yoga will help
well anxiety is fine , but i’ve stopped going to the gym. its frustrating , i feel trapped . my mother seems to think maybe it’s a bp issue when i lift but last time i freaked out after the gym i took myself to the emergency room they took it and it was 155/80 which doesn’t sound bad to me i mean i just got out of the gym and i was having a full blown panic attack so there you go .
i just got this strange feelin there’s somethin else wrong thi cause i notice i get winded easily sometimes i feel like i can’t finish a work out , im walking around at 267 at 5’9 i’ve always been fat but i’ve been fatter , i remember when i was 305 and i wasn’t this winded doin certain things.
i asked the dr to refer me to a therapist but since im on the county health plan they say it’s reserved for the most affected PT’s. which is very frustrating there’s a reason why i’m freaking out and i need to deal with it , not just go on meds . i also feel like maybe i do have somethin wrong with me and that i feel whatever i tell the dr they’ll write it off as anxiety. i hope the physical health issue is all in my head
[quote]BigMike wrote:
well anxiety is fine , but i’ve stopped going to the gym. its frustrating , i feel trapped . my mother seems to think maybe it’s a bp issue when i lift but last time i freaked out after the gym i took myself to the emergency room they took it and it was 155/80 which doesn’t sound bad to me i mean i just got out of the gym and i was having a full blown panic attack so there you go .
i just got this strange feelin there’s somethin else wrong thi cause i notice i get winded easily sometimes i feel like i can’t finish a work out , im walking around at 267 at 5’9 i’ve always been fat but i’ve been fatter , i remember when i was 305 and i wasn’t this winded doin certain things.
i asked the dr to refer me to a therapist but since im on the county health plan they say it’s reserved for the most affected PT’s. which is very frustrating there’s a reason why i’m freaking out and i need to deal with it , not just go on meds . i also feel like maybe i do have somethin wrong with me and that i feel whatever i tell the dr they’ll write it off as anxiety. i hope the physical health issue is all in my head [/quote]
I’m not fat and never have been. And, I am in no position to give medical advice. But, I have been out of condition. Even now I get winded more easily than I should because I haven’t done any focused cardio in over a year.
At 267 your body is under a lot of physical stress and it may be impacting you psychologically. From a practical perspective, lifting will do little for conditioning unless you are doing some serious complexes.
You need to keep moving and lose some weight and get your heart / lung condition up. If psychologically the gym is setting up anxiety for you then get outside and walk or do bodyweight complexes (or both). Get your diet under control. Build a plan (ask for help if you need it) to get your health back and maybe post a log to keep yourself accountable.
Don’t give up.
I have been battling panic attacks for nearly 20 years. I tried many different med combinations. I setttled on lorazapam and propanolol (a beta blocker). I have it under control.
You have to identify your triggers. When I had my first panic attack, I was stoned. So getting high became a trigger( after smoking daily for 10+ years). To this day, if I even think about getting high, I can feel the anxiety coming on.
You also need to develope strategies for talking yourself down when it is occuring.
You need to realize that you know exactly what is going on here. You have been here before. You weren’t dying last time, and you are not dying this time. Recognize that you know what is happening here, and refuse to let it beat you this time.
Another is to take your mind off of it. One thing that has worked for me is to count backward from 300 by threes. It can get boring or frustrating, but it takes your mind off of it.
There is alot of support on the web regarding this. It is so common you wouldn’t even believe it. It is not a huge deal, and it is managable. It WILL NOT rule your life!!!
A side note. A doctor told me that he firmly believes that my panic attacks were caused by my long term exposure to THC. There are many studies that state that THC can cause accute anxiety. It sucks, I thought I was going to betting baked forever, but that is obviously not in the stars for me.
Lookup Lorazepan on Wikapedia and you will find that while this older class of hypnotic drugs work great when taken sparingling and for acute conditions. They cause serious withdrawl and addiction issues with long term use.
Effexor works great but it has a habit of making people dependant on them for life due to a brain chemistry change. Lexipro is probably the best when all things are considered.
Lookup Lorazepan on Wikapedia and you will find that while this older class of hypnotic drugs work great when taken sparingling and for acute conditions they cause serious withdrawl and addiction issues with long term use.
Effexor works great but it has a habit of making people dependant on them for life due to a brain chemistry change. Lexipro is probably the best when all things are considered.
Lookup Lorazepan on Wikapedia and you will find that while this older class of hypnotic drugs work great when taken sparingling and for acute conditions they cause serious withdrawl and addiction issues with long term use.
Effexor works great but it has a habit of making people dependant on them for life due to a brain chemistry change. Lexipro is probably the best when all things are considered.
well… i been trying to eat less and eat healthier foods.do something active during the day like yesterday i went swimming , or i might go on a walk. i don’t know i don’t feel like i can lift right now without freaking out which again is making me frustrated but i will get through this , i really like to thank everyone for the support.
i been taking buspirone and i dont know if it’s doing anything at all , but like people said it takes 2-6 wks for it to work, we’ll see how it goes next Wednesday will be my second week straight on it and a check up from my dr
Big mike,
It’s good to hear you’re taking steps and following a plan. Keep it up.
When I had these issues and saw a therapist, He showed me a cool exercise that worked quite well.
All day long you have a stream of thoughts running through your head. one thought leads to another, then another, then another. this is called cyclical thinking. It is likely that you have developed a series of thought that repeats when you go to the gym. He had me keep a thought journal. Just buy a notebook and put up columns. when your mind starts racing write down a short description of the thoughts running through your head, in the next column write your reaction. after a day or two of this you add a third column in which you will write an alternative “rational reaction/thought”. Also when this is happening and you’re writing it down take slow, deep controlled breaths. Just by writing down your thoughts and recognizing irrational reactions and seeing rational reactions on paper will calm you down and teach you to slow down the thought process and regain control. It was highly effective for me.
I also thought there was something physically wrong with me. I experienced adrenaline rushes, difficulty breathing, pounding heartbeat, etc. Emotions cause chemicals to be released in your body. Chemicals in your body make you feel emotions and physical symptoms. I asked my therapist which one starts the whole process and he said it’s like the chicken and the egg. The important thing to do is start dealing with either the chemical reactions you are having (drugs) which will relieve the emotional symptoms and deal with the emotional part to control the physical aspect of it.
keep chugging along this will get better
I have had problems with depression and anxiety attacks all my life. In my opinion it is best to stay away from pharmaceuticals which have all kinds of bad side affects along with becoming dependant on them{Not that in some cases they could help some one. I just think they are WAY over prescribed}. Eating healthy foods, meditation, consistent exercise and cognitive therapy are what works in the long haul.
In my experience the worse thing you can do is give in to it. I would be absolutely paralyzed with fear while in the gym most every time I would go for years. But I would will my self to do it. No matter how bad, it was a nightmare believe me…I know. But I wasn’t going to let it turn me into a hermit. I am better today because of facing it…and while I do still suffer from depression, the panic attacks and anxiety is virtually non existent.
I wish you all the best. Get well and don’t give up or give in. The more you face it the sooner you will over come it.
[quote]Pistol Pete wrote:
I have had problems with depression and anxiety attacks all my life. In my opinion it is best to stay away from pharmaceuticals which have all kinds of bad side affects along with becoming dependant on them{Not that in some cases they could help some one. I just think they are WAY over prescribed}. Eating healthy foods, meditation, consistent exercise and cognitive therapy are what works in the long haul.
In my experience the worse thing you can do is give in to it. I would be absolutely paralyzed with fear while in the gym most every time I would go for years. But I would will my self to do it. No matter how bad, it was a nightmare believe me…I know. But I wasn’t going to let it turn me into a hermit. I am better today because of facing it…and while I do still suffer from depression, the panic attacks and anxiety is virtually non existent.
I wish you all the best. Get well and don’t give up or give in. The more you face it the sooner you will over come it.[/quote]
Great story and congratulations on beating it. I don’t know much about anxiety attacks and I am curious. What was it about the gym that would trigger one? Did you ever determine that?
I remember I took my brother to the gym with me about 20 yrs ago. He always had a slight build and was self-conscious. He threw up in the locker room before we went in. I should have known better. We didn’t talk about it.
I too have battled panic attacks for 15 years. The gym is a common place to have one. If you look at some symptoms during a panic attack (increased heart rate, out of breath, dizzy, etc…) it is the same thing that you feel when working out in the gym. You experience symptoms that are similar to panic attack symptoms and this can start the cascade into an attack. You have to overcome the fear and know that what you are feeling is a normal reaction to working out. (for some this may mean having treadmill stress tests to prove you are ok (me))
Meds are indeed tricky. You may have to try many different. Paxil worked great in years past, but caused massive weight gain and no sex drive. Lexapro made me incredibly manic and hypersensitive to physical sensations. Currently on Zoloft and no bad side effects yet. Xanax is wonderful in the short term while adjusting to the SSRis, which can often increase anxiety in the first few weeks. Again, everyone is different and the meds are different
I agree with everyone that you should attempt to eliminate stressors, stimulants, etc… Also, therapy is a must (even just talking to someone, anyone). I despise these meds and try to avoid them like the plague, but when the anxiety is completely screwing your life sometimes it may become necessary.
Big Mike,
I’ve been through it, man. In fact, posted quite a bit on the subject here in the past.
Here’s a few links:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_boxing_fighting_mma_combat/my_story_4
The second link turns into more of a training log at the end, but the first part has some really great discussion to help you out.
I know it seems impossible, but things will get better. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
-Dan
things have been better, my dr. has also prescribed medication for me to treat hypertension, for last few months i’ve been gettin high readings like 145/85-100 , being out of shape has been depressing for me and has alot to do with my anxiety and depression . it sucks i used to be in good health even tho i carried the extra weight my hr used to be at a 60 and my bp used to be at 125/60 but i know that things will get better .
i feel better and am going to give the gym a shot again . also school has been going well for me so i hope in the next two weeks i cant get my EMT cert and then later take my national registry . thank you everyone for the support
not weight training but gettin in cardio and been eatin ALOT better . imma jump into the weight room within the next 3 weeks dr says lose 30 pounds i gotta do it its for my health, anxiety been good i been takin the busiprone daily but not two times like the dr says , i guess its been workin for me that or the cardio is helpin .
Look man talk to your doc about paxil as well prescription of Clonazepam klonopin whatever for the 2 week duration of paxil to take effect and if necessary a continual prescription of clonapin for emergencies. A word of advice if possible try buspar instead of clonopin or xanax buspar has a sedative effect by those both aboved mentioned but no withdrawals if you so happen to run out Good Luck
I have a pretty bad one, I get hot around people, which makes me want to leave. Guess the worst fear is turning red (blushing real bad) in front of them, as they would be like why the F are you turning red for?.
I never took medication and dont want to! Hopefully someone knows something that can help me out. I know the mind is a powerful thing , I just haven’t been able to find out how to control it with respect to this problem
I used to be lik OP, I used to think everyone at the gym/mall etc were laughing at me because I was fat/week then I took up boxing lessons, and now I’m very confident and some what cocky when I go to the gym cause I know I can kick everyone elses ass.
My advice - learn to fight.
[quote]championp wrote:
Big mike,
It’s good to hear you’re taking steps and following a plan. Keep it up.
When I had these issues and saw a therapist, He showed me a cool exercise that worked quite well.
All day long you have a stream of thoughts running through your head. one thought leads to another, then another, then another. this is called cyclical thinking. It is likely that you have developed a series of thought that repeats when you go to the gym. He had me keep a thought journal. Just buy a notebook and put up columns. when your mind starts racing write down a short description of the thoughts running through your head, in the next column write your reaction. after a day or two of this you add a third column in which you will write an alternative “rational reaction/thought”. Also when this is happening and you’re writing it down take slow, deep controlled breaths. Just by writing down your thoughts and recognizing irrational reactions and seeing rational reactions on paper will calm you down and teach you to slow down the thought process and regain control. It was highly effective for me.[/quote]
Solid post. This is called Cognitive Therapy if Im not mistaken and the same process can be used to treat depression, amongst other things. For the record, its also specifically what I recommended earlier in this thread to the OP.
BigMike, READ THE ABOVE and digest it. Understand the rational process here. Understand that your MOODS are dictated by your THOUGHTS. I like the steps you are taking with proper nutrition and exercise; these are crucial and part of your healing process. However, understand as well that this stream of thoughts that championp illustriously described above is what is triggering your anxiety.
You CAN and you NEED to start a.) realizing this b.) tracking this c.) getting a grip on this. The technique championp describes above will allow you to do JUST THAT.
I will say it once again: magic pills are likely to cause as many problems in the short and/or long term than any good they might do. They may be part of a TEMPORARY solution, but do not rely on meds to solve a problem you are likely capable of getting a grip on through therapy such as the above. Consult a professional if need be.
Again, good luck.
[quote]Pistol Pete wrote:
I have had problems with depression and anxiety attacks all my life. In my opinion it is best to stay away from pharmaceuticals which have all kinds of bad side affects along with becoming dependant on them{Not that in some cases they could help some one. I just think they are WAY over prescribed}. Eating healthy foods, meditation, consistent exercise and cognitive therapy are what works in the long haul.[/quote]
BINGO!
I hadnt read this post when replying just above. Fuckin A brother. You are RIGHT ON in my opinion on ALL counts.
OP…digest the above. It is your ticket to delivery from anxiety, happiness, good health and best of all…FREEDOM.