February 2014 Moms

Ladies who have dealt with anxiety

First, sorry to pop in after being MIA lately and without commenting on other threads. We have been super busy and I'm trying to get organized to go back to school. Plus, LO is newly mobile and way more high maintenance.

To the point...I have never had an anxiety attack. I get mildly anxious and might get a sour stomach but that's it. Last weekend on the ride to the wedding I got an ache in my chest, quick heart beat, and dizziness. It lasted about 10 minutes and was gone as quickly as it came. I didn't think anything of it, but then it happened again today as I was doing some school work. I ended up knitting and it went away.

Do these sound like anxiety attacks? Either that or I'm having some kind of heart issue. What do you think?

Re: Ladies who have dealt with anxiety

  • Anxiety attacks can feel like you are having heart problems for sure. You should talk with your doctor about this and rule out any heart issues. If it is anxiety you can work on controlling it in different ways. Have you noticed any common denominator that may be causing this to happen? I'm sorry you are going through this Keags.. I have had panic and anxiety on and off for years and it is no fun.


     

     


     

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  • @TessyMessy‌ the only thing I can think of is that I go back to work in 2 weeks. I always get back to school jitters, but this is waaaaaaay worse.
  • keags5496 said:

    @TessyMessy‌ the only thing I can think of is that I go back to work in 2 weeks. I always get back to school jitters, but this is waaaaaaay worse.

    I forgot to drop off some (((Hugs))) before. It could be jitters plus a little PPA. Just concentrate on trying to breath through it when you feel it start coming on. Call your doc and make an appointment.


     

     


     

  • It definitely does sound like anxiety or a panic attack. ((Hugs)) I hope you can talk to a doc and figure out the best solution for you. Maybe school starting will help a bit too!
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  • I'm sorry your expirencing this! I have severe anxiety when I fly and when I have to do any public speaking (dreading kinder orientation). I have had a prescription for a long time and take medication to prevent full blown panic attacks. However, when I get them, I know they're coming because it situational. Talk to your doctor though! Again big (((hugs)))
  • Thanks ladies. I think I might wait until school starts to see if it settles down once I find my groove. If not, I will def call my doctor.
  • I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. No new advice here. But I just wanted to offer hugs.
  • @greenbunny79‌ makes good points. When I have had a panic attack it comes with this horrible sense of impending doom. Even though everything eventually resolves, it doesn't feel that way at the time. I have had one panic attack PP and I literally felt like I couldn't care for my son (which is not like me at all). Your symptoms very well may be anxiety related, but you should have a doc make sure it's not heart rhythm, thyroid, etc.
  • breadpuddingbreadpudding member
    edited August 2014
    First, ((hugs)) because anxiety attacks and panic attacks are the worst. I've suffered from them since I was in the 5th grade. I was once on meds for them, (6th grade) but I absolutely couldn't stand the way they made me feel so I refused to take them. I have learned how to deal with the attacks and I have the weirdest tricks to get them at bay.

    What you experienced does sound like them, but it's always hard to tell. I'll compare it like this... pregnancy symptoms are a lot like period symptoms just like an anxiety attack/panic attack mimics actual serious heart problems. It could be attacks or it could be something serious and is really hard to tell until you get checked by your doctor.

    When I get attacks it starts by having to catch my breath. Then it gets to where I feel like I can't get a deep breath. Heart palpitations follow, numbness in my arms and fingers, fuzzy/tingling feeling in my head and my ears will sometimes ring. My mind is CONVINCED that I'm going to die. It is (like PP said) a deep, dark, very real, sense of impending doom. In that moment there is no doubt in your mind that something bad is going to happen. I'm not sure why it makes you feel that way, but it's a consistent feeling that comes with each attack.

    I'll have to disagree with PP on the fact that it comes along with stress. It doesn't always happen that way. I had one yesterday while I was having a really nice day with a lady from my meeting. Out of nowhere it hit me like a ton of bricks. These are rare occasions, but it does happen that way from time to time.

    I'm so sorry you're dealing with this, and please feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. Anxiety/panic attacks are scary, but you're not alone in this. ((Hugs))

    EDIT because my phone needs to stop with the auto correct fails.
  • @JA82406‌ That is exactly what it feels like to a T. As for stress, going back to school is a pretty big stressor for me. I'm not ruling out something else entirely, but Im curious to see if things get better once I cross that hurdle.
  • keags5496 said:

    @JA82406‌ That is exactly what it feels like to a T. As for stress, going back to school is a pretty big stressor for me. I'm not ruling out something else entirely, but Im curious to see if things get better once I cross that hurdle.

    You mentioned that when you began knitting the second time, it went away. That's what I do to cope with my attacks instead of taking the medicine that didn't work for me. I don't knit, but the same concept is there. I play sodoku puzzles when I get an attack. Something about forcing my mind to focus on something else makes them go away. If I sit and concentrate on the attack, I drive myself crazy because "I know that something bad is going to happen and I'm dying". But if I step back, recognize that is only temporary, and redirect my mind away from it and onto sodoku, then it goes away fairly quickly. I also "yawn" to get the deep breath that my body needs and it always makes me feel better.

    Through the years I've noticed that I have triggers. The things that make an attack come on for me are anything related to death, driving long distances (me behind the wheel), and just simply thinking of an anxiety attack will provoke one for me. Once you learn your triggers, with the exception of the rare attack out of no where, you'll learn to control them and avoid the things that send you into that mess to begin with. I think that if you really sit down and think about the things that happened leading up to those incidents and try to see if anything matches, you'll likely find the root of the problem. It's all manageable once you get to the source of the chaos. ;) Hang in there.
  • Big hugs to you. I'm currently taking Paxil for PPA. I was confused when the dr prescribed it because I thought it was for depression. But she explained that anxiety and depression are really just two sides of the same coin. I mention this just to say maybe think about if you have any depression symptoms? Also, if going back to school is a trigger for you, why is that exactly? Are you worried about leaving LO?
  • No advice but just wanted to say hugs! Arn't you starting a new role this year? I bet it might be tied into that. Hope it gets better once school starts!
    DD1 - Evelyn Riley - 9/30/11
    DD2 - Charlotte Avery - 1/27/14




  • @JA82406‌ Thanks for the advice.
    @Metreky21‌ I know it sounds odd but I get back to school jitters every year. Mix of new students, getting back into routine, and figuring out how to balance everything again. I haven't noticed any depression signs but ill keep an eye on it.
    @MamaAllison‌ I do start a new role...new school, new staff, new classes. I'm sure that's part of it.
  • ahare2009ahare2009 member
    edited August 2014
    I started having really bad anxiety a few months ago. I've always been an anxious person, but this was causing anxiety/panic attacks. I started taking Zoloft and seeing a counselor briefly. Mine wasn't so much from stress, but worrying about my health and if something happened to me, etc. Anxiety can be caused by various things. I would agree with PPs speak with your doctor and maybe even a counselor on finding the root cause.
    imageimage




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