Hey all, I've been lurking off and on the last few years and have now decided to say hi and reach out a little. This may turn into somewhat of a life story, so I'll apologize in advance [img]smileys/smilies_18.gif[/img]
About 5 years ago after a stint with the flu I developed a severe case of emetophobia which spiraled into anxiety and depression. My doctor prescribed Effexor daily and Lorazepam for the panic attacks. For a few years I was pretty much a shut in and didn't have access to the information I was looking for. Eventually with some help from my doc and the library I managed to minimize my attacks and my fear to the point where I felt mostly comfortable in larger crowds and new situations. It wasn't until a couple years ago I realized my fear was one so widely recognized.
I've been so happy with my progress the past few years that I rewarded myself with a 2 week vacation to California, where I met my fiance. While I was down there though, I had some bad food and woke up the next morning feeling extremely dizzy and ended up v* once. I handled it amazingly well and aside from the phone call home (my comfort call) beforehand I did it by myself.
I noticed after that episode that my panic attacks started to include bits of dizziness as well as the usual slight n*. It was a little upsetting cause I felt like I was taking a step back, but at the same time, I had actually taken 2 steps forward when I went through it all on my own.
One night this past week I started to feel extremely dizzy, so I went to lay down on the couch next to my mother (I'm 20 btw. and a very big suck when I'm not feeling well :P). For an hour or two I kept saying I felt ill and n* and she tried to calm me down and convince me it was an attack, until the third hour when I v*. I spent half an hour hunched over, not really sure if it was over or not and eventually I got myself cleaned up and laid back down. The next morning I was still feeling a little dizzy and n* but nowhere near as bad as the previous night. I ate very little for the next 2 days, terrified I would be sick again. Today's the 3rd day and I've been feeling and eating much better, but my panic attacks are back with a vengeance.
Anyway, to keep this from getting much longer...I feel like all the progress I've made the last few years has just been undone and can never be made up.
Has anyone ever felt like this? Any similar stories? Was it easy for any of you to overcome this obstacle?
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