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Original poster

Support/Chat thread for Panic Attacks, OCD, Obsessive Thinking, Depression, PND, come one come all!

219 replies

ibroughtcake · 11/10/2007 21:03

Hi Everyone

I have been thinking of starting this thread for a while so here goes. I am hoping that it will turn into an ongoing thing where we can all get to know and support each other through whatever difficulties we are facing.

Firstly about me, I am mummy to DD 2 and DS 7wks. I have suffered with panic attacks and obsessive thinking for about 5 years now. There have been times when I have been free from it and times when it has been easier (ie when I was on fluoxetine!). I have tried CBT and SSRI's both with some success, but I am really in the midst of a bad time with it at the moment and noticed many other posts about similar things so thought we could all meet at the same place IFSWIM!

I finally went back to the GP to ask for some help yesterday and she has referred me to the Mental Health team and given me a script for Fluoxetine (Prozac). I haven't started taking them yet as I am breastfeeding. I know that they are safe to take whilst bfing but I have anxieties about that too!!

So please come and join, share your tale etc and hopefully we will be able to support each other and offer our own experiences to help some others.

OP posts:
Original poster
ibroughtcake · 13/10/2007 21:33

elliemac, it is very funny, one of DP's friends is this huge guy long hair tons of tattoos as rough as anything. We got talking a while back and he admitted that he has taken Seroxat for 5 years due to severe panic attacks and anxiety. I could not believe it, honestly if you knew him you would be so shocked.

MM, sorry to hear about the relationship with your mother, I think mine just feels sad that I am going through what she went through for all those years

OP posts:
Original poster
ibroughtcake · 13/10/2007 21:36

Beezelbug, welcome welcome, have you read From Panic to Power? The woman who wrote it suffered with IBS from her panic, it is a really good book

OP posts:
Beelzebug · 13/10/2007 21:37

I haven't, but I may have to hunt it down.

MorticiasMother · 13/10/2007 21:37

Sheesh! My mother reckons she has ibs too, as well as sad syndrome and manic depression and everything else you can tell her, she'll make up the symptoms for it. Ferking wierdo she is.

MorticiasMother · 13/10/2007 21:38

weirdo I may be frazzled but I can spell!

elliemac · 13/10/2007 21:39

Isn't it strange how it can make you have all these wierd symptoms though. I'm still struggling with the fact that it could all be down to anxiety. SIL was on ADs on and off for years (still is i think) and i'm ashamed to say that i used to think she just needed to give herself a bloody good shake. Certainly don't think that now. Any more thoughts on taking your tablets ibroughcake?

Beelzebug · 13/10/2007 21:39

which of these is it?

allhallows · 13/10/2007 21:40

I'll join you, please. Lots of history but won't bore you with it.

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 13/10/2007 21:47

It's the first one, mine has a different cover but that is the one.

Ok am going to bed now, but will be back in the morning

OP posts:
allhallows · 13/10/2007 21:48

Me too. g'night!

Beelzebug · 13/10/2007 21:52

Super, thanks, will go and order it.
Night all, hope you all have good days tomorrow

lucyellensmum · 14/10/2007 08:44

WOW there are a lot of us, aren't there In a way thats good to know, but a bit shite that we all have to go through it. Well, its a lovely sunny day today, lets make the most of it

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 14/10/2007 12:58

It is a lovely day, we are just off to Ikea, i'm a bit about all the crowds but got to get out there

OP posts:
lucyellensmum · 14/10/2007 16:45

ibroughtcake, hello, sit down, take the wait off your feet - now, think nice thoughts, slow your breathing, think pink, breath in, breath out. You are entering the happy place, there are no sweedish meatballs in the happy place, no labyrinth of furniture and accessories that you don't really need, no surly shop assistants, no ridiculous delivery fees and no insanely long queues having just fought your way through the basement warehouse only to find the final box of stuff to make up the cupboard is out of stock - THERE IS NO IKEA IN THE HAPPY PLACE. That is of course assuming that your ikea experiences are anything like mine, the sort of half cocked excitement as you walk in and the sort of get me out of here madness by the time you have followed the hoardes around the little fake rooms that look like they belong to trendy city types. But seriously, i hope you had a nice day.

lucyellensmum · 14/10/2007 16:47

allhallows, you wont bore us with your history - i find it a great help to read others experiences, it confirms that i am doing the right thing by getting medical help and waiting for counselling. Be more than happy if you care to share, if you dont wish to, thats ok as well, ok, so i am just a tincy bit nosey

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 14/10/2007 20:21

Lucyellensmum, that made me lol. I didn't go in the end we went to our friends in the end.

How was everyones weekend, still not taking the tablets elliemac have you started with yours, if so any side effects?

I have promised myself that I will phone the local councilling centre tomorrow and find out about CBT so if anybody sees me around kick me up the bum until I phone them

OP posts:
elliemac · 14/10/2007 20:27

Ibroughtcake - Still haven't taken mine either. Was having a look at CBT the other week. You don't know till you try i suppose but i don't think i'd feel comfy spilling my guts to some stranger (might be easier though). Has anyone had CBT? How was Ikea IBC?

elliemac · 14/10/2007 20:30

Will be back later girls - MIL turned up for a cuppa - Grrrrrrrreat!!!

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 14/10/2007 20:34

Ha, good luck with the MIL elliemac, mine turned up earlier, she said 'oh looks like the dc have been up to their tricks in here'

there was about 4 toy bricks on the floor

OP posts:
MaryAnnSingletomb · 14/10/2007 20:35

me, I've had CBT and it was great - do recommend it.

allhallows · 14/10/2007 20:53

Okay. Because I've been accused of being flippant about NAB3, who's obviously suffering horribly & shouldn't have to, this is for you.

I was first diagnosed with depression at 16. My bf had left to go to the US & I completely fell apart without her. I was given tranquilizers by our family GP. I attempted suicide at 20, 3 years after I had left home, and at a subseuqent family gathering it was decided that I should have therapy. I started psychoanalysis just before my 21st birthday, which lasted for 8 years - 3 half-hour sessions per week for 8 years. As the psychoanalysis didn't help my symptoms, I saw another psychiatrist who tried out every antidepressant/tranquilizer/anti-psychotic known to help me function. Nevertheless I was hospitalised several times.

In 1986 my drug-prescribing psychiatrist tried me on the new drug, Prozac. Bingo! I stayed with Prozac for several months until all symptoms disappeared. Then another bout of depression. more prozac. This cycle continued until 1993 when I was hospitalised after another attempt at suicide. I had a new therapist when I came out of hospital & have been seeing him since while taking 40mg of Prozac/day plus Xanax & sleeping tablets. I stayed on Prozac during both my pregnancies but after ds was born in 2003, I became suicidal again. I had dreadful panic attacks. The drugs were changed, rearranged and then changed again, back to Prozac. I'm still in therapy & learned of my official diagnosis last year: chronic depression and a personality disorder. No-one knows about this diagnosis except my parents & dh & the docs, of course. And now MN. I live with my illness much as a diabetic would or someone like my SIL, who has progressive MS. Thank God for drugs. Without them I wouldn't be here.

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 14/10/2007 21:09

I am sitting here with my tablet in my hand, I have gone to take it so many times tonight, but I just keep on looking at DS and thinking 'I'm going to be pumping this crap into him' and I can't take it

Why can't they just bloody say if it is ok or not

OP posts:
Nbg · 14/10/2007 21:17

Evening all

I'll go back and read the messages properly in a bit.

Just a couple of things I picked up on was from you ibroughtcake.

Re being anxious at tea time, I have found that people get a particular time of day when its worse.
For me its morning and if someone let me stay in bed till lunchtime, I'd be fine.
When I suffered with it when I had my dd though, nights were the worst. Day time wasn't too bad because if I was on my own at least I could go out and do something.
Atm I find I really dont want to go out on my own. I hate leaving the house

Also about taking the ad's, fwiw I am on Citalopram and have taken it right through this pregnancy.
According to all the scans and everything, baby is fine.

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 14/10/2007 21:20

Just took it....

Thumbs up to feeling better soon, god I am so nervous

OP posts:
IdrisTheDragon · 14/10/2007 21:20

Hello .

Am doing a short message so this is on my threads I'm on, but will read the thread soon.

I have recently been re-diagnosed with depression and sometimes feel like the past 15 years I have always been depressed on or off .

I am taking Citalopram and it is helping; just need to deal with the things that are contriubting to the depression.