Anxiety and depression, panic and agoraphobia

Agitation comes with healing. Two steps forwards one step back or one step forward and two side steps backward. As long as you are still walking on and through this journey and 'feeling' emotions. Once you stop feeling emotions that is when I will start to worry. Hugs dear girl. One baby step at a time....

 

Still plan to summarize highlights from the book - keep forgetting. I have guests stAying for the weekend. Scared stiff because I had some mild vertigo with
migraine feelings this afternoon. Scared I'm in for vertigo hell yet grateful it wasn't bad today. Husband out of town. Vague anxiety is bad enough. Breathing and waiti g for sleep meds to take me away for a few hours.

 

Anne, I hope you got some sleep for the night and your vertigo stays away. Don't stress about the guests. If anything happens while they're there, your husband is there to take on the 'host' duties. You can't help what this sickness does to you. If they are really friends (they're staying the weekend in your home, right?), then they'll understand and be the friends you think they are. You are always first, you can't take care of anyone else if you don't take care of yourself first. Make sure you tell us how it went or talk to us while their there even

 

Wait, is your husband going to be out of town when your guests are there?

 

The night was fine (except the usual early morning wakening). My anxious feelings persist, maybe partly due to feeling a bit off from migraine stuff. Hubby will be back saturday. The friends are aware that I'm a little off and may need to bow out if worse. Maybe the anxiety is also worse because I hesitate to take my clonazepam knowing I'm The Driver for now.
Thanks for checking in on me.

 

Just checking on you girls. xoxo

 

Anne - how was the weekend? Did you get through it ok? I hope you're feeling well and the anxiety is over. Did you end up taking the clonazepam?

 

Huh. Here I am again while my husband is out of town again. Connect the dots!
I'm so frustrated. I feel like I am doing everything possible to ditch the anxiety. It's usually better by the evening but greets me every morning. It's so stupid. I'm not sure if the clonazepam even helps or not. I'm on antidepressants, doing cbt with a psychiatrist, haven't had vertigo in awhile, I exercise but just don't feel the joy. If only I could check out without harming anyone. I struggle on, keeping busy, meditating, taking fish oils, breathing properly. Is it still my thoughts, or is it chemical? Sh!t

Anyone try tyrosine or tryptophan?

 

Your thoughts ARE chemical.

Perhaps you're taking the wrong meds, or too many, or at the wrong times. If you're taking klonopin, take it t.i.d. And be sure that it's every 8 hours. That way you might not have the morning dip. I hear that 12, 8, and 4 are good times of day to take k.

Or Try different benzos. Klonopin is known to be a depressant to a lot of people. Xanax tends to have less of effect like that.

Or try a different AD.

Just some ideas.

 

Noticed your sig. Are you taking wellbutrin and prozac concurrently? Why?

 

Good suggestions from Conker.

About the therapist..I'm not sure how effective CBT is as far as depression is concerned. I'd see a health psychologist who can work in close contact with your physician (if you must see a therapist). Health psychs have the advantage of knowing about the workings of the brain and body more than a regular therapist.

 

Btw, I would think long and hard before taking tryptophan or any other agent that affects serotonin while you're on prozac. Serotonin syndrome is a real bitch to deal with. Talk to your doctor and/or pharmacist about any supplements you're taking or thinking of taking.

http://bipolar.about.com/od/antidepressants/a/serotoninsyndrm.htm

Also, tryptophan is typically used to help relax and make you sleepy, so not sure how that would help your morning blues.

 

Not on Prozac anymore - just used it to get off effexor (tapering off effexor gave me my first bouts of vertigo). Trying to taper off wellbutrin did the same so I'm still on it. The vertigo gave me severe anxiety that I haven't been able to kick in spite of remeron (how can I still have no appetite?) so I could try adjusting my meds but I'd be in terror of bringing on the vertigo episodes again.

Thank you all for quick responses! I do see my psych on tuesDay but it's great to share my thoughts with other complex patients.

 

Could your anxiety be hormonal? Have you had your thyroid checked lately? A constant sense of anxiety can be GAD but it may be a by product of something physical. How's the heart? Any murmurs? Diastolic dysfunction?

Sometimes the tendency is to assume it's all psychological but there could be something organic at the bottom of this. See an endocrinologist, a cardiologist, your OB/GYN.

Constant anxiety could also be a side effect of the ADs you are taking or some other medication.

I feel silly writing this since you ARE a doctor

 

Why do people think there's a difference? Everything is biological/chemical.

 

Not everyone sees it that way. Behavior can be imitated and internalized. I don't think everyone makes the connection between biological/chemical and behavior. In many instances, like phobias, there isn't necessarily a connection.

Ask Skinner. He knows ;D

 

So you're a dualist who believes that there is a "mind" that exists outside the limitations of the Organic brain? I didn't realize any of those people were left after the 1800s.

Skinner's theory of behaviorism was at direct odds with dualism.

Phobias are chemical reactions in the brain towards certain objects/situations. That's why some drugs work to reduce their intensity.

 

It's not about what I think or don't think.

Simply provided a possible explanation for the why do people think there's a difference query.

 

I respectfully beg to differ this thought; most are biological/chemical in my opinion.

 

Which thoughts/feelings/etc can people have where the physical brain is not involved?