Advice please.... - Anxiety Message Board

Tigre · 09-12-2003, 07:34 AM

Ok...I feel a little wierd about this but here goes. In August of 1992 I was living in Homestead Florida when Hurricane Andrew hit. Of course since it was a very publicized storm, im sure you all know the devistation that it caused. The aftermath was just as bad, trying to live in a destroyed city with no water or electricity and the national guard patroling the streets and hearing gunfire during the pitch black of the night...well it was terrible. Now I see this new hurricane heading our way. I now live in central florida and it seems to be coming this way so far. I cant help stressing out every time I see the news because it brings back all those memories. I now have kids whereas then i did not....i cannot help but watch the news to keep an eye on it because it scares the hell out of me to think it will hit here or along the coast. I guess my question is....how do you or anyone calm themselves from "self brought on" stress or anxiety without overdoing the meds? I have xanax and stuff for the PTSD i suffer from (resulting from head injury) but i dont want to pop one every time i think about the possibility of this cat. 5 storm hitting where i live again. I just need advice on calming techniques....even though i now live in the center of the state (about an hour from daytona or cocoa beach) it will still devastate all it touches like andrew did in 92. Im driving myself nuts and i dont want to talk to my husband about how i feel because hes been supportive enough just dealing with the head injury and numerous docs i see from that. I dont want to add any more stress to him either. UGGH I feel so silly worrying about this because even though we dont know exactly where its heading...they seem to think it will hit the coast of florida. Anyway...any advice would be helpful...sorry to ramble on about this.
God Bless

Indianband · 09-12-2003, 11:59 AM

Tigre,

I wish I had some sage advice for you but I don't. I can totally understand what you are going through however. I am going through post traumatic stress as a result of an accident last October, no fault of ours, whole family was hit by a car along with 13 other people. I am afraid to walk in the street or walk across a parking lot as a result. I guess the best advice I can give you is you have to try and get over the fear in any possible way, breathing exercises, do anything else to get your mind off of it, stop watching the weather reports. If it were me, if the hurricane looks like it's going to hit Florida, I would get in my car and head inland. I can relate a little because I live at the New Jersey shore and it could hit here and that's exactly what I am planning to do if she heads this way.
I know I haven't been of much help to you, but please, please know that you are not alone with your fears, there are many of us who suffer on a daily basis, some, like me, from fears that simply do not exist, I am just afraid of basically everything these days. It's a hellish way to live but you just have to stay strong and take one day at a time. Being my husband's sole caregiver, that is the only way I have been able to stay sane, that and seeing a therapist weekly have helped me some. Also family support helps a lot, my husband is my rock despite the fact that he has two shattered legs and is in the process of learning how to walk again.
Please know that you can post to me anytime you need to talk, sometimes that helps more then anything. You are not alone and I care.

Indianband

Tigre · 09-13-2003, 08:42 AM

Thank you so much for your reply. It looks like the storm has a great chance of missing my state. I got the PTSD from a head injury in Jan. I guess it just amplified all the other traumas i have been through. THought I had all those fears in check but sometimes I get scared like you said, without reason. So this threat of the storm just drove me insane lol. Im so sorry to hear of your accident and I truly hope that things get better for you as well. You are definately right about sometimes talking helps. Take care and thank you so much for caring.
God Bless