Fear of going crazy!!!

The good news 'eyelashes' is that you have come to the right place for help and support..Welcome to HW

Crazy? - No...

Suffering Panic and Anxiety which sometimes feels like u going Crazy ?- Yes (I should know - I have been there many times over the years - still here to tell the tale )

I am wondering if you are on meds for anxiety? If not - I would suggest going to your doc. and telling him what's going on with you just now - just like you told us..If you are on meds I would suggest a review of them...Meds don't have to be forever - they can just be a temporary help while we are going thru a rough patch...

Most of all I would like to reassure you that with the right help, maybe some meds and even a dose of counselling - that you Will be ok I promise..

I know there will be some wonderful understanding and help coming your way from everyone here at HW..Keep posting.

Maree

Hi Eyelashes,   First, Welcome to Healing Well.  The members here are wonderful, they are helpful, thoughtful, caring and a great source of knowledge.  You'll find a great amount of resources via members, resource links, etc.  One of the resources is to the right, just click on the Anxiety-Panic link and it will take you to the list of resources available to you.  Another resource that may be of value to you is in the Anxiety-Panic Resources link at the top of this page (tan area).  In that area, at the bottom, are two links - one is called CBT Therapy - What is it? and the other is Relaxation Techniques .  The techniques may be of great use to you while you are having an attack.    Are you going crazy?  No, not at all - it sounds more like anxiety/panic disorder to me in my opinion.  As you can see from this board this is a VERY common disorder and we try our best to help each out with this.   The biggest thing I find that helps me is try to focus on something other than what has triggered the attack; it's not an easy thing to do.  But maybe having someone talking to you telling you that you will be okay, that nothing will hurt you and that this will pass may be helpful to you.  Reassurance really does help.   I would also go along with Maree's suggestion of seeing a doc about meds if you aren't on them already and if you are seeing if the dosing is correct or may need to be changed for awhile.  It can sometimes take several tries before you find the right medication that will work.  Counseling may also be a good route for your for awhile too.   Just remember that you are not alone in this battle and you now have the Healing Well family to help you through this.  Please keep posting and we will be sure to help you however we can.   Take care and welcome to Healing Well, Wen

eyelashes

A Warm Welcome to HealingWell and the A & P Forum.  As the wise ones that have posted before me have said you have come to the right place as we all understand anxiety and panic.  You will find lots of caring members here ready to suppot you.

I am Kitt and try to remember this when you are into a anxiety or panic attack:

It does not matter if you feel frightened, disorientated, dreamlike, or unsteady. These feelings are an exaggeration of the normal bodily reactions to stress.
Just because you have these sensations doesn't mean you are crazy. These feelings are just unpleasant and frightening, not dangerous. Nothing worse will happen to you.

Let your feelings come. . Don't run away from panic. When you feel panic build up, take a deep breath and as you breathe out, let go. Keep trying. Stay there almost as if you were floating in space. Don't fight the feeling of panic. Accept it; you can deal with it.

Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible without escaping. If you're on a street, lean against a post or a store wall. If you're at the cosmetics department of a store, find a quieter counter or corner. If you're in a boutique, tell the salesperson you don't feel well and want to sit for a while. Do not jump into a car and go home in fear.

Don't indulge in stinkin thinking, "Why can't I be normal ? Why does this have to happen to me?" Just accept what is happening to you. If you do this, what you fear most will not happen.

Think about what is really happening to your body at this moment. Do not think "Something terrible is going to happen. I must get out." Repeat to yourself "I am ok, I will not die or lose control."

I have to practice the "I am okay"  frequently when my anxiety spikes.  Just stay in the moment and don't worry about yesterday or anticipate what might happen tommorow.  Just live today. Laugh often, dream big and reach for the stars. 

We are here to help you, take our hands in friendship.

Hugs
Kitt

percycat said...
Hello and welcome!

In my worst times of anxiety and panic, I have definitely wondered if I was having a nervous breakdown, losing my ability to function, and maybe should just check myself into a psych ward for a while. I think these a pretty common feelings in the middle of a panic attack, and it's very hard to talk yourself down from them. Do know, though, that if you were really going crazy, you probably wouldn't be sound enough in mind to tell -- you'd probably think you were "normal." It feels even worse when you throw in the worry about "what will my family/coworkers/friends think if they find out?"

I had an extremely bad period of this kind of thinking earlier this winter, but with a change in my medication, that aspect of my anxiety is gone now. I also tried to plan my options for what I could and couldn't do or how I would handle trying to work and be around people while feeling so close to the edge mentally. I thought about how much sick leave I have, who I'd tell the whole story to and who I'd just brush off, etc., and I realized that if I did really crack (which in fact wasn't going to happen), I had alternatives that weren't so scary as I'd imagined.

Remember that what you're feeling is a very common reaction to anxiety in a lot of people, and see whether counseling, relaxation, or medication can make an improvement for you.

Good luck, eyelashes!
percycat

I would have to say this post relates to me as well.

Crazy is not a word I would use, but scared more like it

Crazy = pedophiles and or serial killers.

If you are being chased by a bear, you run screaming right? Well this doesn't mean you're going crazy, it means you're scared out of your mind!

Fear is normal, ride the wave and it will pass and in the meantime talk to yourself, but not out loud in public, because people will think you're crazy...haha!
No seriously, give yourself a good pep talk when this fear sets in. It's our perception that is out of tune.

Hi eyelashes
I suffer from exactly the same thing as you and find it unbearable when going through it!
I have many fears that manifest through these periods and they are so frightening that I find it so hard to believe that it is just anxiety!!
I can have the underlying feeling all day or be fighting them off and it ends up getting worse resulting in a full blown panic. Just lately I have been having PA nearly every day! I also would not describe them as the usual PA as i do not get fearful of not breathing properly or anything like that, for me its the intense feeling of turning crazy any second or actually being crazy in that moment and remaining in that state of fear. I generally feel really weak and shaky and dont feel in control, i find it hard to keep still and i can also get the chills or feel really hot.....and that is just a few of my symptoms!! they can slightly change each time. Do you or anyone else get similar feelings?
I hope you are still here as the original post was a few months ago. I truly hope you are starting to feel better now.
Best wishes
x

Thanks Kitt
Your words are reassuring. For me it is like the anxiety develops new and scarier ways to make an impact. I would say my first PA was what I wouls call a 'classic' PA, when I would hyperventilate and be scared I was about to die of some major health problem, these started when I was pregnant at 16. (I was always a very anxious child and would fear all diseases!)
They would come on and off after that for years, I had lots of counselling which helped then I was free from panic for about 2 years but would always worry about stuff. I have had health anxiety for ages but now I am going through a house sale and having a teenage daughter!! they have come back with avengence, I would say that I have developed panic disorder now as been having PAs every day and feeling very anxious in between. As i am writing now I am feeling OK. I have started some counselling again and also had some sessions of EFT. I am too scared to take meds as I went to the GP after my 1st recent PA and got meds but after 2 days on them I had the worst PA ever which lasted about 3 hours on and off! I think that was what started my complete fear of having another 1. I have just bought some vitamin b complex and magnesium which i have been told helps so will try then as there are no written side effects!! Anyway thats me for now, its cathartic writing this but it does feel a bit lke im exposing myself.
Best wishes
C

I am not sure if this is the correct thread for this post, but here goes. I am suffering from Depression and GAD. I tried both Zoloft and cymbalta, and although they seemed to help depression they made my anxiety worse. Xanax seemed to help somewhat, but my Dr is not good about giving it to me. This has been going on for about 10 months. Was severe at first, lost 10lbs in 10 days, now months later, weight is back, but my anxiety is just sort of always there, along with depression. I went through this once before 20 years ago with postpartum that lasted about 6 months. Thought I would never experience it again. I went throughan extremely bad situation 10 months ago, that may have kicked it off, but I am usually so strong. It really sucks to feel this way. At home I could just walk up and down the hallway and not get anything done. Does anyone know if Lexapro helps with both anxiety and depression. I am afraid to keep trying, since I have not had good luck with the two I have tired. Any advice?? What about natural supplements?