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Jesus, never realised this place was so full of nutters........:unsure:

 

On second thoughts it explains quite a lot.....:lol:

Guess you have never been afflicted by it then. Lucky you. Lets hope you never are then or you might have a less humourous view of it.

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I have suffered from depression for a couple of years now on and off. Was subscribed tablets to take last year for it but they didn't seem to do much at all. Had one massive bout of it the very first time I got it where I was in a dark place. Don't think I've been the same person since. It's a lonely, lonely illness so nice to see others talking about it.

 

Interesting that you didn't think the tablets did anything. I was offered tablets but both myself and my doctor thought that it wouldn't be the right route for me to go down and that talking to someone would be better. Currently on the waiting list for the NHS' Edinburgh guided self help service. Has anybody used this?

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Guess you have never been afflicted by it then. Lucky you. Lets hope you never are then or you might have a less humourous view of it.

 

If you don't laugh, you'll cry. :teehee:

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Interesting that you didn't think the tablets did anything. I was offered tablets but both myself and my doctor thought that it wouldn't be the right route for me to go down and that talking to someone would be better. Currently on the waiting list for the NHS' Edinburgh guided self help service. Has anybody used this?

 

I'm on the waiting list for the West Lothian Council Self Help Service.

 

Have found medication a big help in the past (and still do) and helps give a wee boost in order to help myself.

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Guest GhostHunter

Have suffered some low level depression in the past due to various events getting on top of me. The worst though has been in the last 2-3 years when I started to have panic attacks at work. I'd basically feel like I was about to flip out, my neck and back would tense up so much that I felt if I moved I would headbutt the table. Added to this, even though I knew it was a load of bollocks at the time, I couldn't shake the impression that everyone knew I was freaking out and was staring at me.

 

This started in pretty informal meetings with just the local team I work with and get on really well with but has since spread a bit even into social situations with friends. I can be sitting in the pub and start to get minor feelings like this and when I lift my glass to take a drink my neck tenses up and I'm unable to take a drink. Worth adding that this worse when sober & I'm not much of a drinker anyway so that's not an underlying issue. I just sit there feeling like a ###### for a while hoping no-one will talk to me whilst I calm myself down.

 

I think, like Frank mentioned earlier, I either have a bit of a case of General Anxiety Disorder or perhaps leaning into Social Anxiety Disorder. I did go to my doctor a couple of years ago but he wasn't much help. Suggested that I either go on anti-depressants or beta blockers. I wasn't massively keen to dose myself so I said I'd just try to deal with it better myself.

 

Kinda worked for a while as I was able to recognise the signs coming on and relax myself somewhat but unfortunately it came back with a vengance this week at the first big work meeting of the year. Currently debating another trip the doctor as its pretty debillitating, particularly as what I think is the root of this is the constant reshuffles, moves and threats of redundancy at work we've had in the last couple of years. I've been kept on but have no idea what my new job is meant to be and I'm not that confident that I'll be dealing with the stresses of a new role that well, initially at least. Overall morale in the department is ridiculously low so its not just me suffering but I don't want to be the guy that signs himself off on the sick.

 

 

Good to see a thread like this though - there is a lot of comfort in seeing that others are dealing with similar issues and that everyone is so understanding about it.

 

This.

 

I go through this sometimes at work, and during the low times, it's nearly unmanageable to cope - thoughts that everyone is talking about you/doing something really is hard to deal with...managing a team of 14 - this gets trying....

 

Doc put me on beta blockers, and they have helped, but not eradicated it, as I said before, talking to someone helps..as does this thread (strange as it sounds) - I don't feel like it's just me in the entrie world that goes through these spells.

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This.

 

I go through this sometimes at work, and during the low times, it's nearly unmanageable to cope - thoughts that everyone is talking about you/doing something really is hard to deal with...managing a team of 14 - this gets trying....

 

Doc put me on beta blockers, and they have helped, but not eradicated it, as I said before, talking to someone helps..as does this thread (strange as it sounds) - I don't feel like it's just me in the entrie world that goes through these spells.

 

You're definitely not alone Dex. :thumbsup:

 

Have been on beta blockers but didn't feel they helped my sweats and felt they just made my heart rate a bit weird. :unsure:

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If you don't laugh, you'll cry. :teehee:

Thing is Frank, unless you have been through it or somebody close to you has, you dont realise what a b*****d of an illness it is.

 

And people cracking jokes about it might stop people opening up as much with the stigma that goes with it, although less so nowadays thank god. :thumbsup:

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Tiberius Stinkfinger

Guess you have never been afflicted by it then. Lucky you. Lets hope you never are then or you might have a less humourous view of it.

 

Not sure to be honest, looking at a lot of the posts on here it seems a lot didn't really know they were affected by it.

 

Who knows, maybe I have !

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Not sure to be honest, looking at a lot of the posts on here it seems a lot didn't really know they were affected by it.

 

Who knows, maybe I have !

You will know when you have the real thing LH trust me. :down: BTW didnt mean to come across as so bitchy with earlier post. :)

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Went through a period a couple of years ago, thought I was suffering from depression so went to the doctor. She asked me a few questions then gave me a Scottish produced DVD on Depression. I watched it and realised then I was not actually suffering from depression. It did have a wee booklet that advised on how to handle different situations, has some good advice. Went back to the doctor told her what I had learned, she agreed with my own diagnosis, and said she was fairly certain I was not suffering from Clinical Depression. She explained that my other medical issues, cancer,shingles and some small items had caused me some stress, and this accounted more for my symptoms than actual depression. I was I suppose depressed, but not the true illness.

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Thing is Frank, unless you have been through it or somebody close to you has, you dont realise what a b*****d of an illness it is.

 

And people cracking jokes about it might stop people opening up as much with the stigma that goes with it, although less so nowadays thank god. :thumbsup:

 

Understand what you're saying mate but pretty sure Lionheart isn't meaning to mock anyone. :thumbsup:

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.....I was I suppose depressed, but not the true illness.

 

This is something that does create some confusion, and can lead to the "pull yourself together" attitude that, sadly, some people still have.

 

We all have good days, and bad days. There are times when each of us will feel depressed, or down, but that is a normal part of life. That is very different from having clinical depression - which is a medically recognised mental illness.

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I've got a visit to the Royal Edinburgh later this month.

 

Perhaps certain posters can find something funny about that.

 

Mental illness is so terribly, terribly amusing when it's not you suffering from it.

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Johanes de Silentio

Jesus, never realised this place was so full of nutters........:unsure:

 

On second thoughts it explains quite a lot.....:lol:

 

I don't know you, personally, mate, but I quite like you on Kickback - not that anyone should give a **** what I think, of course.

 

However, this post of yours that I've quoted is shite.

 

Of the thirty people that I work with, eight (that I know of, including myself) have problems with depression, which can be an absolute ***** to live with.

 

You obviously haven't been affected by depression, and that's great.

 

I'm not actually offended or annoyed, or whatever - I really just wanted to say that I thought your post was shite.

 

Don't go changin'!

 

Yours,

 

A nutter.

Edited by Paranoid Android
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Have had Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy for anxiety through tyhe work then my GP. Was going through a real crap period in my life and everything was just getting at me and with work pressures not helping. When I saw my GP though, I was sure he didn't believe me, even though I wasn't looking for a sick line.

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Jesus, never realised this place was so full of nutters...

 

One in three adults will some time in their lives, have mental health problems bad enough to feel the need to seek medical help.

 

Have a look at your two best mates, if they seem alright - chances are that you're the nutter! :P

Edited by The Gasman
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Tiberius Stinkfinger

One in three adults will some time in their lives, have mental health problems bad enough to feel the need to seek medical help.

 

Have a look at your two best mates, if they seem alright - chances are that you're the nutter! :P

 

This is no laughing matter.

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Tiberius Stinkfinger

Of course it's not but everyone is a nutter because they've had depression.

 

 

I don't think thats correct, certainly not the people that I know who have problems, you crack on though mate.

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:facepalm:

 

and the bun fight begins. and all because of a throw-away quip that people really needn't have made much of. fairly sure some of the assailants will have made light of other subjects that are very serious issues to people affected by them.

 

selective standards is what it is called.

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I've had a lot of cases lately where I'm getting easily deulusioned and fed up which isn't my usual character. I am starting to show a lot of disliking for a lot of things now and am even shutting out a lot of people from my life who aren't key. Is this alarming behaviour? I felt a lot of stress after my Aunt died a few months ago and my Dads wellbeing is also causing me stress. He has suffered depression a lot lately due to a number of deaths in the family and has turned to alcoholism which is getting pretty serious now. I left college nearly a year ago to look for work but since all this I have lost all motivation to get myself into a job which isn't helping how I feel so in many ways it's a vicious circle.

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Dusk_Till_Dawn

FFS folks, this has been a really decent thread. Don't spoil it.

 

Mental illness is my biggest fear by a long way. I count myself very lucky to have reached my 30s without any problems.

 

It's strange though - although provisions for mental health are better now than they must have been 30 years ago, there's more strain on people now than I can ever remember. Pressure to achieve, earn, work harder and longer, conform etc etc. There's much to live up to

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Johanes de Silentio

Pressure to achieve, earn, work harder and longer, conform etc etc. There's much to live up to

 

While there are many physical causes of depression, I totally agree that some of the causes are societal.

 

I'm a utopian at heart, and wish we could organise better ways for us to live.

 

Of course, as a depressive pessemist and skeptic, I seriously doubt that'll ever happen.

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I've had a lot of cases lately where I'm getting easily deulusioned and fed up which isn't my usual character. I am starting to show a lot of disliking for a lot of things now and am even shutting out a lot of people from my life who aren't key. Is this alarming behaviour? I felt a lot of stress after my Aunt died a few months ago and my Dads wellbeing is also causing me stress. He has suffered depression a lot lately due to a number of deaths in the family and has turned to alcoholism which is getting pretty serious now. I left college nearly a year ago to look for work but since all this I have lost all motivation to get myself into a job which isn't helping how I feel so in many ways it's a vicious circle.

 

I'm certainly no expert, my experience and training are cursory at best, and the last thing you should do is put to much store by what some random poster on a football forum says!

 

That said, from what you are saying, it does not sound to me (a nobody!) as if you're suffering from depression mate, but it does sound as if you're struggling to cope and perhaps suffering from stress.

 

Make an appointment to see your GP, and explain it to them. The very act of talking it through will help you, and they will be able to give you the appropriate help and advice, for you, and for your personal situation.

 

There is no "magic bullet", no one single answer. There are different "treatments" available, and different combinations of these treatments will be best for different people. We are not the same, and our situations, stressors, and treatments will all be different. That's why it's important that you speak to your GP, and get the help specific to you.

 

Some of the posts on this thread show that you're not alone, and that with help you can recover. Good luck. :thumb:

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I've mentioned before that Ive had depression for the best part of the last 20 years the last 2 years have been not too bad but the last week has been one if the worst periods I've ever had.

 

It started with a bit a of a screw up at work no big deal just an honest mistake which my bosses made clear was no problem - however the negative thoughts that my own head came up with we're quite frankly scary - I've woken up every morning this week with a panic attack that then leads to the black dog running beside me for the entire day and tbh I've kind had enough of him and his constant invasion of my thoughts.

I know that I'll come out of this in a few days buy at the moment - well god knows what I'm thinking.

 

What has made it bearable in the last few hours has been the emergence of this thread it really does help knowing that you are not the only one.

 

Going to go out for a cycle now and hopefully that will help for a few hours then a reread of I had a black dog by Matthew Johnston well worth a read

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I've mentioned before that Ive had depression for the best part of the last 20 years the last 2 years have been not too bad but the last week has been one if the worst periods I've ever had.

 

It started with a bit a of a screw up at work no big deal just an honest mistake which my bosses made clear was no problem - however the negative thoughts that my own head came up with we're quite frankly scary - I've woken up every morning this week with a panic attack that then leads to the black dog running beside me for the entire day and tbh I've kind had enough of him and his constant invasion of my thoughts.

I know that I'll come out of this in a few days buy at the moment - well god knows what I'm thinking.

 

What has made it bearable in the last few hours has been the emergence of this thread it really does help knowing that you are not the only one.

 

Going to go out for a cycle now and hopefully that will help for a few hours then a reread of I had a black dog by Matthew Johnston well worth a read

 

Chin up mate.

 

You know you'll get through it and out the other side. :thumbsup:

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Chin up mate.

 

You know you'll get through it and out the other side. :thumbsup:

Cheers mate - yep always the way just getting there that's the probl some times :)

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I've mentioned before that Ive had depression for the best part of the last 20 years the last 2 years have been not too bad but the last week has been one if the worst periods I've ever had.

 

It started with a bit a of a screw up at work no big deal just an honest mistake which my bosses made clear was no problem - however the negative thoughts that my own head came up with we're quite frankly scary - I've woken up every morning this week with a panic attack that then leads to the black dog running beside me for the entire day and tbh I've kind had enough of him and his constant invasion of my thoughts.

I know that I'll come out of this in a few days buy at the moment - well god knows what I'm thinking.

 

What has made it bearable in the last few hours has been the emergence of this thread it really does help knowing that you are not the only one.

 

Going to go out for a cycle now and hopefully that will help for a few hours then a reread of I had a black dog by Matthew Johnston well worth a read

 

An amazing book.

 

After I had told my girlfriend (now my wife) about what was going on in my head, this was one of the many, many books she read on the subject. It was also the last, as after I had read it, I told her that it depicted EXACTLY how I was feeling.

 

The pictures and really precise descriptions are spot on. It broke her heart, made her smile, and really helped both of us; her, to understand what was going on, and me, to articulate what I was feeling.

 

I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has depression, or wants a better understanding of what it is like to have it.

 

I'm glad you realise that this will pass, and that you'll feel better soon. For me, that is the most important thing - knowing that it will be over soon. And exercise is a great thing - even just walking the dog, or going for a half hour walk.

 

A lot of people posted on the Gary Speed threads about their own experiences of depression, and there were some brilliant, brave posts. It is a hidden illness, particularly amongst men, and some find it difficult to share their thoughts with their friends/family etc. It pleases me to think that - even if it's a football forum, and it is done anonymously - there is somewhere that anyone who may be struggling alone, has found some comfort.

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Thought it was worth bumping this thread today on what is now known as 'Blue Monday' and after reading some interesting stuff on Alistair Campbell's blog this morning re its origins. It's not a name or event that everyone's comfortable with but the one thing it does do is raise awareness and as already discussed on this thread, that can't be a bad thing.

 

If you're interested take a look at his blog article here: http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/2012/01/16/blue-monday-may-be-a-pr-nonsense-but-its-another-chance-to-talk-about-mental-health-discrimination/

 

It also links to this article in today's Scotsman: http://www.scotsman.com/news/cartoon/suzie_vestri_people_experiencing_mental_ill_health_should_not_be_afraid_to_speak_about_their_problems_1_2058783

 

And if you don't read it then I'll quote the same part of Vestri's article that Campbell saw fit to mention in his blog. It's worth reading.

 

Every one of us who speaks out about having a mental health problem removes a stone from the wall of stigma and discrimination. Every one of us who then steps forward and offers support and understanding takes the weight of that stone away; enabling all of us to have a clearer view of a Scotland where people with mental ill-health receive the care and support they need, without judgment.
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Thought it was worth bumping this thread today on what is now known as 'Blue Monday' and after reading some interesting stuff on Alistair Campbell's blog this morning re its origins. It's not a name or event that everyone's comfortable with but the one thing it does do is raise awareness and as already discussed on this thread, that can't be a bad thing.

 

If you're interested take a look at his blog article here: http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/2012/01/16/blue-monday-may-be-a-pr-nonsense-but-its-another-chance-to-talk-about-mental-health-discrimination/

 

It also links to this article in today's Scotsman: http://www.scotsman.com/news/cartoon/suzie_vestri_people_experiencing_mental_ill_health_should_not_be_afraid_to_speak_about_their_problems_1_2058783

 

And if you don't read it then I'll quote the same part of Vestri's article that Campbell saw fit to mention in his blog. It's worth reading.

 

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One of my friends works for The Work Foundation and will be there tonight. Was speaking to her earlier about it. Alastair Campbell's blog is generally good reading anyway, but especialy when he's discussing mental health issues. The 'see me' campaign in Scotland also does some brilliant work.

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I've been struggling with it for a few years, it was sparked by an eating disorder I'm trying to shake off. It's a tough one to explain to people, but ultimately, having the support of people really helps, especially when they understand it and realise that sometimes just talking to some one about anything takes so much strength and energy and that at times you do just want and need to be left alone.

 

That said, if the energy is there to get along to the match and watch the Hearts win, there are few things I've found that come close in terms of boosting my mood :thumbsup:

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I've been struggling with it for a few years, it was sparked by an eating disorder I'm trying to shake off. It's a tough one to explain to people, but ultimately, having the support of people really helps, especially when they understand it and realise that sometimes just talking to some one about anything takes so much strength and energy and that at times you do just want and need to be left alone.

 

That said, if the energy is there to get along to the match and watch the Hearts win, there are few things I've found that come close in terms of boosting my mood :thumbsup:

Very brave of you to post mate. :thumbsup:

I've met many a lad with eating disorders through my work. It's a truly horrible illness, and one that very few people understand. Thankfully, I've witnessed people get on top of it by getting on with their meal plan and being sensible with their activity levels. I suppose the main battle is in the mind though, and sometimes CBT can be useful for that. It's a constant battle though, and it must be exhausting at time, especially when youre not on top form.

 

There are good services out there for ED. think the one I hear about is The Cullen centre at tipperlin. Road. Royal ed.

 

All the best

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Very brave of you to post mate. :thumbsup:

I've met many a lad with eating disorders through my work. It's a truly horrible illness, and one that very few people understand. Thankfully, I've witnessed people get on top of it by getting on with their meal plan and being sensible with their activity levels. I suppose the main battle is in the mind though, and sometimes CBT can be useful for that. It's a constant battle though, and it must be exhausting at time, especially when youre not on top form.

 

There are good services out there for ED. think the one I hear about is The Cullen centre at tipperlin. Road. Royal ed.

 

All the best

 

Thanks Captain, much appreciated

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Things built up over a number of years for me until 2008. One of the worst parts was the panic attacks. I'd never had anything like that until then and suddenly I was anxious about minor things that I'd never have been about in the past. I remember having a pretty big panic attack one time when I was living in Glasgow and I was there alone for the weekend. Took me a couple of hours to really feel OK after it. I was on anti-depressants for a couple of years as well but I stopped them about a year ago. They helped in some ways because at one point I needed something to lift me but ultimately counselling has helped me more than anything. It depends on what your issues and what counsellor you see. I don't know what works for other people but that certainly helped me a lot. For me, anti-depressants was the short-term solution and counselling was the long-term one.

 

I've been pretty isolated from people at points over the last few years and the strangest thing for me is that what I really wanted was to see more people but I still chose the routes that would lead to me being alone. I'd say that the biggest problem is people not understanding what's happening and, because they are looking at you through different eyes, thinking that all it takes is a couple of simple steps to solve all your problems.

Edited by Stanley_
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As others have had the balls to write something I'll add mine.

 

Similar to Ezio and Dexter it's work situations,especially meetings that I dread. I've had panic attacks for 20 years. Well I say that but in fact I've had very few but live with that gnawing feeling that it might happen. I've been to my GP and found diazepam worked for me. I don't need to take it but knowing I could if I needed is enough.

 

Thing is I know that panic attacks are really "imaginary" ... no matter how bad it feels I know (rationally) I'm not dying. I know too that actually other people won't notice if you're having a panic attack. I understand that it's just "inappropriate" adrenalin ... making you ready for fight or flight when the situation really doesn't call for it. I know the feeling will pass. I understand that if I make a conscious effort to relax clenched muscles that I will help relieve the feeling, that if I breath deeply and slowly then I can help control it.

 

Thing is, at the back of my mind, is that thought of "what if it happens again and you can't cope?" I'm not sure I can trust that there's a "cure"

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I've been struggling with it for a few years, it was sparked by an eating disorder I'm trying to shake off. It's a tough one to explain to people, but ultimately, having the support of people really helps, especially when they understand it and realise that sometimes just talking to some one about anything takes so much strength and energy and that at times you do just want and need to be left alone.

 

That said, if the energy is there to get along to the match and watch the Hearts win, there are few things I've found that come close in terms of boosting my mood :thumbsup:

 

It's funny you mention the football as something which helped.

 

I've always found that when I'm in the middle of a bad spell I lose almost total interest in most of my favourite things, including Hearts and football. I've been to games before where my mind has been in a totally different place, not even watching the game. I've also went back home just before a match as I couldn't face it.

 

This season I lost all interest in football between August and November and Saturday was the first game I've been to this season. It feels great to be back to my normal self and my passion for Hearts has returned 100%.

 

it just goes to show how powerful depression can b if it can overpower a lifelong passion like supporting the JTs!

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As others have had the balls to write something I'll add mine.

 

Similar to Ezio and Dexter it's work situations,especially meetings that I dread. I've had panic attacks for 20 years. Well I say that but in fact I've had very few but live with that gnawing feeling that it might happen. I've been to my GP and found diazepam worked for me. I don't need to take it but knowing I could if I needed is enough.

 

Thing is I know that panic attacks are really "imaginary" ... no matter how bad it feels I know (rationally) I'm not dying. I know too that actually other people won't notice if you're having a panic attack. I understand that it's just "inappropriate" adrenalin ... making you ready for fight or flight when the situation really doesn't call for it. I know the feeling will pass. I understand that if I make a conscious effort to relax clenched muscles that I will help relieve the feeling, that if I breath deeply and slowly then I can help control it.

 

Thing is, at the back of my mind, is that thought of "what if it happens again and you can't cope?" I'm not sure I can trust that there's a "cure"

 

It feels like a vicious circle at times mate...feeling anxious about feeling anxious.

 

Not sure about a cure but all we can do is use the breathing, relaxation techniques and positive mental affirmations ro cope as best we can. :thumbsup:

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.....diazepam.....

 

..... "inappropriate" adrenalin ... making you ready for fight or flight when the situation really doesn't call for it.

 

 

..... I'm not sure I can trust that there's a "cure".....

 

I took those three quotes from your post because I think there is a connection - and also a connection to the post earlier in the thread by StanLaurel. I can't recall his exact words, but he mentioned that physical exercise can help. There's a load of sciencey guff to follow, but bear with me.

 

Diazepam is widely prescribed for anxiety, but it isn't actually a mood-altering drug. Diazepam reduces the level of electrical impulses to the motor nerves, thereby relaxing muscles and decreasing tension. The logic for using diazepam to treat anxiety is that it "breaks the cycle". You get anxious, your muscles tense, your body produces more adrenalin and cortisol, so your anxiety levels increase and the cycle repeats, maybe getting worse each time. If you can cut out part of the cycle - e.g. the muscle tension - you can prevent things getting worse, and in some cases solve the problem altogether. That's why diazepam is considered a very good treatment for people with short-term problems caused by particular stress events in their lives.

 

But here's a thing, though you probably know it already. There's a well developed theory out there that a lot of "mental problems" aren't really mental problems as such, but are actually caused by "inappropriate adrenalin". There's also a theory that some of the problem has to do with modern humans having sedentary lifestyles. Animals produce adrenalin (and cortisol) for very good reasons. When an animal is threatened or stressed, adrenalin helps it to deal with the threat by fight or flight. Cortisol helps to deal with the threat by "freezing" (some animals freeze to avoid detection by predators). Humans produce both adrenalin and cortisol, but they have to be used. If our bodies produce the hormones and don't process them, they can build up and cause damage to - wait for it - the part of the brain that tells the body to produce adrenalin and cortisol. Hence what Frank Drebin described above as "feeling anxious about feeling anxious".

 

Ancient humans got to use adrenalin and cortisol a lot, whether by running away from danger, hunting prey, or later on just having to do hard physical work. Modern people don't get to do that so much, but the body is still designed to produce both chemicals. There's also a lot of evidence out there to show that the main cause of post-traumatic stress disorder is the body producing too much of these chemicals (especially cortisol) and not processing them properly.

 

Anyway, the tl;dr version of that is that exercise can help a lot in processing adrenalin and cortisol, and that not processing them can cause health problems, especially anxiety.

 

A lot of work has been done over the last 20 years to develop this thinking, and there are ways of teaching your body to process these chemicals without the need to run away from predators, hunt wild animals, go to war or spend hours each day on an exercise bike. :thumbsup::sweat:

 

The thinking nowadays is that there isn't really a "cure" for this stuff as such - but it can be managed really well. If you've hit adulthood and your body gets into the habit of over-producing inappropriate adrenalin, there doesn't seem to be a miracle cure that will stop this from ever happening again, but there are a lot of techniques out there that you can use to get yourself into the habit of not producing too much adrenalin or cortisol.

 

I think The Gasman said that there's no one magic solution. Some people use drugs for periods of time or to cope with the worst bits. Some find counselling helpful, while others use sport, yoga, TM, breathing exercises or progressive muscular relaxation. It might take a while to find the right combination, but I'd say there is a right combination for everyone.

 

A big problem with what we call "mental health issues" is that because people are so good at hiding the effects, we think they're rare. So when it happens to us, we think we're unusual and that no-one will understand. But we aren't unusual and there are people who do understand. I reckon it is easier to find the combination that works with the help of someone else who does know the score. Sometimes that's a trusted friend or family member. Sometimes it's a doctor, counsellor or other professional.

 

Anyway, for anyone reading this thread who might be feeling miserable, the shortest tl;dr advice is:

 

 

Talk to someone. Mind your head.

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As others have had the balls to write something I'll add mine.

 

Similar to Ezio and Dexter it's work situations,especially meetings that I dread. I've had panic attacks for 20 years. Well I say that but in fact I've had very few but live with that gnawing feeling that it might happen. I've been to my GP and found diazepam worked for me. I don't need to take it but knowing I could if I needed is enough.

 

Thing is I know that panic attacks are really "imaginary" ... no matter how bad it feels I know (rationally) I'm not dying. I know too that actually other people won't notice if you're having a panic attack. I understand that it's just "inappropriate" adrenalin ... making you ready for fight or flight when the situation really doesn't call for it. I know the feeling will pass. I understand that if I make a conscious effort to relax clenched muscles that I will help relieve the feeling, that if I breath deeply and slowly then I can help control it.

 

Thing is, at the back of my mind, is that thought of "what if it happens again and you can't cope?" I'm not sure I can trust that there's a "cure"

 

 

Very similar then to what I sometimes suffer from. Knowing its all "imaginary" sometimes doesn't help too - it makes it feel all the more stupid & I think subconciously that can actually make things worse. You end up criticising yourself for not dealing with it & stressing about the next time it's going to happen. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

Thanks again to everyone who's discussed the larger issues on this thread. Its given me a foot up the backside to actually do something about my personal issues rather than just try to shove them to the back of my mind as I've been doing for the last couple of years. I've looked into what support is available through my work and they have an Employee Assistance Program which offers free face to face or telephone CBT counselling amongst other things. You'd be waiting over a year to get that on the NHS. I work for one of thr banks & I know other big companies like British Gas offer the same. If anyone is suffering just now and has a similar type employer, its well worth looking into.

 

 

I'll not quote Uly's thread, but that's also extremely interesting. I've thought for years that adrenaline build-up might be more the root of my problems than anything else. I'll be discussing that with my doctor when I go back.

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Some excellent posts on this thread. I suffer from panic attacks as well and the whole "imaginary" thing is very true. And like Ezio I tend to feel embarrassed that I'm having one which makes it worse and I worry what people think about me.

 

Been feeling really low this week. A combination of a lot of things I think. Had a meeting with my year tutor at Uni yesterday about suspending my studies until September as I feel I'm too far behind now to catch up and graduate in the summer. This has made me anxious because I feel bad that I don't feel like I can complete this year and I'll end up graduating when I'm 24 when I should have when I was 22 had I completed my original degree. It also means finding a full time job until September which I don't feel like I have the motivation to do just now. Also handing the keys back over to the letting agency for my flat that I rented with my ex. We split up in October and I lived in the flat myself up until mid November when I hit my lowest. I then moved back home and nobody has lived there since. It's not the break up that I'm feeling down about, as it was in fact me that ended the relationship, it's more the "what could have been" and the feeling of being alone. It was a lovely flat and there could have been many good times ahead in it but something in me couldn't let it happen.

 

I'm on the waiting list for counselling sessions and it does feel like a long wait, but knowing that I can always just pick up the phone and phone my doctor and he'll fit me in brings some sense of comfort. I know myself that there are a few changes I need to make to my lifestyle but it's difficult. The first thing is that I know I shouldn't be drinking alcohol with the way I am feeling. Every time I have done so over the past few months I have got myself into a ridiculous state then spent the whole of the next week feeling extremely low. It's more that I feel I HAVE to go on nights out with friends or they will judge me. Another thing is relationships- although I split up with my ex at the end of October, I have been involved in something really complicated from as soon as that ended. It's not good for me and I know I just need to be on my own. Just not got the motivation to do anything just now. Meant to be going out with my friend later (no alcohol involved) and she is excited about it but I just don't even want to do that. Strangely, I don't feel stupid writing this on here because of what other people have wrote. :ermm:

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