I have really bad DP/dr for a few years. When i was 16 I had a bad trip on Mushrooms. Please tell me It is just a memory and I didn't ruin my life I am 29 Now. Every doctor tells me its just anxiety buy I am scared I am going crazy.
Please help.

Hi Corky1

No, you are not going crazy. I have been having depression and anxiety culminating in panic attacks off and on (mostly on) for 24 years now. I heard about Lucinda's program from a lady in my managing arthritis class because she thought the relaxation CD would help me. Well, you know how these things work, I went and signed up for the whole program - and then I had a major PANIC Attack because I had spent all this money on something I didn't even know would work. Well, after three days of whimping out I finally started the program. I am now in week 2 and I already feel like a whole new person. I am almost waiting for the next attack just to see if I can handle it yet, but I am willing to wait longer!!!!!!!!

So hang in there. We have all done some wild & crazy things in our youth, and I certainly don't think we are punished all of our lives for screwing up once or twice.

Best of Luck

let me tell you a while ago i smoked something and while i was driving home it really hit me and i was getting bad derealizatioon and kinda since than iv been getting it off and on while driving because i anticipate getting it. i have a problem with DR and that is one of the biggest thing that causes my panic. i think its cause we have anxiety so with hold that bad feeling we had while doing things and anticipate them.

Corky, NO YOU ARE NOT GOING CRAZY!!! I too, used an illegal substance when I was 15(which was the beginning of many years of panic & anxiety) I wish I would have found this program YEARS ago! It would have put an end to the vicious cycle a long time ago.
What you are experiencing(In my opinion, as I am NOT a dr.) is anticipatory anxiety. Every time I would get stressed(as all people do) I would go a few steps further in my "thinking" and say(anticipating something bad happening) "What if, I have another one of those panic attacks"..that would start the 'feeling" and then boom, panic would set in. It is totally the way we are "thinking" at that time. You NEED to try and relax and float with the stress feeling and tell yourself "I'm in a safe place, I am my safe person"... It's all about our thinking habit. I was told at one time a very long time ago that I had PTSD because of the incident when I freaked out on being high. I believe that to be true to an extent. It was a very scary experience and I become afraid of that "feeling". Remember, feelings are just feelings. They go away when you can redirect them. It is totally within our control!!! When that 'feeling" comes up, get out of your head for awhile by, walking, reading, listening to music, working out, etc. etc. etc. As you go through the program(if your not, I would highly recommend it ) You will begin to excercise your control over these anxieties and they will no longer consume your "thinking". I hope this makes sense. I know what it's like to be afraid and to wonder if I would spend the rest of my life like that! No, you don't have to, YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS, you can do this! I know you can! I DID
take care, peace
Robin

I can't thank all of you enough. I hope you know how much this means to me.

My scary thoughts are about swallowing. I am having a hard time eating and drinking because I feel like I can't swallow and I might choke. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to overcome this fear. I got the program 2 years ago and am going thru it for the 2nd time now, hoping it will help. Carolyn said on the 2nd tape that she had this probelm, but never really told how she overcame it?

I had my first panic attack when I was 9 years old, and I felt like I could not swallow. THat was so scary for me, that it created anxiety every time I had to eat. Of course, these feelings ebbed and flowed and did not persist all the time. Probably because I was so busy with school and life that I was mostly distracted from myself! I managed to get through this somehow, and now it only crops up when I have travel plans. Anyway, how do I work my way through this? By telling myself "Have I ever actually not been able to swallow?" Of course not! It is an involuntary mechanism that works all by itself unless we think about it too much and prevent the swallowing from happening. I also tell myself that I am safe, secure and nothing is scary around me to make me feel this anxious. The self talk helps for me. I also notice that if I give it time, this feeling ends. Then I am able to get through the meal. I know how scary this is. I'm so sorry you are having this problem.

Thank you so much Kelly for the words of support and comfort. It helps to know I am not alone with this problem. It also helps to tell my self that this process is really an involuntary mechanism, and that my body knows what to do. I just have to stop thinking and obsessing about it.
Thank you for the encouragment. I will keep working on it.

Not to get off the subject, but I was surprised to see Kelly Anne that your first panic attack was when you were 9, because that is exactly when I had my first one! I just never heard of anyone else having them that early in life. Mine I think was a result of fears after my dad died suddenly of a heart attack the year earlier. Was there an event you can point to that might have started them for you? You don't have to answer. I am just curious.

I would love to know why I had a panic attack at age 9. When I figure it out, I'll let you know!