6-12 month thread....

[[dr...]]

Absolutely great news mrs!

[[mr...]]

Absolutely great news mrs!

 

Yours too, drew!! When you mentioned spin class, I went over to the couch and layed down to take a nap. :

 

Moving forward!! Onward & upward

 

Mrs.

[[pe...]]

"WAVE!" but it's truly more like this, "wave..."

I know I can live through the discomfort and I'm grateful for that. I have a virus, I have my period, I have a three year old boy who does loud and rambunctious three year old boy things, and I have people coming to observe in my classroom today. Stress and a wave of yuck, like a gooey gray film covering my body and mind and the broken record of -"When will this end?" My dear husband assures me things will be 'better' in a week. Sounds good. Until then, it's more one foot in front of the other. I hope your days are fair.

 

Happy for your pretty great day, Mrs. Sounds very nice.

 

 

Peace2

[[pa...]]

When you mentioned spin class, I went over to the couch and layed down to take a nap.

 

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[[No...]]

Peace ... another "wave" ... all I can see is we/you got through the last one ... and we/you will get through this one ...

 

I got messy late last night ... didn't sleep much ... and this morning I have the full head pressure and boaty stuff again ... I am with you ... when will this end? ...

 

We will get through another one ...

 

 

[[Fr...]]

Just checking in.

 

Mrs. so good to see how you're improving.

Coop you too sound well on the path to total recovery.

 

I'm so happy for those of you feeling better!!!

 

Has anyone watched Laura Delano's video of hope?  It is inspiring and offers great wisdom.

 

http://recoveringfrompsychiatry.com/video/

 

Watch second one down.

 

As for me, I am still going from wave to window but the wave intensity has gone down.  For that I am grateful.

 

I know we will all heal.  It's just a matter of time and being patient and kind to ourselves.

 

Love to you all,

Lisa

[[Sk...]]

sky...do you have a low dose of beta blockers for a situation like this?  I hate mentioning meds but some times they are warranted for short term relief.  Healing thoughts. 

 

I want to know more about this. I have to go to a cardiologist ? Or is my doctor enough ? DO they have side effects ? I am very uninformed on the subject.

[[Sk...]]

With my friends suffering I'm hesitant to post when I feel good but it might be good for some others to hear good stuff to weigh against the mostly bad....It's 3pm and I have had an effortless mind and body day.  Oh..I had some pains but none of it even bothered me.  I was super productive at work today, enjoyed lunch with a friend(I never do lunches since they cause so much anxiety), and did some spin biking.  My friend who is my biggest supporter in this state said she could see a huge difference and liked me better this way.  I just got hit with a bit of fatigue and my brain pushed some anxiety this way but it doesn't matter.  I did a lot so i am tired.  I have been non stop since 6;30 this am and I didn't yawn once til now!  Happy....very happy

 

Always post when you are happy, the happy posts get us through the bad times !

[[Co...]]

Sky...your physician can usually prescribe the beta blocker. S/he will evaluate your palps.  Propranolol is often prescribed for stage nerves and other situational anxiety. The only thing with the short acting beta blockers is that when they leave the system you may ( or may not) experience some mild palps. I use a different bets blocker ...atenolol. It is longer acting.  I take a goer that is barely therapeutic 6 mg ( the usual dose begins at 25 mg but I asked tor a trial of low low dose and it helps my palps). You can easily taper off of it when your palps are better for a period of time.  I have no side effects from my bets blocker ...they can make you slightly dizzy or slightly sedated but on a very low dose it is unlikely. They really helped me control the fear loop of palps/anxiety/anxiety / palps. In the 4th month of w/d I was crazed with worry and anxiety because of palps...they went away but in month 11 I got another milder bout of them and went back on 6 mg of atenolol. There is a support group on this board for heart palps...lots of good support there...Sky,  I was actually very reassured after seeing my doctor and having some painless non- invasive tests ( ekg ..blood work...) ....even though my palps were strong ( very light now) and constant ...ALL MY TESTS WERE NORMAL ...just knowing that I did not ever have a heart attack and my heart and vessels were all healthy. Just reducing the worry over it helped my palps calm enough to break out of the anxiety loop. ...Aside from head pressure I font think I had a more miserable s/x than heart palps. They are really so much better now....thinking of you....coop

[[dr...]]

Sky...in month 4 I got hit with trachycardia out of nowhere.  It scares the heck out of me.  I never had that symptom before and it was keeping me awake too.  My dr gave me 10mg propronal to take as needed.  I took it twice a day for two days and then maybe two more pills since then. I had no adverse effects and no rebound.  It was a huge help in breaking the cycle of worrying about my racing heart

[[mr...]]

Sky, you've already had about as much information on the subject of beta blockers as there is to give, from other users!

 

I do have a prescription of 10mg propranolol to use "as needed".  I've 1/4th'd the tablet, so that I have 2.5mg to use as my smallest dose, if I want.  Here is some information on wiki about beta blockers:

 

Beta blockers are a class of drugs that target the beta receptor. Beta receptors are found on cells of the heart muscles, smooth muscles, airways, arteries, kidneys, and other tissues that are part of the sympathetic nervous system and lead to stress responses, especially when they are stimulated by epinephrine (adrenaline). Beta blockers interfere with the binding to the receptor of epinephrine and other stress hormones, and weaken the effects of stress hormones.  Beta blockers block the action of endogenous catecholamines epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) in particular, on β-adrenergic receptors, part of the sympathetic nervous system, which mediates the fight-or-flight response.

 

The bolded areas are what I personally think are the reasons why they've been so helpful to me in my withdrawal!  But I'm no expert, of course   I use them on occasion, and not daily.  Usually, I'll take them when doing something "out of the ordinary" -- like traveling, etc.  For me, they settle down heartrate, keep a steady blood pressure, lower (or remove) tremors and/or vibrations and/or the 'shakes', etc...i.e. a lot of the physical aspects of "anxiety".  That's what they do for me. 

 

My cardiologist talked to me about beta blockers, but my psychiatrist actually prescribes them.  As a note, I think he only has access to prescribe propranolol in low doses, because it is used "off-label" for anxiety.  I don't think he can prescribe other beta blockers, nor propranolol in higher doses.  But I know my regular physician can -- my cardiologist told me to follow up with him if I felt the need to go on one regularly. 

 

Hope that helps you a bit!  You're doing great, IMO -- this stuff ain't easy to navigate

 

Take care buddy,

 

Mrs.

 

 

[[Lo...]]

With my friends suffering I'm hesitant to post when I feel good but it might be good for some others to hear good stuff to weigh against the mostly bad....It's 3pm and I have had an effortless mind and body day.  Oh..I had some pains but none of it even bothered me.  I was super productive at work today, enjoyed lunch with a friend(I never do lunches since they cause so much anxiety), and did some spin biking.  My friend who is my biggest supporter in this state said she could see a huge difference and liked me better this way.  I just got hit with a bit of fatigue and my brain pushed some anxiety this way but it doesn't matter.  I did a lot so i am tired.  I have been non stop since 6;30 this am and I didn't yawn once til now!  Happy....very happy

 

Always post when you are happy, the happy posts get us through the bad times !

 

this really made my day!!!! Go Drew!

[[Sk...]]

Thanks to everybody  for the suggestions and explanations.

 

Mrs, thanks for always  challenging my intelligence deprived brain ! But, really thanks, I mean it. 

[[Lo...]]

Hi BB's I pray all is well. well between the flu like symptoms in my legs really feeling like jello I'm feeling very discouraged. some of my toes are even numb.

 

I really don't like this feeling at all I know its wave and plus this virus is making it worse.

 

Pray for me...trying to push forward knowing deep inside this is temporary but it just doesnt feel right :-(

[[No...]]

Lisa ... thank you for the link ... Laura makes some wonderful observations ... and her tips are useful ...

 

Hope you had a good day ...

[[pe...]]

I need my buddies. I need someone(s) who gets this. I am better than I was, it's not as thick but it's all here in some paler shade and I'm tired. I want effortless. I want the feelings of stress, irritability and dread to roll out. I want joy and expansiveness. I want an effortless mind. I want to smile at my son with every ounce of good feeling. I want to be well enough that he can rely on me again. I lost my good bud and I miss him. I don't want to be on the outside looking in anymore. That's a long wish list.

 

Anybody? It gets better?

 

Still holding on-

Peace2

[[mr...]]

I need my buddies. I need someone(s) who gets this.  I am better than I was, it's not as thick but it's all here in some paler shade and I'm tired. I want effortless. I want the feelings of stress, irritability and dread to roll out. I want joy and expansiveness. I want an effortless mind. I want to smile at my son with every ounce of good feeling. I want to be well enough that he can rely on me again. I lost my good bud and I miss him. I don't want to be on the outside looking in anymore. That's a long wish list.

 

Anybody? It gets better?

 

Still holding on-

Peace2

 

Peace,

 

You are SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE, buddy.  What you typed is almost EXACTLY how I've been feeling.  We must be at very similar points in healing

 

I just wanted you to know that you are not alone, and I totally relate to what you just said.  Like, TOTALLY relate.

 

Hanging with ya buddy.  Hang with me, too?

 

Take care,

 

Mrs.

[[mr...]]

I need my buddies. I need someone(s) who gets this.  I am better than I was, it's not as thick but it's all here in some paler shade and I'm tired. I want effortless. I want the feelings of stress, irritability and dread to roll out. I want joy and expansiveness. I want an effortless mind. I want to smile at my son with every ounce of good feeling. I want to be well enough that he can rely on me again. I lost my good bud and I miss him. I don't want to be on the outside looking in anymore. That's a long wish list.

 

Anybody? It gets better?

 

Still holding on-

Peace2

 

Peace,

 

You are SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE, buddy.  What you typed is almost EXACTLY how I've been feeling.  We must be at very similar points in healing

 

I just wanted you to know that you are not alone, and I totally relate to what you just said.  Like, TOTALLY relate.

 

Hanging with ya buddy.  Hang with me, too?

 

Take care,

 

Mrs.

 

Oh, and I've had a fairly "effortless" mind today   And it's definitely getting better every day   That means it gets better permanently too, yes?  I'm believing: True.

 

Mrs.

[[No...]]

Mrs ... good to hear your "effortless mind" is around for you ...

 

I am here, just after midnight ... had a four nap after supper and am now up for a while ... seems my long pre-one year wave has morphed into short, intense cycles of about 3 or 4 hours lately ... in between pretty much okay, just lots of "feeling tired" lately ...

 

Be well ...

[[Co...]]

Peace...in months 10/11 I was in exactly the same space. I was functional w8th s/x which was better than s/x and not functional,  but still for the most part living only by enduring. 

....I am just a week into month 12...it is so so much better. I know one week is not a lot to go on, but for the most part I have had a week of 90-95% baseline with a lot of stretches of " effortless mind". ...I feel mostly s/x free with only random moments of anxiety or dread. My mornings are still a little wavy but only for a brief time. Peace, you have been on here with me from the beginning of month 6...you know how crazed and all over the map I have been...constantly. Straight through, month 4-11 has been some version and theme of acute. I knew I was the least likely to heal.....It is premature to think that a corner has been turned but this is the best I have been in 18 months. ( 6 months taper and one year off..not to mention the 2 years of tolerance). ...Peace...it really dowager better you are going to get better Mighty Girl...One of my worst waves was month 10-11.5 ..now the best I have been.  ..You are so close...you have come do far.You will be smiling at your little guy and feeling connected to yourself, your family and your life. ...I am so sorry that you are wavy wish I could send you and Green and Jenny and Sky and Michael and everyone some of my ' better '....You deserve a big sunny window...love to you dear friend....coop

[[pe...]]

Thank you, Coop and Mrs. Yes, Mrs. I am holding on with you. Through this day. I have nausea and cramps, a cough and head pressure, hot flashes. I feel mentally 'unstable'- like the legs on my stool are very wobbly. Unstable- but not as unstable as I once was. I feel wound up and like I might say or do some impulsive and terribly embarrassing thing. And I have a new audience to dance for on a new stage. Instead of my classroom, I'm getting on a "party bus" to ride an hour and a half to our rural campus for a day long  'staff retreat'. Then I have my children's conferences to attend followed by a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for their school. This one, this one feels over the top. But I'll do it because that's what I do. I must like a challenge. Fingers and toes crossed that I don't start shouting strange things or throw myself on the ground and start rolling around. Part of me doesn't care anymore and I'm trying not to listen to that part. I remember reading someone said - we all heal and it takes time. Just don't do anything self destructive during that time.

[[No...]]

Peace ... sounds like a very "large" day for you ... one "stage" at a time ... maybe you can find a couple of minutes between "stages" to let the "previous stage" go and move into the next one ... that great big "turkey" often tastes best in small, slow bites ...

 

You will have a good day ... I know you will ...

 

[[pa...]]

Could I take a quick poll of what everyone's current sleep schedule is?

 

It seems that most of us have broken sleep with early morning waking between 2-4 am.  Some folks tend to go to bed really early and get most of their sleep on the front side of the break, and other have problems getting to sleep and get most of their sleep on the other side of the break.  Is anyone sleeping all the way through without the early morning waking?

 

I spent about a week trying sleep restriction.  I know it wasn't enough, but I was becoming nonfunctional at work and had to abandon it.  It seems like these sleep issues persist long after the other symptoms resolve.

[[No...]]

PB ... for about 14 or 16 months I went with almost no sleep ... dozing here and there ... a couple of hours here and there ... then had 4 or 5 months of consistent sleep ... 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 hours at a stretch ... now I am back in a 2 - 3 - 4 hour cycle with maybe 2 or 3 intervals per night ...

 

Yes, I feel tired some times ... and occasionally exhausted ...

 

Never did try to "intervene" ... just accepted what was offered ... sometimes I retire early ... sometimes I am up later ... and I do not take any naps ... that is perhaps my only "intervention" ... napping often revs up my cycles ...

 

[[...]]

I need my buddies. I need someone(s) who gets this. I am better than I was, it's not as thick but it's all here in some paler shade and I'm tired. I want effortless. I want the feelings of stress, irritability and dread to roll out. I want joy and expansiveness. I want an effortless mind. I want to smile at my son with every ounce of good feeling. I want to be well enough that he can rely on me again. I lost my good bud and I miss him. I don't want to be on the outside looking in anymore. That's a long wish list.

 

Anybody? It gets better?

 

Still holding on-

Peace2

 

 

Peace, I totally understand, I'm sure we all do!  When I'm feeling bad now I realize it's not as bad as I used to be (thank goodness)...but it's still bad right now! It feels like it will go on forever (as we all know)!

 

I want effortless as well! I know to those around me I look "healed" so things look effortless, but they aren't.

 

We will get there! Slow and steadying! We are here for each other, and what a wonderful support system you each have been!

 

You're doing great Peace...healing is happening!

 

Thank you!