Living with an Anxiety Disorder
The Body's Response to Stress By now, everyone has heard of the body's fight or flight response. This is a normal response to STRESS. The body releases stress hormones to get itself ready to deal with the perceived threat. These hormones energize the body, elevate the heart rate and TIGHTEN THE MUSCLES, in addition to… Continue reading Anxiety is a Pain in the Neck!
Every phase in life has its challenges and anxiety will usually be part of it in some way. Anxiety can be a good thing! It will motivate you to take action when you are not happy with some aspect of you life. Anxiety over your job makes you want to change it. Anxiety over your body motivates you to go… Continue reading Anxiety in my 20’s, 30’s and 40’s
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
The person at this time who helped me the most, was my mom. It's true that when you are sick, your mom is the one you want. Even as a grown woman, with children of my own, the only person I felt I could truly depend on and lean on, was my mom. I am… Continue reading Short Stories – My Mom
I had never thought about suicide before and never considered it myself, but as each day went on, I began to understand why someone would want to end their life. I could understand how someone could get so exhausted and so depleted, after months of feeling something horrible, that nobody could understand. I could understand… Continue reading Week 2 and Xanax XR
I had been taking small doses of Pexeva for one week and continued taking Xanax about five times a day. There was no change. I was waking up every night at exactly four hours after taking a Xanax, gasping for air and shaking. It was hard to take the next Xanax, because my hands were shaking so hard that I could not open… Continue reading Week 1 on Pexeva…
I had been struggling for two months now since THE panic attack at work. Finally on 1/14/11, I was defeated. All of my irrational fears were front and center. I was afraid to drive, afraid to eat and afraid to take medicine. I would not step foot in my car and I had lost about twenty pounds. Xanax… Continue reading Short Term Disability
School and work are back in session! I had survived the holidays and Christmas break with high doses of Xanax, four times per day. My calendar for the next two weeks is pretty normal. I work Monday through Friday and have several meetings at work. I have a weekly psychologist appointment and a weekly psychiatrist appointment. My husband is at… Continue reading Happy New Year – 2011
Panic Attacks at WorkThe panic attack happened November 1st and it is now November 10th. I have fled the burning building twice. I mean the building where I work. No, it was not on fire, but the way I ran out of there and the way I felt, was as if the building was on… Continue reading Week 2 – 2nd Visit to the doctor
Anxiety and Panic After a Major Panic AttackIt is the beginning of week two, post panic attack. The weekend was awful. I continued to feel nervous, had difficulty breathing and my heart rate was elevated. The lowest points this weekend, were not being able to play with my kids and having to depend on my… Continue reading Week 2 – More Trouble
