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 Sep 20 2006, 06:52 PM
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#1
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 Group: Members Posts: 385 Joined: 4-February 04 Member No.: 289 |
I post here because I do not know where else to go. The sense of anonymity that the internet gives me allows for me to be more open than I would to those I know in real life. I apologize for being so distant... I've been registered on this forum for a few years now... but have barely contributed any posts whatsoever.
The very fact that my mind works in this way causes me so much shame and embarrassment... and not to mention that it scares the crap out of me. I am overwhelmed... overwhelmed by the trivialities of my life. I feel as though I am not in control; as though my life is chaos itself, and the more I try and find order, the worse it gets. Everyday things overwhelm me greatly; they cause so much anxiety that I can barely find the strength to continue. For my entire life I've dealt with this in silence, embarrassed by the very thought, as I believed that I was weak for having these feelings. As the day progresses, my mind wanders, things don't get done... and as deadlines approach... and the realization hits me that regardless of my want to do well in what I do... I am not. Panic sets in with the realization that my life has become a chaotic mess, depression then ensues, and furthermore, nothing gets done. The fact that these feelings are beyond my control scares me so deeply... my potential is wasted... and my life goes by... I feel like I'm a crazy freak.... and maybe I am.... I've made an appointment with the doctor for October 2nd... and I'm scared to death because I'm afraid of what he'll tell me.... not to mention that the very notion of medication fills me with dread. I can no longer suffer in silence, however. I wont allow my life to degenerate like this. |
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Sep 20 2006, 06:52 PM
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Sep 20 2006, 09:23 PM
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#2
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 Group: Members Posts: 2,987 Joined: 10-October 04 From: Louisiana Member No.: 1,353 |
You have taken the first step, and thats the hardest step to take. If you feel the need to talk , im me.I mean this. I wish you well on this journey.You will find you are alot stronger then you believe.
-------------------- Whoever said anything was possible, obviouly never tried slamming a revolving door.
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Sep 21 2006, 03:46 AM
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#3
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 Color me skeptical....  Group: Super Moderators Posts: 8,498 Joined: 8-May 04 Member No.: 631 |
Hey, SA.
Don't worry. The doc's not going to tell you you're crazy. You might have some anxiety or depression, or both, but not the crazies. 
Just a thought.... Maybe talk to a counselor before going on meds, just to see if some kind of non-med talk therapy might help. (I admit that I'm kinda anti-meds except when there's really no other option.) There's something called cognitive behavioral therapy that I've read about that sounds like it might be useful to someone in your position. I'll see if I can find a link about it. It's sounds pretty straight forward and not creepy or too psychobabblish. ETA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_therapy The basics Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that how we think (cognition), how we feel (emotion) and how we act (behavior) all interact together. Specifically, our thoughts determine our feelings and our behavior. Therefore, negative thoughts can cause us distress and result in problems. One example could be someone who, after making a mistake, thinks "I'm useless and can't do anything right." This impacts negatively on their mood and makes them feel depressed; then they worsen the problem by reacting to avoid activities. As a result, they reduce their chance of successful experience, which reinforces their original thought of being "useless." In therapy, the latter example could be identified as a self-fulfilling prophecy or "problem cycle," and the efforts of the therapist and client would be to work together to change this. This is done by addressing the way the client thinks in response to similar situations and by helping them think more flexibly, along with reducing their avoidance of activities. If, as a result, they escape the negative thought pattern, they will already feel less depressed. They may, hopefully, also then become more active, succeed more often, and further reduce their depression. |
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Sep 21 2006, 10:09 AM
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#4
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 Group: Posts: 2,309 Joined: 2-May 05 Member No.: 2,269 |
(Supreme Acolyte;280552) I post here because I do not know where else to go. The sense of anonymity that the internet gives me allows for me to be more open than I would to those I know in real life. I apologize for being so distant... I've been registered on this forum for a few years now... but have barely contributed any posts whatsoever.
The very fact that my mind works in this way causes me so much shame and embarrassment... and not to mention that it scares the crap out of me. I am overwhelmed... overwhelmed by the trivialities of my life. I feel as though I am not in control; as though my life is chaos itself, and the more I try and find order, the worse it gets. Everyday things overwhelm me greatly; they cause so much anxiety that I can barely find the strength to continue. For my entire life I've dealt with this in silence, embarrassed by the very thought, as I believed that I was weak for having these feelings. As the day progresses, my mind wanders, things don't get done... and as deadlines approach... and the realization hits me that regardless of my want to do well in what I do... I am not. Panic sets in with the realization that my life has become a chaotic mess, depression then ensues, and furthermore, nothing gets done. The fact that these feelings are beyond my control scares me so deeply... my potential is wasted... and my life goes by... I feel like I'm a crazy freak.... and maybe I am.... I've made an appointment with the doctor for October 2nd... and I'm scared to death because I'm afraid of what he'll tell me.... not to mention that the very notion of medication fills me with dread. I can no longer suffer in silence, however. I wont allow my life to degenerate like this. You are NOT crazy. It sounds like you have what is called GAD or general anxiety disorder. Its all the stuff you describe and it can be treated by a combo of some or all of 1-5 below; 1-low fat diet 2-exercise 3-medication, usually an anti-depressant 4-meditation 5-cognitive talk therapy. Its just a chemical imbalance probably caused by low levels of seratonin. So do not worry. I have GAD. I have had it since I was a kid. I felt exactly the way you do. I have been on medication for 6 years now. Its like taking medication for high blood pressure. The medication doesn't change you or how you think but slowly you find yourself without those butterflies in your stomach or that constant sense of dread over nothing in particular. So do not worry. And you are not alone with it. Many people have it. Good luck. I hope you find the right balance of medication and lifestyle skills. Cut out caffeine, as much sugar as you can, try eat fruit and vegetables and no or little red meat cuz the red dye in meat adds to anxiety. You will do just fine! |
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Sep 21 2006, 09:39 PM
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#5
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 Group: Members Posts: 3,187 Joined: 28-June 05 Member No.: 2,507 |
Hi, SA, I have anx. problems. In the 90s, it was pointed enough to be anx. disorder, but i got med help and now, its MUCH better! It does get better!!!
ALL the Love, Mary
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Sep 25 2006, 12:39 AM
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#6
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Group: Members Posts: 385 Joined: 4-February 04 Member No.: 289 |
Well I saw the doctor (early... my family has some connections within the medical community so we get 'special' treatment). He gave me some clonazepam and told me to take it as I need it, and then sent me on my way.
Now... the thing is... taking it as I need it sounds like he's thinking "oh, silly kid can't handle school... here's some pills to help you with your test anxiety" or something... What I am doing is taking it all the bloody time... and that's not something I want to do. Firstly these things make me feel depressed, I hate the way I feel when I'm not on them (they're addictive), and I'm not sure they're the right thing to prescribe for a prolonged treatment of some anxiety disorder (if that's what it is, he didn't diagnose me with anything actually). He told me to come back in a week, and if things were still bad I'd have to go to a psychiatrist (he basically admitted that he had no idea what he was doing when it came to psychiatric disorders) and he'd probably put me on zoloft of paxel or something. I don't want to go on those... my brother had to for his obsessive compulsive disorder, and he despised them. He said that people who prescribe those things should try taking them themselves before asking others to do so just so they know how it feels!!! Now, obviously I'm slightly upset... and I'm not sure what to do... |
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Sep 25 2006, 06:02 AM
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#7
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 Group: Members Posts: 16,811 Joined: 10-April 04 From: USA Member No.: 524 |
SA..try Kelly's suggestions...particulary 1,2,4,5 and discontinue the clonazepam..and I'd add one more thing...restful sleep. See a psychologist (not a psychiatrist...they treat everything with meds) who specializes in cognitive therapy. It will do wonders for you, I think. And for exercise, I'd suggest running, shoa-lin karate and tai chi. It has its own way of righting the mind and balancing it...without medication.
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Sep 25 2006, 09:46 AM
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#8
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Color me skeptical.... Group: Super Moderators Posts: 8,498 Joined: 8-May 04 Member No.: 631 |
Be very, very careful about that drug, SA. It is extremely addictive.
I've also seen some people go kinda crazy on it. Like, totally ruin their lives and become delusional crazy. So be careful. You don't need to get an MD to refer you to a therapist/counselor/psychologist. You just find who you want (you can find internet sites where they advertise and explain their methods and give their credentials) and call and make an appointment. |
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Sep 25 2006, 10:02 AM
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#9
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Group: Posts: 2,309 Joined: 2-May 05 Member No.: 2,269 |
(Supreme Acolyte;282049) Well I saw the doctor (early... my family has some connections within the medical community so we get 'special' treatment). He gave me some clonazepam and told me to take it as I need it, and then sent me on my way.
Now... the thing is... taking it as I need it sounds like he's thinking "oh, silly kid can't handle school... here's some pills to help you with your test anxiety" or something... What I am doing is taking it all the bloody time... and that's not something I want to do. Firstly these things make me feel depressed, I hate the way I feel when I'm not on them (they're addictive), and I'm not sure they're the right thing to prescribe for a prolonged treatment of some anxiety disorder (if that's what it is, he didn't diagnose me with anything actually). He told me to come back in a week, and if things were still bad I'd have to go to a psychiatrist (he basically admitted that he had no idea what he was doing when it came to psychiatric disorders) and he'd probably put me on zoloft of paxel or something. I don't want to go on those... my brother had to for his obsessive compulsive disorder, and he despised them. He said that people who prescribe those things should try taking them themselves before asking others to do so just so they know how it feels!!! Now, obviously I'm slightly upset... and I'm not sure what to do... Here is my strong strong advise. The fact that your brother has obsessive compulsive order is very very important to this situation. Obsessive compulsive disorder, general anxiety disorder, depressive illness, although all distinct conditions, are usually as a result of chemical imbalances. The fact that you describe symptoms that sound like general anxiety disorder and your brother has been diagnosed with ocd, probably suggests there is a genetic predisposition in your family to this. Now here is what I would tell you. First of all, if you are diagnosed with general anxiety disorder, anti-depressants can control it, and would be invisible. That is to say, they would work so gradually, you would not notice anything. In the beginning you may get dry mouth or ringing in the ears, but that would go away, but it would gradually block the anxiety without changing your thoughts or moods. The only problems with anti-depressants is that they interfere with the orgasm reflex in sex and delay or make it very difficult to orgasm and so you might have to mix it with another older depression to block certain chemical receptors. If you have general anxiety disorder as opposed to just stress, look it may be that cognitive therapy alone will not work and it will get worse. with due respect to the psychologist/psychiatrist debate, if you have a genetic predisposition to it, its like having high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Exercise or non medication remedies alone may not do the trick. What you need to do is stop being afraid of the illness. Educate yourself. Go on the inter-net and read about general anxiety disorder and the treatments for it. The more educated you are the more of an active role you can play in your treatment. That said, the drug you were given is a tranquilizer. Clorazepam or any drug with pam in it is basically a drug that blocks anxiety impulses. It does create a physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms if you use it a lot and you can become emotionally dependent on it if you don't learn other ways to handle your stress other then reaching for it. In my case, I have in the past had such drugs, and in an absolute emergency would use them, but I myself preferred to use this approach; 1-cut out all caffeine 2-cut down high fats in food 3-avoid soft drinks and high sugar junk food 4-engaged in at least 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise a day 5-yoga, tai-chi, martial arts, stretching, pilates, swimming, pilates-an exercise where you are not engaged in aerobics but which teaches you to breath and control your muscle movement 6-learning to identify things that trigger off stress. In my case I have ocd, gad and depression, in a cluster and the easiest thing for me is one medication, an anti-depressant that has completely erased any of the symptoms and allowed me to lead a completely normal life. I do worry though about the long term effect on the liver and whether in my geriatric years the medication would have the same effect. But for now for me, its like taking medication for high blood pressure, or the way a diabetic takes insulin. Its a necessity. I think for me, until I read up on these conditions, and took the fear out of them, by educating myself, it seemed worse then it was. In my case I refused medication for years but as I got older, it just wasn't practical not to take medication and try work or drive a car. Now remember. Anxiety may simply be anxiety and not any of the above. I mean it is possible you are simply under a lot of stress. To properly diagnose it, you need to see a psychiatrist. Psychologists are good with non medical prescription counseling techniques or cognitive therapy, but they are not properly trained to understand medication or diagnose gad. Studies have shown psychologists often treat gad and depression the same way and this is not helpful as they are very different things. Here is what I would say. Read about general anxiety disorder, anxiety, depressive illness, obsessive compulsive disorder on the inter-net. Then go on the internet and educate yourself about the drug you were given and what all its side effects are, and how to use it properly. Education is the key. Don't be afraid of psychiatrists or medication. My best advise to you is this. If you don't have gad, and you are just stressed out, then I would suggest yes a psychologist and try go the non drug route and exercise and change your diet like I said. If on the other hand you are diagnosed with gad, and there is a genetic predisposition in your family, which is a strong likelihood given your brother has ocd, you will have to decide-do you want to take a medication which will help but yes will have some side effects, or do you wish the status quo. If it is gad, I would say, without medication, there are limits to all the things you will be able to do to control it, and the symptoms will get worse as you age unless you treat it with medication just as some people must treat hypertension with medication or high cholesterol with medication. Taking drugs is not necessarily evil. Don't mistake a drug like an anti-depressant which does not create a craving and emotional dependence with say the anti-anxiety tranquilizer you have been given which should only be used in absolute emergencies and not all the time. I would also like to share one other tip which sounds crazy. Get yourself a brown paper bag. They are hard to find these days but find one. If you find yourself having an anxiety attack as opposed to just a general overall feeling of anxiety, hold the bag over your mouth and breath in and out slowly and it will stop you from hyper-ventilating and calm you down. Also understand one other thing. It takes some time to diagnose you properly. Anxiety could be a symptom of either gad or depression. Gad is not depression and vice versa. If you have depressive illness taking anti-anxiety drugs would actually make your depression worse. Since both illnesses are so similiar in symptomology it is crucial someone properly trained, does the diagnosis and with due respect to psychologists clinical diagnosis of such illnesses are outside their area of expertise. They are good with cognitive therapy but not with clinical diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses. Like I also said, you may not have any of the above at all. So take it slowly. If you do have a psychiatric condition this does not mean you are crazy or nuts. It means you have a condition no different then say any other physical illness. It is just a chemical imbalance. It is not moral weakness nor should you attach anything negative to it. It is no different then having an allergy or sensitivity to something. Good luck. |
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Sep 25 2006, 11:45 AM
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#10
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 Group: Members Posts: 447 Joined: 20-August 06 Member No.: 4,828 |
my little episode of anxiety in my life was short lived (about a year) but crippling.....3 things helped me deal with it.
1. every day, gave myself 30mins lying on the bed, in peace. everyone knew not to disturb me. i played a tape, thru headphones, of my own voice...saying soothing things such as "i've had this before, i will be ok, its not going to hurt me, it will go away" etc....and then going onto a toe to head muscle by muscle relaxation. and just lying there, relaxed....... 2. writing things down, journal of how i'd been, what set reactions off, what i could have done differently, what the body was doing with regard to what was happening with my mind..such as - getting panicky..sets off anxiety, sets off sweating, sets off dizziness. etc etc 3. accepting that these feelings were just part of a phase i was going through. that i would come out of it. that i wasnt mad. and that, if people didnt understand - sod em!!! in time, the feeling you get at the end of point 1 - you can bring this back at will when you are out and about to bring yourself calm. its a kind of meditation which fits around daily life and can be carried with you. hope this doesnt sound like hocus pocus - and hope it helps
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Sep 25 2006, 05:29 PM
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#11
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 Group: Members Posts: 3,190 Joined: 26-June 05 Member No.: 2,497 |
If this doctor sounds like they don`t know what they are doing get a second opinion!!!....I`m no doctor but those pills are some heavy duty shit...
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Sep 25 2006, 05:34 PM
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#12
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Group: Members Posts: 447 Joined: 20-August 06 Member No.: 4,828 |
yep seth i agree - however i would never knock a doctors diagnosis nor prescription for someone. my own experience was that, i was given some medication at the time by my gp, and the guy (cognitive therapist) who taught me the self help i describe above was horrified...told me not to take them. his reasoning was that something in my life so far had caused this reaction in me - i just had to relearn how to bring my mind and body back to being in control. but i would stress - if someone is that bad that they cannot cope without medication, they should take it.
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Sep 26 2006, 12:35 AM
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#13
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Group: Members Posts: 385 Joined: 4-February 04 Member No.: 289 |
Well, I must say that I'm very touched by all the advice I've been getting... especially for someone who never posts.
Now I've read all your posts, and I have come to the following decision: I'm making an appointment with a psychiatrist (or rather my mom is... I have family connections within the medical community in my city, so I don't necessarily need to be referred to her... well my grandpa can refer me to her, but my family doctor said he'd do that anyways if that's what I felt I needed.... but he's on vacation). I may have GAD, and I may not... (although I do have a genetic predisposition to it since many members of my family have gone through similar things with other anxiety disorders), but I think a psychiatrist is the best person to make that assessment. The other thing is, there are other 'issues' I would like to discuss with her, and it is important to me to do so. Again, I believe a psychiatrist is best qualified to do so. In the end, however, depending on the outcome of my visit, I can always say no to medication, visiting a psychiatrist doesn't mean it will be forced on me in any way. Now, what I intend to do to prepare for my visit is make a list of all the symptoms, thoughts, ect... that are troubling me as they occur. It seems that whenever I'm asked to describe things like this my mind goes blank... I don't know what to say... and people wonder if anything really is wrong with me. At least that's how I felt when I say my family doctor. As for your other recommendations: 1-cut out all caffeine
2-cut down high fats in food 3-avoid soft drinks and high sugar junk food 4-engaged in at least 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise a day 5-yoga, tai-chi, martial arts, stretching, pilates, swimming, pilates-an exercise where you are not engaged in aerobics but which teaches you to breath and control your muscle movement 6-learning to identify things that trigger off stress. 1. Cutting out caffeine will be hard... I'm a university student and it helps me concentrate, lol 2. Cutting out high fats in food will also be hard as I live off of university cafeteria food, and that's really unhealthy stuff.... I guess I could eat more salads... I guess... 3. I'm trying to avoid the sugar thing... it's just I don't know what else to drink because everything here seems to be full of it!! 4. I do exercise daily, for hours and hours.... and hours.... so I'm in pretty good shape... lol... well it helps me calm down so that's probably why... it just doesn't last, because as soon as I stop exercising I'm anxious again. 5. the yoga thing ect... I guess I could try... I'd need to find someone to go with me though because I'm too shy to go alone (very anxious in this department)... but we'll see 6. you see, that's it.... it's like everyday things stress me out... and it's so illogical... that's why it upsets me so much. It just doesn't make any sense. and then there's everything else I have to do... because the world doesn't slow down just because I've fallen down and have to dust myself off again. So, in any event, it should be an interesting few weeks... I just hope I'm making the right choices. Oh, and by the way, I did lots of research on the medication I was given (I major in biochemistry afterall). That's how I knew it was addictive, because my family doctor didn't tell me that (which kinda pisses me off), but I took it anyways because I felt paralyzed by my anxiety... and it has helped with that... I just don't know how I should be taking it. |
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Sep 26 2006, 01:34 AM
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#14
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Group: Members Posts: 447 Joined: 20-August 06 Member No.: 4,828 |
whichever path (or combination of paths) you take to find your healing......good luck!
keep us posted of how its going
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Sep 26 2006, 01:46 AM
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#15
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Group: Members Posts: 385 Joined: 4-February 04 Member No.: 289 |
Thanks so much, oh and by the way everyone... I'm ditching the clonazepam as soon as I can... I don't like the way it makes me feel sometimes.
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Sep 26 2006, 03:19 AM
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#16
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Group: Members Posts: 385 Joined: 4-February 04 Member No.: 289 |
Well, I've made a draft list I intend on showing my psychiatrist... I just don't know what to include. I don't know if I should include more broadranged examples or not (it doesn't only affect me at school). In any event, here it is... and yes... it is kinda long... didn't want to miss anything... I guess I should sleep now in any event
The following are the concerns about my anxiety and other issues which I would like to bring to your [my psychiatrist's] attention. I have decided to put them in this format since I know that when asked to outline them directly my mind will invariable blank out, and I will have no idea what to say.
Anxiety has always been a problem in my life, but the reason I bring it to your attention now is the paralysing effect it has had on me lately. I will attempt to describe several scenarios below for your analysis, these are not the only instances where anxiety has been so much of a problem, simply the most recent onces: My mind has a tendency to daydream and think of many random things, this has simply been a factor my entire life. I can walk though a hall full of my friends, and not see a single one of them because I’m lost in my own mind (actually some of them get offended because they think I’m ignoring them… I just don’t see them… even if I’m looking right at them). The main reason why I describe this to you, however, is because now, at this time in my life, due to the increased pressures of school and deadlines, this tendency to daydream is causing me anxiety which is further causing my mind to wander which further exacerbates the problem. For example, one evening, while in the library studying, I was quite aware that in order to complete my readings for my class, I had to do so in an efficient and timely manner. This seemed impossible, however, as my mind was distracted by the daydreaming. I became anxious when hours had passed, and I had not even finished one chapter (paragraphs would have to be reread many times over as my mind was wandering while reading them), yet I did not know how to prevent my mind from wandering. This anxiety then paralyzed me, as I was no longer capable of even contemplating the school work without panicking, as I felt there was no reason to continue if I was not capable of paying attention to it anyways, and then eventually, I became so exhausted from even trying, that I fell asleep at my desk. Another incident came about in my biochemistry laboratory, while conducting experiments, I made several careless mistakes that caused my laboratory partner to become angry. This made me anxious, and caused me to make even more careless mistakes. The anxiety was so strong that I felt the sudden urge to retreat from the entire situation (I started to panic) because I felt so completely incompetent and stupid, not because I did not understand the material, but because my anxiety was preventing me from paying attention. This seemed the final straw. School work afterwards caused me to feel overwhelmed. I felt paralysed; I could not even contemplate starting my school work as it seemed too daunting a task, I would panic at the very sight of it. Wondered why I should even try if I was only going to screw up anyways, and thoughts of dropping out were going through my mind. This made me feel depressed at times (although this feeling is never long lasting, and goes away once the anxiety subsides) since I give my life to school. I am smart, but I am not receiving the results I want, and this has been going on for as long as I can remember… it’s just this overwhelming feeling is getting worse and worse as time goes by. Since I could not cope with the anxiety now affecting me, I made an appointment to see a doctor, and he prescribed me clonazepam. The drug itself seemed to reduce the stress and anxiety I felt at school. In addition, I did not realize until taking this drug, how much anxiety everyday things affect me. When asked to phone friends or make appointments, talk to people on the street, or sales people in stores, usually I would feel a sense of discomfort or stress, but with the use of this drug, those feelings have subsided. Also leaving my room to use the washroom would cause a great amount of stress, as I would fear confrontation with my roomates (who are very nice people... I'm just very shy). Social anxiety has also subsided with the use of the drug, in addition to any anxiety associated with school. The issues I have with the drug, however, are its affects on my ability to pay attention and remember things. I am a very forgetful person at the best of times, but this drug seems to make it worse. I lock myself out of my room far more often than usual, forget my text books and notes in my room (I do this without being on medication as well, but this drug makes it worse. I think beforehand, the thought of feeling anxious about forgetting things prevented me from doing them as often). Not only this, but it seems to be affecting my motivation concerning my school projects. Beforehand I could not begin school projects due to the affects of anxiety. Simply thinking of the planning involved in the project paralysed me. Now that the anxiety has subsided, I still do not start the school projects. This is not procrastination, I simply know what needs to be done, yet cannot do it, it is more of a paralysis of will, and I do not know why this is. I stand there, stare at the project, yet do not do it. I am not looking for excuses not to do it; I just can’t sit down and start it. Anxiety has always played a role in me finishing my projects, as I work under pressure (seem to only work under pressure, not simply best under pressure), but now it seems I can’t function with anxiety or without it. When there is no pressure to complete a project, it doesn’t get done, regardless of the fact that school is so important to me, and that I would give anything to succeed, and without this anxiety, there seems to be no pressure…. even though the consequences of not doing projects keep flowing through my mind, it’s as if they have become meaningless to me, or perhaps they never had meaning, and my anxiety was the only thing encouraging me to work. In addition to the above concerns, the use of clonazepam seems to make me depressed, and irritable. This could be due to the fact that I’m not sure how to take the drug. I was told to take it as I need it, but if I need it all the time, then perhaps it is not the best medication for me. I am also aware of its addictive properties, and I am uneasy in the sense that I am taking it regularly every day: I do not wish to become dependent on it. Finally I am concerned about what affect this medication will have on my driving. I already have difficulties driving due to the aforementioned daydreaming and inattention. For example, sometimes I accidentally turn onto the wrong side of the road, or inadvertently cut people off, or go through red lights because I don’t notice them, (actually I only have my learner’s licence since I keep failing my drivers test due to these problems), and I’m concerned that the use of this drug may increase the frequency of those events. |
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Sep 26 2006, 05:36 AM
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#17
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Group: Members Posts: 16,811 Joined: 10-April 04 From: USA Member No.: 524 |
6. you see, that's it.... it's like everyday things stress me out... and it's so illogical... that's why it upsets me so much. It just doesn't make any sense.
SA...please, please do some research on cognitive therapy! |
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Sep 26 2006, 12:05 PM
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#18
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Color me skeptical.... Group: Super Moderators Posts: 8,498 Joined: 8-May 04 Member No.: 631 |
Be prepared for a possible diagnosis of ADD along with GAD.
I'm not going to go into a big speech of what I think about psychology and how it's considered science even though it doesn't follow the scientific method.
I just implore you to consider therapy first...just to see if that alone might help...before going on medication. But, if you're possibly about to flunk out because of this, then I can understand if you need help now. Like, right now. Therapy takes time. But some people do see results fairly quickly. Good luck. |
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Sep 26 2006, 01:32 PM
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#19
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Group: Members Posts: 447 Joined: 20-August 06 Member No.: 4,828 |
reading your description above made me sad....i can understand why you feel you want to just opt out of one area of stress in your life. it seems to me your coping mechanisms have been abused...and are protesting loudly! the one word you used which really stood out was "exhausted". i think your mind and body are completely overloaded and expected too much of. we can only be pushed so far before we topple - i think you need to really talk, unload, relax, and cut yourself some slack........and yes - therapy - it could just be the help you are craving for. re: medication, i've never had any experience of the one you are on, but i do know some of these drugs can make you zombiefied or numb......if you are feeling better in some ways on them, but not coping with the side effects, maybe a different drug is the answer?
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