So tonight I was washing the dishes and I felt a slight panic come over me. It started with my heart rate increasing and the feeling that I could not breathe very well. I continued to wash the dishes knowing full well that I was in the first stages of a minor panic attack. I allowed it to continue and kept washing the dishes. At this point I am not feeling good, but I kept on and began my breathing excercise. Slowly breathing through my nose and out my mouth, repeat. I told myself that today was a hard Monday, I am tired and stressed, there is
Archives for June 2008
What is PTSD?
PTSD is an acronym for Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder. If you are reading this post then you probably already know this, but clarification is always good. The name of this mental condition pretty much says it all - it is acute stress after something terrible has occurred and causes the sufferer to relive or maladjust to the terrible event. In other words, something really jacked up happened and you can't get over it. But it's more than that, it causes symptoms that range from frightening thoughts and nightmares to feeling emotionally numb
Headbanger: Anxiety and Headaches
One of the the symptoms that you are bound to develop if you have an anxiety disorder are headaches. The headaches themselves are as varied as all the other symptoms. In other words, you can have different types of headaches of varying severity and frequency. The most common is called a tension headache. This kind of headache typically makes you feel like you have a metal band around your head. The pain is mild to moderate and it bugs you because it feels like something is touching your head from the outside. These can occur frequently and
The Anxiety Guru Show: Public Limits
Social Anxiety Disorder: Show Notes 1. Social anxiety disorder is characterized by anxiety and uneasiness when in public places. a. Some people become afraid in different situations, such as when eating, public speaking - others are anxious when in any public setting. b. This is hard to deal with especially because people are very social creatures. 2. Symptoms that may arise: a. A fear of being watched by others or judged. b. Fear of public embarrassment. c. Sweating, trembling, nausea, lump in the throat, weak legs,
Public Limits: Social Anxiety Disorder
Being that I have general anxiety disorder (GAD) my symptoms and sensations are like a buffet of anxiety. A little social phobia, a dash of panic disorder and sometimes I dabble in OCD but only lightly. Some people however struggle with social anxiety disorder and it cripples them, well socially. This of course can be horrible because as you all know our species is especially social. Whether people admit it or not, people need other people. Sometime in eons past our ancestors decided that the best way to survive a sometimes hostile and
Vets Sue VA Over Mental Health Care
A few days I ago I wrote a post touting the efforts of the Department of Defense for trying to bolster their efforts aimed at raising PTSD awareness among servicemen. A few days after reading that story I came across another story aired by the NPR show All Things Considered that basically took all the air out of that feel good balloon. According to the report, which was aired March 3, 2008, a group representing the vets called the Disability Rights Advocates is suing The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) over the poor quality and outright
Design Angst
As of today the design of this blog is still ongoing and I have to admit that it is causing me anxiety and frustration. You see if you want a pretty custom design you have to spend something like three to five thousand dollars. Now clearly I am not going shell out that kind of dough because I simply don't have it. I have however pumped a significant amount of money into the blog design already and I feel like I am only about 50% of where i want to be. I feel like I would of saved myself time and nervous sensations if I wasn't so frugal. Despite
Is OCD Funny?
Do you think that OCD is funny? Well as many of you know there is a television program called Monk and they think it's hilarious. When I say they I don't just mean the producers, but people all over the country. The show is funny, but I wonder what OCD sufferers really think? According to an article on healthplace.com the executive director of the Obsessive-Complusive Foundation (she has OCD) thinks the show is a riot. If you have OCD do you think that the show is funny? Should mental illness be made fun of? My short answer is yea. Don't
Anxiety Food: Fish Oil
The belly rules the mind. ~Spanish Proverb Of all the things you can do to help cope with your anxiety, the most simple would be to add anti-anxiety foods to your diet. I will be posting and podcasting about various types of foods and supplements that can help you cope with your anxiety. However, today I want to focus on fish oil. Fish oil is derived from oily fish like salmon, mackerel, lake trout, flounder and albacore tuna (eat lightly). The food that salmon and similar fish eat produces omega-3 fatty acids that you can consume by munching