Living with an Anxiety Disorder
Why Don't I Exercise? I know exercise is good for anxiety and I will feel awesome after I do it. If I'm consistent with it, I'll be in amazing shape and look nice and fit too! So why haven't I started working out again? No Energy to Exercise Life is tiring! There's cleaning, cooking and… Continue reading Exercise is GREAT for Anxiety! Let’s Get Started!
What is Serotonin I need to get a little scientific today. The only way to understand your anxiety disorder and how to overcome it, is by learning a few basic facts. Couple these facts with your personal experiences and you will end up with logical conclusions. Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a neurotransmitter in the… Continue reading Tryptophan = Serotonin = Low Anxiety
Gut Health So I’m testing out a theory and trying a nutrition program that heals “the gut”. The premise is that if you heal your gut, your stomach will produce more of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. My anxiety disorder appears to stem from a deficiency in this neurotransmitter. Heal the gut, produce more serotonin and cure the… Continue reading What the Gut?
These pictures were taken in the Summer of 2011. Four months earlier, I was on short term disability with Agoraphobia, which is basically a fear of places and situations that might cause panic. For me, it was every situation and every place! That meant I literally couldn’t leave my house! Luckily, with the help of… Continue reading Is Your Normal Really Abnormal?
Anxiety disorders are linked to low levels of Serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical and neurotransmitter in the body. Serotonin regulates: mood and social behavior appetite and digestion sleep memory sexual desire and function There is a link between low serotonin levels and anxiety and depression. For this reason, one way to control an anxiety disorder… Continue reading Why You are Losing the Anxiety Battle!
11/1/11 marked the one year anniversary of THE panic attack. When these pictures were taken I had been on medication for a little less than one year. My husband is a fireman and when he is on shift, it is 24 hours. I was able to take the kids “trick or treating” on Halloween and… Continue reading Happy 1 Year Panic-versary!!
I am so grateful that someone, somewhere, figured out how to control anxiety and panic attacks with medication. Without medicine, I would be in some serious trouble. I feel like I would probably be curled up somewhere, crying, watching life pass me by. Would I be on disability? Would I have lost my job? What… Continue reading Love/Hate Meds!
During my worst days, my Xanax intake looked something like this: 2:00am: Wake up in a panic and take a Xanax. 6:00am: At exactly 4 hours, the sensations would start coming back. At this time, the kids were up and I needed to function and pretend I was fine. I would take another one. 12:00pm:… Continue reading Was I Addicted to Xanax?
Anxiety disorders come in different shapes and sizes: Panic Disorder: extreme fear, or terror, at a random place and time. You might feel a racing heart and shortness of breath. Social Anxiety Disorder: extreme anxiety in social situations. You might feel very self-conscious and fixate on others judging you. Specific phobias: You have an extreme fear of something… Continue reading Binge-Drinking
On May 21, 2011, I had been on medication for 4 months. I woke up fine that day. It was literally the first day I had slept through the night, since THE panic attack and the first day I had woken up without trembling, or a nervous stomach, in about 7 months. Just one week… Continue reading Soaring at Epcot
