I need HELP!!! I know I suffer from anxiety attacks and have worked hard to overcome this. I've been off one of the meds that seemed to really be helping with this, but of course I have a mom who thinks that pills are not the answer to life's problems. I am noticing a pattern with myself and was wondering if anyone here suffers from the same things and can offer any advice. I am noticing that I TOTALLY FREAK OUT whenever things don't go right. It seems I need everything perfect with no screw ups in order to get through my day without stress. Now I realize some of this is probably normal for just about everyone, but mine seems to go to the extreme. I just moved to a new state and took a new job just in the last month, add the holidays to that and my stress level has been through the roof. Now when things don't go just right at my new job, I panic!!! I've done this twice now and it does NOT make me look good at all!!! Now people are looking at me as the girl who freaks out over everything. Yesterday was the worst day I can ever remember. It was my son's 18th birthday and I had been approved to get off work early. Well I work for a group of Doctors and had to travel 1 1/2 hours to one of our clinics yesterday. My day started bad with the company gas card NOT being where it was supposed to be. I kind of freaked out about it and got really pissed off. Well my day only got worse from there. I got to the clinic I was going to and as soon as I pulled up in the parking lot, I started my period. Luckily I had something with me in the suitcase I carry everywhere I go. Then I couldn't find things I needed and then 2 pieces of equipment I needed to use didn't want to work properly. I did NOT get off work on time. In fact, I ended up working 12 hours yesterday and DO NOT get any overtime pay for it because of the holiday Monday. Oh, and to top off my rotten day, I had left the lights on in the van (my car is automatic) and killed the battery. I had to get everyone in the office to help me locate some jumper cables to get the van started so I could get back home. I still took my son out for his birthday. HOW do I keep myself together when everything is falling apart???? I managed NOT to break down and cry or fall apart, but to just try to get through the day. However, I met with 1 office manager and 1 HR person because everyone was concerned about how I'm handling my new job. I moved here with JUST my son. I have NO FAMILY here and NO FRIENDS. I do love it here and pretty much like my job, I just want to be able to stop freaking out when things don't go perfectly. I am learning that there was an awful lot not taught to me on my orientation. I wasn't even taught how to use the phone system!!!! I would REALLY appreciate ANY advice you all can provide. TIA!!!

__________________
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like you do when nobody's watching.

MyCoupons Is #1 for Holiday Shopping

My mom had an anxiety disorder and the medication worked wonderfully. You are under a stressful time now with a new job and moving so maybe now is not the best time to be off medication. I'm sorry your mom feels pills are not the answer but it sounds like they worked for you. Perhaps your mother has never experienced a panic attack but they are freightning. I would go back on the meds and get through the stressful time then when you are comfortable in your new situation try going off them again. Thre is nothing wrong with medication, it's not an excuse. There is a ton of research out there relating to the physiologiacl factors involveed in anxiety disorders. My mom also had couseling which was very helpful.

__________________
Mom to Miss C & Mr. E
Former SAHM now working full time
feboll@neo.rr.com

I am so sorry that you had such terrible experience. I suggest that you contact your previous provider, or seek out a new psych md. From the time you meet with the doc, he can evaluate your condition, provide meds if needed & refer you to a therapist to tune up on the coping skills. There is nothing wrong with being on meds, if they can help your situation. You should not have to suffer, and help is out there for the asking. Good luck & wish you the best!

__________________
We're off to never never land

oh gosh, I can so relate. a lot of my anxiety was from being alone so much while my dh was out to sea. I remember once having to pick my son up from summer camp, having to run my van to the shop for a new muffler, then the abs light came on..and I just broke down sobbing in the auto repair shop. I am on a drug now called effexor. It helps me tremendously with my panic attacks. I am also in a new state and have no family nearby. Please try meds again..don't let it be taboo..they really do help.

__________________
Live, Love, Laugh

In December, I told my doctor that I needed Zoloft. I was just stressed and worrying. Over little things. And couldn't sleep at night due to anxiety. Mine is not so much depression, although in the area I live in (WA state) the winter is enough to depress anyone with the constant rain and dark gloomy clouds. But is more the anxiety. The worrying. The wondering if the stove is off, the doors are locked, and stuff like that.

I could give a rip what people think about taking medication. I take them, and I do feel much better since I have been taking them. So to me, it is well worth it!

With the day you just described it's no wonder you were stressed. Good Grief.

Shame on your mom for discounting the benefit of medication to help alleviate a real problem. My daughter suffers from social anxiety disorder and was recently prescribed Xanax. The doctor put her on the lowest strenghth pill. She's found that by only taking 1/2 of one pill when she knows she's going to be in a situation that will make her panic she can relax a bit and get through it.

By all means, go back on the meds. You can't keep living the way you are.

__________________

If you know the medications worked better for you then being off of them...take them!

As for your Mother telling you that meds are not the answer, if you can't stand up to her, then don't tell her. Sometimes things we have to do in our adult life are private.

Hugs to you...I know what you are going through!

Check to see if there are any support groups for anxiety disorder in your area.Going to meetings once a week and talking about it with others who suffer from it to can help a lot and you may learn ways to help deal with it.

__________________

I used to suffer from anxiety and panic disorder. I have been in remission for 15 years now. I am one of those who does not like to take medication, I am not opppsed to it for other people, but I have made a personal choice from growing up with an alcoholic that I don't drink and won't take anything that could possibly become addictive. I went to psychotherapy for 3 years an did overcome my disorder through individual counseling, hypnosis and then learning self hypnosis and attended ALANON for 12 years and an ACOA group were ways to deal with it on my own (I started these before the psychotherapy). For me the issue was to find out what was causing the anxiety/panic (there is a reason). I was suffereing from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) resulting from being stalked by someone for 2 years and growing up in an alcoholic home, which were two entirely different things, but combined together caused the anxiety/panic. This also did not come out until several years later from when the stalking incidents happened, maybe 8-10 years later. Do you have any idea what is causing the anxiety? Has anything happened in the past that you are trying to deal with or have not dealt with? These are questions to ask yourself, I do not mean for you to answer them here. I was in denial for so long that it hadn't affected me and that I had no idea what was actually causing the problem. It took a long time to deal with the issues, it is alot harder to deal with the real issue than just taking the medication and masking the real problem, which may eventually surface anyway later on. I was even a Social Worker/counselor at the time when this was going on, so no one is exempt from denial. Anyway, good luck with your problem. If you need to talk, PM me and I will send you my email address.

Yes, I have MANY disorders/problems. I too grew up in an abusive alcoholic family. We went through many years of couseling back then and family therapy. I then suffered PTSD when my son's father was mudered in front of our apartment when I was 2 months pregnant. I think the problem right now for me is feeling abandoned. I think I feel like I'm out here in Arizona now all by myself with NO SUPPORT!!! My co-workers really are great and the meeting I had yesterday was a lot to let me know there are people around my work place to help me out and I don't have to deal with it all alone. I feel very unprepared with all that my new job requires. I'm used to dealing with patients, now I'm dealing directly with physicians and that seems to be a big part of my problems right now. I've been given lots of great suggestions by my co-workers on how to deal with the doctors. I also am finding out that a trigger for my anxiety is when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Like when something isn't where it's supposed to be or equipment that doesn't operate properly. Then it just throws me completely off and I lose it for a moment. What I need to figure out is how to prevent getting to the "losing it" part. I took my frustration that day out on one of my co-workers. I regretted it later. I was just so upset when things weren't going right. Maybe part of that has to do with my growing up and never knowing when my dad was going to drink and beat the crap out of my mom. Thankfully he quit drinking a long time ago. my parents just divorced 4 years ago because of my dad having an affair (same behavior). I have issues with my dad still, but I have directly addressed many of them with him. He has made this girlfriend of his a priority over his family especially around the holidays. I don't understand it. I'm trying to exercise now and I think that is going to help me with my stress. I just want to be able to stop myself from flying off the handle and snapping at people. I will make a lot of enemies if I keep that up. Thanks everyone for all the responses. I really do think I need the medication and have started taking it again. It will take a few weeks before it starts working again. I've been to many conferences that show there is an impairment in serotonin uptake in people who were raised in dysfunctional homes. The brain isn't able to develop properly and the result is depression and other issues. I thought for a long time I had sever depression. Now I've realized that I also have the anxiety disorder as well. I was taking Lexapro and it really did help alot. I just have to work through the next few weeks until it starts to work again. THANK YOU!!!

__________________
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like you do when nobody's watching.

MyCoupons Is #1 for Holiday Shopping

This is something I never knew. I've been on anti depressents for 11 years but kind of thought it was hereditary. My mother suffered from clinical depression all her life but wasn't diagnosed until she was 65. All of my sisters are on meds also for depression. Can depression be hereditary? Or is it always a result of your past. I grew up in a very dysfunctional home but never even thought of that as being part of my problem. Sheesh, maybe I need a psychiatrist to help figure me out. LOL

__________________

Part of the dysfunction in the family has to do with the disease. For instance, I've been told that Alcoholism is a form of depression. Therefore, either you inherit the depression in a different form instead of the Alcoholism, which I've also been taught is hereditary, or because your needs aren't met growing up in this environment, your brain does not develop as it should. It is quite complicated. I was told in that conference that when you are a child your brain is developing and is affected by your environment and your needs being met. If you live with one alcoholic, basically the other parent is co-dependent and not available to meet your needs either.

__________________
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like you do when nobody's watching.

MyCoupons Is #1 for Holiday Shopping

I have not been a counselor in several years, but my husband is currently a counselor in a psychiatric facility, I asked him just to be sure, since I do remember alot, but I wanted to have my facts straight. he said the main causes of depression can be hereditary/chemical imbalance, situational, drug-induced, and from taumatic event. Hope this helps.

This is from my own experience, many people who are ACOA's (adult child of an alcoholic) have issues with needing to be in control, which may be part of the reason that when things go wrong it is so hard to deal with. I'm sure the move and getting used to a new job doesn't help. The fact that is is a holiday has triggers for all kinds of things we sometimes don't even know about.

I don't have it now but I did suffer from panic attacks right after the birth of my second son... Probably something to do with postpartum?

At any rate, I do feel for you... it's frightening the way it makes you feel! I hope that you can figure out what you can do that will help you to live life more peacefully.

My best wishes and hugs go out to you.

I have anxiety/panic disorder. I went to therapy for it. My therapist taught me relaxation techniques. They work for some, never worked for me.
Panic attacks are the worst- that sense of doom, the physical symptoms... BLAH. You need to find something that works for YOU. It might be medication, it might be relaxation techniques....

I found something.... this is so strange but my DH used to watch a show on MTV called Jacka$$. I hated it- thought it was the most ridiculous thing- grown men acting that - then one day a panic attack hit and DH had on the movie Jacka$$- i tried focusing on that- and found myself laughing and soon getting over the panic. So everytime i felt an attack coming on- i'd pop in that movie. Crushing on Knoxville didnt hurt either

It's just what works for you. I wish you luck, i know how crippling it can be. (((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))

__________________
Not all those that wander are lost.