Me, myself and anxiety...

Anxiety and those we love...

2008-07-28T00:58:00.000-07:00

This article is aimed towards helping our loved ones cope with Anxiety Disorders.

Reaching out to a love one with anxiety can leave us exhausted. Moreover, we begin to feel desperate and hopeless in our day-to-day lives. In the end, we too start feeling anxious, as our relationships become dearly effected and dictated by Anxiety disorders.

As we know, anxiety is an illness which makes us feel uncomfortable in the world we once felt at home in. We illicit an emotional response of fear to much of anything we come in contact with.

Helping those we love can be a draining task. Being patient is extremely rewarding, your partner and self will reap the benefits of such a gratifying experience.

The first step to helping a loved one is learning about Anxiety disorder; there are many resources online providing you with informative content on symptoms, causes and how to effectively combat the illness.

People suffering with anxiety experience multiple physical symptoms. Generally speaking, we are unable to relax and most often suffer from insomnia. Examples of the various symptoms are as followed: fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headaches, irritability, or hot flashes.

People with this disorder tend to expect the worst; they worry excessively about money, health, family, or work, even in situations where there is no signs of trouble or danger.

Once you recognize and comprehend the causes and symptoms of anxiety, it will be easier to understand from the sufferers perspective and adjust to your world more accordingly.

More specifically, a few useful tips in how to help a loved one can be as easy as giving praise when a task is accomplished.

It is important to change your expectations. Understand that things they have done in the past are different now. Anxiety controls our body and minds, so adapting to change is vital to the success of good help.

Make sure you measure the progress of your loved ones disorder subjectively. Be sure to base it on individual improvement, as there is no standard to follow. Being more flexible is critical to coping and enables both parties to maintain a more regular routine.

Having a loved one by our side can be the key to paving the road to recovery. It is not the cure but a gift knowing we are not alone in this that matters most.

Newest online Anxiety group - Check it out

2008-07-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
I wanted to take a short moment and tell you about my newest project.

'All about Anxiety' is the newest place online, offering yet another opportunity for those suffering from all types of anxiety illnesses to connect, gather information and just meet similar people.

Over the coming days and weeks, useful content and info will be added regularly. The group will also feature many confirmed things i can't talk about yet (hush hush) so check it out and join.

You'll need to open an account at Mychillpill in order to join, but that will take 2 minutes of your time max. See you over there!

Anxiety, Depression Blogs and Social Networks...

2008-07-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a few days, i took it easy like i said i would. I watched an amazing film, apparently I'm one of the last people to see it - Requiem for a dream, excellent film!

I had a very low key weekend, i braved the supermarket and this resulted in me having a fridge full of fruit and vegetables, which meant a nice healthy weekend.

I want to spend some time talking to you about two things today, first a good friend of mine who also dabbles in blogs on-line has created a very informative blog on depression, Down with Depression. I'd like all of us to spend some time reading it, as anxiety sufferers, most of us at some point have probably suffered or are suffering from depression. The blog is detailed, interesting and everyone will learn something new from it, I'm sure.

Secondly, I want to spend some more time talking about something new and beneficiary to many of us. Mychillpill.

This new social network is unique in that it is aimed at those of us with social disabilities and mental health needs. Be it claustrophobia or anxiety, you're welcome and encouraged there to meet people similar to yourself.

Mychillpill has all the usual things any social network will have, blogs, groups, profile and chats as well as additional tools aimed at assisting those looking for info and ways to meet people suffering from similar illnesses.

I'd like your feedback on both things i've past on to you today, i hope we can all use these as two more useful tools and platforms in which to connect to people similar to ourselves.

Anxiety Today reaches 500 members!

2008-07-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
For those of you that don't know, I also work very hard on a group i created in Facebook called Anxiety Today, i started the group a month ago with the aim of helping anxiety sufferers come together on Facebook without being spammed or drowning in a group of thousands of people.

The group has done amazingly well in such a short period of time, people are turning to it for advice and to offer support, it is quickly becoming the most popular place on facebook for Anxiety Sufferers to meet others.

Today we stand at 500 people, i hope it will continue to grow in the tasteful way it has so far.

I'd like to add a big thank you to everyone who has contributed, to everyone who has invested time in making it an appealing place and to all the sufferers who shared their personal experiences with the public. Thank you.

Buying my meds in times of need

2008-07-21T00:53:00.001-07:00

As any reader of my blog will know, i take Xanax. I haven't delved too much into my level of medication, but for some reason i now feel able to, maybe because of the level of comfort i now feel when i write on the blog, and also from the support i receive in way of your kind comments and messages.

My Xanax is also accompanied by Prozac and i take herbal sleeping tablets from time to time. My depression has often been crippling, the good times have seen me lower the dosage.

The recent death of someone very close to me has left me feeling empty and without much to give to the world. It feels right to raise the dosage for now, and as most medicated people will know this also means finding the extra anticipated funds to ensure you can stock up.

I'm fortunate enough that i can work from home, so i do have a minimal income, but minimal it is. I do get by, but not with much space to breathe.

I've taken liberty of my own posting about Licensed RX and have gone ahead and ordered my next batch of Xanax, this time I've also ordered my Prozac and sleeping tablets from them as it seems to make sense to put it all into one place, especially with the saving coupon and compared to the cost of getting it from my doctor.

I've decided that with the money I'll now be saving by ordering with Licensed RX, I'll eventually be able to take myself on holiday. Any suggestions?

Anxiety vs Depression

2008-07-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to devote this article to anxiety and depression and spend some time speaking about how much they go hand in hand. As most of us will know, this is very much the case and is something that cannot be ignored.

Anxiety is a disorder which has serious implications on our everyday lives. Those feelings of being disconnected from not only ourselves but the outside world, left in a state of low or no energy levels. At times i find it hard to get out of bed in the morning and at times i haven't got out at all.

Psychologists have found evidence of a direct link between anxiety and depression. It is important one does not confuse the two; at a glance they seem quite similar, but in fact are not the same.

Depression on the other hand, generates emotions of despair, anger, and helplessness to name a few. Over the years, my energy levels have been at an extreme low, making everyday tasks seem more and more impossible.

Those suffering from anxiety disorders experience symptoms of fear and panic. As most of us can relate, these anxious and threatening feelings tend to fall into a sudden attack of panic and/or anxiety. Some of us may not even notice what may actually be triggering the onset.

Anxiety is a debilitating disorder, constantly interfering with a person's ability to go outside, to work, or even maintain current relationships. Anxiety becomes the devil living inside of us. After six years, I am beginning to try various avenues in ridding myself of this illness.

I have treated my depression and anxiety with antidepressant medications and as well as some cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Douglas Bloch states in his book, Healing from Depression: 12 Weeks to a Better Mood, that a great number of depressions are also accompanied by anxiety. In one study, 85 percent of those with major depression were also diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.

Since the two disorders so often go hand in hand, anxiety and depression are considered to be the fraternal twins of mood disorders. Thus, it is important to remember the difference between the two.

Take a Chill Pill

2008-07-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has and is having a well, and rested weekend. The weekend is a great opportunity to reflect on the week that has gone and ensure we start our new week with new energy and create new opportunities.

I want to let everyone know of a fresh opportunity i feel we'll all gain and development from. A good friend i studied with has been developing himself within the online industry for a considerable time and has just launched something that i feel those who suffer from similar things as i do, will really gain from.

MyChillPill is a brand new social platform aimed at connecting and bringing those suffering from various social issues together.

There are various resources and networks out there aimed at connecting us, however, MyChillPill has been developed with the intention of having everything in one place, Forums, Blogs, Articles, and more.

Check it out, i've opened a profile and group, where in conjunction to posting on this blog i will also posting my blog article's there. Tell me what you liked, and even what they may be lacking so we can help them develop it into something that we can all take advantage from.

From fight to flight...

2008-07-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like the walls are closing in on you? With a blink of an eye you barely can even recognize who you are? That darkness looms above your head everywhere you go?

As much as our mind effects our body, so does our environment on our mental state.

As once explained to me by my psychiatrist, depression, anxiety and panic attacks are all examples of disorders that live within all of us. Meaning, these disorders are inscribed into our biological time lines. This poses an important question, why do only some people experience symptoms and not others.

Environmental stimuli can play a critical role in the onset of Anxiety and Panic Disorders. Anything from a stranger cutting you off in traffic, to loosing your job after promising your wife her dream trip to Hawaii can cause Anxiety in our lives. The situation only plays a small role, but timing is the most significant factor of all. The same event may reoccur in our lives but our interpretation will be different each time. Timing changes our perceptional outtake and can trigger a negative emotional response, in this case, excessive harm and stress.

Emotionally, we may seem to find ourselves in state of dismay, panic, confusion and loss of control. Thus, we start to change our behavior by acting out, becoming argumentative, aggressive etc. All these examples are demonstrate a fight response. Socially, we begin to recluse and want nothing more than to flee. We react to stress by being more withdrawn from the outside world or perhaps even turning to substances like drugs and alcohol.

"Somatically the body prepares the organism to deal with threat (known as an emergency reaction): blood pressure and heart rate are increased, sweating is increased, bloodflow to the major muscle groups is increased, and immune and digestive system functions are inhibited (the 'fight or flight' response). Externally, somatic signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation." (Wikipedia, 2008)

Overall, we are like soldiers waiting for an attack. Sitting on the defense line awaiting the arrival of the enemy. We are constantly scanning a room looking for danger to jump out at us. We begin to filter our surroundings as fearful and a threat to our overall well-being. We see the world through a new lens one which greatly impacts our rationality.

I Tip My Hat To You...

2008-07-17T01:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the feedback. I must say how amazing it is to hear from everyone, please keep the comments coming.

You see, originally I doubted my ability to create this blog and came close to giving up. Now, it is the one thing the pushes me out of bed each morning. It is the endless support I receive each day that makes me so sure I have done the right thing.

I want to express the utmost gratitude to everyone who has been by my side yesterday, today and tomorrow. Knowing I am not alone has helped me gain strength through positive feedback and great company. It is you guys who make me brave.

Until next...

Keep smiling.

A pic and a bit from me.

2008-07-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been wondering who the guy behind the blog is. I don't normally put my photo online, but i decided i would add this one for a few days so people can get a better picture of who i am.

I'm a Londoner born and bred, still living in London, England. My anxiety has attacked me in many forms for about 6 years now.

I wanted to talk a little about Facebook, Anxiety Today (My Facebook group) is doing well, we're at 407 members as I'm writing this and it's proving a great base of communication for many sufferers. If we're not friends on Facebook, feel free to add me, Joshua Hughes.

I'll keep it short today. Nothing too exciting since yesterdays posting about the savings coupon from Licensed RX. I'm having dinner with a friend tonight at her house, still not ready to venture out too far since my recent dinners/parties.

Hope everyone is well, as always I'm here if you need me.

My Inbox Received a Nice Surprise

2008-07-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I haven't posted for a few days, i was taking it easy and spending time with a good friend. Lot's of good food, lot's of films I've wanted to see for ages, some quality time with me basically.

Some of the people over at Licensed RX (the online pharmacy i ordered from) caught on to my blog and supplied me with a special coupon code. This coupon code will allow the first 200 people who use it up to 10% off of their order.

If anyone wants to save money on buying their medication then please take advantage of the unique code. It's 1985060323, you can go over to their site Licensed RX and enter the code when placing your order.

As always, i enjoy receiving your messages as well as helping you when i can.

A week comes closer to the end....

2008-07-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Another week closes, another week that i've managed to get through. I wont be going to any social events for some time and am looking forward to some time alone.

The express mail guy delivered my Xanax this morning from Licensed RX, I happily signed for them seeing as it's only been 10 days since i ordered. They arrived in a very well protected plastic container with a detailed label which made a change to other places out there.

To all my friends out there i've defiantly found a reliable place for us to purchase our medication. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding them (or anything else.)

I'd like to hear from more of you and connect with more of you. Let's keep it up.

I'll keep it short, have a good one and as always im here if you need me.

Not quite an attack.

2008-07-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
So far this week has been a busy one socially which has left my stomach tight and knotted. I attended the dinner party of my friend yesterday which i talked about in my last posting.

I couldn't get out of joining them in this restaurant, i tried to arrange to meet them somewhere quiet afterwards, but it just wasn't going down that way.

It was loud and awkward. Waiter were running around like crazy and every little noise around me made my heart jump. I managed to keep my breathing to a reasonable level and consistent enough that i don't think anyone could see how much pain i was in.

The evening went OK in the end, the 2 glasses of red helped.

I'm tracking my order of Xanax carefully that i ordered through Licensed RX. It's already on it's way to me and is currently in customs which was a nice surprise as i only ordered a few days ago.

The Xanax my friends ordered from them were up to scratch to, so far all is looking very good. Will keep you updated.

Another day, another potential attack.

2008-07-07T01:35:00.001-07:00

Had an OK weekend in the end, lot's of time at home reading. I'm currently reading Bill Bryson's - Note From A Small Island. This very American guy travels around England and writes all about his encounters and experiences of the English.

Received an E-Mail from the online pharmacy Licensed RX that i ordered from. It contained my ETA and tracking number with how to contact customer services, so i feel even better about ordering from them, apparently i get a nice discount off of my next order also, so that can't be too bad!

I've been following my group really closely, i read all messages and posts even if i don't respond to all of them personally. It's so touching how much we're all coming together.

I'm going to venture out again tonight, i have a dinner party to attend to of a very good friend, there will be eight of us in a restaurant, i tried to wangle it so that i could just come for a drink, but no such luck.

I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

My latest attack

2008-07-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

I went to see a friend perform last night, she's a singer. I tend to stay away from crowded places and my worst fear was lived out when we arrived.

The theatre was underground, i cannot enter basements or small places. I couldn't turn back as i was there to show support for a good friend. As we went down the stairs to the lobby of the theatre, every step i took brought a harder punch to my chest, by the time we were standing in the lobby, i was literally trying to balance myself.

I was with a good friend and we were trying to find the place that we should collect our tickets, more and more people seemed to be flooding into the small space, i couldn't find a way out so felt as if i should just stand there and wait for the inevitable to happen, for the panic attack to take over. We finally found the right queue to stand in, but of course the lady behind the desk couldn't hear me, after 5 minutes of trying to shout more and more over everyone else, i gave up.

My panic took complete control and i had to escape, as i pushed everyone out of the way, my fear grew more and more. It wasn't until i reached the outside of the building that i felt my life was now coming back into my control....

Me, my Xanax and the online pharmacy

2008-07-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I am given a life line.

My last post was partly about finding Licensed-Rx, an online pharmacy. They impressed me because they stood out from the many online pharmacies out there. A good friend of mine has been reading my blog, and called to shout at me.
I should have told him i was looking for a cheaper place to buy my Xanax, he said. Apparently he's been buying from Licensed-Rx for years.
On his last order, they gave him some bonus pills. I was actually quite impressed by how they look.

Anyway, I'll try them out and keep you updated. Watch this space.

Online pharmacy - yay? or nay?

2008-07-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

After writing my last entry yesterday i started looking around online at online pharmacies. I really can't afford my prescription med's right now, but i equally don't want to regress.

I found lot's of them that all looked really similar, flashy ads, lots of impressive promises but there was one that stood out, and i wondered if anyone had used them.

Licensed RX

I'd appreciate any feedback from people that use them, if you haven't, check them out and let me know what you think anyway.

I hope everyone is well, im enjoying the new contact and its really touching to receive all the messages from my new friends im making.

me, myself and my meds....

2008-07-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

I met today with my doctor to discuss how i'm doing and what the next step forward would be. My stress level has been up and down recently, i've been in the middle of moving and as with most people it makes you very anxious.

Ive been looking at alternative stress relief methods recently to fight my anxiety, so wanted to discuss that with my doctor. He basically suggested that now it would be sensible to stick with the Xanax, easily said if you can afford it, i can't right now.

I've tried many things to prevent my attacks. Stop smoking, meditation, massage therapy and other things, but it seems medication will be path to continue calming me down when i get anxious.

There are many resources out there that help you treat anxiety, but short of testing them all there is no real way to know for sure that they will work. that is how i felt until i took Xanax anyway. What with moving house, and being out off work because of my anxiety, i need to find a cheaper way to buy my Xanax, or a cheaper way to treat my anxiety.

My doctor also said i may have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder.) because of my muscle tension, irritability, i have headaches often, and problems breathing as well as others things, but we'll see.

I've had social anxiety for nearly 6 years now and im starting to gain enough strength to get over this. I'm looking at cheaper ways to buy my meds, this will be the first step....

My anxiety and me

2008-06-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of interest from people that have read my blog about anxiety and i always take the time to respond to the E-Mail's i receive so please keep them coming, it's important for me to talk to people in a similar situation as well as help where and when i can and offer support to every anxiety sufferer.

A common question you have been asking me is about what kind of prescription medication im taking, so here goes....

There is a lot of discussion about illeagal drugs causing anxiety and also using prescription drugs to combat the attacks.

Anyone who has read my previous posts will know about the exhausting battles i've had with my panic attacks and continue to have with anxiety.

My life got to a point where i felt i had no control left of what was going on and when i thought my life couldn't feel anymore worthless it became more worthless. Depression, a word im sure most of the readers of my blog have heard of.

My depression joined the yo yo of feelings that took over my life and it got to such a scary point that i had to seek help or i was worried of what i may do to myself.

My doctor prescribed Paxil for me, after years of fighting this thing in my head i'm currently using Xanax now.

My feelings and moods change and i seek therapy as well as continue to take prescription medication, but soon realised the benifits of buying it online anyway.

I'd be interested to know what medication people are taking and how you purchase it. Comments, mails, the usual......

Take care everyone.

Another quiet night...

2008-06-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

I woke up last night from an awful dream involving myself and a family member. My heart was beating and it was pitch black in the room so i turned on the light. I felt like i was going to die even though the light was on and there was no one in the house as well as any noise. As always the anxiety took over and the panic attack started to eat away at me.

I lay there trying to calm myself down but as usual my mind ran away with itself and i realised i had to be at work in 3 hours. This went on and on, one thing turned into another until i found it was time to get up and have my shower and so i sit here after three hours of sleep.

Drugs on both sides of the law.

2008-06-24T04:28:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write this article about something I've read a lot about on the many forums online and about my own experience. Drugs (not the leagal kind.)

The first panic attack i experienced was when i was under the influence of an illegal substance, although since then they happen sporadically. I have noticed that on a lot of forums there is a pattern here and many people experienced their first panic attack while on something. I wonder how many people out there share this? If you're one of these people, i really would like to hear from you. Maybe there really is a pattern here, if so we should be able to share our experiences and how we overcome them.

Right now I'm taking prescription medication, and it's really helping. For me, i believe medication is the best way to combat these draining experiencing, but i would love to hear of all the ways people are living anxiety and how they overcome the panic attacks.

Looking back...

2008-06-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

I decided id write my first entry about my first experience with panic in the hope that people will relate and also share their experiences and how they over came them.

I could never have described myself as a particularly nervous person, but looking back i always unconsciously went out of my way to avoid over crowded places as well as new social experiences that may lead to potentially being around too many people or even around someone too much.

As a young adult being the age of eighteen, i was waiting to use the bathroom in an over crowded bar and accidentally found myself surrounded by far too many people. As i was noticing how crowded it was, a guy charged forward yelling and insisting he be first to enter the cubicle. This set of a feeling deep inside i couldn't explain at the time and can only describe and one of the scariest feelings i had ever experienced. I felt threatened and as if my life were in jeopardy.

I felt so embarrassed at the extent of my feeling at the time that i didn't want to explain to my friends why i had to make such a sudden exit. I immediately exited the bar trying to maintain a normal heartbeat but lost all control and began to worry as my breathe had become irregular, setting off the scariest thoughts in my head of what was happening to me.

As i ran down the street desperately looking for somewhere to hide away, i became more and more scared by this thing that had taken over my body, everything was happening so fast, my breathe, my heart, my mind seemed to be on turbo speed. Once i reached home i put myself to bed in the desperate hope that focusing on sleep in a dark place would calm me down.

I woke up several times in the night in an awful sweat (it was the middle of winter) and a pain throughout my body, i can explain it no less by feeling as if these were my last moments.

When i awoke the next morning i felt better, but as if my body had been washed through by an almighty force, i had no idea what had happened to me and didn't know who was the correct person to turn to as well as having the confidence to speak about it. Since the day in question my panic attacks would surprise me, i had no idea why or how they were starting, sometimes during tough times but also not. Sometimes regular, sometimes not. And so my quest to understand began....

2008-06-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

My names Joshua and I'm a hard working guy in his mid 20's. From a very early age I've had certain social issues, i was always labeled as the odd kid, or the different kid and subsequently was also severely bullied when growing up. As I've grown up and have done research into my problem, I've been able to understand exactly whats wrong with me.

I'm now able to share my story and want to do so in the hope of helping others over come their anxiety issues.

I'd love to hear back from as many of you as i can, let's all help each other! Feel free to add comments and mail me.

So here goes.....