Thread: Anxiety and depression and panics oh my!

I'm wondering if anyone can help me out of a hole I seem to be falling into. I've had a long history of anxiety and depression (hospitalised with it 20 odd years ago and lost of medication et al later) but for the last year or so it has been getting much better. However after a change-over of medication and then change back at Christmas / New Year it's taken a dip. I've actually had two panic attacks since Christmas (one today ) both while about to turn onto a motorway. Anyways is anyone else a sufferer and if so have you any hint for avoiding backsliding like this?

WARNING

Warning: This is an Old Thread This discussion is older than 60 days. information contained in it may no longer be current

I don't suffer from panic attacks but my sister does, I just have serious problems with motorways. Though I don't have panic attacks on them, the whole time I'm on a motorway I'm on edge and can't relax. Do you have any idea what your triggers are? Because I know that really helped my sister control hers. Sorry I can't be much more useful.

I'm not sure if I can help.....but I totally understand. I'm cyclothymic (the mildest bi-polar), a social phobic and also get panic attacks.....I barely drive on motorways, I hate overtaking and I'm really really bad worrying about parking - I can't do multi-storey carparks at all because of an accident I had a few years back and I get really worried about being enclosed.

Please dont worry about having a dip. Everyone has dips even the 'normals' I find when I'm going down into the depression end of my cycle I can start to worry myself worse....thinking I'm never going to come out this time, how everyone's going to hate me or think me weak etc.....it actually makes me tons worse. What I'm trying to learn is to go, "ok I'm down again, but I know I always come out the other side" - having duvet days isn't something to feel guilty about. Luckily I haven't been suicidal now for nearly a decade...so there is hope.

The best thing to take the edge off the depression for me is to try and take some action BEFORE I SINK TOO LOW. Can you do something to rebuild your confidence? Can you avoid using motorways for a little while and get back out driving on easier routes to rebuild your confidence? Have you ever done any cbt? Are you on the books of a community health care team at the mo? Because I've had great support from mine.

January is shit month. The weather is dreary. There's all the expense and anti-climax of Christmas. I think it's pretty normal to be down.

I think the best thing is to give yourself a break if possible and to try not to worry about falling again, because that will only make things worse.....and possibly to take some action, go and talk to someone. Pamper yourself too - take it easy, try and be nice to yourself - can you listen to some relaxing music in the bath and tell yourself that today was bad, but tomorrow is another day?

The really really good thing is that you've spotted the signs so can do something about it before it's too late. But try not to worry yourself into a self-fulfilling prophecy about this is going to be a bad one again :hug::hug::hug:

Ooh I forgot, look this may or may not be helpful - but there's an online interactive website called Living Life To The Full developed by a very experience team of psychiatrists based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) approaches and backed by the National Phobics Alliance and Depression Alliance Scotland and lots of others.

It's totally free and you can sign up and do as many of the modules as you like.

It's what my community mental health nurse got me doing whilst I was on the waiting list for therapy.

It might be helpful....possibly - here's the link Living Life To The Full

Originally Posted by Emiwee

I don't suffer from panic attacks but my sister does, I just have serious problems with motorways. Though I don't have panic attacks on them, the whole time I'm on a motorway I'm on edge and can't relax. Do you have any idea what your triggers are? Because I know that really helped my sister control hers. Sorry I can't be much more useful.

I think the triggers are good old agoraphobia - basically being somewhere where I feel that I can't escape easily if need be. Motorways represent this as once you are on them you can't get off till the next junction. The silly thing this morning was that I had been travelling on A roads which are dual carriageways so you can't get off them till the next junction either but it was still the motorway that got me!

Originally Posted by tempest devyne

Ooh I forgot, look this may or may not be helpful - but there's an online interactive website called Living Life To The Full developed by a very experience team of psychiatrists based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) approaches and backed by the National Phobics Alliance and Depression Alliance Scotland and lots of others.

It's totally free and you can sign up and do as many of the modules as you like.

It's what my community mental health nurse got me doing whilst I was on the waiting list for therapy.

It might be helpful....possibly - here's the link Living Life To The Full

Thank-you for that - I'll go take a look

Oh Hun :sad:


I know EXACTLY how you feel, I have post traumatic stress disorder, and it was my initial reason for taking my performance break, that is now over.

I too have been hospitalised, and from what you are describing it sounds like your medication change is at fault here, so i suggest you go to your doc.

as for panic attacks, depending on your treatment, maybe being referd to primary care can help? I know that theyre really good for panic attack and anxiety treatment.

(although i can say they havent helped me at all, but im akward, however i have good meds)

hope this gets sorted love x

Originally Posted by evildrneil

I think the triggers are good old agoraphobia - basically being somewhere where I feel that I can't escape easily if need be. Motorways represent this as once you are on them you can't get off till the next junction. The silly thing this morning was that I had been travelling on A roads which are dual carriageways so you can't get off them till the next junction either but it was still the motorway that got me!

That makes complete sense to me cause it's pretty similar to my problem. Hope that website helps, as soon as I saw what Tempest wrote I realised I knew about that site too and totally forgot to mention it.

Originally Posted by evildrneil

I think the triggers are good old agoraphobia - basically being somewhere where I feel that I can't escape easily if need be. Motorways represent this as once you are on them you can't get off till the next junction.

That's exactly what my boyfriend says causes his panic attacks. Most of the time anyway. He doesn't drive but if he's in the car with someone else (Motorways are bad for him too) he can get panicky. He hasn't been having them for that long really so he's only just learning how to deal with it all, but like others said working out the causes and trying to think them through in a logical way definitely helps.
Can't really offer any advice...it's interesting to hear about other people's experiences though.

I'm not going to be much help because I never got any treatment or advice for my problems (I always knew I wanted to be a teacher and didn't want to ruin my chances with my medical record), but I had a long history of depression, well, long for someone of my age, which has now finally gone away. Of course it does sometimes hover in the background and pops up at times, but generally it's ok.

I also get social anxiety, to the point where I won't go downstairs to make a sandwich if Mr C's mum is in. Again, I don't have advice as in those situations, I just go hungry and do all I can to avoid socialising. In some situations I am fine though- anything where I'm December (I know Tempest has said this too) and I'm absolutely fine and bubbly, or somewhere in a familiar relaxed atmosphere, such as the rock club I go to.

And yep, I get the panic attacks too. I used to get them a lot, often for no reason, but these days I only get them if someone is sick near me/ I see Edward Scissorhands. They just went away on their own.

If I find myself slipping, I go for a long brisk walk. For some reason, it is best when it's cold. It calms me down and gives me some time to think. It sounds like such a cliche but it works for me.

I guess the best thing you could do is see your doctor and let him know what's happening.

Sorry that wasn't much use, just thought I would let you know that I sympathise and know how you feel.

I get what I call "The Bumps". Basically Eurythmia. I am going through a patch of them right now that are quite bad, basically I "think" every one hates me, all the pics I took are total shite, the folks wont like them, they will hate them, I am therefore quite useless at anything coz I have been told so in the past etc and so forth. I have GOT to go in the car or to the shops or, as I have been doing since Monday, help my mother-in-law move to her new flat and it is stress, stress, stress, stress all the way, I do NOT want to go out in the car or walk up the road to the shops or help this wonderfully lady move, i am SHITE scared of just stepping out the door right now, my stress "Indicator" is blood red and half inch long (On the bridge of my nose I have a mark that comes up when I am losing it to stress and the Eurythmia). What do I do? I just do it and cry later. I have a wee saying, "Jist get it fukin well done instead of piss assing around with it!" So, tomorrow I will be in cloud cuckoo land for most of the day coz i have STILL got MORE effing stuff to move for her! And I wont be able to relax till friday at the earliest..................Basically Neil, I just keep going, I get bent all out of shape because of keeping on going but, hey ho, such is life and a fat lazy bastard that wont help.