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do i have anxiety?

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 6/25/2012 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone,

I'm a 26 year old male. I'm a tier 2 manager for a fortune 500 company. I also flip houses on the side. I also swing trade stock options. Needless to say - I deal with a lot of stress on a daily basis.

When I was a kid, I used to pull out my hair. I had no eye brows, eye lashes, and I had a 1sq. Inch bald spot on the top of my head.

When I first became sexually active, I couldn't get an erection for the life of me. I had to take viagra until I became comfortable with my partner.

I unnecessarily worry about just about everything. I'm an extreme type a personality.

Most of the time when I go to the doctor, my blood pressure is 140+. I'm thin and I exercise.

I was recently diagnosed with erosion of the esophagus from heartburn. I have noticed that when I'm stressed, my heartburn gets worse. I'm currently on the strongest medication on the market for heartburn. I worry about heartburn every day because it can lead to cancer.

My heart races some days. I've been to the hospital several times for heart palpitations and begign irregular heartbeats.

I panic like Hell when I fly for business meetings. I talked to my doctor about it and he prescribed me xanax 1mg.

I totally have restless leg syndrome.

Recently I've been really stressed out and I took half of one of my leftover xanax pills. It helped me SO much. I'm kind of thinking I should take it every day, but want to talk to my doctor about it first.

What are your thoughts?

Post Edited (pharcyder) : 6/24/2012 6:51:44 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/25/2012 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
Hi pharcyder and welcome,

It certainly sounds like you have your share of stress in your life...and add that to a personality that seems to be 'wired-up' toward anxiety since a young age...and you have a need for stess management!

I personally would recommend seeking treatment in the form of therapy to learn how to cope with anxiety before taking a benzodiazapine on a daily basis.

I am not at all against medication, but I am certainly pro therapy, and if you have never learned the crucial skills needed for dealing with your stress and physical/mental symptoms, then it is a good time to do so!

Many members here find that a combination of therapy and medication is a great treatment option for them. I know that it is hard to carve out time to commit to going to regular appointments, but it is your health that we are talking about here...and I believe that it will be worth it for you and that you will have no regrets.

If you are willing to give it a try, then you can ask your doctor for a referral for a therapist who offers CBT. This therapy is very effective and can help you to reduce your overall stress and therefore help relieve your physical symptoms as well.

We have some great links in our Anxiety Resources here as well that teach breathing and relaxation exercises that are also helpful and you can get started on those anytime.:)

Keep posting here with us as well. We understand what you are going through, and are here to help and support.

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat
Posted 6/27/2012 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hello! Thank you for the reply. I saw the doc today and he prescribed me buspar 15mg. I'm kind of scared to take it. Is it safe? Addictive? Side effects? Has anyone had any experience with this?

Initially, he suggested zoloft or another antidepressent. However, I don't have depression so I told the doc I wasn't comfortable with it.
Posted 6/28/2012 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
I personally do not have experince with this, but I have heard that it is a good choice for a lot of people for anxiety management.

Everyone is different however, so what works for one person, may not for another, as you can see from these reviews...I found this cross section of opinions and experiences from people who have tried, or are currently using Buspar. It may help you to make a more informed decision...(make sure and read beyond the first page...the reviews get more varied on page 2...)

http://www.drugs.com/comments/buspirone/buspar-for-anxiety.html

I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do!  Keep up the good work, and let us know how it is going soon.:)

S.C.

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