Posted by rainyday on April 13, 2004, at 6:51:23
In reply to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), posted by Karalyn on April 13, 2004, at 3:29:34
I have GAD, panic attacks, and am BP2. Currently (what a laugh, eh?) I am on 75mg effexor xr, 300mg Wellbutrin, Ambien for sleep as needed, and .5mg Xanax for anxiety if needed.
My anxiety symptoms are: inability to catch my breath, feeling I can't swallow, very uncomfortable in crowds or standing in line, feeling like my heart is trying to escape my chest.
The Wellbutrin does jump me up some. I have a lotof trouble getting to sleep at night because my mind will not stop racing. I can't concentrate on breathing, on relaxing, on slowing down my mind. It's a hamster on its own little wheel. The Ambien at least helps me get a night's rest.
I don't like taking the Xanax unless absolutely necessary, because I am offended by being dependant on it to calm me down. However, I usually end up giving in by the afternoon.
I am also seeing a therapist for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. I am learning to practice meditation although I have a hard time without her coaching me.
My husband doesn't really understand all of what I experience, but he is very sympathetic and mostly he feels frustrated at not being able to help me. At some time he will probably come with me to the p-doc to get the straight message from her. In the meantime, I print articles for him to read, books, and I talk to him about how I am feeling. It makes me feel very selfish to concentrate so much on "me" instead of "us", but I am counting on being better someday.
It is much, much better than it was even a month ago. Don't despair.
poster:rainyday
thread:335825
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040412/msgs/335849.html