anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

[Spent2much]

Been to the doctors in a terrible state , I have been getting visual disturbance every 16 weeks this past two years and feeling really down most days.

My doctor has prescribed blood pressure tablets for the migraines and an anti-depressant for my anxiety , I am unable to work as the panic attacks are so bad also my fear of having a migraine and not being able to see properly has added to my anxiety , unfortunately I have a phobia to any form of medication as I had an adverse reaction to diazepam in 1996 it put me off for life , my doctor is aware of my phobia and isn't pushing me to start the medication its my choice , I am petrified if I am honest about taking the medication , I am also starting counselling in the new year.

What can I say I am a total mess I cry all the time and today I had a migraine aura which caused me to have a panic attack and severe anxiety

[Enforcer]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

I Really feel for you. Hope things improve.XXX

[Spent2much]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

I hope my diet is so restricted to prevent migraine which isn't being prevented really .

I eat flour rice pasta chicken pork goats milk cabbage carrots leek potato eggs bananas mandarin oranges apple and kit kat . That's it that's all I ever eat all the time .

[PriorityOne]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

So sorry to read this; both migraines and panic attacks are horrible.... You said that you've had this for the past two years.... can you remember what was happening in your life around the time it all started?

[Spent2much]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

So sorry to read this; both migraines and panic attacks are horrible.... You said that you've had this for the past two years.... can you remember what was happening in your life around the time it all started?

thank you , yes I have always had the migraines since being 22 , but I have had an increase these past two years and I can put it down to both parents being ill , my dad has parkinsons and mum is a cancer survivor but has other health issues too , the business took a drop , other family issues , might sound silly but the death of my cat this August and last Tuesday my father in law died suddenly , phew !

[PriorityOne]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

thank you , yes I have always had the migraines since being 22 , but I have had an increase these past two years and I can put it down to both parents being ill , my dad has parkinsons and mum is a cancer survivor but has other health issues too , the business took a drop , other family issues , might sound silly but the death of my cat this August and last Tuesday my father in law died suddenly , phew !

That's an awful lot to have to deal with Hun and no, the death of your cat is not a silly reason to feel upset. I am a cat lover myself and have four of the little beauties....

The migraines may well be a separate issue for you but stress can make anything worse and you seem to have had an awful lot of it to deal with over a fairly short timespan. I'm not surprised that you have felt anxious and depressed trying to cope with so much...Talking about it will help but it will take time to heal and come to terms with a lot of things and you must try and allow yourself time to do that.

Medication helps to keep you on an even keel, so to speak but is not a cure (as such).... but a good counsellor will help you come to terms with traumas in your life. Sometimes the two work well together but if you are reluctant to try medication, see how you get on without it. There may be other effective alternatives to the one that's been suggested so far, if you need to discuss it again with your GP.

:-)

[Spent2much]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

That's an awful lot to have to deal with Hun and no, the death of your cat is not a silly reason to feel upset. I am a cat lover myself and have four of the little beauties....

The migraines may well be a separate issue for you but stress can make anything worse and you seem to have had an awful lot of it to deal with over a fairly short timespan. I'm not surprised that you have felt anxious and depressed trying to cope with so much...Talking about it will help but it will take time to heal and come to terms with a lot of things and you must try and allow yourself time to do that.

Medication helps to keep you on an even keel, so to speak but is not a cure (as such).... but a good counsellor will help you come to terms with traumas in your life. Sometimes the two work well together but if you are reluctant to try medication, see how you get on without it. There may be other effective alternatives to the one that's been suggested so far, if you need to discuss it again with your GP.

:-)

thank you for the first time in months I slept the whole night 7 hours maybe because I have finally got help

[patchouli]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

Morning! S2M do you do anything else apart from worry about business, work and supporting your family? Do you do anything for YOU.... like swimming, tennis, AmDram, anything that gets you away from being the person everyone expects you to be and spend energy in a different direction?
Nothing with any responsibilities so no volunteer work or team work as again there would be pressure to attend.. but something you can go and do, like swimming, that expels all the energy, gives your brain a chance to think thoughts and let them float off and for your body to be free of the gravity of life.
I have a child with bad anxiety issues so really feel for you... it's a horrid place to be ((( hug )))

[Spent2much]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

Morning! S2M do you do anything else apart from worry about business, work and supporting your family? Do you do anything for YOU.... like swimming, tennis, AmDram, anything that gets you away from being the person everyone expects you to be and spend energy in a different direction?
Nothing with any responsibilities so no volunteer work or team work as again there would be pressure to attend.. but something you can go and do, like swimming, that expels all the energy, gives your brain a chance to think thoughts and let them float off and for your body to be free of the gravity of life.
I have a child with bad anxiety issues so really feel for you... it's a horrid place to be ((( hug )))

morning , I have started to go to card making class on a Friday evening , and I also joined a worship band which I go to on a wedenesday which I really enjoy ,my husband had to force me out the door though to both but now I have been a few weeks I am really enjoying it

[SA Gold]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

Hi S2M,

Sorry to read you aren't feeling well at the moment. Sometimes life can be so harsh in the things we are dealt with and have no say in, warning, or indeed seem fair if there was such a system.

Exercise is supposed to be a great stress-reliever. Even a fast walk for 30 minutes a day may help you feel better in yourself.
I say supposed because i exercise a fair bit (although not as much as i would like to due to time) although still feel stressed out at times and have also had one panic attack so i feel your pain. Personally, i try to make list of things i think are causing me grief and then how i can resolve them.

Wishing you well soon.

Best
SA Gold

[patchouli]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

That sounds like a start! I know that my son is worse if his mind is allowed to ponder on things while is body is idle.. it sets off his anxiety which manifests itself in him as total motor shut down followed by a huge panic attack of crying, not breathing, gasping.. it's horrid and painful to watch for other people (like his school teachers) but I have come to recognise I can 'snap' him out of it.. for example if I gasp suddenly and look to the ceiling he will stop his attack and look up and say what??? Which gives me a chance to hold him close and whisper to him about what we need to do next... whispering means he needs to keep quiet you see to hear me.

Now you can't do that to yourself BUT what I am trying, rather ineloquently, to say here is these attacks are a big trick on your by an overactive 'worry brain'... keep the body busy so the mind has to concentrate on what's going on and not get stuck into the 'worry brain' that then allows the body to have these attacks.. NOT easy in a classroom setting or if you are at work I know.. but as with my Son, you may recognise the first butterfly flutters of anxiety creeping up, use this warning as a reason to go and turn the radio up and dance like a loony.. or leave the office and jog around the car park while trying to remember everyones name from great grandparents down...

But having things you do during the week like swimming or card making or a band is brilliant.. a chance for all that energy to be spent and hopefully keep that pesky worry brain away... he's not welcome after all!

[Spent2much]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

That sounds like a start! I know that my son is worse if his mind is allowed to ponder on things while is body is idle.. it sets off his anxiety which manifests itself in him as total motor shut down followed by a huge panic attack of crying, not breathing, gasping.. it's horrid and painful to watch for other people (like his school teachers) but I have come to recognise I can 'snap' him out of it.. for example if I gasp suddenly and look to the ceiling he will stop his attack and look up and say what??? Which gives me a chance to hold him close and whisper to him about what we need to do next... whispering means he needs to keep quiet you see to hear me.

Now you can't do that to yourself BUT what I am trying, rather ineloquently, to say here is these attacks are a big trick on your by an overactive 'worry brain'... keep the body busy so the mind has to concentrate on what's going on and not get stuck into the 'worry brain' that then allows the body to have these attacks.. NOT easy in a classroom setting or if you are at work I know.. but as with my Son, you may recognise the first butterfly flutters of anxiety creeping up, use this warning as a reason to go and turn the radio up and dance like a loony.. or leave the office and jog around the car park while trying to remember everyones name from great grandparents down...

But having things you do during the week like swimming or card making or a band is brilliant.. a chance for all that energy to be spent and hopefully keep that pesky worry brain away... he's not welcome after all!

Its exactly like that i have had this since being 5 years old, the doctor i saw yesterday was a new lady doctor and she said i have been englected over the years and should certainly have had counselling more often , i was on medication until i was 18 then a doctor suddenly stopped it and i have been up and down since then

[PriorityOne]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

Its exactly like that i have had this since being 5 years old, the doctor i saw yesterday was a new lady doctor and she said i have been englected over the years and should certainly have had counselling more often , i was on medication until i was 18 then a doctor suddenly stopped it and i have been up and down since then

It goes back further than two years then.... that's something to think about Hun.

Many of our anxieties/behaviours can be traced back to some kind of trauma but when you've had them since childhood, it's more difficult to connect with those memories and this is sometimes because the brain blocks them off as a coping strategy. If you have the right kind of counsellor (there are different types), they will be able to unlock these and encourage you to move forward.

Counselling in itself does not give you solutions though; counsellors are not supposed to offer them to you, is what I mean. What it does is to encourage you to talk and by doing so, counsellors will draw things out of you to get a fuller picture of what's going on.... so you can discover your own solutions along the way. If you have deeper issues, your GP may decide to refer you to a therapist instead, who will do more intensive work with you to try and get to the bottom of things.... This can take a long time and can often be painful for people, so please don't try and rush things if this is the case. :-)

I'm glad that you had a good night's sleep last night. Sometimes it's a relief just to know that you're not alone with your troubles. :-)

[Pixie]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

Sending you

You've had a lot to deal with over the last couple of years so I'm not surprised that you're suffering with migraine and anxiety attacks. I've suffered with both so I understand.

It's good that you're looking for other ways to alleviate your symptoms than medication but don't dismiss the medication, it can help.

I've had hypnotherapy and counselling which has really helped. As others have said, doing something for YOU, keeping busy and exercise (I just walk the dog) are great ways of overcoming anxiety.

If you're restricting your diet yet still having the migraine attacks then maybe you're restricting it too much? Someone I know suffered terribly with migraines but got great relief by doing the paleo diet. Maybe it's worth considering?

You've also got the great support of members on here

[Trumpet]

Re: anxiety panic depression and migraine aura

For what it's worth (and I know each case is different) I used to suffer with horrendous, debilitating migraines until about a year ago. As part of a check up it was found that my blood pressure was unhealthily high.

I was prescribed some medication to bring it under control and have not had a single migraine since. Previously I was getting two or three a month. As if the visual disturbance and pain wasn't enough, mine were always accompanied by violent nausea. So much so that I couldn't take tablets after it had started because I couldn't keep them down.

Hopefully, you'll see some benefit like this too. You've been given some brilliant support and advice on here - I hope things improve for you very quickly.