Help Me Get Over This Please!!!

[krzymomof4]

Okay cheffers, I really need some help. My husband is wanting me to hang up my apron. I have been diagnosed with Moderate Panic/Anxiety Disorder and he has noticed that every time I try to reach a particular goal for a month or am going to a show with new contacts in a place I am unfamiliar with (different state, town, etc), my attacks are more frequent. For those of you with this disorder, how do I get over this "feeling". I know that these are some of my "triggers", but I am having trouble working through the trigger so that I don't have to give this up. I really do like doing this and it gets me out of my testosterone living for a few hours. Any advice would be helpful. I have an out of state show with someone who is going to be a great host, but I have already had 2 attacks today just trying to prep myself for tomorrow.
TIA
Leslie

 

[toneybug]

Is this soemthing you have talked with your Dr. about? I sometimes will have anxiety attacks and I have to talk myself through it. If that doesn't work she had prescribed me some meds to take when I feel it coming on. If you're like me you don't want to take meds but maybe can learn some techniques to calm you. Good Luck!

 

[krzymomof4]

I am currently on meds, they help, but I tend to let my business work me instead of me working my business.

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Do you have a friend that can go with you to these shows? Maybe having someone familiar with you can help.

Also, since you are aware of your triggers maybe your doctor can help give you suggestions on how to handle those situations. I think the fact that you know the triggers and still want to make this work is a really good sign.

 

[CAmomCookin4U]

my daughter has these and she needs to plan everything in advance. Then she seems to be ok.
Bringing a friend or teenage child as your (assistant) can also help.

 

[pcheframsey]

I have the same type of problem. I get so worked up about things before hand, worried about how the show is going to go, am I going to mess up, etc.

It's not just with shows either. I've gone through this all my life. I can remember being between 3-5 and not being able to decide if I wanted to go with my dad to the store to get milk or stay at home with my mom. I had a complete breakdown. I've been on meds for it, most recently Welbutrin (it did help), but I hate taking meds (I never remember) and I couldn't take them while I was pregnant (3 times in the last 4 years).

I guess to make a long story short, I pray. I pray that God will get me through whatever it is that has me worried. I have to push myself to do whatever it is, and when it's over with, I feel such relief. I survived! I made it through! Depending on what it was, just knowing I survived it once, whether it be a phone call for pizza (yes, that used to be one of my biggest triggers) or whatever, makes it easier the next time. Sometimes it doesn't. So I keep praying and pushing myself.

I don't know if you see a therapist besides your doctor that is prescribing the meds. If not, I really suggest it. It helps to talk about it. I hope whatever you try, you find something that works for you. I'll be praying for you!

 

[DebbieJ]

Are you seeing a therapist? That would help.

 

[SillyChef]

Oh Thank god I am not the only one out there. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and also have IBS which in turn makes my days LOVELY.
Like your daughter I have to plan, plan, plan. Almost to where it is a little OCD. My Dr. put me on Prozac and Dicyclomine and that actually helped a LOT. I didn't worry too much about the stuff that usually had me going bonkers. I know having SOMEONE go with me to a lot of things makes me feel SO much better. My sister has been "recruited" to be a "HAPPY HELPER" Thankfully my husband will basically walk me through whatever I need to do to "come back to reality" and understand that it isn't the END OF THE WORLD if stuff doesn't go as planned.

What medication are you taking right now? My friend is on Effexor and she says it has worked wonders on her. I hope you feel better soon!

 

[krzymomof4]

I am taking Celexa. It helps until I have a show. My mom is my therapist (lol) she also has panic disorder and she is alot better to the point where she no longer has to take daily meds, just the occasional nerve pill. Little things don't bother me as much anymore. My husband is supportive of my condition, he just wants me to avoid as many triggers as I can, and my business seems to be a big one. My doctor made me take 2 months off when I was first diagnosed and I was doing really well. Then I got back to reality and now things are about where they were, which explains why my hubby wants me to hang it up.

 

[chefkristin]

I am taking Celexa. It helps until I have a show. My mom is my therapist (lol) she also has panic disorder and she is alot better to the point where she no longer has to take daily meds, just the occasional nerve pill. Little things don't bother me as much anymore. My husband is supportive of my condition, he just wants me to avoid as many triggers as I can, and my business seems to be a big one. My doctor made me take 2 months off when I was first diagnosed and I was doing really well. Then I got back to reality and now things are about where they were, which explains why my hubby wants me to hang it up.

I take Celexa. It started out as "after baby depression" (I forget the name of it) Now it is more than that because my husband can't seem to keep a job to save his life.
Just remember that Pampered Chef is supposed to be fun not stressful. Instead of doing things the day before try getting ready a couple days before if you can. Baby steps! Just try to remember what a great company you are doing business for and it is FUN!!!! Every time you feel an attack coming on just stop what you are doing and sit down for a few minutes. Maybe if you try to catch it before it takes control it will help you. If you don't want to quit then don't. You just need to try a different approach. Good luck.

 

[PamperedChefDebi]

What medication are you taking right now? My friend is on Effexor and she says it has worked wonders on her. I hope you feel better soon!

I highly recommend AGAINST Effexor!!! I also have Gereralized Anxiety Disorder and Effexor was what I was put on. And it REALLY helped me! I never realized how bad I was until I started taking it. But then, the weight gain started. So now, 5 years AND 60 - 70 POUNDS LATER, I'm totally miserable. It was a consistent, slow gain. My new Doc told me that Effexor is KNOWN for causing weight gain and that as long as I am on it, I will likely continue to gain.

But that's only one of the bad points about it. Because Effexor works differently from any other antidepressant on the market (the way it affects your brain), it is VERY HARD to get off of. It causes what many call "brain shakes" and trust me, this is NOT fun! You have to go off of it VERY slowly and some side effects are pretty much inevitable. You simply can't think straight! Like your brain is stuttering. It's hard to understand unless you experience it. It also effected my equalibrium, or so it seemed to me. I was always holding on to things walking. And it took me at least a month to completely wean myself off.

I'm on Wellbutrin now and it's helping, though not as well. I, unfortunately, was just diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Effexor is commonly used to help treat that as well. Which explains why the Fibromyalgia symptoms kicked my butt once I was off the Effexor. But that's another story....

Of course, this is all just my experience and my opinion but I was never warned about the Effexor and I wish I had been.

 

[dollfangs]

Not to ask the obvious but have you taken this to God? If you give it over to him, you might be surprised at what happens.

 

[chefmary]

Wow, it is comforting to know you're not the only one! I have suffered from depression/anxiety for the past 6 years (diagnosed a month before I signed on with PC) and yes, it can really hamper your business. When the depression hits, I find that shows really help me get through the serious down days, but the anxiety really cripples the efforts to get on the phone. When the anxiety was really bad last year, my Dr. first suggested I find another line of work, but since I convinced him that was out of the question, he suggested looking into some therapy to help acquire some coping skills through local hospital programs.

You might also ask your doctor to prescribe a different medication. My doctor has me on Zoloft, since recent studies indicate that what triggers depression and anxiety comes from the same part of the brain.

Please let us know what course you take and how you're doing. You'll be in our thoughts and prayers.

Mary

 

[SusanBP0129]

Oh Thank god I am not the only one out there. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and also have IBS which in turn makes my days LOVELY.
Like your daughter I have to plan, plan, plan. Almost to where it is a little OCD. My Dr. put me on Prozac and Dicyclomine and that actually helped a LOT. I didn't worry too much about the stuff that usually had me going bonkers. I know having SOMEONE go with me to a lot of things makes me feel SO much better. My sister has been "recruited" to be a "HAPPY HELPER" Thankfully my husband will basically walk me through whatever I need to do to "come back to reality" and understand that it isn't the END OF THE WORLD if stuff doesn't go as planned.

What medication are you taking right now? My friend is on Effexor and she says it has worked wonders on her. I hope you feel better soon!

I used to take Dicyclomine for IBS and it helped TREMENDOUSLY.
I now take Zoloft for depression. I have been on it since DS #2 was 1 month old. I had PPD after DS #1 but didn't want to tell anyone. It was HORRIBLE for almost a year. When I saw the same symptoms coming after DS#2 was born I talked to my doctor right away. Zoloft has helped a lot, but I feel myself going into a slump again from time to time. I would love to go off of it but am a bit scared to. That's my story!

 

[baychef]

My anxiety attacks started in 1985. No one knew what the heck they were. I went to the ER twice. I was out of state when I made my 2nd ER visit. It was a University hospital so they told me what they were and a little more on how to handle them. There was stress in my life, but as you know, these attacks can strike at anytime.
One day I went to work...all was well...within an hour my pulse was over 170!! Although I had been on birth control pills on and off for 10 years, I suspected that, when teamed up with stress, the pills were contributing to the spontaneous attacks. For well over a year all sorts of Dr.'s poo-poo'd my concern about the bc pills. I asked one GYN if I could go on a lower dose to see if this made a difference. The jerk prescribed a higher dose!!
Long story short, once I was married, I went of the pill. Within 3 months, the spontaneous panick attacks went away. Every once in a while I could feel myself start to go into one and luckily, with a relaxation tape, I could get myself out of it. I have not had an attack in over 20 years.
I have no advice as far as if you should continue with PC. If nothing else, a leave of absence, but I know that is difficult.
Thank goodness we know more about this disorder. Xanax helped me when I had an attack. In my opinion, medications are needed when these are in full force. Relaxation techniques helped me to get my mind refocused until the medication kicked in. Good luck, keep your chin up and keep looking for a solution that works for you.
Ann

 

[SillyChef]

I highly recommend AGAINST Effexor!!! I also have Gereralized Anxiety Disorder and Effexor was what I was put on. And it REALLY helped me! I never realized how bad I was until I started taking it. But then, the weight gain started. So now, 5 years AND 60 - 70 POUNDS LATER, I'm totally miserable. It was a consistent, slow gain. My new Doc told me that Effexor is KNOWN for causing weight gain and that as long as I am on it, I will likely continue to gain.

I was actually prescribed Effexor and DID NOT take ONE pill since I read reviews about it! But what doesn't work for me might work for someone else. I mean like I said, my friends loves it.

I was actually on Prozac that was really good for me.

 

[cookinmama]

Do you have a friend that can go with you to these shows? Maybe having someone familiar with you can help.

Also, since you are aware of your triggers maybe your doctor can help give you suggestions on how to handle those situations. I think the fact that you know the triggers and still want to make this work is a really good sign.

I don't know if you have kids, but maybe you could even taken one of them. I am sure they would love to be your helper by putting out catalogs. Plus, you could spend some quality time together. I know my 3 year old would love to go to every show with me.

 

[krzymomof4]

Well, I thought I would post a follow up to my show that I was so nervous about. She was a total sweetheart! She is at $500 in sales, and is possibly interested in starting her own business. Guess the anxiety was worth it!!!!