Anxiety

I would talk to a counselor if I were you, if this continues for more than a week or two. Well, if you have the money for one. I think I had a panic attack once as a kid; I was almost a hypochondriac at the time. Now I have (pretty bad) generalized anxiety disorder, which sucks, and some relatively mild traits of borderline personality disorder (you'd have to know me pretty well to see them). Counseling really helps.

  On 3/27/2012 at 6:26 AM, Atop said:

Oh and Paul Atreides' mantra is better:

 

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear's path, and only I will remain.

 

I have actually used this for a while.

 

It works.

yeah, if i was going with a dune quote, that's the one i'd pick.

the Mentat statement was a joke....such stoicism goes against what makes us human and they reference the use of a substance to make themselves into Mentats. They seem like the definition of over thinking and being totally stressed out.

So don't be a Mentat.

Be the Kwitzatz Haderach!*

*Dune references

i had a sink in my room. i pissed in it too, high fives guys!

  On 3/27/2012 at 5:40 AM, A/D said:

I have many ideas about anxiety and how mine is better now. They are pretty new agey so I won't force them on you. Feel free to pm if you want though.

Please fell free to post them. I'm interested in hearing how everybody deals with it, if not for me, just for general interest purposes.

  On 3/27/2012 at 6:06 AM, chaosmachine said:

yup, definitely an anxiety attack. they crippled me for years. it really does feel like you are dying, especially if you get to the stage where you start hyperventilating, and tunnel vision kicks in... it's a terrible experience, for you, and the people around you.

 

so... a lot of people seem to turn to drugs... no offense to those that do, but my opinion is: fuck that.

I'm definitely not looking for drugs (never used a med in my life) but if it is the only option and these become repeated affairs I will have to go the route. What Jules said makes me worry less about meds, as I find with most things the placebo does more for me than the drug.

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really, all you need to do is recognize when you're starting to experience an attack, and fucking kill it before the feedback loop kicks in.

I think I've been doing this okay but it's still very unpleasant when I feel the attack coming, full blown or not.

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i learned to meditate. specifically, vipassana aka "insight meditation". it's easy to learn, but i'll warn you up front, this stuff, if taken seriously, can change your life in unpredictable ways... so... here is the link that did it for me: http://www.budsas.or...fneng/mind0.htm

I took an interest in meditation a few years ago but never really went anywhere with it. I will look into this. Thanks.

  On 3/27/2012 at 6:26 AM, Atop said:

Oh and Paul Atreides' mantra is better:

 

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear's path, and only I will remain.

 

I have actually used this for a while.

 

It works.

I'm actually reading through Dune now. Ha.

  On 3/27/2012 at 6:36 AM, gmanyo said:

I would talk to a counselor if I were you, if this continues for more than a week or two. Well, if you have the money for one.

I definitely don't have the money, otherwise it may be an idea.

  On 3/27/2012 at 6:59 AM, yek said:

i had a sink in my room. i pissed in it too, high fives guys!

I don't really piss in it. You guys are fuckin animals.

  On 3/27/2012 at 2:59 AM, jules said:

I went through something so similar a few years ago canyons. the depersonalization was really scary for me

Do you not feel depersonalized anymore? I'm really interested in anybody who knows about this subject because it's the strangest thing to me and almost impossible to explain, and I feel it every single day. Do you feel normal now or have you realized you felt normal all this time?

I really don't. I think I may have times where I do slightly but it goes away so fast since I don't dwell on it anymore. those feelings really kicked the attacks into high gear but after I got the attacks under control, the depersonalization kind of just went away. I got sick of feeling dark and alone and told myself that a lot of people probably feel like that so man up and beat it. it seemed to work pretty well and definitely took a lot of time as well as tons of depressing set backs just as far as thinking of having the confidence to beat it goes. like I said, having the option of Xanax was better than actually taking the Xanax.

one thing that I will also say was a major major help was excersize. at the time, I lived in a condo complex with a gym so I used to go for a run every morning or hit the elliptical machine at least an hour everyday. I would strap on my headphones and just sit inside my own head and plow through whatever crap was there. I highly highly suggest going for a run in the morning, that was huge for me too. starting the day accomplishing something personal and healthy was a confidence booster which also helped to quell the negativity and depersonalization.

I also changed my diet as well and began eating much healthier. I never went overboard but I slowly eliminated a lot of foods that would make me feel guilty for eating on a regular basis and used them as treats here and there for working hard. I never went back to weed, nicotine or caffeine.

I feel normal now and don't have any depersonalization at all. I can't speak to your exact symptoms but if I were to give advice it would be to try to get some meds ASAP for the placebo effect and to stop anything immediately while you can get it under control. start running or exercise to exert some energy and rid your body of toxins and stress. drink as much water as you possibly can. I still drink a minimum of 64 ounces a day. I'd try to see someone about it if you can just for the sake of it but if your symptoms were like mine I think you will see a difference relatively quickly.

I already exercise by going to the gym a few times a week and I drink plenty of water.

I don't feel depressed (I feel happier than I have in a long time), and even the depersonalization itself doesn't particularly depress me. The worst thing about it is the fact I have no idea why it's there, because I generally feel healthy of mind and body other than this. Maybe seeing a psyche and having them help identify why I feel this way would be the most beneficial experience but I have no way of affording it.

good advice here. Regarding the medication thing, I think xanax and even zyprexa are relatively harmless (well, there is the addiction issue with xanax but...). They basically achieve the same effect as taking a lash of liquor to calm your nerves - which is something that might work as well. If it were antidepressants we were talking about, I'd urge more caution as you have to take them constantly and they have lots of side effects.

I'm an experienced panic attackee. I relate to what is being discussed. The worst ones are when you wake up in the middle of the night thinking you are going to die. Because I'm barely awake, and it's dark, I'm utterly convinced that this is the end. I can remember literally thinking, "this is it...I'm experiencing death...this is what it feels like to die."

Horrific stuff. I don't get them as much anymore.

what is your nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and caffeine intake like?

  On 3/27/2012 at 3:14 PM, jules said:

what is your nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and caffeine intake like?

small, smaller and average. smoke a few a week on average and maybe a couple of joints. I don't drink coffee/rarely I'll have a coke or something. a few beers and some whisky or rum on the weekends maybe. i have mdma about once a month average. before this I have had about half a gram over two weeks. (last time was a week before the attack)

mdma could be the problem

especially on the depersonalisation side of things. could be bollocks but i get the feeling it influences things a long time after it's used.

yea id quit that mdma asap.

  On 3/27/2012 at 3:24 PM, AcrossCanyons said:

  On 3/27/2012 at 3:14 PM, jules said:

what is your nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and caffeine intake like?

small, smaller and average. smoke a few a week on average and maybe a couple of joints. I don't drink coffee/rarely I'll have a coke or something. a few beers and some whisky or rum on the weekends maybe. i have mdma about once a month average. before this I have had about half a gram over two weeks. (last time was a week before the attack)

cannabis can be really bad for anxiety, fyi.

weed is one of the worst (for me) and i was way overdoing the caffeine as well.

  On 3/27/2012 at 3:39 PM, tauboo said:

mdma could be the problem

 

especially on the depersonalisation side of things. could be bollocks but i get the feeling it influences things a long time after it's used.

the depersonalization started before id ever had any, but it could have influenced the panic attack for sure.

  On 3/27/2012 at 4:34 PM, Hoodie said:

  On 3/27/2012 at 3:24 PM, AcrossCanyons said:

  On 3/27/2012 at 3:14 PM, jules said:

what is your nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and caffeine intake like?

small, smaller and average. smoke a few a week on average and maybe a couple of joints. I don't drink coffee/rarely I'll have a coke or something. a few beers and some whisky or rum on the weekends maybe. i have mdma about once a month average. before this I have had about half a gram over two weeks. (last time was a week before the attack)

 

cannabis can be really bad for anxiety, fyi.

i have stopped smoking it for a few months before when i thought my depersonalization was getting worse once or twice before, but i don't think it made much difference. i hardly smoke anymore, only with friends twice a month or so.

i'd go out on a limb and say any mind altering substance like that will have a direct effect on how your mind works and your state of being.

where the hell is xxx?

oh yeah for sure. i'm definitely going to take this into account any times in the future if i decide to smoke/drop anything.

keep us posted man, that is not fun, i know.

gah fuck it..

i want to chime in and agree with jules, exercise and especially diet should be your top two priorities right below stopping all drugs (or everything but cannabis at the least).

I know I sound like a broken record, but it's true.. you need to feed your body the nutrients it needs all day every day. This has a profound effect on the nervous system and endocrine system especially.. You know, those chemical messengers that control all of your many trillions of cells.. The complexity of our bodies are unimaginably complex, more so than any plant. What happens when you deprive a plant of nutrients? It fucking gets sickly and eventually dies. Don't be like that, nourish yourself instead of rewarding yourself with shit food. I swear to god dude, your brain will thank you for it. I swear to fucking god.

  On 3/27/2012 at 6:06 PM, jules said:

keep us posted man, that is not fun, i know.

I actually use depersonalization to to help figure out my life during tough times. I didn't ever think it was a disorder but a talent. Mine is never frightening and I can control it so...........I always referred to it as viewing myself in the third person. Hmmmm....oh well, I always figured a psychiatrist would find a ton of disorders to label myself with. I also figured that I wouldn't pay much attention to their diagnosis. Hope you are all doing well panic attack survivors! We shall prevail and prove that we are the ubermensch! If you can survive ultimate fear of fear within fear on top of fear, you can survive any emotional problem.

across I've been meaning to PM you. I treat anxiety disorders for a living so I can probably be of some help to you.

Gotta start by ruling out a general medical health condition however. thems' the rules.

go see your doctor first tell him what's happened... he'll check out your insides maybe order a test maybe not based on family history etc etc.

If it happens to be anxiety talking to a pro in person would be the best help. understanding the signs, symptoms, and how to handle attacks should come after that.

PM me if you like. I'll be on watmm usually at night at least for 30 mins and can respond.

Sometimes these kinds of things just pass as well so try not to worry about it too much in the meantime.

  On 3/29/2012 at 4:40 AM, Franklin said:

I'll be on watmm usually at night at least for 30 mins and can respond.

 

for longer sessions, he can be found after hours on the Minecraft server. Payment in diamonds in advance. One month's treatment for a "fortune +5" diamond pick.