Anxiety

Hey Jodie

No useful advice really hun.

Do understand though.

But you know me pretty well now so.....

just offering you a big hug and support.(((((((((((((((((hug)))))))))))))))))))))

Izzie

Izzie,
Thanks for the hug. I needed that and I am also wondering how you are doing with your foot surgery. Hugs to you and take care of yourself.

Jodie--

What are you doing for yourself? What are you doing for fun? All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.

I'm sorry, I don't have any experience with anxiety, but it sounds like you've had a LOT to be anxious about. Perhaps with a little time, you'll settle back into your routine?

Personally, I am against most conventional medications except anti-inflammatories. Could you try St. John's Wort (don't know if it works) or go to a naturopath or Chinese herbalist? Or maybe try meditating?

Noddy,
I did go to a movie last week with a couple of friends. I had lunch with a friend on Monday. I belong to the Red Hat Society so we are suppose to have a luncheon tomorrow. So I am trying to spend more time with friends.

mame,

I am wondering if I can take St Johns Wort with being on the medication Effexor XR ? I also take Premarin . I could probably get St Johns Wort at a health food store or drug store I suppose. Do you know anyone that has taken this?

Yes, I have a friend who suffer(s/ed) from depression and she took it for quite a while. You could ask your doctor or even the pharmacist.

You might want to try something different than "side-effexor."

Cymbalta affects the same neuro-transmitters, I believe, with fewer side effects.



A few sessions of therapy can do wonders when you've had big life changes, such as losing loved ones.

I'm with you drewdad

talk therapy with a professional, and if needed, an SRRI such as cymbalta or zoloft.

jodie, talking to friends and family is fine, but, they are your friends and family.

seeking out a therapist, someone who has no ties to you, can be a wonderful thing.

You will find yourself saying things that you never would have thought to bring up (or couldn't bring up) with people you know. The therapist will guide you to the area you need to work on, not just express concern.

You don't take your car to your Aunt Tillie when the carburators broke, you take it to a professional.

I've had lifelong anxiety issues, jodie. Not debilitating problems - just nagging worries that take up too much of my thought processes. Rather than anxiety, you might also consider Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder (SAD) as part of what's got you down. Those of us who live in the cold, dark north can be sensitive to the long days of winter and everyday issues, along with life's curveballs, can take on a greater weight than usual. High-intensity lights can help, as can a trip to a sunny southern spot for R&R. Relief comes with the lengthening days of spring and the stronger sun of April and beyond.

Adding over-the-counter herbals to prescribed pharmaceuticals should only be done with the knowledge of the physician who prescribed the meds.

Hi Jodie.

I'm sorry to hear the tough year you've had. Very understandable that you are struggling with some anxiety.

I've had a lot of trouble with anxiety. Probably the thing that helped the most is seeing a professional. For me it is a psychiatrist and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).

For you it may be a therapist that would help more. If this is the first time it has truly been a problem for you and it seems to be situational anxiety.

Still they can help with solutions. And better than that it is someone who listens to you. How easy it gets sometimes for everyone else to get first dibs on our energy instead of us getting some time to be heard out too.

If I can be of any help, just let me know.

Hope you feel better soon. Are you getting some sleep? Seems to me nothing else is important or functional if we don't get our sleep.

mushypancakes

I am feeling some better these days but I just feel exhausted most of the time. I know talking to my friends is different than talking with a professional. I am taking Effexor XR but that was prescribed for hot flashes but I think it can also be used as an antidepresant. Do you also takes meds for anxiety?
I also live in Chicago and we have had a lot of snow so some of it could be a seasonal problem. I have never felt this way before.
Thanks to everyone who replied to my post.

Re: Anxiety
jodie34,

If someone stands or walks behind you, does it feel like "someone's walking over your grave" i.e. you get a shudder for no apparent reason?

No, I don't have those feelings.

Jodie, you have received a lot of good advice here. I particularly appreciate Mame, Drewdad's and others' observations that you are probably suffering from "situational anxiety." My God, your list of recent experiences would make any normal person anxious. But we must not be anxious about having anxiety, even though we should try to reduce it, for general health reasons. Meditation with a group may be very helpful.
Consider the possibility that you might be aggravating the situation by defective breathing. I refer to the shallow, fast, chest breathing that results in the anxiety of hyperventilation. When having an attack of anxiety, sit down in a straight chair and slowly breathe from the diaphram (e.g., stomach breathing), or breath into a paper bag so that you can retake the carbon dioxide of your exhalations. Getting too much oxygen into the brain from fast breathing creates an imbalance between carbon dioxide and oxygen (too much of the latter) that is hyperventilation. Just a thought.

OK! have a look see at this here:

- How To Deal With Anger And Stress -

Anger can be taken out on anything, we're human! When we are stressed, depressed, or mad, we don't know what to do. Here's how to cope with strong emotions and calm yourself down.


Steps

1. Gently and quietly breathe through your nose and back out through your mouth as long as you're angry or disturbed. If you feel light headed, slowly stop. However, if you are very emotional and breathing too fast, use a paper lunch bag to breathe into to slow your system down.

2. Shake your shoulders to release tension.

3. Lay down in a safe place. Close your eyes and Listen to slow music to take your mind off the emotional pressure. Let all tension in your forehead, neck and hands fade away slowly. Imagine every part of your body relaxing. Start with your head and move to your toes.

4. Take a piece of paper to write logically about what has happened and list steps of action to sort it out properly. After you write it down, throw it away by shredding. It's a symbol for throwing away those feelings you just want to get out.

5. Take time to privately relax, meditate, or pray. Great peace comes through purposely focusing on quieting one's being without worrying about distractions of the world.

6. Squeeze a stress ball at least 50 times, if you have any, if you don't you could use a sponge instead.

7. Take a walk outside alone. Go to a store or the park or even in your backyard! A good breath of fresh air always feels good.

8. Hit something, not someone! Kick your sofa or punch a pillow, never a person or an animal.

9. Realize that you cannot control what will happen today. Know that you can control how you react to problems that will happen every day. When you find yourself getting anxious, worried or stressed because life seems to be out of control, pause, take a few deep breaths and then tell yourself a positive affirmation like: "Life is crazy but I am calm." Repeat this ten times and you will immediately sense calm.

10. Carry a picture with you of an image that makes you feel calm in a crazy world. This can be a postcard but should have scenes of nature and not people. Some people find images of water very calming. Carry this in your purse, wallet or briefcase but have it with you so that when you do sense you are getting anxious, you have the calm image available to look at while using your positive affirmation. Place a calm photo image at your office desk and look at it several times in the day while saying a positive affirmation like "Life is crazy but I am calm."

11. Make it a goal to live more and stress less since you have realized that life may be out of control but you are working towards complete focus and clarity and becoming more calm each day by using some of the simple tools like positive affirmations, calm photos, worry sessions, and five minutes of total quiet each day. Remember, you manage your feelings. Don't let your feelings and worry manage you!

12. Consider events in your childhood: How have your parents contributed to how you react and feel about the world? Think of traumatic, crazy events that occurred between age 5-10 and isolate them. Write down memories of crazy events on a piece of paper, crumple the paper and throw out.

13. Identify the people in your life that are making you feel like the world is out of control and consider what TV shows, websites and media you view or listen to that make you feel like the world is crazy. Surround yourself with other people that are calm!

Tips

• Try pausing before reacting, breathing before speaking. Good advice for when you are jealous, angry, annoyed, or even hyper active!

• If you cannot control your emotions at all, seek professional help.

• Ask your employer to offer anger management courses.

• When anxiety or a chaotic event or person confronts you, do not immediately react. Instead, visualize the word "calm" and repeat it internally 3 times before reacting calmly.

• Try spending time with a pet or someone who can make you feel better easily. Don't use them to take your anger out on.


Warnings

• Be very steady and think twice before you do anything in haste. Calm is steadiness.

• Be careful not to take out this anger on anybody. You'll regret it once you are back to feeling good.

jodie,

How are you feeling? Any sunshine yet? I live in Manitoba, and know all about those long winters! Can sure play a part.

No, I'm not taking any medication. Though at times in the past, it probably would have helped a great deal.

Thanks to everyone for all of your good advice. I am feeling some better. I purchased a relaxation tape and I just lie down listen to tape and try to relax and it is helping . I am trying to take more time for me also and doing some of the things that I have always wanted to do.

I see you live in Chicago. I understand that the weather has been conducive to seasonal/situational anxiety. I hope this coming Spring will inspire you with optimism, peace and energy.