Anxiety and panic attacks

[Dimple_Flirt]

Wow , I've just come to the realization that I'm suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.I had posted on the womens forum because I thought I was just being a crazy female suffering from our chemical fluxuations but after reading post on hereand on the internet that I'm having anxiety attacks.I've dropped a little over 35 lbs in the last four months and have been trying to get out more in social settings around group settings of people.It has been way out of my comfort zone and I have had some guys showing intrest in me since I've slimmed down.I'm having mood swings,heart palpatations,shakey hands and I can't breath not to mention hot and cold flashes.I'm only 36 and I thought I was hitting menapause but I think its sheer panic.This has also caused me to sabatoge my diet because my "Fat Suit " makes me invisible but slimming down seems bring me back into the public eye which I'm not use to.Thinking back on my past attempts to loose weight this had been the point in which I start to pig out.GRRR...Now I need to figure out how to manage these feelings with out medicating with food or going to the Dr. for drugs.I'm happy for the most part,I just have to learn to manage these feelings they have interrupted my College courses also.I dropped one of my courses because I had "Attacks " when I had to do verbal test infront of the class and I would totally freeze and feel like a heart attack was coming on...Has anyone else has a similar situation and if so how have you been able to over come it ?

[Mirya]

I totally understand and based on Dr. visits if your doctor states you can not do public speaking your instructor by law has to set up something where you and the instructor can do it one on one.

I suffer from anxiety as well and pretty badly. I can't even be at work anymore without having an attack. My PDOC tried giving me something called hydroxyzine which is just a strong antihistimne but its really good for insomnia, and will relax you somewhat. The hydroxyzine goes from 25mg up to 100mg. I am not sure abotu klonapin or xanax as a lot of Doctors wont script due to being narcotic but i can tell you from personal experience that xanax is the only thing i have foudn that gets rid of my anxiety.

[Dimple_Flirt]

I guess I do need to set up a Dr. appointment and really get this checked out. I've been able to more or less hide at home and conduct my life as I've pleased for yrs due to living off child support for the kids.But now that I'm trying to get my schooling done and return to the work force I'm finding out that I can't cope with much stress. The weight loss has brought back male attention too which I haven't had in over 6 yrs of being 270 lbs plus. I'd hate to be put on some sort of drug but something needs to be done for me to return to a normal life. I can't afford to let myself panic till I break down crying.Yep, it's happened more so around TOM but also when I'm really pressured to perform either with a test or job task.I don't remember being like this till I had kids. I'm not depressed but I do feel out of control at times like I can't focus on reaching a goal. Thank you for the information.

[Porcelain]

Oh wow, I am sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. I don't know what it is but I have noticed that since I really dedicated myself to this WOE in January and to my exercise, my anxiety level has risen too...to the point where I don't even like some people speaking to me. I had heard once that emotions can be stored in things like your muscle or fat but I never really gave it any stock but then I started noticing that every time I got a massage, I would cry afterwards. I have never written about that and it feels a little weird to do so because I think it is such a strange reaction but it would be interesting to see if it ever happened to anyone else. Also, during swimming the other day, I cried...for not good reason. I am becoming more withdrawn and I find when I am out with my friends sometimes, I am ready to go home pretty soon. Mine hasn't reached the point of being scary to me but it is really concerning. Now, I am sometimes easy to anger too. I snapped at a girl in class yesterday which I NEVER do. Grant it, she was being extremely annoying but usually it just rolls right off of me. I just keep saying to myself "It will get better." I think I am going to talk to the doctor about it. I am having the hot and cold flashes like you said but I am mostly cold now. I attributed that to not burning carbs any more. I did report that to my doctor and we are watching it. I have had blood work and it is all normal. I think you should definitely see a doctor and talk to him. Good luck!

[Mirya]

I feel ya there as well. Both of you.

My anxiety level has gotten out of control since I started this WOE. My bloodwork as well is normal and if it weren't then somethign would have shown up. I have Bipolar, anxiety, mild ocd and bordeline personality disorder although the anxiety is enhanced now. I think that is due to having a higher energy level too quickly and I can't deal with it. I know if you do exercise yes it helps to make you feel better such as for depression but it doesn't work for anxiety. At least not on me.

I can't stand my phone rining no matter who it is although I will be nice and not let on that it annoys me, i am constantly disoreiented, unfocused <i was told the brain needs more carbs/sugar to function right>, very withdrawn, generally untrusting of others and don't want others to talk to me unless im in the mood. I know it sounds hateful, rude and wrong but that is not something I can change. I love being atround people but I can not tolerate other peoples inconsistencies. If ithere is noise I am not making or listening to I don't want to hear it and it stresses me out.

I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown and I have no reason to be I just can't cope with life in general anymore. I actually had to call off work today because my anxiety was out of control and the meds aren't working. I feel GREAT physically and am fairly ok when i am not at work but as soon as i go to leave my apt to go out the door before i hit the threshhold I have an attack and it continues all day till i get in my car to leave. Granted I have anxiety ALL the time but for some reason it is constant at work.

[Porcelain]

Originally Posted by Mirya

I can't stand my phone rining no matter who it is although I will be nice and not let on that it annoys me, i am constantly disoreiented, unfocused <i was told the brain needs more carbs/sugar to function right>, very withdrawn, generally untrusting of others and don't want others to talk to me unless im in the mood. I know it sounds hateful, rude and wrong but that is not something I can change. I love being atround people but I can not tolerate other peoples inconsistencies. If ithere is noise I am not making or listening to I don't want to hear it and it stresses me out.

My friends don't even call me now, the know I won't likely answer the phone. They send me text messages if they need to tell me something. When someone is talking to you do you start like breathing a little heavier and feel like you want to scream? lol, that sounds so bad (and it's not funny) but I just start feeling like I need to flee. I didn't think about it as being that extra energy we get from the diet. That is one way to look at it. There is a touch of mental illness in my family, my father was on lithium and I have two brothers that are basically disabled. One is an alcoholic and and has anxiety attacks and the other is schizophrenic. Perhaps I should try to get in more exercise, maybe that will make some of the nervous energy get better but I too feel fatigued some but jittery at the same time. Maybe I am not giving it a good enough outlet.

[Mirya]

Originally Posted by Porcelain

My friends don't even call me now, the know I won't likely answer the phone. They send me text messages if they need to tell me something. When someone is talking to you do you start like breathing a little heavier and feel like you want to scream? lol, that sounds so bad (and it's not funny) but I just start feeling like I need to flee. I didn't think about it as being that extra energy we get from the diet. That is one way to look at it. There is a touch of mental illness in my family, my father was on lithium and I have two brothers that are basically disabled. One is an alcoholic and and has anxiety attacks and the other is schizophrenic. Perhaps I should try to get in more exercise, maybe that will make some of the nervous energy get better but I too feel fatigued some but jittery at the same time. Maybe I am not giving it a good enough outlet.

I totally undersand. Honestly I have alienated myself so much now that I don't even really have any friends. I have one person I talk to all the time but shes like 79-82 can't remember. She is getting up in years and when shes dies I have no idea what I'll do. There are only a few people I am ok with talking to me without me initiating the convo. Yah I get that i gotta get outta here feeling from the anxiety but with bipolar and bordeline personality disorder I don't keep my emotions under wraps well.

I can't act to save my life. If I don't like it they will soon see it on my face or withme aying or doing something (usually body language or sarcastic remark) which is unintentional. Mental illness runs in my family as well, Maternal uncle has OCD, and bulemia, mom is same as me but has pschizophrenia, dad is alcoholic and PTSD and maternal grandmother was abusive and had a nervous breadown.

I find the increased energy from this WOE is like caffiene to a regular person who is not used to it. The more oyu exercise the more fat you burn, the more energy you get and the more anxiety you get. I am constantly exhausted and dont feel liek doing crap but yet I am running around my house doing things like a chicken withits head cut off. (If oyu have ever seen this you know its like good lord whens it gonna fall over) Imean my anxiety has always been there and would get like this when I woudl drink a LOT of caffiene and now that i drink NO caffiene at all its liek ummm there is only one other thing it could be. WOE. Not saying that this WOE is bad just need to find a way to manage the increased anxiety.

[Porcelain]

I grew up on a farm. I have seen that chicken. I now wake up sometimes at 4:30 in the morning wide awake. I can't get up and do things at 4:30, everyone else is asleep! I thought at first all this was attributed to my sleep meds but I am thinking some is to the diet too. I don't drink any caffeine either and when I did, it used to kinda bring me down. I would sometime have the opposite effect. It's like that with Benadryl with me. I will take it and it makes me hyper. I am definitely not switching this WOE though, I am so tired of being overweight. I just need to get my mind and my body to agree on what I need to do so we can all be in harmony. Julie is going to help me get into doing some Yoga. She said for me to hit her up when i was ready for that and also lifting weights. I am going to add that in slowly to see if that helps too. Something that isn't too cardio. Because even though you have that nervous energy, when I try to do cardio, I get weak feeling!

[Atkid]

Originally Posted by Dimple_Flirt

Wow , I've just come to the realization that I'm suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.I had posted on the womens forum because I thought I was just being a crazy female suffering from our chemical fluxuations but after reading post on hereand on the internet that I'm having anxiety attacks.I've dropped a little over 35 lbs in the last four months and have been trying to get out more in social settings around group settings of people.It has been way out of my comfort zone and I have had some guys showing intrest in me since I've slimmed down.I'm having mood swings,heart palpatations,shakey hands and I can't breath not to mention hot and cold flashes.I'm only 36 and I thought I was hitting menapause but I think its sheer panic.This has also caused me to sabatoge my diet because my "Fat Suit " makes me invisible but slimming down seems bring me back into the public eye which I'm not use to.Thinking back on my past attempts to loose weight this had been the point in which I start to pig out.GRRR...Now I need to figure out how to manage these feelings with out medicating with food or going to the Dr. for drugs.I'm happy for the most part,I just have to learn to manage these feelings they have interrupted my College courses also.I dropped one of my courses because I had "Attacks " when I had to do verbal test infront of the class and I would totally freeze and feel like a heart attack was coming on...Has anyone else has a similar situation and if so how have you been able to over come it ?

First off hugs to you. I have suffered with panic attacks for 23 years now so I know how crippling they can be. Has your doctor ruled out hypoglycemia? Since it started after losing all the weight perhaps it is sugar/blood related?
When I had my first attacks my cousin was going through the same thing. She found out hers was from being hypo and once taking proper steps was much better. Mine however have stayed with me through the years although not to the point where they were back then. Hope you find some relief quickly.

[Dimple_Flirt]

Oh my Gosh! Both of you sound just like me and what I'm going thru! I just got off the phone with my mom and she has been on medication for anxiety and panic attacks, and I knew my dad was an alcoholic and died from it.I don't know of any mental disorders in the family beside that though. I have no problems making friends but I'm not very good at keeping up with visiting people to cultivate those friendships. I'm also very good at reading people and body language and I'm not very good with being a polite fake personality...I have a bad habit of being too honest and blurting things out.
My crying spells came on when in training at a call in bill collecting center they didn't allow you to take a breather inbetween calls.Most of the callers were rude because we were a collections agency they were redirected to so we could try to get them to pay their bills. I got to the point where when the phone would beep I would have a panic reaction and burst out crying...Embarassing!!! But I just could not hold back the tears. Now I'm also having a panic reaction when around this guy that acts like he likes me but I'm thinking to myself that I'm still this large chick and there is no way that he could like ME and the panic reaction is setting in to the point where I'm trying to push him away because I don't know how to accept the attention of him just being around me. No there is not sexual abuse in my back ground but a verbally abusive EX husband that made me feel like crap when I gained weight after having the kids and accused me of cheating when I weighed 130 lbs. We've been divorced over 10 yrs. Yep,I think all these old issues are popping up with the weight loss and I'm also not use to all this energy.I feel as though I'm on an over dose of caffine and I don't have the junk food for a downer to relax me anymore. I don't want to remain fat to feel calm so I'm going to look for a Doctor after I get my next check. I hate to go on some sort of drugs but I deserve a normal life and relationship.My kids are getting older and I deserve someone special in my life now and a career.