I have made many improvements in my life with this program and have gotten out of the state of panic and panic attacks. but i get the spacey feeling a lot almost all the time. i was wondering if anyone else has done this or is doing this right now. i am on week 9 of the program and i am looking for support on this. The spacey feeling can a bring on a panic attack that is only because im a frustrated. i am unsure to medicate for this with xanax or just let the feeling happen and then it will just dissapate with time. I am looking for advice has anyone else got past this and how do i do it.

I know exactly how you feel. It happens to me most of the time when I'm on my way to work. You feel like your mind has just left your body and you get this airy feeling in your head. I talked to my doctor about this and he told me it was an anxiety attack.

What works for me is when I'm on my way to work I ask the Lord to please let this day go by with God speed and please don't give me anything bigger than what you think I can handle. Hope this helps.

Prayer is always good. Something else that you need to do is take some time and do the relaxation tape three times a day if possible. Also take some relaxing deep breaths and don't let it scare you. It lasts longer when you let it scare you. It may be difficult but you have to distract yourself by doing something else. Try to take your mind off it. It will go away. It won't hurt you. It can only make you uncomfortable.

thank you both for this advice i have prayed countless amounts of time and still do. I am really just confused on how to do things to get rid of the anxiety. On wether I am supposed to medicate or just let it float on through. I am going back to school for second semester right now and my anxiety picks up when school starts. Thank you both for your support I will just try and float through these better and not go to panic.

Another thing is my therapist and doctor think i should start an anti-depressant but am scared of the side-affects. anyone have any advice that is not taking anti-depressants and getting through this.

thanks again deedee and Sister

I think the spacey feeling scared me more than any other manifestation that I have experienced over the years. It is the most out-of-control feeling and the one that makes me feel that this is it, I have gone over the edge for sure. But as will all other symptoms they DO GO AWAY. I know it is difficult waiting them out.
I have taken anti -anxiety meds (not anti depressants) since 1996. I broke through the meds early 2007. At that point I decided to try the holistic approach. Even though we have a personality that lends itself to panic and anxiety I would suggest researching (either with a professional or on your own) the idea of hormone replacement therapy. Men need them too.
This past year has been a rough year with stress and I developed insomnia. I went to my family practitioner who prescribed one thing or another most of which I refused because, like you, I don't want the side effects. I returned to my alternative medical doctor and after 45 minutes of playing detective we noticed that most of my issues began when he reduced my hormone replacement therapy. Funny thing, I have not got the replacement creme yet but a friend reminded me of the old-fashioned remedy of warm milk before bedtime. IT HAS WORKED!. Now granted, we can just believe that something is working and TA_DA! it works. That is what cognitive therapy is all about.
I don't know your medical history and I am definitely not a professional but I would advise delaying a decision on anti-depressants until you check out the alternatives.

Hey ya'll. I can certainly relate to the spacey feelings.... I did the program "finishing" up in the spring of last year. I did let my dr talk me into Prozac too about mid way through and a very small dose of adivan to use when I absolutely had too. I think I have probably taken a total of 10 of those in about a year and a half... I didn't like the feeling of having no emotions that the Prozac gave me. Not to mention the 20 lb weight gain. So, I went throught the withdrawl from that and did very well last spring, early summer.

2008 was a very stressful year for me with a major career change and lots of personal stuff too. And, I also let my great feelings over anxiety lull me into getting back onto the caffiene, giving up exercise, etc. So, right now I am in one of the "growth spurts" Lucinda talks about in session 15. The best part, if there is a good part, is the fact that the program gave me the tools I need to move on. Over the past several weeks I have pulled out my program again and begin to exercise again. Both are helping me to get beyond the growth spurt and back to feeling the terrific freedom I had gained. For me much of the growth spurt is probably the fact that I stopped taking such good care of myself which culminated in a couple of months of sinus infections, brochitis, etc to finish up the year.....

I do also agree with Lucinda (session 12). There is a reason we do these things to ourselves and we are (I know... hard to believe) getting something out of letting the negative, anxious thoughts come. We just have to let them float away. I also know that is much easier said than done but now I also know it can be done and anxiety absolutely CANNOT hurt use. I do know the body symptoms are very unpleasnt and can be scary. But, I know that through positive self talk and work they are overcomeable (not sure if that is even a word... but you know what I mean) .

Nick,

I can definitely relate to the spacey feeling, although I haven't experienced it often. I am on week 6 and the other day I was playing a volleyball game when, out of the blue, the spacey feeling came over me. All of a sudden I felt like I was floating and like I was going to lose my mind. I was sure everyone would notice (no one did), but what could I do? I was in the middle of the game and I surely couldn't go running off the volleyball court! Basically, I just had to accept it and let it pass. It was scary while it was happening, but it eventually went away.

Have you taken a look at the way you've been eating? I know that day I worked out after work, didn't eat dinner and then went to my game. I was running around all day with very few breaks. I really think that had something to do with it.

As for the drugs, my opinion is that they make the spacey feeling even worse. When I went on Paxil I felt like I was spacey a lot of the time. They can make you feel better at first, but for me, the cloudy feeling they gave me wasn't worth it. I would try everything else (exercise, eating right, breathing, relaxation, etc.) before going back to the drugs.

Good Luck!

Has anyone ever had the spacey lightheaded feeling last for weeks? Sometimes it is a little better but it is pretty much always there. It has been for two whole weeks!

I get that spacey feeling at work, especially when things get stressful. It's an uncomfortable feeling and usually passes but leaves me with a headache. Does anyone know what or why this happens. I'm not taking any meds and I try to eat regulary and have had very little caffeine.