Stress/anxiety.

[tbourner]

Anyone suffer with it?

I don't have full on panic attacks with heart palps and hyperventilation or anything (at least not yet), I just get dizzy spells which have been getting more frequent.

Doctors have been going through the usual tests, bloods came back clean, high BP has been checked with a 24hr monitor and I'm awaiting the results (but it was reading OK when I wasn't in the hospital), they want to send me for an echo-cardio-gram as well next week, I've had a few ECGs that came back OK but I had a quiet heart murmur when he checked me over, so the ultrasound is to check my valves are ok - all of this is crap for me though because of my white-coat anxiety!!

 

Anyhoo, other option is my eyesight (slightly blurry at long range in my left eye - could give me headaches/dizziness).

 

I looked on a panic/anxiety forum and found LOADS of threads about dizzines and lightheadedness, and the symptoms matched mine perfectly, so I'm going for the usual 'stress' getout now.

 

I get it randomly, but some clear times are emerging:

When queing in Asda (not in Tesco though - cos the queues are ALWAYS shorter).

when in the weekly meeting at work.

Sometimes at my desk at work.

When out for a meal (which we only do every few months anyway).

At the doctors/hospital.

 

I can usually get rid of it by changing something - usually just standing up and walking around for a bit. If I get it when standing up I just need to go somewhere else (which is tricky a lot of the time). I never get it when driving, and it goes when I stop thinking about it (again, very difficult when it's there!).

 

 

Anyone else have trouble with this kind of thing? It's very annoying!!

[AlexJames]

Yes, I suffer from Panic attacks/ Anxiety attacks... Have had councelling for some time now and am on meds too.. its a total nightmare but im getting through it..

 

It does sound like the symptoms that you have are anxiety attacks... i used to get the same thing when cueing... and generally I had to leave or do something to get rid of it. Its caused by your body thinking its in danger and over pumping adrenelin through your system... which engages the fight or flight response... which is why u start to feel better when you either choose to flight... or go for walk, which burns off the excess adrenelin... does that makes sense?

[tbourner]

Yep, completely. It's annoying for me cos I'm one of those logical people, an INTJ, pretty standard for an Engineer I hear. But I can't 'logic' my way out of it, no matter how much I tell myself it's silly and I know why it's happening!! How rubbish!!!

 

People on the panic forum have said it gets easier once you truly believe you AREN'T going to pass out or be laughed at or whatever, but I keep telling myself that and it doesn't change anything.

 

I've tried the breathing exercises as well (5 seconds in 8 seconds out etc.), but nothing really stops it except thinking about something else.

 

 

Not sure what the doc is gonna do next either, hopefully after my ECGs and stuff they'll start looking at non physical stuff, maybe send me to a psych or something which would be good.

[SimonG]

Hi, I`m Simon`s wife Linda. Can`t really offer any advice as it sounds like you are dealing with this awful problem in a sensible way. I too suffer with both these conditions, however they are totally related to a medical problem that i have. Just wanted to offer some support in as much as there are people out there that understand how debilitating these attacks can be and that you can get on top of them, even without medication.

Just keep thinking logically and doing as you are. It can get better.

Good luck

Linda

[Stevie72]

Yes I had them too and have been on meds for around 10 years now. It's like hell on earth when it first started - thought i was dying most of the time! Used to get it driving through Dartford Tunnel - meds usually control it and now at 36 i am pretty much ok!

 

One thing not to do, which i did was take up drinking to cope with it!!! That created a whole new load of problems!!

[stevie_b]

I don't suffer from panic attacks, but here's my input/thoughts. Maybe it could help...

 

Yep, completely. It's annoying for me cos I'm one of those logical people, an INTJ, pretty standard for an Engineer I hear. But I can't 'logic' my way out of it, no matter how much I tell myself it's silly and I know why it's happening!! How rubbish!!!

 

You can only fight logic with logic, so I think you can only "logic your way" out of it if the fear is logical. I have a fear of spiders, like lots of other people. When people say, "...but it won't hurt you", that doesn't help me: it's like trying to put out a petrol fire with water. It just doesn't work!

 

People on the panic forum have said it gets easier once you truly believe you AREN'T going to pass out or be laughed at or whatever, but I keep telling myself that and it doesn't change anything.

 

I wouldn't laugh at you (or anyone else) if I saw you having a panic attack. I'd probably think what I could do to help, but more than likely not be sure about the best course of action, so would end up doing nothing, and feel guilty about it afterwards.

 

I've tried the breathing exercises as well (5 seconds in 8 seconds out etc.), but nothing really stops it except thinking about something else.

 

Sounds like the "thinking about something else" works. But if anyone else reading this is stuck on what to do, I'd suggest thinking about something absurd: for example, what would it be like if the woman standing next to you in the supermarket queue were to co-star in a pr0n film with a monkey.... and what on earth is Simon Cowell doing gurning into a mirror in the corner... whilst wearing speedos? And who superglued that table to the ceiling?

 

Sounds crazy, but that's the point. It's such a bizarre scene that it needs your brain's full attention to evaluate and assimilate it.

 

I don't know if that would help, and I definitely don't have a background in helping with this sort of thing (please don't think I'm in any way medically qualified), but it's what I might try if I were to suffer from them.

[bromy]

I went through a mild spell of this around a year ago, dizziness, heart palpitations, had three weeks off work with the really bad spells which for me is rare to have any time off work at all. Had all the ECG's etc was referred to a cardio just to be on the safe side as I have private healtcare... all ok.

 

I was offered counselling but opted for a six month course of citalopram, and am now ok and off medication. The cause of it for me was stress at work, you need to re-train your brain in the way you think about things and situations, for me I have never been a worrier out of work but in work I tended to worry about things too often. There loads of publications about coping with anxiety, but the main thing that I found most helpful was getting up and about and doing things, the dizziness for me was the worst thing to overcome because it was there all the time and never went away, you can and will overcome it.

[newbiematt]

This might be helpful

 

http://www.glasgowsteps.com/

[tbourner]

Thanks everyone.

 

This might be helpful

http://www.glasgowsteps.com/

 

Looks like a good site, I'll have a read later.

[marbleapple]

I used to get it at weird times and it was to do with noisey neighbours. Even if they were not noisey I kept thinking I could hear their music or kept trying to listen for it. It led me to suffer from IBS, fatigue, fear of going back home, not being able to cope being in if I knew they were, fear of weekends and holiday days. Totally irrational especially as it wasn't really a stressful situation but my mind simply demanded that it was and it didnt matter what I did about it. Its not like I suffer from stress normally either, I work in a stressful job and cope well.

 

I seemed to worry more that I was getting stressed about noise than the actually noise itself. By the sound sof it you have a similar ting (i.e. certain queues etc)

 

I stopped it by moving home. Sounds extreme but in my head it fixed everything over night. No stomach problems, no nothing.... My advice is that you are normal, it is natural and you can fix it. Make minor changes to your life to 'avoid' the problems and eventually your mind will start to not worry about it every time.

[Kopite]

I've got the exact same thing at the minute but as a side effect of an operation and meds so I was told to expect it. Not the nicest thing in the world is it.

[Beefyblx]

I had a accident at work 3 years ago which left me with a massive scar on my neck, ever since then i had lost all confidence in myself, in some situations like ques, meeting new people, meetings at work and even gettin my hair cut!! I start freeking out and i cant stop. I get dizzy spells, paranoia, dry mouth and urge to run out of any situation i was in! I never had the bottle to go the docs i though it was me goin mad!!

[tbourner]

Mine are getting more frequent all the time now, which is the scary part, which makes it worse!

 

It's not nice at all.

[Beefyblx]

One thing i always do, is avoid all situations where i know i'm goin to be uncomfortable, i know really i shouldn't but it just makes life easier!

[tbourner]

I am but that's always said to be one of the worst things to do, cos when you HAVE to do one of them (like my meeting at work) it'll be loads worse cos you'll be worrying about it much more having avoided all the other things.

 

They say the human brain is so amazing but with things like this it seems a bit dumb!

[carl0s]

meh. it's funny you bring this up. I seem to have turned to shit since Thursday night when I was in a right funny state and haven't felt at all well since. Went to see the Doc this morning as I thought it could be the Zopiclone I'd been taking for a few weeks but she thinks not.

[Daston]

I dont however my girlfriend has been off for the last 6 weeks and is signed off for another 3 weeks due to stress and anxiety attacks due to her boss bulling her at work. Although I tend to be a sympithetic chap I find it real hard to deal with because its not something I have ever felt/had. She is a natual worrier and will bottle it all up where as I tend to live a pretty care free life style (probably adding to her stress lol).

[Beefyblx]

What is the cure for anxiety?

[tbourner]

Most people say the cure is to stop worrying you big wuss.

[Beefyblx]

Ha ha! I thought as much

[carl0s]

What is the cure for anxiety?

 

anxiolytics or SSRIs, or just getting over it. It tends to be down to thought habits really. My problem is that I have a history with benzos and every SSRI/SNRI under the sun after my bong smoking teenage years, so for me to start feeling funny again 5 - 6 years later just starts alarm bells of "oh shit it's all coming back again" which isn't good.

[Beefyblx]

I guess it will always be there one way or another, I bet my earlier hardcore clubbing when i was younger didn't help the matter

[chilli]

I can relate to this too (see you're not alone). It's mainly a work thing, I've found if for example I think things are out of control or might appear to look bad on me because they are not going quite right. I've found it kinda builds up, and the more you get it the worse it gets (coz you start worrying about the worrying).

 

Changing your surroundings and keeping yourself occupied are good ways to deal with it. If you can break the cycle, it can go away for good.

 

I think the modern office job lifestyle doesn't help, especially sitting staring at computer screens all day.

 

At least you know you're not alone! Hobbies, like say playing an instrument can help. I think it's why people love driving and going for walks, it clears the mind. I find driving very relaxing and getting out doors (especially in the sun) certainly helps to relax the mind. Also reading and listening to music, a great way to relax.

 

Also, are you able to take a holiday? A break can help you relax and break out of the cycle.

[carl0s]

I had a bad ear infection about two weeks ago, for which I was given antibiotics at the local drop-in hospital on a Sunday morning. I didn't mention this to my doc. I'm still feeling well and truly weird and sick/panicy but I don't think my ear has cleared up fully. I have been thinking that perhaps what's wrong with me is that the ringing in my ears is sending me "on one" because it's panic like stuff, rather than the ringing in my ears being a symptom of something else. So anyway, I just googled "ear infection stress anxiety" and the results look promising. I'm looking forward to seeing the Doc tomorrow and hoping she'll say "ah, yes. we just need to fix your ear and you'll be fine". Fingers crossed.

[Branners]

A change in diet may help this.

 

How much fruit and veg do you eat?

 

As you get older your body can cope less well without the required nutrients. I would go on to a higher fibre diet with more fruit and veg. Old people dont actually enjoy eating Fruit and Fibre or All Bran, they do it because they have to really.

 

It may be you have reached that time in your life when you have to eat ALL the right things and very few wrong things.