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Need General Opinions on what to do
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31-10-2016
06:21 PM
Hello everyone, just want some opinions on what I'm going through atm with other people that are suffering from depression/anxiety etc.
Early in January i broke up with my very first proper relationship with a girl only after 4 months (sad, i know). I was upset and going through the usual from a brake up but i did the stupid thing and got into another relationship pretty fast. A few nights in, I got a panic attack and was driven to hospital. We stayed together for a little while longer and we did have some amazing times. But unfortunately she suffered from mental illness which caused us to break up.
I went through some pretty emotional weeks but managed to go to work, and enjoy the things i liked. Every since then i haven't felt quite right having constant headaches and a upset tummy which I believe has affected my IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome). Recently is when the fun has began, I've taken a few weeks off work which they are now basically threatening to fire me but i haven't found any solid way of controlling what I'm going through. I've gone to many doctors and I now have to wait a month for a psychiatrist. I'm also currently seeing a acupuncturist.
This is what im going through on a day to day basis:
- Constant headache, never ending, even stronger forte tablets don't really help
- Stomach cramps, tightness, pains, exhausted
- Extreme tiredness, lack of energy (sleeping for about 8-10 hrs a day though)
- Loss of appetite
- Fast and heavy Breathing
I'm 29 and I do go out quite a bit with my friends and gaming (board games) group. It's just getting harder to go as i feel so ill from my headache, tiredness and stomach. At work all this just gets magnified due to physical energy needed.
What i want to know is does this sound normal? What other steps can i take? Is there somewhere else i can go to find help?
or do i have to wait for my psychologist.
Early in January i broke up with my very first proper relationship with a girl only after 4 months (sad, i know). I was upset and going through the usual from a brake up but i did the stupid thing and got into another relationship pretty fast. A few nights in, I got a panic attack and was driven to hospital. We stayed together for a little while longer and we did have some amazing times. But unfortunately she suffered from mental illness which caused us to break up.
I went through some pretty emotional weeks but managed to go to work, and enjoy the things i liked. Every since then i haven't felt quite right having constant headaches and a upset tummy which I believe has affected my IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome). Recently is when the fun has began, I've taken a few weeks off work which they are now basically threatening to fire me but i haven't found any solid way of controlling what I'm going through. I've gone to many doctors and I now have to wait a month for a psychiatrist. I'm also currently seeing a acupuncturist.
This is what im going through on a day to day basis:
- Constant headache, never ending, even stronger forte tablets don't really help
- Stomach cramps, tightness, pains, exhausted
- Extreme tiredness, lack of energy (sleeping for about 8-10 hrs a day though)
- Loss of appetite
- Fast and heavy Breathing
I'm 29 and I do go out quite a bit with my friends and gaming (board games) group. It's just getting harder to go as i feel so ill from my headache, tiredness and stomach. At work all this just gets magnified due to physical energy needed.
What i want to know is does this sound normal? What other steps can i take? Is there somewhere else i can go to find help?
or do i have to wait for my psychologist.
3 Replies 3
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31-10-2016
09:06 PM
Hi and welcome
You won't get a diagnosis here. We are people with mental issues ourselves. Even if we had some of the symptoms you list that doesn't mean you'd have the same cause.
You should wait for the psych appointment. In the meantime attend a GP, a few GPs if you like for a variety of opinions.
Tony WK
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31-10-2016
11:10 PM
Hi Barnzey and welcome to the forums. As white knight we are unable to diagnose youas we are not health care professionals however by you leaving a post sounds like you may already have a strong idea what is going on. We can't diagnose as everyone has different signs and symptoms to depression/anxiety/other disorders. I want to encourage you to see to go to a GP and maybe get a referal to the psych. I know I had very similar symptoms to you and it was taking over my life. I am so glad I reached out and got help. My symptoms have gone down hugely and I can now function. I want to let you know it will be ok and you have our support here on the BB forums
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07-11-2016
03:49 PM
Hi Barnzey87,
Even though I am a health professional, without a full history, examination and maybe even a few tests, I can’t be sure whats going on but I am thinking that given you have seen a few GPs and the outcome is a referral to a mental health professional, they might think that your problems stem from there.
If we just suppose for the moment that there is no other medical complaint that explains things (like overactive thyroid or whatever) then it is also very possible that your anxiety is causing these symptoms. Let me explain how …
There is a primitive part of your brain (your amygdala) that sits on top of your spinal cord deep that controls some of our reflexes, both emotional and physical. One of these is the “fight , flight or freeze” reflex that we developed as a response to perception of danger.
This was a very handy evolutionary response when we were cave men as it allowed us to very quickly respond to predators and not get eaten!! So when we feel threatened our bodies prepare us to run or fight , they do this by shutting down blood supply to areas considered "non essential" for fighting / running ( such as the digestive system, or higher thinking areas of our brains) and diverting blood to areas such as our big muscles.
It does this via increasing our heart rate and breathing rate, getting oxygenated air into those big muscles fast ( so they don’t cramp while we are running!) .
Knowing this .. it might explain some of your symptoms . So if your body felt it was constantly running from danger, it would make sense that you feel tired, that your gut is not functioning well (blood being diverted away from it) , that you are breathing fast (to get air to big muscles), that you have a headache , which might be due to lack of blood supply or clenching of jaw muscles or maybe even high blood pressure if TOO much blood being pumped up …
What I’m saying is that your physiology is out of whack due to your anxiety/panic disorder and I think it may be causing physical symptoms which in turn make you more worried.
Its great you are seeing a therapist to sort this out . In the meantime,I strongly suggest
1. Regular exercise - minimum 1/2 hour three times / week
2. Eating healthy
3. Regular sleep/ wake cycles
4. Download a meditation/relaxation App and do it every day - Headspace or Smiling mind. There is also one called Calm Down which is specifically for panic disorder which might be helpful.
5. Read up on Beyond Blue or https://www.arcvic.org.au/ about anxiety / panic disorder as it might help you to develop some understanding about whats happening to you.
Good luck and know that many people go through what you do . It is a treatable problem , but needs a lot of work . It looks like you have started the journey.
Even though I am a health professional, without a full history, examination and maybe even a few tests, I can’t be sure whats going on but I am thinking that given you have seen a few GPs and the outcome is a referral to a mental health professional, they might think that your problems stem from there.
If we just suppose for the moment that there is no other medical complaint that explains things (like overactive thyroid or whatever) then it is also very possible that your anxiety is causing these symptoms. Let me explain how …
There is a primitive part of your brain (your amygdala) that sits on top of your spinal cord deep that controls some of our reflexes, both emotional and physical. One of these is the “fight , flight or freeze” reflex that we developed as a response to perception of danger.
This was a very handy evolutionary response when we were cave men as it allowed us to very quickly respond to predators and not get eaten!! So when we feel threatened our bodies prepare us to run or fight , they do this by shutting down blood supply to areas considered "non essential" for fighting / running ( such as the digestive system, or higher thinking areas of our brains) and diverting blood to areas such as our big muscles.
It does this via increasing our heart rate and breathing rate, getting oxygenated air into those big muscles fast ( so they don’t cramp while we are running!) .
Knowing this .. it might explain some of your symptoms . So if your body felt it was constantly running from danger, it would make sense that you feel tired, that your gut is not functioning well (blood being diverted away from it) , that you are breathing fast (to get air to big muscles), that you have a headache , which might be due to lack of blood supply or clenching of jaw muscles or maybe even high blood pressure if TOO much blood being pumped up …
What I’m saying is that your physiology is out of whack due to your anxiety/panic disorder and I think it may be causing physical symptoms which in turn make you more worried.
Its great you are seeing a therapist to sort this out . In the meantime,I strongly suggest
1. Regular exercise - minimum 1/2 hour three times / week
2. Eating healthy
3. Regular sleep/ wake cycles
4. Download a meditation/relaxation App and do it every day - Headspace or Smiling mind. There is also one called Calm Down which is specifically for panic disorder which might be helpful.
5. Read up on Beyond Blue or https://www.arcvic.org.au/ about anxiety / panic disorder as it might help you to develop some understanding about whats happening to you.
Good luck and know that many people go through what you do . It is a treatable problem , but needs a lot of work . It looks like you have started the journey.
