Posted by MelanieG on March 30, 2012, at 22:33:34
In reply to Re: Anxiety medication, posted by Twinleaf on March 30, 2012, at 22:06:48
> It does sound like you have been recently, newly traumatized by the very hard things that happened.
Yes. What is odd is this all happened well after the most recent trauma. That is - I was visiting someone who had a very serious brain injury. Someone I loved and had been in a relationship with. He almost died - and is in a longterm care facility with serious physical and cognitive deficits. However - with a traumatic brain injury, initially, there is a lot of hope. Everyone is different. So I was there and visited for a year and a half! I saw things I still can't even think about. I finally stopped visiting, I burned out. I have never returned. I began to feel generally 'lousy' about 3 months AFTER I stopped visiting. Just random physical complaints - nothing could be found wrong. Then I got a new job and I was doing great for five months. So nine months after I stopped seeing such a very traumatic, stressful, sad situation which I had no control over - my dizziness began.
It's possible that is just the way my body reacted - and continues to react. I get dizzy when I am in an elevator and we've surmised that every time i went to visit, i'd take an elevator and just before I'd get off I'd shake and get very nervous. Then it would subside. I relive that experience 'automatically' every time i take an elevator. I can't wait to get OUT of the elevator - and even though I know I am not in a hospital or nursing home - I get the horrible sensation. It's so strange.
>There are two things I think of, in addition to what you are already doing: perhaps intensifying the therapy you are doing, and considering a medication like prazosin. There is a lot of information scattered about the board about its use in depression and PTSD. The person who can tell you the most about it here is Scott. Hope he adds his thoughts!
Any thoughts on how I intensify the therapy? As in the form of my sessions? Like what we do? I can only go one night a week. I really like this therapist but basically I just go and vent, often cry - but I feel better after I go. I did stop going 2 months ago because I thought I was doing better. Then i had another episode a few weeks ago - as a result of few things going on in my life.
Thanks for the idea of the prazosin - that sounds like a possibility and I will mention it to my therapist. My only concern is I already have LOW blood pressure. I've had my BP drop when I'm experiencing anxiety. Not dangerously low - but low. Says that drug can cause syncope - or fainting, and I've felt like I might faint during my anxiety spells. But maybe if I don't feel anxious I won't feel faint.
Thanks again!
poster:MelanieG
thread:1014604
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120328/msgs/1014615.html