Sufferer Need advice about constant anxiety

[AngelHealing]

I was recently diagnosed with PTSD. I came on this site to see how others are managing their symptoms. I have severe anxiety and panic attacks. I have a therapist but unsure if she is the right one for me. I also suffer from agoraphobia and my life seems to be stuck. Would appreciate any feedback on how to handle the constant anxiety. How long to make any significant progress and get on with life. I look forward to hearing what works for others who suffer with this. Thanks for listening.

 

[Chris-duck]

Hey there! Welcome to the forum. I don't have any genius words of wisdom over here but have a wee look around n take the bits away from posts that are relevant to you. I dunno how long you've been seeing that therapist for, but it's okay to "shop around" until you find one that's right for you although that can be difficult depending on where you live. Plus, depending on why you feel they're not right for you it could be a plan to discuss what's not working before moving on if it could be something that can be worked on. They're a good wee supportive bunch here, hope you find what you're looking for!

 

[AngelHealing]

Thanks! I will definitely take your advice about the therapist and give her a chance. Glad this is a supportive site. Sometimes talking with others that are going through the same things are healing and keeps you confidence up that things will get better.

 

[EveHarrington]

Welcome!

 

[Virtues]

@AngelHealing welcome to the forum. I wish I could give you a time line when things are going to start to get better for you, but the short answer is everyone is different. It depends on so many different variables. The severity of the trauma, how long you suffered before you got into treatment, the amount of treatment you're receiving, if you're properly medicated, your history of mental illness, how resilient you are, even things that are seemingly trivial play a huge part in your recovery like: the dynamics of your family growing up, your current support network, whether or not you're employed or volunteer, the lists go on and on and on...

My point is there are too many variables to cover in a forum thread, and you have to figure out your stuck points and what you need to focus on. Getting into Psychiatry and Therapy (both individual and group) is a good start. It will scratch the surface of what you need to work on, but no one will do the work for you, they will simply help you find the ball and get it placed in your court. I hope this helps. Welcome to the forum again, this is a great place to gain knowledge about what is happening to you as well as learn different coping strategies. To answer your other question about what has helped "ME" in the past. I found that a combination of Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) have been a winning combination for me. I've noticed tons of progress in my own recovery. I'm not saying I'm perfect/healed/recovered but I am doing things now that I wouldn't have dreamed of doing before. It's all about progress and celebrating the small victories.

 

[AngelHealing]

@AngelHealing welcome to the forum. I wish I could give you a time line when th...

I have been in therapy since January 2018 but have since developed agoraphobia and now do telephone sessions as I am not able to get to her office. I am on meds but since I had a bad experience years ago I now have a phobia about meds and can only take in small pieces. I know!!! I should work on this as the meds will get me back to the point where I can actually go to the physical location for my therapy sessions but it is a slow work in progress. The meds that I have been prescribed make me very anxious and sometimes cause severe panic attacks.

 

[AngelHealing]

@Florian7051 What was your diagnosis and how severe were you symptoms.

 

[Virtues]

What was your diagnosis

My diagnosis was PTSD/TBI

My symptoms in the beginning were really bad (I'm off to therapy I'll write more when I return home about this)

Over time and intense outpatient/inpatient/meds/group/equine therapy things got better

I suffered 5 major traumas over a 15 year span (or so); my therapist will argue 6 major traumas but I disagree with her...

again, I'll write more when I get home, talk soon...

 

[Still Standing]

Welcome, AngelHealing. Glad you found this site. You will have lots of support and encouragement here. And there is much to learn from other's posts and articles that are shared here. I started therapy during the end of summer last year. It takes some time to get comfortable with the therapist, so give yours a bit of time to see if you guys mesh. You have embarked on a journey and there will be bumps along the way, but with determination and hope, you can walk this and get better. And there are others, here, who struggle with agoraphobia, so you are not alone in your struggles. Keep us posted on you are doing.

 

[AngelHealing]

Welcome, AngelHealing. Glad you found this site. You will have lots of support and encourageme...

Thanks @Still Standing. Support and Encouragement will mean a lot to get through this. Thanks for reaching out to me. If I may ask, what caused your trauma and how severe is it? How are you coping? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[littleoc]

I don't have much great advice, except for changing your mood if possible. I do that by watching funny movies that I've already seen before :)

I'm slowly figuring that part out, still.

Also, welcome! Glad you found us :)

 

[Sideways]

Hi and welcome!

Just along the agoraphobia lines, you sound like you’ve caught the issue quickly, which is great news!

For me, the day I found it too difficult to get down the stairs of my apartment complex was the turning point. I decided that I could either be agoraphobic for a reeeeally long time, or I could start to just beat it, bit by bit. My first goal was getting to the letterbox. As terrifyingly as it was? It wasn’t as bad as the thought of being housebound for the rest lf my life. So each day, I did trips to the letterbox and back. And notched each one up as a success.

When I could tolerate (ie. didn’t wait till it was comfortable, just till I could safely get there and back) that? I went as far as the next building over. And gradually just stepped it up, in small increments, from there.

Doesn’t sound like much of a magical healing method, but actually, it’s what I needed to do. Took a lot of patience, a lot of self compassion, a lot of dedication, and a whole tonne of foing stuff that terrified me. But agoraphobia? Doesn’t go away. And the choice is to confront it, or let it become completely disabling.

So, pick what you can handle. If that’s stepping outside the front door and not going a step further? That’s where you start. That’s what you do, every day, till you can go further, and further. That’s progress. Don’t let it beat you - you can definitely recover your confidence getting out and about again, it’s just gonna take some time:)