Anxiety Surge After The Stressful Event Has Passed

[catjudo]

My daughter had a busy weekend that was important to her and required a lot from me. She was in a dance recital today (two separate numbers). Yesterday was dress rehearsal. Today was doing the same thing over again for the actual recital. I had gotten roped into being a group/backstage mom which meant I was responsible for eight little girls, ages 3-5, backstage for several hours. Had to keep them entertained, costumes and makeup perfect, help with costume changes, get them onstage in time for their number, onstage in time for finale, returned to their parents safe and happy, etc. It was the sort of weekend that would be trying and stressful to most anyone. For me I anticipated that I would get overwhelmed.

I made it through both days of this amazingly well. I have a prescription for valium to use as needed and although I brought it with me, I never felt even the slightest need for it. This evening, after all was said and done and a great success, I feel exhausted (physically and mentally). But more curious to me is that my anxiety is soaring and I actually took some valium. (This is not a regular occurrence for me. I can go weeks or even months without using it.) It's taken the edge off but there is still a giant ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

WTF? It's over. It was a success. Why the anxiety now?

 

[dharmaBum]

Perhaps because your system knew it couldn't lay out the anxiety symptoms during the stressor- as if the whole weekend were a lengthy event, which you survived, and now that it's over your system is reflecting and reacting?

This happens to me often by the way ;) I also am one of those folks who usually gets migraines on the weekend when nothing stressful is happening.

 

[dharmaBum]

also- when I am exhausted, sleep deprived after days of insomnia, that is when I am most susceptible to hyper-arousal/anxiety.

 

[Nicolette]

Catjudo...wow for all that you did for your daughter and the other children. You should be proud.

While its not an answer; when Anthony does anything different like visiting his boys or we fly and visit someone or just go away for the weekend, he usually does very well but falls over afterward. Especially when we have the boys as it is not a regular occurrence so it is out of the ordinary filled with a lot of emotion and not common tasks/responsibilities etc. I felt by sharing this, while you may have had an anxiety attack afterward, you may realize it is normal for PTSD.Your weekend was successful as you did so much of which all was out of the ordinary for you and also charged with emotions due to it being special to your daughter.

I am proud of you so don't be disappointed that you didn't land perfectly on your feet at the end as you do have PTSD which prevents that. Well done I say!!!

 

[Deleted member 541]

I know I am late to this discussion, but I too, tend to handle things very well (at the time) and then fall apart later. I always have, but then again, I have had PTSD for probably 45 years, just not diagnosed till 15-16 yrs ago.....

I think instead of focusing on how we fall apart, we should probably applaud how we got through the event or crisis or whatever it was that caused us to fall apart later.....