. I've had a few panic attacks, and they came out of nowhere. The feeling of dread just comes over me like a shadow. It's only been 3 in about 15 years but when it hits it's so bizarre. If I felt that way all the time I don't know how I would survive day to day...
When my dad passed away I was really overwhelmed so my GP gave me a xanax script. I used it short term and it helped me but I made sure I only took it for a few weeks. I could see myself getting caught up in relying on going around feeling numb all the time so I was super aware of what I had to do.

justam · October 2015

Brianlux, anxiety can be so paralyzing can't it? It's like a silent net that ties people up and darkens the world. Anxiety makes a person want to hide instead of getting out there like a free person would.

I've been thinking a lot about taking off the cloak of darkness lately. I've been trying to notice all the times that anxiety is keeping me from trying things or even doing things in a bigger way.

Have you been seeing a counselor about it or have you just been trying to deal with it alone?

brianlux · October 2015

justam said:
Brianlux, anxiety can be so paralyzing can't it? It's like a silent net that ties people up and darkens the world. Anxiety makes a person want to hide instead of getting out there like a free person would.

I've been thinking a lot about taking off the cloak of darkness lately. I've been trying to notice all the times that anxiety is keeping me from trying things or even doing things in a bigger way.

Have you been seeing a counselor about it or have you just been trying to deal with it alone?

"Silent net" is an apt description, justam.

I'm not seeing a counselor. I worked in a counseling training program for a few years as program assistant in Human Services at our local community college. Our focus was based on Carl Rogers "client centered" therapy which (very generally speaking) deals with the here and now and guiding a client toward effective, lasting coping methods. This is all good and fine but the problem for me is that because I helped coach prospective counselors I find it difficult to not be critiquing a counselor if I go to one myself and I have yet to find one who does client centered therapy. It helps to see someone but only for a short time and going back and back again is like what the prof I worked with used to describe as "Hollywood counseling" which I suppose is fine if you can afford to keep going indefinitely. I'd rather seek a long-term solution.

But I don't know if I'll ever be totally free of anxiety so I work on managing it and that's a good thing.

nothinasitseems said:
i suffer from it often. it only started happening late in my teenage years. for the most part i am okay, so i don't take anything for it. never seen a doctor about it. but i do get those moments of extreme heart pounding anxiety (mostly when i am out in public) where i have to get away from other people and just sit and try to calm myself down. it's not fun.

It really is no fun, nothinasitseems. I hope you find something that works for you. This forum is a great place to come to for giving and receiving support and kind empathy. There are so many good folks here!

I wish you well.

nothinasitseems · October 2015

brianlux said:

nothinasitseems said:
i suffer from it often. it only started happening late in my teenage years. for the most part i am okay, so i don't take anything for it. never seen a doctor about it. but i do get those moments of extreme heart pounding anxiety (mostly when i am out in public) where i have to get away from other people and just sit and try to calm myself down. it's not fun.
It really is no fun, nothinasitseems. I hope you find something that works for you. This forum is a great place to come to for giving and receiving support and kind empathy. There are so many good folks here!

I wish you well.

thank you, brian. i've only been on the forums for a bit over 2 years now, and don't nearly post as much as i would like but i have noticed there are a lot of kind people in the pearl jam community. good to know we're not alone. i appreciate the kind words and i wish you well as well.

brianlux · October 2015

nothinasitseems said:

brianlux said:

nothinasitseems said:
i suffer from it often. it only started happening late in my teenage years. for the most part i am okay, so i don't take anything for it. never seen a doctor about it. but i do get those moments of extreme heart pounding anxiety (mostly when i am out in public) where i have to get away from other people and just sit and try to calm myself down. it's not fun.
It really is no fun, nothinasitseems. I hope you find something that works for you. This forum is a great place to come to for giving and receiving support and kind empathy. There are so many good folks here!

I wish you well.
thank you, brian. i've only been on the forums for a bit over 2 years now, and don't nearly post as much as i would like but i have noticed there are a lot of kind people in the pearl jam community. good to know we're not alone. i appreciate the kind words and i wish you well as well.

Thanks so much, nothinasitseems. I hope we'll see you around here often.

Enkidu · October 2015

It's great to know we can talk about stuff like this here. Anxiety is no stranger to me, that's for sure. I just read this today - I don't know if any of you know Guideposts, but it's a faithy-y magazine my grandmother read and my mother read and my mother always made sure I had a subscription, even though there were times I thought it was stupid.

This is a piece about a soldier with PTSD and how a therapy dog helped him. It was such a positive article I thought I'd share it.

https://www.guideposts.org/helping-others/our-returning-troops-vet-with-ptsd-comforted-by-therapy-dog

Sprunkn7 · October 2015

Enkidu said:
It's great to know we can talk about stuff like this here. Anxiety is no stranger to me, that's for sure. I just read this today - I don't know if any of you know Guideposts, but it's a faithy-y magazine my grandmother read and my mother read and my mother always made sure I had a subscription, even though there were times I thought it was stupid.

This is a piece about a soldier with PTSD and how a therapy dog helped him. It was such a positive article I thought I'd share it.

https://www.guideposts.org/helping-others/our-returning-troops-vet-with-ptsd-comforted-by-therapy-dog

nice. I have to say my cat is a total therapy help for me. He can read my moods and responds in kind. Animals are smart little cookies.

iluvcats · November 2015

I thought my anxiety would be better if I quit working, not true. Because of the nerve damage and ringing in my ears, I had to quit listening to music and going to concerts. I really miss being the concert queen. My sweet cat is like therapy to me as well, til he wakes me up wanting attention. I miss "talking" to pearl jam fans here. I'm on facebook but have found that many on facebook (non pj fans) are bragging too much and they don't even realize it...

brianlux · November 2015

iluvcats said:
I thought my anxiety would be better if I quit working, not true. Because of the nerve damage and ringing in my ears, I had to quit listening to music and going to concerts. I really miss being the concert queen. My sweet cat is like therapy to me as well, til he wakes me up wanting attention. I miss "talking" to pearl jam fans here. I'm on facebook but have found that many on facebook (non pj fans) are bragging too much and they don't even realize it...

PM sent. Wishing you well!

iluvcats · November 2015

brianlux said:

iluvcats said:
I thought my anxiety would be better if I quit working, not true. Because of the nerve damage and ringing in my ears, I had to quit listening to music and going to concerts. I really miss being the concert queen. My sweet cat is like therapy to me as well, til he wakes me up wanting attention. I miss "talking" to pearl jam fans here. I'm on facebook but have found that many on facebook (non pj fans) are bragging too much and they don't even realize it...
PM sent. Wishing you well!

Thank you. I received it

HughFreakingDillon · November 2015

anxiety has crippled me. it was the main reason I wasn't around here for a few months. I couldn't function. at first it manifested itself physically and emotionally....i was constantly shaking, my digestive system was not working properly, which caused me to basically stop eating and I lost 40 pounds in 2 months. I needed to anyway, but that wasn't the way I wanted to lose it. then I had the stress of people telling me I was "wasting away".

I was sleeping about 3 hours a night. Working full time. 2 kids under 10 years old. shit was exhausting. it didn't seem like life was ever going to be normal again.

I was very near suicide, to be honest. if I didn't have kids, I very well might not have chosen to keep on.

I finally went to my doc, got checked out physically, and when all of that was ruled out, he put me on meds (which I was on months ago, but went off). I can't believe I've still been able to work most days. Often I'd have to call in sick, but then I found I functioned even more poorly at home with nothing to do; I would sit literally in one spot for hours, thinking about death.

the dread: I was obsessing with the purpose of life. I couldn't figure out what the fuck we are doing here, what our purpose is, and why the hell I brought kids into such a horrible existence.

now the anxiety is pretty much gone, but now I have stabbing pains in my abdomen, sometimes lasting all day. it literally feels like someone is twisting a pair of scissors in my gut. it's awful. and no amount of pain relievers, legal and otherwise, do anything for it. got a CT scan, it came back 100% clear. my doc thinks it's muscle tension built up over time from all the anxiety.

My stomach gets all tied up knots when I have plans to go out or do something that is not at "home base" (close to a bathroom). it's been very limiting. I couldn't even go to a movie this past weekend.

we have a trip to Vegas booked in December. it was booked before all this went down. I'm terrified of going. My wife has been amazing through all of this. I don't want to let her down. the trip is for her 40th birthday, and another couple are meeting us there.

and anxiety is not actually a mental illness. mental illnesses cannot be cured. anxiety, or at least overactive anxiety, can be. it's a cognitive disorder. it's not a chemical imbalance.

Anxiety

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