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| Wed, 09-13-2006 - 12:21pm |
Hello! I have been on ivillage for a while, but I just started visiting this board about a week ago. I have read over a lot of posts and they have been extremely helpful!
A little about me...
I am a single mom. I have a 5 year old little girl who has eczema & allergies, which we fight with daily. Since my little girl was 2, I have lost a sister, Grandmother, Aunt, and my little girl's Grandmother on her dad's side. I seperated from my husband in Febuary of 2005 and our divorce was final in May of 2006. So, basically I have been through a lot... ANYWAY....
I started feeling "not right" somewhere around last November. Coincidentally that was also around the same time I moved into my Grandmother's house (including painting and making repairs quickly in order to get moved in on time)....I went to the Dr. in January and he said he thought is was stress & anxiety & had me try zoloft. Well, I was afraid to take it, so I never did. Then, in February or March, I was at the ER with heart palpitations. They ran every test in the book & they were all fine and never really told me what was going on, but did tell me to go see my Dr. the next Monday. Then, I had an echocardiogram on my heart and it was fine. That's just the beginning! After that, I had an ultrasound on my breast thinking I may have had breast cancer, and I had a CAT scan on my head because of dizziness, and several other Dr. and specialist appointments running up high doctor bills! Everything FINE. So, now I know in my mind that nothing is wrong with me. All this dizziness, fatigue, and weird feelings have to be anxiety! Sometimes I feel like I am not even in the world. It gets worse in restaurants, stores (especially waiting in long lines), in church, and of course when my daughter is fussy like every morning, every evening when bedtime comes...etc. Also, I'm an accountant and I get this way when talking to clients.
Well, I need to get back to work....I will continue to visit here because in the past week it has helped me to read what others are saying. Hopefully I can get through this without medication, well except for an occasional 1/4 of a xanax! Nice to meet you all!!

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Hi & welcome!
Sheri Ann
Hi! It's nice to see you in our caring community;)
You are NOT alone. You probably have read that others experience the very same issues. My anxiety/panic is triggered anywhere I feel trapped. Waiting in line is an impossibility for me. There was a time that I couldn't eat in restaurants. In the past I took antidepressants with success. I was guilty of carrying prescriptions around for long periods because I didn't want to admit that I had an anxiety disorder. Now I have come to accept it & know that there will be times meds will be necessary.
Have you considered therapy? Sometimes we need an objective person to point out patterns of behavior we develop that need changed. It doesn't mean you're crazy. Just need a listening ear & some guidance. Have you checked out our *coping tips & tricks* folder below? There are many self-help techniques there that will aid when the anxiety hits. I like to belly breathe & practice meditation.
Alot of us can relate to the serious life changes that triggered your feelings. I am sorry for your many losses. My deepest sympathy): That must be really hard in such a short period of time. Check out the Bereavement & Healing board when you get a chance.
hi there and welcome to the board.
Sheri Ann,
I do remember reading a couple of your posts and thinking it sounded like me. I still have the zoloft, but have just been afraid of the side effects mainly. I have just heard mixed opinions on the zoloft. The xanax does calm me when I need it, but it seems like it gives me shortness of breath. I try not to take it unless I really need it.
Well, thanks for the welcome!! I will definitely continue to visit!
Jan, thanks for the welcome! I haven't thought of going to therapy, but that is probably a good idea. I have had a few people mention that since my divorce. I will definitely check out the coping tips & tricks. I would rather try these things than start out on the medication. Guess I will just take it one step @ a time.
Hi and welcome to the board. Your health anxiety issues sound a lot like me. I was racking up the dr bills because I was certain something was wrong with me and I just had to be dying of something. I became obsessed with breast cancer and even convinced them to give me a mammogram at 29. I have been on Zoloft for three weeks now and I think it is really helping now. All the pain I had which led me to think I had BC is gone which leads me to believe it was stress related. If you haven't started with the meds yet, I'd go ahead and start taking them.
Tina
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