I want a solution. NOW.
I visited the doctor yesterday for a myriad of issues. Her diagnosis? Your metabolism is all messed up and your body is confused. So try this for awhile and tell me how it goes.
Gee, thanks.
Okay, okay, what more did I expect? Some sort of miracle solution? She couldn’t give me that.
I’ve just been so IMPATIENT lately. I want to know NOW if something is going to work. But that’s impossible. She doesn’t think my metabolism will stabilize until my body weight stabilizes… which I told her may take awhile since my body is so “confused,” and I am kind of letting it do its own thing. So I must continue to wait.
I was thinking about my anxiety during my awesome run outside last night. I was trying to focus on why I’ve been so anxious. I was trying to get to the root of it all. But I can’t for some reason. I have a hard time even thinking about it. Part of me just says, “go back to the doctor and ask her for anxiety medication like you used to take.” But I really don’t want to do that. I want to keep trying on my own. I have an inner dialogue going on constantly telling myself to calm down, breathe, ignore things, blah blah blah.
And I don’t feel unhappy! In fact, I may be the happiest I’ve ever been. I just feel anxious A LOT of the time.
Themocracy
If you are happy, and you feel you can control it by breathing, etc. then I would try to hold out. Maybe see if you can get the meds to have on hand, but do your best to control it on your own. It might make you feel less anxious to know that you have a back up plan readily available if you feel you need it.
I’m going to echo Beth above – and add to just listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs…even if sometimes it’s really difficult to translate! But I would still recommend speaking with your doctor about perhaps non-medication options, too. Always a thought! Those doctors seem to be pretty knowledgable. 🙂
Anxiety is a strange thing. I got diagnosed with GAD last year, but I knew the source of my anxiety for that. Now? I get an anxiety attack out of the blue when I’m perfectly fine. I always wonder, WTH? I also get anxiety during PMS and my cycle.
It stinks. I like the Xanax. I hardly ever take it, but when I need it, it is there.
I try to breathe my way through the attacks, too. It helps. Usually I get through them with that. For me, having that bottle in my purse, whether I take one or not, makes a tremendous difference–just knowning it’s there.
Stupid anxiety. It is really the dumbest thing, isn’t it–frustrating.
it is very frustrating to me too when i go in looking for a clear-cut answer and there doesn’t seem to be one to be found!!! i quit taking all my meds, including the anxiety ones, this summer and i find myself doing the same thing except i don’t have the inner dialogue running thru my mind although i wish i did… i just get bent out of shape and worked up!!! anxiety sucks- especially if you can’t pinpoint the root of it!!!!!
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Sorry to hear there was no real solution, I’ve been going through that for a couple of weeks now and I understand how frustrating it can be to be told wait and see all the time. I hope things get better.
I would be frustrated too. I have anxiety and don’t like to take anything for it because I feel like it is silly to need it in the first place, even though I know that’s not true. Sometimes I’m anxious about something specific, but most of the time that feeling comes along for no reason…so frustrating!
Understand your frustration. I agree with many of the above posters, it sounds like you are able to calm yourself down when needed. Perhaps a script for xanax just for when you REALLY need it, then you wouldnt always feel like youre drugged??
I’m going to try to carefully walk the line on this one. 🙂 Chemical imbalances in our brain are no different than chemical imbalances in other parts of our body. A diabetic takes insulin to regulate his/her sugar. But why is it taboo to take medicine to make our brain function more normally?
I’m not your doctor, so I can’t say whether or not you have an anxiety disorder or need medication. I do know that people who have GAD simply have…much touchier triggers to their nerves. So we (yes, I am on medicine for GAD–at its worst I couldn’t go to work because I had such bad panic attacks) have a lower threshold to stress and react to the most basic to the most intense stresses (and yes, even good things can cause stress–that’s why we get butterflies in our tummies when we are anticipating something!) more strongly than the average joe. It is not bad or anything to be ashamed of, we’re just sensitive people…with our seratonin all out of whack!
All that said, you know yourself best. If you feel like you can function and have your own control mechanisms, than no worries! But there is no shame in needing a little extra medical assistance sometimes–just like you’d take Sudafed to clear your nose. Sometimes just a couple of days on something like Xanax can get your brain back to center.
On another note…I’m curious what the doctor recommended for your metabolism? I remember Kyra mentioning something similar when she trained for her marathon…that her metabolism got all screwed up. I’m just wondering how that gets “fixed”!
diane,
I wish my doctor would have described my GAD like you just did. I have always felt a little sensitive about it–never ashamed to mention it, but it made me feel — weak, I guess.
Your explanation was so well-defined and makes me feel better about my GAD.
So why did my doctor tell me to be careful as Xanax is addictive? A lot of things are addictive, but the quality of my life has improved greatly since having it. He gave me 3 bottles with 60 pills each. I filled it twice, and still have plenty left over. That was a year ago.
On my mentioning the metabolism thing? It’s still not fixed (look into athlete’s thyroid), but I’m dealing with it. I’m just going to be a tall, fit, PUDGY runner and trainer. So be it. 🙂
As for the anxiety? I sympathize. I’ve been wondering lately about my own…
Jo–(sorry to hijack your post, Kim!)
I’m very glad I could make you feel better. It is something I feel passionate about, the way mental health is treated in this country.
I understand the warning about sedatives and such, as I had a mild addiction to Ativan early on when my doctor told me I could take it every day for as long as I wanted. My coping strategies actually more or less shut down.
But like you, I have Xanax for emergencies and usually a prescription lasts me six months or more. 🙂 I also take Zoloft daily which regulates my seratonin so that I am not getting anxiety highs and crashing into depression lows. I’ve been on it for more than 10 years and just consider it one of my daily medications, just like I would take thyroid medicine daily if my thyroid malfunctioned.
Here is a little histroy on my “anxiety.” Can you believe I did not know what GAD was until you guys mentioned it? But these phrases pretty much describe me: “You may… feel tense and anxious all day long with no real reason.” “This anxiety takes a physical toll, too. Your body aches, you can’t sleep, and you’re exhausted all the time.” I have the physical and psychological symptoms mentioned on the link, but I am not worried about things, I just feel anxious and out of control. So maybe I am just a big weirdo? I don’t want to be misleading or make light of this. But I also don’t want to self-diagnose myself with something I don’t have!
beth – I would prefer to try to control it on my own. I come from that “self-help” mindset I guess. But I need to watch it carefully and make sure it doesn’t spiral out of control. Because I do think it’s getting worse, even though I am trying. And I am worried about being on a drug one day and not the next. I don’t want to confuse my body any more! 🙁
Mrs. Smith – I can’t seem to hear it. Or ir speaks a different language! Maybe it would be a good idea to talk the doctor more about it. She thought leveling out my metabolism would help, but it’s kind of got me wondering.
Jo – I’ve noticed it links up with my cycle too – certain times anyway. I wonder if my hormones are off balance. I don’t really have attacks though, it just elevates until it caps out and I have an outburst. Usually at my husband. It can just be perceived as bitchiness, but I feel out of control.
CourtneyInControl – We want to find the root of the problem so we can solve it… but we can’t. Does life just make us this way? That is what I want to know! I feel like something is wrong with me!
Jenn – And I hope the same for you! After I read your about your issues, I knew I wouldn’t get a clear cut answer on mine either.
Amanda – That is how I am too. It’s usually not something specific, so I somehow feel like I am not justified in taking anything.
Scale Warfare – I am just worried I wouldn’t know when I need it and overuse it. Or something 🙁
diane – I believe what you said about chemical imbalances – I don’t think that people make them up (generally) and that they should go untreated. I just don’t know if I have one because I do feel happy… I just get so anxious. Does that make any sense? I think I should continue to monitor it. I will try to write you an email about the metabolism thing.
Jo – Weak! That is the way I feel too.
Kyra – They did take blood to look into my thyroid. I just feel healthy, so I’m kind of doubting anything is wrong (very dumb to assume, I KNOW!).
diane – Don’t apologzie! I love your input, and am happy you are helping someone besides me as well! 🙂
The part your link discusses about worrying…I had that when I was younger, but I don’t now. I’m more like what you describe yourself as now, except that I do get real panic attacks. I feel like I’m walking sideways, I feel like I’m going to collapse, I hyperventelate, etc. Normally, though, I just have the very high anxiety (when it rears its ugly head. It’s not every day.)
About six months ago, I started journaling my moods. That helped me find the cycle patten that I didn’t know existed. I still have anxiety that just pops up out of nowhere, though. I am very happy at times, too.
It’s just weird. When I was given the GAD dignosis, I read up on it. Anxiety issues are the #1 diagnosed mental health issue out there. That made me feel a little better knowing that I wasn’t alone.
Now, if I could just turn my mind off when I try to go to sleep at night…
Best wishes to you.
Thank you, again, Diane, for your statements!
When my grandfather had cancer, I learned so much about our medical system. So much is guess & wait. Educated guess and wait some more. Oftentimes, there are no clear answers. So, while I don’t know what it’s like to deal with anxiety, I do know how frustrating it is not to have answers. Hang in there – you will sort this out.
Perhaps therapy could be helpful in lieu of meds. A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) specialist could probably give you some additional mental tools to help manage your anxiety.
Just jumping in….how is your thyroid? THe thyroid, I have learned, controls more than you think. I was just recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and have been on synthroid for about 3m. Granted I didn’t have some of the obvious symptoms like weight gain and fatigue, but it was messin’ with my cycle. Now that I”m onsomething my cycles have ironed themselves out, and my libido – not that you needed to know that. 😉
Jo – I am going to start journaling! I was just listening to Jillian Michael’s 4/12 podcast and she was talking about how that is a good method for relieving stress when you can’t sleep at night. Actually, she had a lot of helpful, albeit obvious, suggestions. I think I will post that tomorrow!
SoMi’s Nilsa – I know you know! With your awful mystery virus/cold. I am just going to trust the doctor and wait and see. Not much else I can do! (Well, besides continue to try to take care of myself!)
claire – I did therapy a couple of times. It was really helpful the second time, but then the therapist went behind my back and brought something up to my parents (at a face to face) that I asked her not to (the topic was not life-altering, but I asked her to keep it private). So now I have a bad taste in my mouth. Well, I know I am the type of person who brings up things like that, so maybe I could find a good one if I went that route!
VENTL8R – The did a blood check for my thyroid, and they just called me yesterday that the results were normal! But I have a totally EFFED up cycle. Yeah. That’s the main issue. 🙁
i had written a comment yesterday and decided not to post all of it cause i’ve been thinking about this whole subject of anxiety A LOT lately!!! it does make me feel better to know that there are other people out there like me who struggle daily with what seem to be “normal” issues for other people… maybe i should say people seem to cope and deal with things better than i do… every day life situations… thanks for posting this though!! i really enjoyed reading all the comments too!!!!
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CourtneyInControl – Do you feel “weak” about it too? We have to try not to! But I sure do sometimes. I think other people don’t let all the stress get to them. What can we learn from them…? 🙂
Sometimes during periods of change I get anxious. Maybe that’s it? I hope things calm for you soon. It’s hard to feel that way all the time!
sizzle – I hope that is all it is too! I am trying to monitor it to see what is causing it.