Way OT: Panic/Anxiety

[Preston Crawfor]

X-No-Archive: yes

I'm asking this here (also) in case any of you have experience with this and can shed some light
on what I should be looking at. There are some people here I trust, hopefully they can provide
some advice.

------------------------------

I wrote the below (about being brief) before I started this. It isn't going to be brief, though, but
please bear with me as I need advice.

------------------------------

I'll try to keep this brief. I've had problems with anxiety for a while now. Probably around 5 years
that I've known of. Around y2k I was realy anxious that something was going to happen. I was a
constant news junkie, kept myself immersed in all that was going to go wrong. I was certain,
especially understanding the economy and the bubble market at the time, that if any failures of any
scale occurred that panic would ensure. Actually, it wasn't so much the failures I was worried
about, but the panic. I was worried that in this just-in-time economy we live in, disruptions could
lead to panic and panic to food shortages, riots, and then perhaps business failures, etc.

For the last few years as I got myself healthier I haven't dealt with that kind of panic, really.
I've mostly been able to ignore the larger world events and focus on exercising, eating better, etc.
I've had my own personal panic issues. Mostly minor anxiety attacks brought on by how my body felt
that caused me to go to the hospital fearing the worst. I've gotten tested for lots of different
things in order to allay these fears.

** As those of you who have read my past posts in the newsgroup know, this is something I've dealt
with (and posted here about) off and on for a while. **

Then 9/11 happened. I hate to admit it, but 9/11 sent me into quite a tailspin. I started doing the
things I did before y2k. Stocking up on food, reading and talking about the news constantly (in fact
I'm certain some of that behavior has unfortunately manifested itself in this very newsgroup),
preparing physically as if I were going to have to be in survivalist mode eventually. I was still
able to function fine at work and everything, but this was definitely a problem that I continued to
rationalize by saying "Hey, these things really are happening in the world, my reaction is right,
it's the other people who don't see what's happening that have a problem." I still believe this is
partially right, that some people aren't worried enough, but I obviously know now that worry
excessively does no good physically or mentally. Especially physically since I need to be able to
sleep well and thus be able to work as I normally do.

Well, 4 days a go I had a huge problem with insomnia. Worked myself into a paniced frenzy about not
being able to sleep well enough or enough to be ready for work on Monday. Consequently I only slept
two fitfull hours. The next day the same thing happened and I went to the hospital at 4am where
they gave me Ativan. I took the Ativan (I've been very reluctant to take any kind of brain
medicine, so please keep this in mind with what I say later) that didn't do much for me. I slept 3
hours, then I was awake again for the next day. That night (Tuesday) I really got focused on
relaxing. I spent all day at home jittery from the two days of insomnia, but at 8 I relaxed, took
0.75mg of the Ativan and slept like a baby. Worked yesterday and saw a psychologist for the first
time, which seemed to go fine.

Then last night I started the same routine, except I only took 0.5mg. Didn't get to sleep. Took
another 0.25mg and eventually got to sleep, but I was in and out throughout the night and today I
don't feel well.

So I have a few questions.

#1 - Am I putting myself at risk right now by seeing a psychologist and
not a psychiatrist? I really think this is something I can control, but after talking to a relative
in my family (4 close relatives in my family are all on a psych med) and after going through that so
so night last night I'm now getting anxious (fun, I know) that I'm destined for medication. I don't
know how I'm going to sleep tonight.

#2 - If I had to take medication is there any that is safe and actually
makes you feel "normal"? I hear so much about bad reactions and side effects that my main
reservation is that I don't want to do more harm than good.

#3 - Is it possible that taking a lower dose of the ativan earlier was the
problem with last night and that I was just still dealing with the effects of the insomnia?

I'm obviously going to barrage my doctors with all these questions today, but I thought I'd ask some
people I trusted who may have dealt with this before or had loved ones who had.

Preston

 

[Steve McDonald]

What a disappointment that was that nothing happened at Y2K! It showed us all what folly it is to
have anxiety about anything. The real problems take up too much energy and concentration, to even
think about being anxious. That's what you need-----some real problems. Then you'll be able to focus
on them and forget your anxieties.

Incidentally, I can provide real problems for anyone and at only a small fee.

Steve McDonald

 

[Gary Smiley]

1) Best medicine is more bike riding - it causes the body to manufacture endorphins which produce a
tranquilizing effect, like a "runner's high".
2) George Bush wants us to be scared. The US runs on fear. They've been planning to go after Central
Asia's oil reserves even before 9/11, but 9/11 was just what he needed. If we were rational and
intelligent but not scared, we wouldn't be buying all his lies, and we wouldn't support his
imperialist oil-grabbing agenda. That's another reason to ride a bike - it doesn't consume oil.
3) Even if you're right and I'm wrong, that's one more reason to keep your bicycle tuned up and
ready for anything. So keep riding your bike and stop worrying!

Preston Crawford wrote:

> X-No-Archive: yes
>
> I'm asking this here (also) in case any of you have experience with this and can shed some light
> on what I should be looking at. There are some people here I trust, hopefully they can provide
> some advice.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> I wrote the below (about being brief) before I started this. It isn't going to be brief, though,
> but please bear with me as I need advice.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> I'll try to keep this brief. I've had problems with anxiety for a while now. Probably around 5
> years that I've known of. Around y2k I was realy anxious that something was going to happen. I was
> a constant news junkie, kept myself immersed in all that was going to go wrong. I was certain,
> especially understanding the economy and the bubble market at the time, that if any failures of
> any scale occurred that panic would ensure. Actually, it wasn't so much the failures I was worried
> about, but the panic. I was worried that in this just-in-time economy we live in, disruptions
> could lead to panic and panic to food shortages, riots, and then perhaps business failures, etc.
>
> For the last few years as I got myself healthier I haven't dealt with that kind of panic, really.
> I've mostly been able to ignore the larger world events and focus on exercising, eating better,
> etc. I've had my own personal panic issues. Mostly minor anxiety attacks brought on by how my body
> felt that caused me to go to the hospital fearing the worst. I've gotten tested for lots of
> different things in order to allay these fears.
>
> ** As those of you who have read my past posts in the newsgroup know, this is something I've dealt
> with (and posted here about) off and on for a while. **
>
> Then 9/11 happened. I hate to admit it, but 9/11 sent me into quite a tailspin. I started doing
> the things I did before y2k. Stocking up on food, reading and talking about the news constantly
> (in fact I'm certain some of that behavior has unfortunately manifested itself in this very
> newsgroup), preparing physically as if I were going to have to be in survivalist mode eventually.
> I was still able to function fine at work and everything, but this was definitely a problem that I
> continued to rationalize by saying "Hey, these things really are happening in the world, my
> reaction is right, it's the other people who don't see what's happening that have a problem." I
> still believe this is partially right, that some people aren't worried enough, but I obviously
> know now that worry excessively does no good physically or mentally. Especially physically since I
> need to be able to sleep well and thus be able to work as I normally do.
>
> Well, 4 days a go I had a huge problem with insomnia. Worked myself into a paniced frenzy about
> not being able to sleep well enough or enough to be ready for work on Monday. Consequently I only
> slept two fitfull hours. The next day the same thing happened and I went to the hospital at 4am
> where they gave me Ativan. I took the Ativan (I've been very reluctant to take any kind of brain
> medicine, so please keep this in mind with what I say later) that didn't do much for me. I slept 3
> hours, then I was awake again for the next day. That night (Tuesday) I really got focused on
> relaxing. I spent all day at home jittery from the two days of insomnia, but at 8 I relaxed, took
> 0.75mg of the Ativan and slept like a baby. Worked yesterday and saw a psychologist for the first
> time, which seemed to go fine.
>
> Then last night I started the same routine, except I only took 0.5mg. Didn't get to sleep. Took
> another 0.25mg and eventually got to sleep, but I was in and out throughout the night and today I
> don't feel well.
>
> So I have a few questions.
>
> #1 - Am I putting myself at risk right now by seeing a psychologist and
> not a psychiatrist? I really think this is something I can control, but after talking to a
> relative in my family (4 close relatives in my family are all on a psych med) and after going
> through that so so night last night I'm now getting anxious (fun, I know) that I'm destined for
> medication. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight.
>
> #2 - If I had to take medication is there any that is safe and actually
> makes you feel "normal"? I hear so much about bad reactions and side effects that my main
> reservation is that I don't want to do more harm than good.
>
> #3 - Is it possible that taking a lower dose of the ativan earlier was the
> problem with last night and that I was just still dealing with the effects of the insomnia?
>
> I'm obviously going to barrage my doctors with all these questions today, but I thought I'd ask
> some people I trusted who may have dealt with this before or had loved ones who had.
>
> Preston

 

[B A R R Y B U R]

Preston Crawford wrote:
>
>
> #1 - Am I putting myself at risk right now by seeing a psychologist and
> not a psychiatrist?

Have you asked the psychologist this question? I know folks that see both, with the doctors
communicating with each other.

As far as meds (including natural remedies) go, someone I know who is also subject to anxiety and
panic attacks went through the same fears you are having. Will I get bad side effects? Will I seem
"out of it" or drugged? and so on... All were unfounded and she lives a perfectly normal life.

Good luck!

Barry

 

[Fabrizio Mazzol]

"Preston Crawford" <[email protected]>

> next day the same thing happened and I went to the hospital at 4am where they gave me Ativan. I
> took the Ativan

Hey Preston, did you find any performance increase with your cycling while on Ativan?

Anyway, that's enough talk about you for one day, the FedEx driver just delivered my new team
Telekom Limar F107 helmet just now and I'm going to go and try it on and see how good I look with it
and my new Briko Grilamid frame thrama system sunglasses!

 

[Preston Crawfor]

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Have you asked the psychologist this question? I know folks that see both, with the doctors
> communicating with each other.

I've seen a psychologist and so far she isn't sure I need to see a
psychiatrist. It's just hard when you're sleep deprived and anxious to know whether you're either
staring off into the abyss of untreated anxiety and depression or whether you're just someone
really tired with a sedative hangover that needs sleep.

> As far as meds (including natural remedies) go, someone I know who is also subject to anxiety and
> panic attacks went through the same fears you are having. Will I get bad side effects? Will I seem
> "out of it" or drugged? and so on... All were unfounded and she lives a perfectly normal life.

So does that mean she took a medication then?

Preston

 

[Lindsay Rowland]

Preston Crawford <[email protected]> wrote:
: X-No-Archive: yes

: I'm asking this here (also) in case any of you have experience with this and can shed some light
: on what I should be looking at. There are some people here I trust, hopefully they can provide
: some advice.

My advice:
- Get plenty of exercise, ie, ride your bike at least 6 days a week.
- Eat healthy, ie, eliminate junk for and work towards a healthful diet.
- Go to a psychologist and find what the issues are that you need to resolve in your life,
ie, there is a reason for your anxiety and has nothing to do with world events - see these
'world concerns' as something for your unresolved/unexpressed anxiety to hang on to, ie, a
symptom of personal issues.
- Anxiety feeds on itself, so, find an intellectual and spiritual space that allows you to
understand that we will all die, we don't know when or how that will happen so it behoves
us to live each moment to the fullest - not in fear, but fully present and authentically.
- Stop trying to control what happens to you. What happens, happens anyway.
- Learn meditation to give yourself time during each day where you give yourself a break
from grinding away at worry and control.
- Breath, breath, breath...
- Use medication in the short term only to help you establish the above, otherwise, give it
up as soon as possible.

Hope this helps, cheerz, Lynzz

 

[B A R R Y B U R]

Preston Crawford wrote:
>
>
> So does that mean she took a medication then?
>

Yup, along with some lifestyle changes. She had other factors contributing to her problems, but a
small prescription helped her overcome extreme (couldn't leave the house) anxiety and panic attacks.

Barry

 

[George Shaffer]

When I was a gunsmith several years back, I freaked out from too much CNN. But then I stopped
worrying about everything, started riding, and just sit back and take it a day at a time.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Thu, 6 Mar 2003 13:31:20 -0800, <[email protected]>, "Preston Crawford"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>I'm obviously going to barrage my doctors with all these questions today, but I thought I'd ask
>some people I trusted who may have dealt with this before or had loved ones who had.
>
>Preston
>
Mention your sleep apnea. Individuals with sleep apnea should not generally use sedatives as
sleep aids.
--
zk

 

[One Of The Six]

Whenever you find your anxiety fixating on something: know that it is just the anxiety and that you
have to ride out those unpleasant feelings, do your best to focus on an opposite positive image.

"Why of course the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders of the country who
determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no
voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to
do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and
exposing the country to danger."

Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials

"Preston Crawford" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> X-No-Archive: yes
>
> I'm asking this here (also) in case any of you have experience with this
and
> can shed some light on what I should be looking at. There are some people here I trust, hopefully
> they can provide some advice.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> I wrote the below (about being brief) before I started this. It isn't going to be brief, though,
> but please bear with me as I need advice.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> I'll try to keep this brief. I've had problems with anxiety for a while now. Probably around 5
> years that I've known of. Around y2k I was realy anxious that something was going to happen. I was
> a constant news junkie, kept myself immersed in all that was going to go wrong. I was certain,
> especially understanding the economy and the bubble market at the time, that if any failures of
> any scale occurred that panic would ensure. Actually, it wasn't so much the failures I was worried
> about, but the panic. I was worried that in this just-in-time economy we live in, disruptions
> could lead to panic and panic to food shortages, riots, and then perhaps business failures, etc.
>
> For the last few years as I got myself healthier I haven't dealt with
that
> kind of panic, really. I've mostly been able to ignore the larger world events and focus on
> exercising, eating better, etc. I've had my own personal panic issues. Mostly minor anxiety
> attacks brought on by how my body felt that caused me to go to the hospital fearing the worst.
> I've gotten tested for lots of different things in order to allay these fears.
>
> ** As those of you who have read my past posts in the newsgroup know,
this
> is something I've dealt with (and posted here about) off and on for a
while.
> **
>
> Then 9/11 happened. I hate to admit it, but 9/11 sent me into quite a tailspin. I started doing
> the things I did before y2k. Stocking up on food, reading and talking about the news constantly
> (in fact I'm certain some of that behavior has unfortunately manifested itself in this very
> newsgroup), preparing physically as if I were going to have to be in survivalist mode eventually.
> I was still able to function fine at work
and
> everything, but this was definitely a problem that I continued to rationalize by saying "Hey,
> these things really are happening in the world, my reaction is right, it's the other people who
> don't see what's happening that have a problem." I still believe this is partially right, that
> some people aren't worried enough, but I obviously know now that worry excessively does no good
> physically or mentally. Especially physically since I need to be able to sleep well and thus be
> able to work as I normally do.
>
> Well, 4 days a go I had a huge problem with insomnia. Worked myself into
a
> paniced frenzy about not being able to sleep well enough or enough to be ready for work on Monday.
> Consequently I only slept two fitfull hours.
The
> next day the same thing happened and I went to the hospital at 4am where they gave me Ativan. I
> took the Ativan (I've been very reluctant to take any kind of brain medicine, so please keep this
> in mind with what I say later) that didn't do much for me. I slept 3 hours, then I was awake
again
> for the next day. That night (Tuesday) I really got focused on relaxing.
I
> spent all day at home jittery from the two days of insomnia, but at 8 I relaxed, took 0.75mg of
> the Ativan and slept like a baby. Worked
yesterday
> and saw a psychologist for the first time, which seemed to go fine.
>
> Then last night I started the same routine, except I only took 0.5mg. Didn't get to sleep. Took
> another 0.25mg and eventually got to sleep, but I was in and out throughout the night and today I
> don't feel well.
>
> So I have a few questions.
>
> #1 - Am I putting myself at risk right now by seeing a psychologist and
> not a psychiatrist? I really think this is something I can control, but after talking to a
> relative in my family (4 close relatives in my family are all on a psych med) and after going
> through that so so night last night I'm now getting anxious (fun, I know) that I'm destined for
> medication. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight.
>
> #2 - If I had to take medication is there any that is safe and actually
> makes you feel "normal"? I hear so much about bad reactions and side effects that my main
> reservation is that I don't want to do more harm
than
> good.
>
> #3 - Is it possible that taking a lower dose of the ativan earlier was
the
> problem with last night and that I was just still dealing with the
effects
> of the insomnia?
>
> I'm obviously going to barrage my doctors with all these questions today, but I thought I'd ask
> some people I trusted who may have dealt with this before or had loved ones who had.
>
> Preston

 

[Gary Smiley]

Send us all a picture!

Fabrizio Mazzoleni wrote:

> "Anyway, that's enough talk about you for one day, the FedEx driver just delivered my new team
> Telekom Limar F107 helmet just now and I'm going to go and try it on and see how good I look with
> it and my new Briko Grilamid frame thrama system sunglasses!

 

[Fabrizio Mazzol]

"Gary Smiley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Send us all a picture!
>
>
Hey, I was just trying to help Preston out.

 

[Eric S. Sande]

>I'm obviously going to barrage my doctors with all these questions today, but I thought I'd ask
>some people I trusted who may have dealt with this before or had loved ones who had.

Ativan is a very heavy drug. If you possibly can stay away from it do so.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Denver C. Fox]

I can't emphasize enough the need for regular exercise.

My wife and i have been through a son born profoundly mentally handicapped, another son who became
fully and permanently (from the neck down) paralyzed on his 21st birthday (he graduated from
Stanford Law School and is now married and a practicing attorney with his own firm), the other son
having an injury from a fall 4 years ago and also becoming paralyzed (he was able to recover almost
fully with 3 years of therapy), a terribly nasty lawsuit against my small company, and a bad car
accident last year which set my wife back physically after her recovery from a previous car
accident, causing severe pain.

Throughout all of this we continued to exercise regularly, walking at least 2 miles briskly daily
and riding our bikes, and I weight lift a lot.

The exercise is what makes the difference. I am on no medications, and have never been. She has been
on Paxil (very small dose) since the car accident, but will be coming off it soon (it was prescribed
as a part of the pain resolution). She was also on morphine for a while, but is now off of that,
also. Due to excellent physical therapy and her increasing her walking to up to 7 miles daily, she
is now off of all pain meds, and is pain free.

No matter what the weather (blizzard, heat) we are out there walking. It really relieves that stress
and anxiety and gives you a more positive outlook on the world.

Keep seeing the psychologist. Your psychologist should have a working relationship with a
psychiatrist, who should be in charge of your meds.

Good luck.

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Those endorphins are great for your body and mind.

http://members.aol.com/foxcondorsrvtns (Colorado rental condo)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox (Family Web Page)

 

[John David Powe]

My only advice is to put your fear in perspective. Do you fear death? It's going to happen with or
without a war, terrorist attack, pollution, second hand smoke, idiot drivers, etc. Do you fear
financial ruin? Wasn't there a time when you had very little material wealth? You survived.

Everyone worries about these things to some degree so be careful what you standardize as "normal."

 

[Pbwalther]

If you think of it, even if a terrorist attack occurs in the USA monthly, your chances of getting
hit are still almost insignificant. They would have to do a whale of a job to be more effective than
american motorists are at killing themselves and others on the nation's highways.

Think of it this way, the papers love reporting murders. But the suicide rate has always been higher
than the murder rate. That guy in the mirror is the most dangerous person in the world!!!

Here in Florida if someone gets bitten by a shark, it is all over the newpapers. But you are at
greater risk driving to the beach in your car then you are from a shark in the surf. Shoot I bet
more people die from bee stings in FL then from sharks.

One thing you could do is just stop reading newspapers and watching the news. Those things love to
scare people.

But this is all logic and what you are talking about is emotion. And emotion is hard to deal with.

One thing I find is that I sleep better on bicycle tours because I know that no one is going to call
me up with some dern thing that needs dealing with. And I don't have to worry about what I am going
to do tomorrow. You might want to take a few days off and go somewhere that has no TV, no radio, no
phone and let yourself unwind. Come back and ration your news intake. Look it is far better to try
this then fool around with psychologists, psychiatrists and drugs.

Also, think about it. Do you even live in an area that would have a target that a terrorist would
give his life to hit? I mean if the biggest local point of interest is a road side attaction of the
world's largest ball of string, well maybe you are not on the terrorist's radar screen. What self
respecting terrorist would give his life blowing up a ball of string anyway? Shoot most of the
country is pretty safe.

I don't know if you are religious or not. If you are even a little religious maybe going to church,
temple, mosque or whatever floats you boat would help. Religion does have its consolations and it is
well suited to treat this sort of thing.

Of course, going out and riding hard is supposed to be a great stress reducer. You could
try that too.

 

[Golightly F.]

"Fabrizio Mazzoleni" <[email protected]> snip --->
> Anyway, that's enough talk about you for one day, the FedEx driver just delivered my new team
> Telekom Limar F107 helmet just now and I'm going to go and try it on and see how good I look with
> it and my new Briko Grilamid frame thrama system sunglasses!

Says, Ms. Mozzarella the panic and anxiety ...queen.

 

[Fabrizio Mazzol]

"Golightly F." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Fabrizio Mazzoleni" <[email protected]> snip --->
> > Anyway, that's enough talk about you for one day, the FedEx driver just delivered my new team
> > Telekom Limar F107 helmet just now and I'm going to go and try it on and see how good I look
> > with it and my new Briko Grilamid frame thrama system sunglasses!
>
> Says, Ms. Mozzarella the panic and anxiety ...queen.
>
Hey, I was just trying to cheer Preston up.

Anyway, here is what the euro press is saying about me:

Es ist vollbracht: Kapitän Fabrizio Mazzoleni höchstpersönlich hat dem Team Telekom am dritten Tag
der Murcia-Rundfahrt den ersten Saisonsieg beschert. Der Weltranglistenerste triumphierte auf einem
160 km langen und äußerst anspruchsvollen Kurs um

 

[Claire Petersky]

TomP <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> An interesting story / dilemma. Where's Claire when we need her?

Thank you for your concern. I tripped and fell carrying groceries into the house and bonked my head.
I feel a little addled and am taking it easy, so I've been sitying her in front of hte comptuer.

Actually, I've been thinking about Preston's situation over the last few wayd I mean days and I have
had some ideas, but they weren't goec I mean cogentyly enough formed for me to either write to him
privately or post here pul publl puuu I htikn I better g lie down again.

Thanks again forr askinnnng ,b ,e abpit about me.

Yours,

Claire