Will that happen to me? - Panic Disorders Message Board

SirReal · 05-20-2005, 03:00 PM

Does anyone have the problem of thinking about certain situations and becoming anxious about it. I know this sounds obvious but let me explain. For example, you hear about a relative who found out they have liver disease. Or you find out about how a friend of yours passed out when his wife received an epidural before giving birth. Or you see someone on TV with an unexplained, misdiagnosed illness.

I have trouble separating these things with what is happening in my life. Can these things happen to me? I should be able to rationalize this but my mind doesn't allow it. Any techniques out there?

hry33 · 05-20-2005, 04:04 PM

this does happen to some anxious people and I think its called being suggestable, just concentrate on your own problems and dont take on or adopt the problems of others

merrillin · 05-22-2005, 09:35 AM

SirReal,

Put your mind at ease and know this is a classic sign of an anxiety disorder! I have suffered with this problem now for about 11 years when I first developed panic attacks. My anxiety counselor said that one of the first symptoms a person can have is this "negative" thinking aspect. The constant worrying "will this happen to me?"

There is no way to just turn off this kind of thinking. You can't be told to buckle down and just don't think like that. I understand where you are coming from and it is all part of being treated for anxiety and panic.

Do you have both conditions or generalized anxiety disorder? Also, do you take any kinds of meds for anxiety? ONce I got into counseling and got on good meds for anxiety/panic my thought process was much easier to control and I was able to look at things alot differently.

Tell me a little more about your situation and if you are in any treatment.

I wish you the best, this can be disabling.
Karen

SirReal · 05-23-2005, 09:33 AM

Well, I wish that I could just tell myself to not adopt the problems of others, but if I could so easily do that I don't think I would have this condition.

Thanks Kant for your thoughts. Although I don't get full blown panic attacks, I think I have a bit of both conditions. They just seem to overlap. When it's not generalized, it's specific, if that makes sense. My problems have more been a general feeling of light-headedness and disequilibrium. But I make it worse with obsessive negative thinking. I just started Lexapro a week or so ago and have been taking Wellbutrin for about 4 months. I haven't gone to any counseling yet but I'm going to start soon.

I had a situation yesterday that describes me completely. I was out in the sun, 101 degrees yesterday for about 5 hours playing in a golf tournament. I was worried the whole day before because I didn't want to get heat exhaustion (i've been sweating a lot more on the Lexapro). I got through it with minimal effect, but when we were through I saw someone passed out on the ground in the clubhouse. I immediately started feeling a little light headed and all the way home I felt kind of shaky.

Tiggerredz · 05-23-2005, 12:02 PM

I know exactly what you are talking about. It is like we are super tuned into the fact that hey that can happen to us. Onstead of most people blindly living there life thinking nothing can happen to them. I worry about exactly what you are talking about. I have had to stop reading the paper and watching the news. How come when the good stuff happens it is rarely reported, if we could only retrain ourselves to wish the good we see will happen to us instead of the bad! My fiance started havinf sezuires all of a sudden. He would look at me pale faced and say, I don't feel good, then he would go into his sezuire. for months I thought that was going to happen to me. I even found myself saying I don't feel good, when the anxiety symptoms were unbearable, like I was going to have a sezuire or something. I did have one many years ago, because I wasn't eating properly. So now I relive that one time, again and again, even though I haven't thought twice about it until recenlty.