HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Weather

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/26/2008 3:39 AM (GMT 0)
Anyone else suffer from anxiety more when the weather is rainy or the weather is just bad?  I have always heard people get depressed when the weather is bad but I get super anxious when it is getting ready to rain.  I don't even like looking out the window.  I have never been is a situation where the weather has put me or my family in danger but it still freaks me out.  It doesn't seem to bother me near as much as when I got on Effexor last month but I still feel a little anxious.  I'm on 75mg per day right now and am wondering if I should see if the Dr thinks a little larger dose might be better.
Posted 5/26/2008 5:54 AM (GMT 0)

Hey, I'm a bit the opposite, I just love the rain..(but I do get a little anxious if a thunderstorm comes out of the blue).  This could be because I feel when the sun is shining I feel like I SHOULD be happy and outside, but it actually depresses me.  Where I live rain is rare, and sun is almost always shining so maybe that's it?? But that's just me, I'm sure others will post with something similar. 

I'm glad the effexor is working for you, but if you feel the dose could go up than by all means tell your doc.  It's so important to get that dose right.  Stay well.

Posted 5/26/2008 11:17 AM (GMT 0)
Oddly enough, I'm with Meg about rain too. The theory about wanting to feel chipper when the sun's out makes sense, but I think for me, it's also because I grew up where it's overcast more than not, and so cloudy or rainy weather is comforting, makes me feel secure and not "exposed."

I guess you could say that wind makes me anxious, though, but in an angry way, not a fearful way. I hate, hate, HATE driving, biking, or sometimes even walking in the wind, and it makes me extremely tense and, yes, angry. Weird, huh?

percycat
Posted 5/26/2008 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
HI,

Well I am with you kinda. I use to have real bad weather anxiety in fact it was more of a storm phobia. Everytime a thunderstorm would come up i was a mess. Complete panic attack if anything became sever! It was so bad when a storm would come up I would have to close the curtian and blinds so i couldnt see the clouds and storms rolling in. My hubby use to get soooo mad at me about it.

When we finally moved from huston tx to indiana we got a house with a basement and the weather phobia calmed down. I can now handle thunderstorms and even watch the rain....sometimes. LOL

I only get panicy if it is going to e really bad weather and they are talking about sever weather. I think having a basement gave me some relief.
The only advice I have is try not to watch the weather to much it can really work you up also dont look out the windows and try to find something to do when it rains/storms like listen to music with headphones so you cant hear it.

Best wishes!
Posted 5/26/2008 4:36 PM (GMT 0)

Hello all,

It does seem like we are getting some bad storms as it is that time of year, tornadoe season.  We had a bad storm last night and a tornadoe touch down north of us, 1 child died.  I am always in tune to the weather channel, but I guess I don't feel anxiety as much as being aware of what is going on and planning on what we would do if the weather turned ugly in our area.

I love a nice rain at night and the wind blowing is soothing to me.  I don't like weeks of dreary weather such as we had in March and April this year.

Good thread ColtsFan.  Thanks for starting it.

Kitt

Posted 5/26/2008 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
Crying,

The way you describe the way you used to be sounds exactly like what I'm going thru now.  I live in Indiana also, Evansville to be exact, and we had some pretty good storms come thru last night so I was a bit stressed to say the least.  I believe the weather is 90% what I get stressed about to the point that if I know it is going to storm in a few days I get anxious even when it is nice out just in anticipation of the storms coming.  I also think this problem I'm having has turned into a phobia and I have tried everything to stay calm including listening to calming music with noise reducing headphones, turning on a loud fan to distract, not looking out windows.  I also purchased a new home a few years back with a basement just for the reason of tornados which I thought was odd and kept to myself.  It does make me feel a little better but now I also get anxious during rain because I'm afraid my basement will flood which has never happened and I have prepared myself for just about every senario that could happen just in case.  stkitt, you are exactly right about the ugly month of March and April.  I'm sure that is why I have been more anxious this year than in previous years.  I'm hoping that with summer almost here things will die down a bit.  I'm not glad that others have had this problem but I am to know that you got over it.  Hopefully this is just a temporary thing for me also.

Thanks for all the comments.

Posted 5/28/2008 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
ColtsFan,

I hear ya! It is such a bad feeling knowing those storms are coming and there is not a darn thing you can do about but sit there and pray they are not to bad! I in sounthern indiana but about 2 hours away from evansville so I know what storms your talking about.

I use to only get stressed and painic about storms but it grew into this huge monster of anxiety that can flare up with even the thoughts of being in large groups of people. I do feel for you I know the helpless feeling you get when you hear that rumble of thunder.

If you ever need someone to talk to about it, feel free to shoot me an email.

My doc back in huston tx gave me xanax to help me get thru the hurricanes and tropic storms down there. However im taking xanax anymore for storms I just grit and bare them.
Posted 5/29/2008 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks,  I wish I knew what circumstance caused this fear but it is completely irrational and I know that.  I just can't get it thru my head when it is actually happening.  We had 4 inches of rain the other day and I think I handled it pretty well.  I was nervous though.  I can't even imagine how I would feel in a hurricane.  You would have to give me something to knock me out cold.

Posted 5/29/2008 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
 Tell me about it! I was so bad at one point that they could say we'll have bad weather at the end of the week and I would worry about it ALL week long and flip out when it started to rain. I also knew that it was irrational but couldnt help myself.

I would sit there and tel myself out loud, its just rain, its just rain, its just rain, then paninc and freak out. Know matter what I did I was a mess. It has calmed down a bit over the last couple years but still when they talk about warnings and stuff I get a bit shaky and nervous and try really hard not to panic.

I think most of the problem for me anyways, is the feeling of not being able to do a darn thing about it. I cant change the weather, I cant make it go away and I feel so helpless when its bad weather and I cant do anything about it.

I know some more storms are coming thru tomorrow night/ sat morning. If you need someone to talk to im here.

Posted 5/29/2008 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
great topic! Sorry to hear you're going through this. I think weather does a lot to use. It makes a lot of sense that it triggers anxiety. I tend to like bad weather, but that is because i live in california and most of the time its nice. I love riding my bicycle in the rain -- it's very liberating (*note, i clearly dont know the meaning of bad weather). There is always a flip side, and i do think that really bad storms or periods of dark looming / storm conditions would not be good for me.

Just a question, is the idea of "this might get worse" happen? Or is it " I just want to go outside, being inside is making me anxious". I do get both of those sometimes as well. I'm a bit of a walking contradiction, i know, I guess depends on the context.

That aside, i hope all my friends in stormy areas find some peace. I wonder if there is something you can do to help with it? I think what i would try and do is wear some noise cancellation headphones and work on something. I think when i can focus on something it really seems to help. But thats just me, and I think if i was in a situation like you guys, noise cancellation headphones might make things worse? I dunno? Sheesh, i'm full of long winded turn-a-bouts.

Ok, i better just move on. Hang in there! And keep us posted.
dan

And i just re-read some of the posts... Tornados! Yeah, that would not be a good thing for me. Stay safe friends.
Posted 5/29/2008 10:02 PM (GMT 0)

coltsfan,

I hate the power outtages that are caused by the storms.  Sitting in the lower level with no lights and no television weather radar makes me pace.  I try to just lay on the couch and rest but it is so freaky feeling out of touch with the reat of the country.

We always plan for a water supply etc as we are in the country and our water is on a well with an electric pump so we have to have bottled water as well a gallons of water on hand for flushing toilets.

Emergency Preparedness for bad weather when you live in the northern states is a must. 

Hope some of this helps you see your not alone my friend.

Take care
Kitt

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply