Posted by toohighstrung on May 16, 2003, at 1:03:31
Okay, so here's my background. In high school I started having panick attacks. I learned to control them through deep breathing. When I was 22 my father died and I was there when it happened. His death was very traumatic for me to see because it was not peaceful. A few years later I saw a guy get shot in front of me over a fender-bender. In dealing with it, I started drinking and doing excstacy which only made things worse (of course). I have since stopped the substance abuse, but after so many trips to the doctor over what I thought were heart attacks and terminal illnesses which all turned out to be anxiety related, I was finally diagnosed with anxiety disorder. I am now taking effexor which has worked pretty well so far (75 milligrams), but I still have moments when I feel like I am going completely nuts. I'm constantly haunted by the face expression of death, I'm still tired a lot of the time, and I still have horrible insomnia on occasion. Lately all of this has been worse. And I think for some reason being 'diagnosed' has made me feel worse instead of better. If anyone can reach out a hand and tell me I'm not so abnormal and that maybe there is some hope for a normal life for me....that maybe if I just increase my dosage or something that I might feel ok again. Help!!!!!
poster:toohighstrung
thread:226986
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20030426/msgs/226986.html