hey my names jake and ive been having anxiety attacks for the past year now, i dont know why and i dont know how it happend to me, ive always been outgoing and athletic when i was in school, but right when school ended i started to have my anxiety attacks, i went from always going out to party's and being social, to being affraid of just going out in public, its crazy but theres nothing i can do about it, now right when school ended is when this happend, and its also when i started to get sinus symptoms such as stuffed nose and ears, headaches, waking up at night sweating, horrible flem in my throat all the time for the past year, trouble breathing, aching joints, easily fatigued(and ive always been in shape), depression, dry eyes, always tired, feeling weak, bumps on the back of my throat, and i went from being good looking and never having trouble with women, to know having no confidence and looking like crap, i dont know what to do and im almost done even trying, i need some help and i want to know if anyone can give me advice......and also i was wondering if sinus infections have anything to do with anxiety?

A sinus infection or recurrent infection could be giving you some anxiety symptoms, I had a middle ear infection and i thought i was mad for two weeks.
Its hard being socialable and then losing your confidence, you have to remember that it is there, its just a bit lost right now.
What was it that gave you the confidence in the first place? And why has that changed.
What made you feel good looking, and i bet somewhere along the way you have stopped taking care of yourself.
I asked myself these questions and answered them and do you know what, my confidence is returning slowly.
I used to spend hours styling my hair and I used to by the best make up products, and experiment, but when i got depressed and anxious i stopped.
Since realising that i never pampered myself the way i used to, i started, and boy do i feel better. And I am sure i look better too ;)
Are you having any type of therapy, or discussed this with your dr?
Good luck, :D

welcome jake
I dont think its all from anxiety or depression so try to find a doc who will take you seriously and check everything out
lots of info on the net about panic attacks, when 1 happens, try to relax, dont tense up or fight back, breathe deep and slow and disolve any valium type med under the tongue, this will always help

what if any meds do you have?
do you snore heavily :confused: , there may be a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, this causes fatigue and is often overlooked by docs

BOY DID YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. On my highly anxious days that is exactly how I feel. I'm on a anidepressant and that seems to help a little. I'm sorry that this is happening to you. All the symptoms you described are the same exact ones that I deal with about six days out of the week. I do notice that if I keep myself busy the symptoms aren't that bad but if I have nothing to do I overthink and thats when massive panick about everything under the sun starts. I'm learning slowly to live with it and accept it. Knowing that there are many people dealing with the same exact thing is a comfort. Remember that you are not alone!! :wave:
Emily

well i think my anxiety started when my gf and her family moved away and thats when i became depressed, we had to do a long distance relationship for a year and i started to smoke marijuana almost every single day for my whole senior year of highschool, then she moved back when my senior year ended but i kept smoking and kept on being depressed and im sure smoking had alot to do with it, but now ive stopped it and started taking an anti dep. pill called zoloft.... and its helped some, but it still feels like i cant be fully happy or back to my old outgoing self even with my gf here, it just feels like somethings always missing and i cant put my finger on it....but thanks to all you all for your replys its good to know theres others out there like me, i would really like to hear someone who has fully overcomed depression and anxiety if anyone has, and ide like to know how you did it....

There was a time when i was to scared to get out of bed, and i couldnt leave my house. I wouldnt say i have completely recovered but I have learnt how to cope with my anxious feelings, Anxiety and depression are a state of mind, and now i realise that, i know if i give up when i am feeling low then i am back on the downward slope. The last few years have been like a dream i feel like i am just waking up. There is no way i will allow myself to feel that bad again.
I now have a part time job and I am learning to drive, i am out of the house most days aswell so I think i have come a long way.
In answer to your question, i am not sure if we recover or just learn to cope.
Just know that is does get better. :D

I can relate to a lot of what you described. I have suffered from Panic attacks for the last year and a half and now I cope with them. I too am not sure that you ever fully recover from a panic disorder but you certianly find ways to cope with the anxiety and train yourself to overcome it. I too take Zoloft and it has helped me a lot. I am currently trying to wean myself off after taking it for only 6 months (I don't have depression so this may be different for you) and I feel anxiety free for most of the time. There are however times when it creeps up on me and when it does I just do something to keep my mind busy or repeat to myself that it is just my anxiety and the fear that I am experiencing is not real. I recommend that you try to find the source of your anxiety and deal with it. If it is the fact that your g/f and you cannot be together all the time. Talk to her about it and make plans for the future when you can be together on a regular basis. I am in a long distance relationship too and talking to my b/f about our future life together makes me feel a lot better!
You'll find your own way of dealing with it, it just takes experimentation and time and I know it's hard to believe now but you will get through this and get back to your life as it was and the man you were.

Hang in there and be strong!
Good luck! :)

yeah ive noticed that working out makes me feel alot better, and zoloft helps but it can never totally get rid of my depression, but the worste part of anxiety is the feeling of being crazy, i know im actually perfectly normal but the fact that i cant do what any average person can do like go out in public makes me feel crazy, and it sucks but i know i will get over my anxiety with time, because if i was anxiety free before then there is a way to get rid of it and go back to myself because i havent been able to be "myself" for awhile now, im not a big fan of pills either just because i dont get how a pill can stop you from being depressed because its all in your head, i just have to keep on working at it and doing what i think i cant do, the best way to get rid of your anxiety is to do what makes you anxious even though you know your going to panic in that situation, you just have to learn to go out and just do it, my main problem is im vain, and not in a cocky way but its just i always think of myself, and how i look, and i think ppl always are noticing how i have panic attacks, when really knowone cares lol, so yea ill keep on tryin and let u all know how i do, and thanks for the comments they really do help
later on

ok i just read the Schizophrenia things too, and i dont think i have it but is it a possibillity because its most of the symptoms i have as well? i mean i dont feel crazy or anything but some days i can wake up in a bad mood and some days i can wake up in good moods?

plz reply

We all have good days and bad days. Regardless of how you are feeling on any paticular day, YOU ARE NOT CRAZY nor will you become crazy. If you were truly crazy you would not know it. I know how you feel and that a PA can make you feel like you are losing it, but once they pass you know that you are ok and that you got through it. Remember that when you are having one. You have been through this before and you got through it then and you will get through it again. Try to make yourself realize how strong you are. If you can deal with the fear that is associated with a PA then you can pretty much deal with ANYTHING. Whether you are able to beleive it or not it DOES make you a stronger person.
Hang in there and take control of it. You know that it is in YOUR mind so take over your thoughts and push the negative ones out. It will take time to figure out what works for you because everyone is different. Try different things when you are having an attack to take your mind off of the panic and when you find something that does work, be proud of yourself for getting control for your thoughts and I think you'll find you'll feel a bit better every day.

Good luck and just remember....you are STRONG, even when you dont feel like you are! :)

thanks alot for the incouragement, im sad to say i smoked again last night even when i know i shudnt have, and i absolutely flipped out inbfront of my friends, i started to get horribly paranoid and couldnt get thoughts out of my head, then later that night i looked up the Schizophrenia post and read up on it and it seemed i have alot of those symptoms, i mean the ppl in there sound alot worse than me like they think someone is trying to get them or ppl are reading there thoughts, but im not that bad, im just affraid of going out because im affraid of freaking out and panicing, but i still have most of the symptoms for that and that freaks me out that i could become that way if i keep having my anxiety, im going to the doctor to tell him whats been up and hopefully he helps this time cuz im tired of sitting at home never looking forward to anything and being scared to go out in public, its so stupid and i kno that, i just wish i could get over it now but i dont see t happening

I'm sorry you are still having a hard time. I don't mean to preach but you really shouldn't be smoking if you are having anxiety. I used to smoke a lot (I think we both know what kind of smoking we are talking about) and since my anxiety I absoutely cannot do it or my anxiety goes through the roof.
Additionally, if I were you I wouldn't read anything that will tell you symptoms of Schitzophrenia (sp?) because with anxiety, once you know the symptoms your mind can manifest them and you will have them. A perfect example is when I watched "the exorcist" and "the exorcism of Emily Rose" That stuff terrifies me and once I knew the symptoms of being "possessed" I started having the symptoms and for months I belived I was being posessed by the devil. Which of course is totally ABSURD. It is hard to tell your mind that though. Try to stay away from the "u know what" and don't read up on symptoms for different ailments. If you were really going "crazy" you wouldn't know it and you would probably think nothing of the way you are feeling. You would probably think that everyone else is crazy and you were the only normal one! LOL.

Take care and know that your mental health is fine. If it wasn't you wouldn't be seeking the opinions of others, they would be seeking help for you.

LOL, i know exactly what you mean, after i saw that same movie i thought the same thing but it only lasted for a few days, and i even knew it was the stupidest thing ever but i still believed it, and yeah after i read the skitzo comments i started to believe i was, its like im always searching for something to be wronge, i hope i find something to help me out, im thinking of therapy because i dont think pills can work for anxiety, but i also read up on brain surgery working as well, but im pretty sure im too scared to do that...lol....but yeah i think anxiety is the worste thing that can happen to a person, it feels like your gonna go crazy and nuthing can help and ill always be this way, and you always think somethings wronge, but i hope i can find something to help but thanks for the post again, it seems like we have a lot in common
later

Ya it does sound like we deal with a lot of the same things. It's good to know there are people out there that can relate (especially to the possession thing LOL)
Don't be too quick to rule out meds altogether. I have been taking Zoloft for about 6 months now and it has made a world of difference and I am anxiety free most of the time. Certianly if you are seeking therapy being on a med is not so bad because it is usually a temporary thing and then you can get off it. I am currently weaning myself off after only 6 months. I know how you feel about taking a med because I was the same way but trust me once you get to that point that you are feeling better you will never regret having done it. And once you are anxiety free for a little while you are able to better deal with things and find that you don't get anxious as often or as easily. When I get anxious now I am able to deal with it and haven't taken a Xanax in a very long time. I just deal with the feelings and work through them on my own. Talk to a mental health professional and ask what their opinion is. If you are depressed too then they may recommend a med that will treat both panic and depression and kill 2 birds with one stone.

Keep me posted on what you decide and feel free to contact me if you need to.

yeah im taking 50ml zoloft, i dunno if your taking stronger doses or not, but ive been on for about 3 weeks and have seen a little diff, but not any in the anxiety, ive just been less depressed, and today i went to the doctor and he said i have ocd with the way i look, depression and anxiety along with a sinus infection so that sucks, he said he needs to wait to fully diagnose me with anything for 2 weeks because he said it takes that long to get rid of the marajuana in my system...but it was weird because in the doctors office it felt like a dream and i was in a daze the whole time, and after i left i barely remember anything, i guess in may of been because i was panicing even in there, but i dunno, but yeah if you will let me know what dose of zoloft u had or have...and im glad to hear your doing better keep it up

Ya, I know the feeling of being almost out of your body and not really remembering a lot of what happened (or not remembering it clearly). It could be partly due to your anxiety and partly due to your sinus infection. Everytime I get one it makes me feel dazzed like I'm in a dream. I think it is just the pressure in your head that distracts you and effects your vision which effects EVERYTHING else.
I take 50mg of the Zoloft daily as well (I'm down to 50mg every 3rd day now). When I first started it I didn't think it was helping either but after a while my anxiety was much better. It is almost like the med made me forget about the anxiety in my daily life (it was all I was thinking about for a long time) Once I stopped thinking about it and actually living my life it seemed easier to deal with it when it did pop up. It took me a total of 4-5 weeks on the zoloft before I was anxiety free. I would stick it out for another couple of weeks and see if you are feeling better. Then if you still dont see any major changes talk to your Doc about trying a different med. The most important thing is to get your depression under control and I think you will find that when you are no longer depressed that your anxiety will stop too. The 2 go hand in hand.
I hope you start to feel better soon. I know how hard it is to deal with and I wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone. you will get through it, you just have to take care of yourself. ((HUGS))
Stay off the cheeba(LOL) it only makes things worse and won't do anything to help your anxiety. If you have to talk to your Doc about a med like ativan or xanax to help when your anxiety gets really bad. But BEWARE, these meds are very addictive and you should only take them when you absolutely have to. You don't need a whole new set of problems.

Take care talk to you again soon

haha yeah im stayin off the cheebah since the last time i did it i freaked out, im gonna stay clean for awhile with booze and everything too, atleast until i start feeling better, but ill be done with the mary j for good, thats a big reason i started my anxiety, but it seems the past 4 or 5 days its been getting worse, i wake up in a days like im dreaming, i cant even talk to my parents without thinking before i say sumthing....like no dont say that its stupid, or y did i do that thats not me, but yeah i think its alot of sinuses too, but yeah ill keep taking the zoloft im sure it will kick in sooner or later, but did you have depression as well as anxiety, or just the anxiety part?....because my brother only has the anxiety and hes alot better than me he can go out in public and everything but he still has attacks sumtimes

No, fortunately for me I don't have depression with my anxiety. I can't advise you much on that part. I hope you are feeling better now. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I have been really busy and havent had a chance to be on the boards at all.
I would say that if the zoloft is not helping with your depression or anxiety after taking it for 6 weeks then you should probably talk to the Doc about another antidepressant. Most of them treat anxiety as well as depression and as I have mentioned before I think that if you get your depression under control I think your anxiety will go away as well.

Have you ever seen the movie "a Beautiful mind"? It is a good movie to watch when you feel like you might be "crazy" it demonstrates how when you're actually crazy you don't know it.
Good luck I hope you are getting better or at least on your way to better.
Write again if you need to talk.

Take care
Ty :wave:

Hi Jake,
Are you having any trouble sleeping? Has your doctor run any tests to check your thyroid or an ANA?
One other question: Do you ever hike, hunt or fish or have you done anything like that in the past year?

Hi,
Have they checked your thyroid, I have a thyroid condition, my throat is always swollen, I'm so tired all the time, some days I'm just exhausted, I feel my heart pounding and it feels like it's racing, I don't think I'm as happy as i used to be, I used to be this happy go lucky kind of person, nothing got in my way. I get flu symptoms often and I have sinus problems and head aches, I get ache joints also, It's all related to an under active thyroid. I have been put on meds yet because there is also a growth on my thyroid, they want to do more tests, Now my brother also has a thyroid condition, he was so tired all the time, achey joints and legs and he would get shaky, so I would look into this if I were you.
Karen w.

i dunno if i got my thyroid checked, but the other day i got my brain scanned to see if there was anything wronge and i get the results tom., but yes by throat is swollen all the time esp on one side, i have a couple bumps as well that have been there for months, im always tired, i always look dazed, muscles feel week, and i also used to always be happy and one of the most athletic ppl in my skool, but now im depressed all the time and feel week and whenever i run i get out of breath very easily.....plz reply back because i dont know much about thyroid.....thanks

i also had my blood tested and they said they found nothing wronge

Hi Jake,
Just call your doc and ask them to give you/mail you a copy of your bloodwork. You may just want to ask them if they did any thyroid function tests with the bloodwork. Ask if they checked for any autoimmune disease, or Epstein-Barr virus (the mono virus).
If you live in an area or have been in an area where there are ticks you might want to be tested for Lyme disease -- I had Lyme disease for 14 months before I was properly diagnosed, and by then I was in the late stages of the disease.
Easy Does It.