neonblack wrote:I had an anxiety attack earlier. Bad one. Thoughts of impending doom. Almost passed out. I really don't want medication.
Also pretty sure I have carpal tunnel.
Bummer dude. I suffer chronic anxiety myself and it sucks big time. Medication might not be what you want, but if you are having panic attacks to the point of nearly passing out it might be a case of needing it. I have passed out a few times from panic attacks and foamed at the mouth and seized, usually followed by a few days in hospital getting poked and prodded. I don't remember them but it has traumatised my missus. I know from some of your posts that you have a wife and small children and you need to get it sorted, not just for you but for them. It's not something that they need to see. Trust me on that one. Also passing out can lead to hitting your head on hard objects, I also have done that. Take care of yourself dude.
My advice: Try EVERYTHING else before before you start taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). I've had anxiety since I was young, paired with OCD, and those kinds of medications might work in stopping the worst panic attacks but they WILL turn you into an emotional zombie. Your ups and downs turn into a flat line, and at least to me that was depressing as fuck. SSRIs are addictive too, very much so. To top things off the withdrawal is anxiety in its purest form...ironic, no? A friend of my misses has spent over 1,5 years getting off of her meds, using a razor to cut down micrograms each week. It's so crazy to me that these sorts of medications are given out so easily instead of being a last resort.
I'm not saying don't do them if it's a matter of life and death, but be cautious and read up on them first! I do keep 10mg of valium with me at all times in case of a panic attack. Just having it with me is sometimes enough for me to calm my tits.
I will have to take ssri meds for the rest of my life. So being addictive is not really an issue. Some people need a safety net. I have weened off them in the past and have been ok for a while but then I fall into a deep dark hole that I can't dig myself out of. But you are dead right about the emotional flat line. It's a catch 22.
Of course, I did not mean to offend. Chronic anxiety is very serious and requires medication. I was really advicing neonblack, hoping that his case of panic attacks was more of a new occurence, and not a lifelong struggle. I've been on and off SSRIs for most of my childhood and teen years, and I'm just advicing him based on my experience. I started doing recreational drugs when I got off the meds, and even if that worked for me there and then it's not something highly recommended, haha. After I stopped doing that I went to a great psychologist that specialised in drug use and anxiety. The last 2,5 years or so have been much better, but the panic attacks still kick in every month or so. If they happend more frequently I'd probably be on SSRIs instead of the occational valium myself.
So crazy story guys, one of my professors studied circadian rhythms and sleep. Some researchers he knew were also studying sleep specifically rem sleep deprivation. So they hooked people up to EEGs and woke them up every time they entered rem sleep. They noticed that subjects with anxiety and depression were relieved of symptoms within the first two trials. Antidepressant drugs such as SSRIs usually take two weeks to have effects. The researchers then looked at subjects taking antidepressants and noticed that at the end of the two weeks the subjects entered significantly fewer and shorter REM states during sleep. So, in conclusion, sleep don't make no sense and the best way to relieve depression with so far no side effects is hook yourself up to an EEG and get woken up every time you enter rem sleep.
They couldn't get funding to fully test the anitdepressive properties of REM deprivation because I guess its kind of difficult for pharmaceutical companies to sell and get you addicted to.
UglyCasanova wrote:Of course, I did not mean to offend. Chronic anxiety is very serious and requires medication. I was really advicing neonblack, hoping that his case of panic attacks was more of a new occurence, and not a lifelong struggle. I've been on and off SSRIs for most of my childhood and teen years, and I'm just advicing him based on my experience. I started doing recreational drugs when I got off the meds, and even if that worked for me there and then it's not something highly recommended, haha. After I stopped doing that I went to a great psychologist that specialised in drug use and anxiety. The last 2,5 years or so have been much better, but the panic attacks still kick in every month or so. If they happend more frequently I'd probably be on SSRIs instead of the occational valium myself.
No offence taken dude I was just concerned for neon not doing anything about it because it's a serious problem having panic attacks and almost passing out. I would rather be only using recreational drugs myself than ssri meds. Am using both these days though I have cut down on the recreational drugs. Only smoking weed these days. Stopped using hard drugs a few years ago. Dr kaos prescribes a low dose of Xanax or a small doob for neon when he starts feeling one coming on. And going for a brisk walk till it kicks in. I'm sure that would help a great deal.
Thanks for all the advice guys. I definitely need to try something. I grind my teeth so much Im starting to have dental problems, and I have really terrible sleep habits. I mean, it's 4am now where I live. My kid will be up in 5 hours, and Im still up. Gonna try to get some sleep after this post.
I have a family history of depression and anxiety. My dad was bipolar and took his own life, and my grandfather suffers from extreme anxiety attacks. So much so that my wife and I are living with him (along with a million other reasons) and I have been woken up in the middle of the night because he cant breathe and he's flipping out. Plus, I have a 2 year old at home, and a high-stress job. Lots of stress here, which may contribute to this anxiety. This place is my fuzzy little retreat from the world.
Tonight was the third or fourth time this has happened in maybe six months. Luckily, my kid was asleep and my wife and I were watching TV on the couch. I felt bad for her, but she helped a lot. Lots of rubbing my head and speaking softly and calmly.
It doesnt seem to happen unless I'm sitting idle with too much time to think.
UglyCasanova wrote:Of course, I did not mean to offend. Chronic anxiety is very serious and requires medication. I was really advicing neonblack, hoping that his case of panic attacks was more of a new occurence, and not a lifelong struggle. I've been on and off SSRIs for most of my childhood and teen years, and I'm just advicing him based on my experience. I started doing recreational drugs when I got off the meds, and even if that worked for me there and then it's not something highly recommended, haha. After I stopped doing that I went to a great psychologist that specialised in drug use and anxiety. The last 2,5 years or so have been much better, but the panic attacks still kick in every month or so. If they happend more frequently I'd probably be on SSRIs instead of the occational valium myself.
No offence taken dude I was just concerned for neon not doing anything about it because it's a serious problem having panic attacks and almost passing out. I would rather be only using recreational drugs myself than ssri meds. Am using both these days though I have cut down on the recreational drugs. Only smoking weed these days. Stopped using hard drugs a few years ago. Dr kaos prescribes a low dose of Xanax or a small doob for neon when he starts feeling one coming on. And going for a brisk walk till it kicks in. I'm sure that would help a great deal.
wafl wrote:They couldn't get funding to fully test the anitdepressive properties of REM deprivation because I guess its kind of difficult for pharmaceutical companies to sell and get you addicted to.
Pharmaceutical companies are greedy scumbags. I remember watching a doco on how they targeted females with a drug to treat symptoms that females suffered once a month, like mood swings irritability and just feeling flat. They called it a disease. The medication was just repackaged Zoloft. The disease was menstruation. Very dodgy practices in my opinion.
It's been shown that SSRIs in particular don't work very well on their own for anxiety, really needs to be paired with CBT to have much effect. To be clear the sum of the two are greater than each individually to a statistically significant degree.
Just don't let anyone get you on benzos. Seriously.
ooh yeah benzos shouldn't even be prescribed anymore, if that happens find another psychiatrist, seriously. Also I don't know if they published a paper on that as the original study was only tangenially related and they didn't secure funding until very recently I think or they still haven't. I mean its ultimately a crapshoot with medication as there is a total lack of theoretical knowledge or understanding of how brain make think. Face to face therapy is really the best thing for most affective disorders. Another funny/utterly depressing thing is that at my university a few years ago a student tested one of the major animal models of depression which is where you put a mouse in cold water and when it stops swimming that is when it becomes depressed. The guys hypothesis was that they actually stop swimming because the water around their body warms up and they don't want to leave the now warmer section. Anyways hypothesis supported but essentially the people doing the peer review covered their ears and went lalalalalalala not listening and it didn't get published.
So essentially what I'm getting at is that psycho/neuropharmacology is deeply flawed.
Prior to valium I was on truxal (not even legal in the US I think). Valium is not a problem unless you take them on a regular basis, or have an "addictive personality". I take maybe 35-50mg over the duration of a year and only if I'm unable to stop the panic attack in a situation that I have to get through (oral exams etc.). But respect is a key word here. If you get hooked on that shit you might as well just start shooting heroin. I meditate once a week if I can get the time for it, and drink fesh tea with relaxing herbs every morning. Therapy is also very helpfull, if you can afford it.
