setbacks

Hi

I have had anxiety and panic attacks for around a year now. I purchased the Linden Method and found it excellent and since using it I had a point where the anxiety fell enormously and the panic attacks stopped. I still experience the first fear but not the second.

I had a tilt test at the local hospital two months ago and since then it has all come back with avengence. The anxiety at times is overwhelming and the panic attacks are nowhere near as bad as the first episodes but occaisionally shock me with them appearing out of nowhere for no apparent reason.

Because of this my agoraphobia has come back again. I still attempt to go out but after trying to go to the shopping centre for an hour I come back home and suffer with acute anxiety for the rest of the day. I feel exhausted and at times so ill I feel I could die. The Cardiologist who did the tilt test felt I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome along with the anxiety. My other problem which bothers me and causes much distress is hyperventilation and breathing pattern disorders.

So my question is can any of you identify with the absolute exhaustion and hyperventilation. Is this associated with acute anxiety? Also how many of you have had setbacks and other than being positive that you will improve, what other coping strategies can you advise

Your help would be appreciated as I am unsure what of my symptoms are pure anxiety or what are ME/CFS.
Thanks for anyhelp
Ron

Gosh- Ive just read your post.

i am nor expert and have also been having anxious/ddepressive thoughts for a long time. i do think that anxiety prevents sleep, sleep deprivation causes anxiety and breathing difficulties, and in turn all the worry compounded with the lack of sleep accumulates and we cannot escape exhaustion. i am also of the opinion9 from my own experience, that this then leads to desperation and depression. This is heighted with the want to escape and then thus more depression. Its really difficult to challenge once you are there.

Last night I was feeling okay about stuff, thought Id get some sleep, didnt feel like I neede anything to help calm me. The next thing I knew I was lying in bed and could feel my ribs ache and my heart beat getting faster and faster. Eventually it calmed down, but then Id find I needed to go to the lou ( each time I got back into bed, the same thing happened) I remeber looking at the clock and it read 430am , ( I think thats when I finally managed to get some rest), Ive been told how to do breathing and relaxation techniques, but I cant seem to sto pthese fast heart beats. Its not like I hyperventilate or even show I am in any kind of distress- I just cant seem to stop these. Ive even tried lying in bed listening to relaxation cds ( which were given to me by my cpn) but the same thing happens. It makes me scared.

The linden method- who has tried it- and is there any hope for me and Ronski and others. I feel this has gone on too long and I feel Ive just about tried everything. I cant drink anymore either as that heightened everything/

Ronski- I hope you get better. Breathing techniques do help, but we are all different what helps one person may not help another. I think it is the underlyingissues that need to be tackled before anxiety can be fought through-would anyone else agree?

Hi Kathyryn

Thankyou so much on replying to this thread. I totally identify with how anxiety can make you feel and its many changing faces. I have since found out that a major part of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME is the anxiety condition that is made worse by the imbalance of the Central Nervous System. So it appears that while the CFS is around I have no real chance of getting the anxiety under control.

I had noticed that when my energy levels were up the anxiety and hyperventilation deminished, and when the energy levels were low they came back with avengence. I have now been referred to a specialist ME/CFS centre at my local hospital. I have the appointment in early Dec and on their referral form were questions related to anxiety symptoms and feelings of dread. So it appears they are all part and parcel of ME/CFS which sudden stress can intensify enormously, so the issues with the tilt test.

If you get the Lineden Method, you have to use it until the anxiety's completely gone, otherwise, it will flare up again.

Hi Ronski, Ive not been on this forum in a while, had a few challenges to contend with and having other problems now.

My mum goes into hospital for a procedure next week, sister had an op , I have a painful foot, 2 relatives died around christmas- so its not bee that easy to get to grips with things. I drank like a fish fro a while and then someone at work complained, I got called up for it, had to attend a disciplinary interview and have been given my final warning. They have threatened me with loosing my job if I do not seek out adequate help, ( I dont think thats fair) as I can do my jpob well with or without a hangover.

Last night wasnt drinking, and heart started to pound and couldnt get a grip, so rested today, but I agree with you if you are more energetic , it is easier to comtrol, so is this just anxiety? When I go to bed I cant sleep, if I do sleep I wake early and then cant get to sleep until I am supposed to be getting up. Quite ridiculous.

I went back to my doctor and he was gave me more medication ( The pills help) but I was scared about taking them and going to work on them so lost the flow a little and I guess is why I started to drink like a pure fish again , and its like I have to drink an entire bottle of wine, as I just have to . Then there is that controlling thing you know when someone says you must not do this....I just think welll who are you to tell me how to live my life and so on ( really is a case of cutting your nose of to spite your face attitude) Its thae attitude thats a poor working mans law, like wwe have no money anyway so spend what youve got and so on. Oh anyway, . I luckily only have 3 more shifts at worlk and then I am off for 2 weeks t o help my mum outso thats that then . Hope you are okay ronski and let us know how the tests went ( If you want to)

Hi Ronski,

Anxiety and things like your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and breathing pattern disorder often come along together.
I had / have setbacks sometimes aswell. They are not as bad as I realize when they are coming and I know that I can react, i.e. I have the confidence that I can deal with them. If the Linden Method helped you, gives you the confidence to deal with them, I recommend you go back to it. This will certainly help you in the present and near future. The more often you find you can beat the anxiety (even if it is for now only the second wave), the more confident you get. The more confident you get, the even better you can deal with the panic attacks... you are on an escalator upwards.
However, I found that unless you know where the anxiety and the lack of confidence comes from, you never get all the way to the top. And heck I was wrong with what I thought it was. It took me a year of weekly sessions with the psychologist to get to the bottom of it, but finally I am better than ever. Don't get me wrong, I am not a always happy, constantly grinning freak, but I am just an average person. I had a very bad time recently, probably the worst of my live, and, not surprisingly, the anxiety crept up on me again. This time, however, I could deal better with it and got out of it again without needing medication or a psychiatrist.

Setbacks are normal, don't give up because of them! You found a tool that works for you (Linden Method), work it.
You shouls speak to a doctor to address all the anxiety, breathing and fatigue problems together. Also ask if you could get sessions with a psychologist on your health insurance / health service.

All the best!
Bonita