Is it time to see the doctor?
July 2, 2016 1:47 AM Subscribe
For years Ive suffered with anxiety, grief and trauma talking with a friend this year I realise Im carrying a lot of grief and trauma I live in an area where natural disaster happened (5-7 years ago) a lot.Tonight I was just about throwing up in the bathroom I should of really let myself throw up not to gross you out but I was holding it back... let griefs process happen
grief not to do with losing people well sortof my very old grandma is dying altho I have lost a couple of people but more just dissapointments ie. like two attempts at college and not passing, close friends turned on me not been able to work full time And no my life is not Hollywood as some Im not saying that but I hope you can see its taken toll on me. Ive been feeling this year like when I feel heavy like real tense sad stressed angry or down or both heavy and walking up our two storey stairs like throwing up . and I don't know but it seems like when I panic or feel really scared Im like breathing heavily lol to give one example its sort of I guess sad but panicked at the grocery store when because I knocked a cake over I started panicking when I told the assistant my head was spinning 'oh no im gonna get in trouble' and felt like uggh! im not in control and started breathing heavily and the poor assistant was like "mam no worries its ok"' haha yeh...
Have you felt like this? whats your thoughts what would my doctor be able to do for me? Its not depression a family member has that and im familiar with their symptoms but I do suffer from anxiety family has been under a lot of stress lately and ive been feeling heavy . Im not sure if medication can really help in this maybe just let this season pass I don't know
Not to dampen your day
Thanks!
grief not to do with losing people well sortof my very old grandma is dying altho I have lost a couple of people but more just dissapointments ie. like two attempts at college and not passing, close friends turned on me not been able to work full time And no my life is not Hollywood as some Im not saying that but I hope you can see its taken toll on me. Ive been feeling this year like when I feel heavy like real tense sad stressed angry or down or both heavy and walking up our two storey stairs like throwing up . and I don't know but it seems like when I panic or feel really scared Im like breathing heavily lol to give one example its sort of I guess sad but panicked at the grocery store when because I knocked a cake over I started panicking when I told the assistant my head was spinning 'oh no im gonna get in trouble' and felt like uggh! im not in control and started breathing heavily and the poor assistant was like "mam no worries its ok"' haha yeh...
Have you felt like this? whats your thoughts what would my doctor be able to do for me? Its not depression a family member has that and im familiar with their symptoms but I do suffer from anxiety family has been under a lot of stress lately and ive been feeling heavy . Im not sure if medication can really help in this maybe just let this season pass I don't know
Not to dampen your day
Thanks!
... honey, get thee to a doctor.
Depression manifests itself differently in different people. And even if you don't have depression, the level of anxiety you have is in no way normal, nor do you have to live with it. Plus it seems like you have PTSD from the disaster that happened.
Your doctor will be able to prescribe you medication for your anxiety, and/or refer you to a psychologist/psychiatrist, depending on what you need. I strongly encourage youto also look into therapy.
I spent a good decade telling myself I didn't medication for my anxiety. It took not being able to sleep, and nearly flunking out of my grad programme, for me to accept I needed help. The weight getting medication lifted off my chest... goddamn, I should have done it years earlier. I wish I had.
posted by Tamanna at 2:02 AM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
Depression manifests itself differently in different people. And even if you don't have depression, the level of anxiety you have is in no way normal, nor do you have to live with it. Plus it seems like you have PTSD from the disaster that happened.
Your doctor will be able to prescribe you medication for your anxiety, and/or refer you to a psychologist/psychiatrist, depending on what you need. I strongly encourage youto also look into therapy.
I spent a good decade telling myself I didn't medication for my anxiety. It took not being able to sleep, and nearly flunking out of my grad programme, for me to accept I needed help. The weight getting medication lifted off my chest... goddamn, I should have done it years earlier. I wish I had.
posted by Tamanna at 2:02 AM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
That awful thing that happened with the buildings and airplanes 15 years ago was in my neighborhood and I hear you.
You are holding trauma in your body because this is a natural reaction. It's OK to seek whatever kind of process skills or comforting you require.
As a fellow survivor, we do not have to carry the pain of the event around to honor or remember. Grieving and letting go is OK.
posted by jbenben at 2:20 AM on July 2, 2016
You are holding trauma in your body because this is a natural reaction. It's OK to seek whatever kind of process skills or comforting you require.
As a fellow survivor, we do not have to carry the pain of the event around to honor or remember. Grieving and letting go is OK.
posted by jbenben at 2:20 AM on July 2, 2016
Mod note: A couple of comments deleted. re, you don't really need to thank each answerer. Feel free to answer questions, or add a clarification if there's any misunderstanding, but otherwise, you can just relax and take in the advice.
posted by taz (staff) at 2:52 AM on July 2, 2016
posted by taz (staff) at 2:52 AM on July 2, 2016
I got anxious just reading your post. Yes, this is something a doctor could help you with. Your thoughts are spiralling into really unhealthy places, which is either because of or compounded by the trauma you experienced.
I'd hug you if I could. Then strongly encourage you to see a doctor. Like ASAP.
posted by guster4lovers at 3:40 AM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'd hug you if I could. Then strongly encourage you to see a doctor. Like ASAP.
posted by guster4lovers at 3:40 AM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: (sending a thousand virtual hugs)
What you are feeling sounds absolutely awful, and I bet I don't even understand a fraction of it. Please go see an expert who can help you through this. The good news is: there are many trained professionals that can help you. You are not alone.
You say you do not have depression. Let me tell you a secret about mental illness.
Mental illness isn't a fence you jump over. You're not mentally well one day, and then mentally ill the next. It exists on a spectrum - and you are going to need help with moving on into the wellness side.
"Mental illness" is merely the way we've come to describe a prolonged change in thought, mood or behaviour that negatively impacts your life. No magic there, and no permanent branding. There is no magic in the diagnoses found in the DSM-V (which is literally a collection of descriptions of changes in thoughts, moods and behaviours that have impacted the lives of others).
Whatever has happened has set your mentally well mind off its course. A good professional (doctor) will help you to navigate your grief. I hope you have access to psychological care. You do not have to feel this way.
A thousand hugs. Depression, anxiety, grief... these are just names for something that has really profound quality-of-life-consequences for you.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 4:19 AM on July 2, 2016
What you are feeling sounds absolutely awful, and I bet I don't even understand a fraction of it. Please go see an expert who can help you through this. The good news is: there are many trained professionals that can help you. You are not alone.
You say you do not have depression. Let me tell you a secret about mental illness.
Mental illness isn't a fence you jump over. You're not mentally well one day, and then mentally ill the next. It exists on a spectrum - and you are going to need help with moving on into the wellness side.
"Mental illness" is merely the way we've come to describe a prolonged change in thought, mood or behaviour that negatively impacts your life. No magic there, and no permanent branding. There is no magic in the diagnoses found in the DSM-V (which is literally a collection of descriptions of changes in thoughts, moods and behaviours that have impacted the lives of others).
Whatever has happened has set your mentally well mind off its course. A good professional (doctor) will help you to navigate your grief. I hope you have access to psychological care. You do not have to feel this way.
A thousand hugs. Depression, anxiety, grief... these are just names for something that has really profound quality-of-life-consequences for you.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 4:19 AM on July 2, 2016
Depression is not like the measles, not everyone had exactly the same symptoms. Even if what you are going through doesn't have a neat label you need to see a doctor and of that one can't help keep trying until you find one that can.
posted by wwax at 4:45 AM on July 2, 2016
posted by wwax at 4:45 AM on July 2, 2016
Response by poster: Just to clarify I do have a mental illness with anxiety scitzophrenia I guess I was just trying to focus on the trauma and grief like why was I almost throwing up tonight all of a sudden no feeling ill or flu or dehydration no head ache all I could think was at the time I was stressed. I guess I'm trying to connect the dots out of my confusion like heavy feeling brings on nausea heavy breathing when under stress this year is a pattern.
posted by re at 6:08 AM on July 2, 2016
posted by re at 6:08 AM on July 2, 2016
Yes it makes sense that someone would be throwing up and feeling ill because of past trauma and grief. Yes a doctor can help you, and a therapist can also help you.
posted by SyraCarol at 6:15 AM on July 2, 2016
posted by SyraCarol at 6:15 AM on July 2, 2016
Anxiety and paranoia are very common with schizophrenia, so it may be part of your already-diagnosed (it sounds like?) illness, or it may be something like PTSD or an anxiety disorder in addition to your other disorder(s)). Grief of course comes with its own symptoms of depression and anxiety, and can intensify any other symptoms you're having. It's absolutely worth talking to a doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) about all the symptoms you're having.
posted by lazuli at 9:13 AM on July 2, 2016
posted by lazuli at 9:13 AM on July 2, 2016
I used to have a mild anxiety problem and through some anxiety tips I learned just researching online and a couple years of patience, I have gotten better at dealing with anxiety, and I sometimes find myself completely calm in situations where I would have previously been petrified. I like to read articles online like this one that talk about how depression and anxiety work, what thinking patterns occur, why they occur, and how to prevent them.
I also learned about nonviolent communication, which is mainly techniques for solving conflicts with other people, but it's also a different way to think about the world and people around you. I used to worry a lot about what people thought, and I spent a lot of timing judging myself and others' behavior, but now I'm much better at thinking about situations differently, which mostly solves my anxiety problem (since anxiety stems from unhelpful thinking patterns).
I went to some therapy sessions which weren't too helpful for me. I would suggest doing a mixture of both, going to a therapist and doing your own research and trying new techniques, and see what works best. The important thing is to be completely open-minded. My therapist gave me some tips that I thought wouldn't work and which I tried half-heartedly, but I gave them up when I didn't see immediate results. Then I stumbled upon those same techniques later and tried them again, but with an open mind and by actually trying them long-term, and they actually helped a lot!
Remember that psychological problems are mostly in your mind and if you can give a technique your full effort and with full belief that it will work, it most likely will work. :)
posted by KatyKat at 2:44 PM on July 2, 2016
I also learned about nonviolent communication, which is mainly techniques for solving conflicts with other people, but it's also a different way to think about the world and people around you. I used to worry a lot about what people thought, and I spent a lot of timing judging myself and others' behavior, but now I'm much better at thinking about situations differently, which mostly solves my anxiety problem (since anxiety stems from unhelpful thinking patterns).
I went to some therapy sessions which weren't too helpful for me. I would suggest doing a mixture of both, going to a therapist and doing your own research and trying new techniques, and see what works best. The important thing is to be completely open-minded. My therapist gave me some tips that I thought wouldn't work and which I tried half-heartedly, but I gave them up when I didn't see immediate results. Then I stumbled upon those same techniques later and tried them again, but with an open mind and by actually trying them long-term, and they actually helped a lot!
Remember that psychological problems are mostly in your mind and if you can give a technique your full effort and with full belief that it will work, it most likely will work. :)
posted by KatyKat at 2:44 PM on July 2, 2016
Response by poster: Yes I'm on medication for the scitzophrenia and I see my doctor regularly
posted by re at 11:09 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by re at 11:09 PM on July 2, 2016
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posted by re at 1:49 AM on July 2, 2016