Posted by Racer on March 26, 2005, at 17:47:19
This is one of those things where about six things came together, and I'm at the nexus...
So I was thinking about the whole "kindling" theory, which totally fits my anxiety situation right now -- the specific triggers for my current anxiety are long standing, and as soon as they come up BOOM! Floods of adrenaline, etc. The psychological aspects of it all I can usually deal with, but the physical stuff sends me reeling. Propranalol -- my "miracle drug" -- was discontinued some time ago, because I was so very, very unable to initiate any productive movements on it. (Think of me, trying to get off the Soporific Sofa, in very, very slow motion...)
One of the biggest problems, though, is that my whole anxiety system seems to be on a hair trigger, and it doesn't go through all the gears on its way up to High. Hell, my anxiety goes up to 11 now, instead of making 10 higher, you know? And it takes about a quarter of a second to go from idle to 11 on that scale, too. There's no real period of mild anxiety -- just all or nothing. And it takes small things to do it.
Mind you, I'm pretty well unaware of any real mental problems with it, and feel as though whatever the triggers were I could deal with if only the physical side could be controlled. It's as if my body is so sensitized to stress that it produces adrenaline full blast at the first sign of stressors.
In my own, not entirely humble, opinion -- to which you are ALL entitled -- I think that it's a case of kindling, where my body hasn't yet gotten back to normal functioning after that nightmare that was 2004. Propranalol ain't gonna be the answer, especially since I'm pretty sure Dr CattleProd won't prescribe it again. Benzos don't do it for me, because I fight off their effects when I have this stress reaction -- and because I go into blackouts on them at high enough doses, which are still not high enough to calm me physically. Anti-psychotics are only possible if there's no chance whatsoever of any weight gain -- they were offered, Dr CattleProd saying, "Oh, at the doses involved you wouldn't gain more than five pounds" but hey folks, five pounds is an issue for an anorexic, you know?
So, suggestion, suggestion, who's got a suggestion?
And does anyone know of any research into how to reset the whole anxiety/HPA axis after it's been assaulted this way?
poster:Racer
thread:475927
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050326/msgs/475927.html