Terrible Anxiety

M.,

Your anxiety is taking over your thoughts and life. I know I've been there. Your thoughts are turning into obsessions, thus you probably have a problem that needs to be met by a physician. I suffer from Depression, ADD and Obssessive disorder. I was doing fine off of medication until I had my last child who is now 21 months old. It all started going down hill from there. This is a neurological disorder and behavioral that needs to be seen by a doctor. My thoughts of what if's were horrible. They started out simple and then just snowballed out of control. I'm back on medication (buproprion), and functioning just fine now. Every once in awhile I will get into a mode where it seems like forever to get out of...but its no where near as bad as it use to be. Don't let this take over your life, call your physician, make an appointment and go over your options of what can be done.

I think that part of being a parent is going through all the situations that could possibly happen and try to find an answer to them so that if they should happen you are prepared. My husband and I do the same thing, and we were never the worrying type until our first child was born. It even goes to the extent of deciding which room to put our children in just in case someone should break into the house, or a fire, or God knows what else. I think that what you are going through is a natural part of being a mother, and I would speculate that there is probably not a mother out there who hasn't done it to some extent or another. However, it seems as if you are worrying yourself into a frenzy, and speaking as someone with some experiene with this, I can tell you what works for me. I eventually had to find a way to cope with all my fears about something going wrong and this is how I did it: I take a deep breath, hold it in, remind myself that there is no way that God would take me away from my children and leave them to fend for themselves, and say out loud "I'm leaving it in God's hands." and while I exhale I let it go. I make myself feel as if I am pushing out all the fear and worry with the air as it leaves my body. I know it sounds corny, and I will tell you that I am not an extreamly religious person to begin with, but I can say that it feels better to me to know that I can put that fear and worry on someone else so that I don't have to be in control of it. If you have any faith at all you know that it doesn't matter what you do, God has his own plans for everyone. And it doesn't matter which religion you are a part of, if any at all, it just matters that you can let it go and put it on someone else who you feel has more control over it than you do. I know this is sounding kind of preachy, and I don't mean it to, it just works for me, and I think it might work for you. If you really feel like you need to talk to a doctor about it, do it, it can't hurt anything. Hope this helps you out.

M.-
You are not alone! I've had anxiety issues for several years now and not until the past two years have I known that it was a serious problem. I use to laugh when I'd hear about someone w/an anxiety issue and thought it was all in their head. Until it happened to me, I didn't get it.

I've been on a couple meds and they have been helping me so much. I highly recommend talking to your doctor about your thoughts and issues. He/she will help you find the right drug (if needed) or person to talk with to help you.

Believe me, you will be so thankful you got help once you start to feel better!

T.

I don't know if it is a normal mommy thing, but I do know about negative day dreaming. The way I got over it was just to start talking to my mind. "No, I'm not going there!" Just keep saying that to yourself. You just need to get control of your mind. It may take a while, but eventually it will pass.
My suggestion of a good person to talk to is Pete or Cheryl Brewer. They are in Papillion. There number is ###-###-####.
I conquered it years ago and so can you!
G.

M.,
it sounds to me like you realy need to see the doctor , been there . it's the hardest thing , when all you think about in what could happen . i understand that i've been there it's almost scarey all the things that goes thour your head . i think it is kinda normal for frist time moms to think of these things . but there is help out there please see the doctor they should be able to help you it might take a couple weeks to help you if they put you on meds . but keep with it . it will help . i found a med that realy helped me is lexapro . i had realy no side affects from it . and i felt so much better after it was in my system . i wish you all the luck and hope some how this might have helped you .. if you want to talk i'm here you can email me at ____@____.com in you just want to talk . good luck

Sorry to hear your having these problems. I Go through the same thing. I think the best thing you can do is talk to your doctor. These feelings of anxiety are scary and sometimes hard to deal with. THe doctor can give you medication to help. It also helps to talk to someone when you are having them.

Hi M.!
What Branden B. said is so true! Just give it to Jesus and let it go! I have been through this with every one of my girls, four in all. The only thing that ever truly helped was deliberately pushing those thoughts out of my head by remembering how loving our Father in Heaven is. NOTHING bad comes from God, only GOOD!!! So next time, stop yourself and remind yourself that God loves you and "..He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them close to His heart, and gently lead those who have young." (Isaiah 40:11)

I think to some degree it is normal to think of "What if's". I actually go through what you are talking about, ALL the time. I have talked to my doctor, and have not yet figured out how to settle myself. I try to think of only positives. I have invisioned trying to get all 5 of my kids out of a sinnking car also.The thought completely overwhelms me. I always think that I am just paranoid, but maybe there is some chemical reason for the way we think. I have been afraid to fall asleep at night also, with the fear of not waking up. What would my kids do without me... and so forth. My doctor was no help. She tried to give me antidepressants. I am not depressed. Stressed... and maybe that has something to do with it. I wish I could help you, but for now... I just know how you feel. Let me know if you learn anything. I haven't been so bad lately... but I have been praying a LOT. Take care.

to be honest i too have had some of those thoughts.
you are a very good mom for seeing you may want to talk to either other moms or a professional. i admire that!
i also see it as how deeply you love your child. the amount of love i felt for my kids after they were born was something that surprised and amazed me. and scared me! it's overwhelming to say the least.
to dwell on these fears however isn't probably the best thing.
too think of how to be prepared(like the car incident) is good in my eyes. do you have a will incase something did happen to your son? that might help some anxiety.
also i'm not sure where you are spiritually, but that may be something we can talk about over email if you'd like.
or about anything really..anytime
garytina at cox dot net
hope you feel better
T.

M.,

Hi well I read your story and thought WoW !!! there is other people out there like me. your story really sounds like mine the only thing different is that I lost my mother when i was 15 and my dad pasted away January 2007 I to do have anxiety problems and just talkin about it last night matter in fact I stated up till 2am in the morning and those thougths ran threw my head over and over and i just try and keep my self busy thinking what would my girls do i have a 4 and 6 year old and they are my world i try and do things with them that i never got to do with my mother and some times it works and some times I have my moments I have been married to the man of my dreams this July will be 3 years but we been togather for 7 I always thank god for putting him into my life cause I really think that his my back bone when i feel like falling his always there to pick me up and say "babe every thing is gong to be fine" and those words coming from him go a long ways when you dont have parents like me so I'am kinda glade am not the only one in this world whos not like that with those kinda thoughts and went threw the lose of our parents for minute there i was thinking am I the only person with no parents cause I would see all these peeps with there ma's or dads but now i know theres someone out there like me I was just afaired to ask or say any thing I didn't want people to think I was crazy !! LOL well i was nice writing to and hope to hear some thing soon laters. oh yeah buy the way am a 25 yrs old SAHM with two great girls and a handsome husband !

M.

Hi M., I am curious if you have gone to a doctor yet. I had the exact thing happen to me after I gave birth to my first child and through her 1st year of nursing. I spoke to the doctor and he said I could get on medication once I quit nursing my daughter, but once I quit the anxiety lightened up, until getting pregnant again. The doctor had told me the hormones do crazy things and it was totally normal, in fact, the doctors nurse was telling me she had a like experience. Now, pregnant with my 2nd child, I am having anxiety attacks again.
Good Luck!