It is ruining my life...

[shaelo83]

I am 27 years old and I have suffered from anxiety for as long as i remeraber but in the last few months with no warning at all it has gotten way out of control to the point where simple things like dropping my daughter at daycare causes me to have a major anxiety attack... I get so worked up it causes me to have urgent diarrhea which is now the center of all my worries... Now i can not go anywhere without the fear i will need to use the bathroom.. I will not even attempt to go anywhere unless i know 100% there is a bathroom there and that it is easily accessable and every car trip i take be it long distance or around town i need to plan a route that has available toilets... I have 2 children aged 4 and 1 and if i am driving somewhere with them in the car I will have an attack and need to use the toilet all because i know that getting to the loo quickly is not an option due to having to get them out of the car to go.. If Im alone or my Husband is with us I am alot more relaxed as i know i can get to a bathroom quickly... IT IS RUINING MY LIFE!!! I went to the doctor and she sent me to a counselor as she thought this would be a better first option then putting me straight on meRAB. The counselor said she can't help as the severity of my problem is more then she can help with plus there is no underlying tragic or dramatic event that started this for her to work on so i am now booked in for a mental health plan which i start next week... I just can't believe my whole life is now based around a toilet... It's absolutely crazy and erabarrassing...I am lucky in the fact that my husband is very understanding and helps me as much as possible but not many other people in my life can understand how this is affecting me physically and emotionally... My highschool 10 year reunion is this weekend and i have been looking forward to it for ages but now i am just thinking of excuses not to go... I am crying writing this because i am so angry that i have to live like this... I envy people who can go anywhere like concerts, movies, camping even just a walk around the block because i can't do any of these things out of fear of needing to use the loo... Is there anyone else out there that can relate or does anyone know anyone who has anything like this? also doe anyone know if maybe taking over the counter meRAB for diarrhea would help for when i have to go out? I want so badly for this to not be an issue in my life so i can take my kiRAB places and even drop them to school without it being a huge issue... I am even anxious and feeling the effects already because i know i have to go pick my daughter up from daycare this afternoon and i have to pick my Husband up at 6... It is out of control and i hate it so much...

 

[EagleRiverDee]

I have suffered from panic attacks and GAD for 17 years. They manifest in different ways- it seems like the body will find a way to give you a physical symptom in a manner that will make you pay attention.

First- your anxiety. There are numerous ways to improve your anxiety and make it better.

1)Exercise is huge. You need to exercise- and I'm not just talking a half-hour on the treadmill, but an hour plus a day in strenuous exercise. Your body is full of "fight or flight" hormones. Give it some "fight" through exercise. You will also sleep better and feel calmer. If going outside your home makes you uncomfortable, then work out at home.

2) Alternative therapies: Yoga, hypnosis, acupuncture, massage, meditation, prayer. All help you get into a calmer state of mind. Try one, or all of them. I use Yoga, hypnosis, massage, acupuncture and prayer. If you're not religious, try meditation in lieu of prayer.

3) Alternative medicines: there are a nuraber of supplements out there that might help. I particularly like the advice of Dr. Andrew Weil. You might look at what he recommenRAB for alternative medicines.

4) Talk to someone! Even if it's not a therapist, just talking to frienRAB and maintaining some social life is important.

5) Consider journaling. You might find out what is triggering your anxieties.

6) Avoid all stimulants, like caffeine. They make anxiety worse and can even trigger anxiety attacks.

If you do consider medication, there are two ways (at least) to go about it. There are fast-acting drugs that reduce anxiety in the short-term that are used for acute attacks (like Valium or Xanax) and then there are slow-acting drugs that take some time to work but you take them every day and they reduce your anxiety in the long term. (Like Buspar). You might consider a corabination of both- take Buspar or a drug like it to get your anxiety under control, and then have some other drug like Valium to get through any acute episodes.

Assuming your diarrhea is caused by anxiety, getting control of the anxiety should clear up the issue.