PTSD + GAD + Panic Disorder

[MamaHopeful]

Hi.
I have been diagnosed with PTSD. But I'm having trouble getting to trauma treatment because my panic attacks, panic disorder and CONSTANT terror over the symptoms of PTSD are overwhelming.

I am convinced I am insane after the PTSD breakdown last March, even though I know I'm not. I am CONSTANTLY scanning my thoughts and brain for any sign of insanity. I cannot focus on anything.

My anxiety tells me to research anxiety so for hours I read about how to make all of the anxiety and panic attacks stop - but this only feeds the monster and then I'm left in tremendous shame.

i have my trauma. And THEN I have panic disorder and a HUGE phobia of all PTSD symptoms. Anytime one pops up I freak out. It's why I'm not sleeping right now. I'm too afraid of the intrusive memories and images and voices that creep in just as I am falling asleep.

Can anyone relate? Please. What helps????

 

[EveHarrington]

Are you taking any medication?

 

[MamaHopeful]

Are you taking any medication?

I am on 14mg of liquid paxil.

I have a huge phobia of medication. And I was also part of a forum for a looooong time all about the evils of medication. So, it's a bit hard for me to change my mind.

 

[grit]

I use my insanity in humor... It takes the edges off. I may even add to conversation like this is what I think and this is what my crazy cookoo side may think. I am in process of accepting to heal from ptsd is to heal from insanity... Short answer.

 

[EveHarrington]

Your system may be so overwhelmed that all the coping skills in the world may not be enough to get you to calm down so that you can move forward with healing.......and this is where medication comes in, as it can calm your system down and act as a reset. You may not even need medication for life.

The flip side is, as told to me by a doctor, that refusing medication when you really need it can just make things worse. You are reinforcing negative neural pathways in your brain so that panic and anxiety is actually more likely.

People who bad mouth medication in a universal sense do far more harm than good. It’s like anti vaxxers but nobody dies, your life just sucks.

 

[MamaHopeful]

I think my biggest fear with the medication is that my doctor said it could make my anxiety worse before it gets better. And I'm not sure I can handle "worse" terror. That's my biggest problem. I have one set of people saying the medication (Paxil) will calm down my CNS and another camp of people (on the anti-meds forums) who say it does the opposite. They say that SSRI approved for PTSD are actually just like cocaine. So, I'm super duper afraid.

 

[Wilbur1]

I refused daily meds and use hydroxizine for sleep w magnesium. I found getting good sleep was the key to keeping off regulat meds

 

[EveHarrington]

No, Paxil is not like cocaine. These idiots have never even tried cocaine. They have a personal agenda to fill and that’s why they are spreading such nastiness.

If you go out seeking anti med information?? You will find it.

Yes, some meds can give you side effects, but there are plenty of people out there like me who experience minimal side effects on plenty of drugs. I never had side effects that made my symptoms worse. I just get side effects like sleepiness and such.

If you don’t want Paxil, try something else. There are tons of meds out there. I’m on 4 meds for anxiety (well one is technically a mood stabilizer but it works on my anxiety) and none of my meds are antidepressants.

 

[Longtime ptsd]

There are a lot of different meds out there some of witch will not cause some of the fears you arever having.