How do your anxiety/panic attacks manifest themselves?

[jacquidube]

I've had anxiety attacks since I was about 15 but they have come and gone. I've gone a few years without having any "panic attacks" but I've always had a sense of anxiety or thinking something might be wrong with me physically for a long time. Of course I've been to the doctors who can't find anything wrong with me. Recently though they have been really bad because I'm pregnant. What makes it worse is that I can't sleep at night and I've never had a problem sleeping before. I only get a few hours of sleep a night and some night no sleep at all because of having butterflies in my stomach I can't seem to get rid of. I'd do anything for my anxiety to ease up and my life return to normal again..

Hello and congratulations on your pregnancy. Unfortunately anxiety is heightened while we are pregnant. Your hormones are all over the place making way for little one. If you can understand this then I think you can fight it. When we have an anxiety attack, the reason why it takes control is because we allow it. Once we feel uneasy we start to think about it all the time and thats what makes it worse.
I just repeat the name of Jesus all the time when I am feeling anxious. I just say Jesus, Jesus, Jesus and everything lifts. Jesus loves you and your baby. He wont let anything harm you. Try to occupy your mind. Think of beautiful names for your baby. Write a poem about your pregnancy. I usually shout at my anxiety and tell it to leave me alone, it usually listens.

God bless you and I pray you will be at peace.

 

[stealingheaven]

Amen everybody. I am so glad that we do understand each other. It does help us. We are not alone but we also do not have to suffer. All we can do is trust in God with all we have then we would have no need to think about what our bodies go through.

it's true, it's good to read on here that we're not alone in suffering the anxiety we go through in whatever form or for whatever reason and it is true that we can turn to God in times of panic attacks or anxiety and trust in Him to help us during those times.

 

[arzu926]

Hi everyone! I started suffering from anxiety attacks about 2 months ago. So much has been going on in my life(I just converted from Islam and am getting Baptized this Sunday, recently engaged, graduated from college, left the Military, starting a new career..... and the list goes on.) I also have been having really bad reflux and my stomache is not emptying properly. It's so nice to be able to come here and share this with all of you. I was wondering if anyone is on meds?? My doctor wants me to try Lexapro and get off the Xanax.

 

[stealingheaven]

Hi everyone! I started suffering from anxiety attacks about 2 months ago. So much has been going on in my life(I just converted from Islam and am getting Baptized this Sunday, recently engaged, graduated from college, left the Military, starting a new career..... and the list goes on.) I also have been having really bad reflux and my stomache is not emptying properly. It's so nice to be able to come here and share this with all of you. I was wondering if anyone is on meds?? My doctor wants me to try Lexapro and get off the Xanax.

Hi, welcome to CF

sorry to hear you've been going through so much lately, no doubt all the changes affect your level of anxiety. I've had anxiety for years now but my levels have increased SO much lately (and also depression now), I was prescribed 'Buspirone' just today, previously I would take 'propranolol' if I felt I was having what I call a 'major' panic attack. I'm very cautious with takings meds, I don't really like to but I really feel at such a low in my life right now that I need something to help me cope.

 

[Akathist]

Hi everyone! I started suffering from anxiety attacks about 2 months ago. So much has been going on in my life(I just converted from Islam and am getting Baptized this Sunday, recently engaged, graduated from college, left the Military, starting a new career..... and the list goes on.) I also have been having really bad reflux and my stomache is not emptying properly. It's so nice to be able to come here and share this with all of you. I was wondering if anyone is on meds?? My doctor wants me to try Lexapro and get off the Xanax.

First arzu, congratulations for converting to Christianity and getting baptised and for your engagement and graduation and new career! That is a lot of very wonderful things!

Good changes in our live are stressful and can make anxiety seem worse. It is ironic in some ways, but "excitement" and "anxiety" produce similar brain chemicals and can be connected.

Keep up with your self help routines: prayer, deep breathing relaxation exercises, exercise and working on your thoughts (rational thinking). I think you need to follow your doctor's advice about medication, we really can't give you medical advice here.

 

[kamikat]

I know we can't give medical advice, BUT, xanax is known to be addictive. If your doctor wants you to get off the xanax, it's probably a good idea. If you are concerned about switching meds, the best thing to do is ask your doctor why he wants you to switch and discuss the pros and cons of the new meds. Learn everything you can about both Lexapro and xanax. Make an informed decision WITH your doctor.

kamikat

 

[littlesister]

Wow! Tell me about it! I bet we don't have the same issues with parenting, but parenting is hard for me, too. Because I have social anxiety,I have always had problems with meeting other moms for playdates and mommy groups. Now that my kids are a little older, in elementary school, I'm expected to be so involved. I had a panic attack right before a PTA meeting and just can't bring myself to go back. I tend to avoid all the night time school activites (pizza night, parties, book fairs, ect). I feel bad for my kids because they want to go to all these things, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

kamikat

Hi everyone. It's my first time in this forum. I had to check it out. I don't really talk to anyone about anxiety except my hubby. Kamikat/m_c_f...you two nailed it. My anxiety has to do with social situations also. When I was going to work in an office each day (I now work from home), I dreaded it. I would get lightheaded and shaky, unable to think straight, and this other feeling that's hard to explain...like an overawareness of every little thing I was doing. My fingers would get tingly and sluggish feeling (I think I noticed that because my job is typing).

I even have a hard time enjoying church. I can't start a conversation for the life of me, yet I would love to make friends and have fellowship. My mind just goes completely blank at "shake a few hands and say hello" time. I'd love to get together with other moms for playdates, etc. as you said kamikat. So it mostly affects my parenting in that way.

In the last couple of years, I've noticed it has started affecting me even when I go shopping at Wal-Mart or the grocery store. I feel like people are looking at me strangely, and sometimes I get that "overawareness" of my walking or breathing that I almost trip or have to take a deep breath. That really bothers me because I used to love shopping!

Well just thought I'd share...thanks for listening. See you around!

 

[pompuspom]

I also have experienced this scurge.

 

[samantha98537]

ive been diagnoised with many forms of depression however have managed not to have to be on meds other than for about two years durring a really bad divorce, i dont talk much about how i feel or the things that happens to me becouse no one arround really understands than the agoraphobia kicks in and i cant leave my home for days, the most sever was when i went to court and the anxiety was so bad i lost consciousness for a min. i was imbaresed by this the commisioner was talking and i missed what he siad and i was trying to be so profesional, know i keep my bible books close stay home alot. people tend to only see me a cople times a month i am a verry thin women (eat all the time just cant gain wieght) and people think im being abused and they should save me instead it feels like my dissorders are abusing me and i know God is the only one yhat can really same me.

 

[Stinker]

Anyone ever have to deal with the kind of attack you get when you travel from your town or city to out into the flat open country?

 

[firefly0434]

I have suffered from anxiety most of my life, but just in the last few months it has been worse. My face gets blood red, pain in my chest, numbness and tingly all over, and I cant breathe. I have asthma as well so it is often hard to tell whether i need to use my inhaler or just walk away and calm down.(it makes things pretty complicated)I have narrowed the cause down to the new girl at work ,but i havent figured out what to do about it or why i allow someone to cause me so much angst. It is good to see if there are people like me who are having the same issues as me. Thanks for listening and God Bless!

 

[stealingheaven]

I have suffered from anxiety most of my life, but just in the last few months it has been worse. My face gets blood red, pain in my chest, numbness and tingly all over, and I cant breathe. I have asthma as well so it is often hard to tell whether i need to use my inhaler or just walk away and calm down.(it makes things pretty complicated)I have narrowed the cause down to the new girl at work ,but i havent figured out what to do about it or why i allow someone to cause me so much angst. It is good to see if there are people like me who are having the same issues as me. Thanks for listening and God Bless!

There is no one specific who causes me to feel this way, but I understand what you feel, when I'm trying really hard to explain something and have my point heard and understood, in a debate or trying to diffuse an argument, I too go bright red in the face, my heart palpatates, my chest feels tighter, like I'm going to pass out because I can't breath in enough air. It frustrates me because people see the way I am feeling and tell me to stop, go away, lets finish the conversation/debate now, but I don't want to because nothing gets sorted then. I think when people see me go red in the face they see that I feel uncomfortable and then I think they take pity on me and try to end the conversation/debate.

 

[firefly0434]

There is no one specific who causes me to feel this way, but I understand what you feel, when I'm trying really hard to explain something and have my point heard and understood, in a debate or trying to diffuse an argument, I too go bright red in the face, my heart palpatates, my chest feels tighter, like I'm going to pass out because I can't breath in enough air. It frustrates me because people see the way I am feeling and tell me to stop, go away, lets finish the conversation/debate now, but I don't want to because nothing gets sorted then. I think when people see me go red in the face they see that I feel uncomfortable and then I think they take pity on me and try to end the conversation/debate.

I have met a few people in life who just rub me the wrong way. There are a lot of factors as to why me and the woman don't get along. I am somewhat shy and very non-confrontational and I really want to say something to people to let them know they are upsetting me but can't.(if that makes sense) So it just ends up building up and them I start to panic and that is when I do the anxiety thing. I know what you are saying and how you feel.Good Luck!

 

[stealingheaven]

We sound very similar, I too am shy and don't like confrontation, it takes a while for me to speak up about something that I don't like or has been bugging me and it builds up inside until something makes me snap and it just all pours out. It makes me feel anxious and panicky when it does eventually pour out but I feel relief afterwards that I've got it off my chest. When I mentioned debates and wanting my view point heard it's because of what I've been through recently, had a lot of trouble with anti-social neighbours and I had to speak with the local council/police etc and it was all highly stressful for me, even moreso becasue of the anxiety I suffer anyway.

Fortunately that episode in my life is now over but because I am shy and keep to myself, I think people tend to think of me as a snob or ignorant and people misread me, that's when I start to feel uncomfortable around people and I find things build up inside because I So want people to know the real me.

Think I probably waffled on abit too much there lol, but I know what it's like to be shy and have someone upset you and you want nothing more than to tell them but it feels so hard. I wish you luck too.

God bless x

 

[fireandicefuel]

Mine is a little different. Say when I sit down in a restaurant with my friends I feel like people are watching me and my eyes water. They water when I get nervous or anxious. I have allergies in my eyes and I really should get some medicine for that as I have always toughed them out. But for some reason when I get anxious, or nervous, my eyes water and I have to rub them and I really can't handle myself. I get irritable. I have to leave or something. I do feel my throat tightening up like many have said. Whenever my eyes water I hate the feeling how lights are just making it worse. There is a glare and I can't block everything out.

 

[Ruth~]

I feel intense fear that starts in my stomach. Sometimes I feel as if a bear was chasing me when there's no bear.

 

[tapero]

I feel it in my legs today. They are always restless but even now more so because I am nervous today. I know the last post is from August, but Ruth I know what you mean about that feeling in the stomach.

I added medication and mine went away. It hasn't come back either and the doctor had me drop that added medication as I was having side effects.

I always rock back and forth and I am sure i look weird in church, but I can't help it.

Well, God bless everyone.

 

[kamikat]

Oh, yeah, I get it in my stomach, too! What's worse, is that I've gotten stomach problems already, so the panic just makes that worse. I'll sometimes get it in my legs. They'll just shake uncontrollably. Or sometimes it will be my hands/arms. I took meds for a while, but they made me kinda foggy. I didn't like them.

 

[Gwendolyn]

Kamikat... this might sound odd, but what a blessing it is to find you here. We tend to post in the same congregational forums so I feel somewhat relieved to discover that a familiar person suffers exactly as I do. Though I am not a mother, my panic and anxiety manifests almost exactly as you described.

What a blessing it is to find that I am not alone. This illness is so isolating and I struggle with feeling gravely misunderstood.

Anyone ever have to deal with the kind of attack you get when you travel from your town or city to out into the flat open country?

I kind of chuckled when I read this because I really thought I was the only person who was affected by that! Yes! I have so much anxiety about travelling to or even through wide, open spaces - last summer I passed through the prairies and I had to fight so hard just to stay calm. I don't know what it is about flat, open areas like that, but they bother me a great deal.

 

[kamikat]

Veritas, Hi! It's always nice to see a familar face.
I highly recommend reading Triumph over Fear by Jerilyn Ross. She was my therapist for a couple years and I was "well" while in her care.
I have problems with bridges and airplanes. I like to visit new places once I'm there, but getting there makes me nuts. I also get what "they" call white coat fever, meaning doctors can trigger a panic attack. it's so bad that one doctor, who refused to believe me, percribed me high blood pressure medication because my blood pressure was so high every time I saw her. I started tracking my blood pressure at home and decided to not take the bp meds because at home my blood pressure was normal.