RANT – Anxiety Disorders

[EmmyJane]

I just want to say I really admire those of you who have the courage to post this on here.

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[JoB]

Sydney..

i don’t mean to be as rude as this sounds…

but you are probably tired a lot too

but don’t have chronic fatigue syndrome

you probably ache a lot too

but don’t have fibromyalgia

you feel the effects of stress

but don’t have anxiety disorder

I have always wondered why well meaning people who give me all kinds of simple advice for curing my illnesses think that if it was really that simple, i wouldn’t have cured myself long ago.

there is a magnitude of difference between simple anxiety and anxiety disorder that really can’t be explained unless you have experienced it.

Even those who go the extra mile to hang in there with us through episodes only think they know what it is like.

while remedies such as kava kava are helpful for some people…

anxiety disorders are not something you can take a pill for..

any pill.. no matter how invasive…

and get over.

Wednesday i noticed that several of the books that hubby had checked out of the library were about the study of the brain.

I asked him why.

He told me that the brain is the hottest new area of scientific inquiry.. that the science is fascinating.

This makes me hopeful.

Because the answers to unexplained phenomenon like anxiety disorders will be found there.

in the meantime..

some of the most successful people walk among you controlling the urge to scream at the top of their lungs and cower in the corner without you even noticing.

if you could see what you see as stress looks like to them on the inside…

i don’t see how you could resist enfolding them in your arms until it passes…

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[sydney]

Sorry, I didn’t mean that for you, I meant for “generalized free floating anxiety” as stated in my post. As for really bad anxiety disorder, that is an awful thing that needs serious treatment, and if I had it I’m sure I would take a benzo.

However, benzodiazepines have been over-prescribed for decades, and they have SERIOUS side effects which were not then known, so they continue on many occasions to be over-prescribed. Many of the patients I see are unaware! They use it recreationally until they’re hooked, try to stop or can’t get any, and consequently have a seizure, they get diagnosed with “seizure disorder” and get benzos prescribed!

Casual usage of benzos like Xanax is what I would like to see stopped. Also, there are other holistic treatments for anxiety which nobody should overlook, and meds are only one part of that.

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[JoB]

Sydney,

if benzos actually helped me ..

i would probably risk taking them.

too many times it is difficult to assess that individual risk benefit ratio of any medication

and i include “holistic” medications in that warning…

my advice is that if you take something to achieve the benefits of taking a pharmaceutical medication..

you are always wise to treat it with the same respect and critical assessment that you would use with pharmaceuticals.

it goes without saying that the recreational use of pharmaceuticals has far more risks than those who pedal them disclose.

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[anonyme]

There is a huge amount of misunderstanding out there regarding “natural” remedies. These can run the gamut from a food with beneficial health attributes to substances that are lethal under some circumstances. Self-medication, whether it be allopathic pharmaceuticals or herbal medicine, is always a risky proposition.

The fact that you can buy something over the counter does not make it risk free; people tend to take way too much of any OTC medication. My physician for the last 15 years has dual medical degrees in osteopathy and Chinese medicine, and I don’t take anything unless he either prescribes or recommends it.

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[JoB]

anonyme..

spot on

as more people take any given pharmacuetical, we find out more about it’s possible side effects…

the same thing is happening with “natural” remedies but there really isn’t any central reporting agency for them.

and then there are the interactions that can be as deadly.. and are often not caught by doctors or pharmacists who don’t know that you may need to be cautioned about every remedy you might want to try.

it is always a good idea to check with your medical team before adding any new med.. prescribed or not.. to your mix.

even something as seemingly innocuous as tums or aspirin…

in our take a pill and it will all be better culture the dangers of self medication can’t be stressed enough

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[anonyme]

On the other hand, the downside of regulation is that government and institutions like NIH and AMA then try to test or define varying forms of treatment using allopathic models – which doesn’t work very well. Diagnostic methods for prescribing Asian medicine and treatments, such as acupuncture, rely on things like complex pulses and chi, which are neither understood nor recognized in the west. In Chinese medicine, twelve different patients presenting with a headache might receive 12 completely different treatments. So this type of medicine, while IMO extremely effective, is very difficult to standardize. All the more reason not to self-prescribe based on a single symptom.

My doctor describes the West’s approach to “alternative” medicine:

First step: Denial. This stuff is worthless, doesn’t work, a scam.

Second step: This stuff is very dangerous. Avoid all natural medicines.

Third step: We own it and control it, but most importantly – let’s get rich!

JoB, you make an excellent point about our “take a pill” culture. We’ve now applied the same attitude to ‘natural’ medicine. Depressed? Gulp down some St. John’s Wort!

One last comment, way off topic…I recently watched a Korean historical drama series (these are a HUGE hit in Asia) based on the true story of the first woman in Korea to serve as the King’s personal physician. She starts as a cook at the Royal Court. It’s fascinating (and mouth watering) to see how every dish is prepared based on the specific health issues of the person who is to consume it. The physicians consult with the kitchen on a daily basis. The series is called “Dae Jang Geum” and SPL carries it. Food, medicine, drama, intrigue, and romance – really a great series!

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[DBP]

Lots of people are helped by taking allopathic pills.

Lots of people are helped by taking naturopathic pills.

Lots of people are helped by taking sugar pills.

Hmm . . . what’s the connection here?

Could it be . . . the PILLS?

Mmm . . . could be.

Some of you may find the idea of being cured by the placebo effect a little hard to swallow.

Don’t worry. The placebo effect now comes in a convenient cream.

http://www.alternet.org/health/144327

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[WSB]

Re: #26 … if only more people would talk about mental and other nervous-system disorders, it wouldn’t be a big deal requiring courage. But as compared to many physical illnesses, with everyone accustomed to discussing everything from minor aches and pains to potentially deadly (cancer et al) diseases … for some reason there remains a stigma, the misunderstanding of “It’s all in your head.”

Well … maybe it is … since that’s the center of everything. But it doesn’t mean you can snap your fingers and snap out of it. I was very determined to avoid pharmaceutical intervention in all three of those long-ago bouts, so talk therapy was first on the list. In round #2 in the mid-’80s, I also encountered hypnotherapy, which is NOT somebody dangling a watch in front of your face telling you you’re getting sleepy – it’s more like visualization and relaxation techniques. More helpful if you do find there are any specific triggers.

Oh, the other unfortunate aspect … someone correct me if this has changed, as I haven’t had occasion to check for a long time, but: Insurance will tend to cover common drugs till the cows come home, but talk therapy etc.? Limited. – TR

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[JanS]

TR..I have a friend in her early thirties, healthy physically, who was denied insurance because she had previously put herself in “talk therapy” and had paid for it out of her own pocket..go figure…

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[JoB]

DP..

the only downside to the placebo effect is that it doesn’t last long enough…

little known is the fact that you don’t have to literally take a pill to benefit from a placebo.

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[JoB]

anonyme..

this sounds like a fascinating drama series..

where did you see it?

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[ellenater]

Oh, great topic! I’m glad we’re talking about this. I can relate. I don’t remember when I had my first panic attack but it was horrible and like others, I thought I was dying. It got really bad over the course of lots of moving–28 times since I was 11. It was especially bad after moving to Seattle intitially and not knowing anybody and then having one at Northgate mall. That led to agoraphobia. Horrible! I am glad we are sharing information here. I don’t think there is a single cure that will work for everyone but I sure always like to know what others are doing. I don’t know if these will help others or not but here are some things that have helped me:

-There is a book called: “Hope and Help for your Nerves” by Dr. Clare Weekes. She describes what is happening during a panic attack in a physiological way. It is very helpful for breaking the cycle of FEAR of another panic attack. I used to get them in grocery stores due to this phenomenon and that rarely happens now since reading this book. She has a great nurturing but not condescending tone.

-I take Xanax only in a pinch and I travel with it. This is good for geting stuck in the elevator and things like that. I do not take it on a regular basis though.

-I have a thyroid disorder. HAVE IT CHECKED. Important. I can’t metabolize caffeine at all right now so if I have it, it’s bad news. If your hormones are messed up, and whose aren’t, that can be a contributing factor.

-Caffeine is a HUGE factor.

– I think counseling is very important and don’t understand why more people don’t use this option. I understand if your insurance doesn’t cover it but there are lots of practitioners who use sliding scales. I am lucky to have a great friend who helped me see that a counselor is there to serve me, so I was picky and found a great one. It is important to find one that is right for you.

-I think it is important to be highly compassionate with yourself. It is very easy to compare what is going on inside with what it appears others are experiencing. This is always a bad idea. This is hard to do.

-Express grief. We do not do this in our culture and I think a lot of this has to do with that. We do not discuss emotions, we are not demonstrative, and we do not know how to express grief. I think a really good grief book is by Joan Didion and is called: “The Year of Magical Thinking”. We are too rational. I think this is linked to panic because of the repression aspect.

-Food allergies. Could also be environmental. I found out I cannot eat wheat or gluten and anxiety is one thing that happens to me when I eat it. It’s a grating sort of feeling and I now know what it is. Pay attention to patterns and see if it appears to be linked to something (like medication, too). I think it’s important to trust your own experience even if it seems wacky,

-The last thing that has really helped–this is really more with the depression that stemmed from the panic attacks–is to not be a victim about it. This is hard to do when you are suffering but I try to find the one good thing and then go from there. If you have a defeatist attitude, it is very hard to find solutions. It is very easy to be depressed with anxiety and I think to find a good balance between compassion, but also pushing through the defeatist attitude.

I realize this list makes it sound like I have it together, but that is not the case. It is always trial and error. I do have way less panic attacks now and a much greater understanding of what is going on in my body, so that when I do feel bad, I at least understand probably what caused it. I hope my tips will help somebody else. I think this thread is really amazing.

Oh, and yoga and meditation are key. Getting grounded in your body if possible is helpful during a panic attack. Meditation is NOT. Tara Brach has some free talks on meditation and she addresses this. That is for calm periods, just more for general anxiety.

Thanks

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[elisabethf]

Wow! I am SO glad to see so many talking about this. My acute anxiety episodes occurred in the late 70s and were situation related. I didn’t understand what was going on with myself. I was very embarrassed and didn’t tell many people about it. At one point I was visiting my sister in Boise. We were in a store, and an attack came over me. She looked at me and said “You don’t look so good.” I said “Take me to the hospital!” At the hospital the emergency doc prescribed thorazine. Sheer overkill! But i took it. The episodes eventually passed, thank God. Sometimes today I’ll say something inane and my sister will say “Take me to the hospital!” I just give her a swift kick.

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[JoB]

ellenator…

“-I think it is important to be highly compassionate with yourself. It is very easy to compare what is going on inside with what it appears others are experiencing. This is always a bad idea. This is hard to do.”

I agree..compassion for ourselves really matters.

the hardest thing for me is to stop blaming myself for my anxiety attacks…

if only i hadn’t had that coke. if only i had paid more attention to my stress. if only i had not made that one last stop at the grocery. if only…

I too spent some time trying to wrap myself in a “safe” cocoon … until i found myself having panic attacks at home.

like Franci .. a change in my medication helped though unfortunately not enough to free me from attacks.

And i agree.. education is a big key. Once you realize what is happening to you and why… it does make it easier to cope. I haven’t read the book you suggested, but i will.

The most important thing for me is to not allow panic or anxiety attacks to set limits in my life.

yesterday, in the midst of a very successful Nickelsville Birthday party I suddenly felt as though i was going to have a heart attack. My chest was tight, my right arm hurt, the world was spinning and I had to grab the handrail to keep from falling off the stairs.

I don’t think anyone noticed.

I asked myself if this was the time when this wasn’t another false alarm and decided that if it was there were plenty of people around to call 911 and stayed at the top of the stairs gazing off into the horizon until i felt i could safely move again.

I am sure everyone thought i was just taking a break…

and in a way i guess i was:)

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[anonyme]

JoB – about “Dae Jang Geum”. I’ve been an Asian (mostly Japanese) film junkie for years. My doctor and I always talk about movies, and he was the first to tell me about Korean serial dramas being such a craze in Asia. Then I got to talking to a Korean neighbor one day, who happened to own a bunch of these. She first loaned me “Dong Yi” – also excellent, but a different topic. “Dae Jang Geum” is available at the library and through Netflix. It’s easy to reserve at the library; with 54 episodes in 3 boxed sets, ordering from Netflix could be an unwieldy task. Worth the eye candy alone, but also educational and entertaining.

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[JoB]

anonyme…

thanks.. i will ask hubby to reserve it.

he is also an asian film junkie

and this sounds like something we could enjoy together since i am a bit of a (women’s) history junkie

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[anonyme]

JoB, I look forward to your review! I doubt you’ll be disappointed…

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[JoB]

already sent hubby an email with my request:)

thanks!

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[service dog academy]

Wow. Didnt think this would inspire so many to come out with their stories. My anxiety attacks are a bit different from the symptoms most of you are reporting. I go into what I call “zombie mode”. I end up usually sitting on the ground because my body gets very heavy and i lose coordination, i tap my head, repeatedly slur the same words over and over and stare into space until I finally just become motionless and silent. People frequently mistake me for a drunk or a drug addict. My brain eventually reboots and starts working again but I usually end up sleeping the rest of the day.

WSB – youre right about at least our insurance policy. we can have as many meds as we want but we are limited in therapy appts.

I use a lot of coping mechanisms including a service dog, medication, talk therapy, avoidance of known triggers, making sure i get enough sleep, fascinatingly enough…. locking myself in my closet (something about the dark enclosed space that makes me feel better), pressure therapy and music therapy. I think teaching puppy classes helps too. Did you know that just the act of looking at a puppy can produce oxytocin in the brain? “Recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin’s role in various behaviors, including orgasm, social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, and maternal behaviors…. Oxytocin evokes feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness and security” from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin But the one thing that made the biggest difference was the service dog. I am a contributing member of society because of him. http://www.king5.com/archive/60346112.html

I miss my Jasper so very very much. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJGNAozcQJ8 but Liame’s doing a pretty good job of keeping me smiling and functional http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG1A4vWQBpg

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[JoB]

service dog academy

i really don’t know what i would do without my pups.

they are not official service dogs but they can short circuit an anxiety attack in seconds…

and when i do the zombie thing.. which thankfully is infrequent

Yuki will tolerate it as long as i am in bed for a few hours…

then he tells me off in doggie yodel…

which makes me laugh … which brings me out of it

if i have them with me i seldom have to worry about public attacks because they give me ample warning that i need to isolate myself for a while.

i wish they could be official service dogs.. but my pups come with rescue baggage that makes them unsuitable for training and certification:(

still.. we are lucky to have four legged friends who take such good care of us.

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