CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY I STILL THINKG I CAN GO CRAZY FROM ANXIETY AND PANIC. EVEN WHEN MY ANXIETY IS AT ITS WORSE I NEVER WENT "NUTS". HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THESE THOUGHTS WHEN EVERY OTHER SECONDS YOU THINK YOU ARE GONNA GO CRAZY OR SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN IT NEVER DOES? PLEASE GIVE ME SOME TIPS ON DEALING WITH THIS? I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT.....

Just think to yourself- I have been thru these
scary thoughts before and nothing happened -nothing WILL happen- these feelings will pass.
Practice your 6 steps to end Panic Attacks-
Distract yourself -do something positive-take a walk, talk to a friend, go shopping, etc. Do
something you like to do.
Write down these negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones- Think Positive & they will lessen in time.

Hey Happy:

I am literally going through the same thing this morning. Things have been very stressful at work and on top of that I have a head cold. Yesterday, I had a spell of vertigo and since then I've been feeling very anxious and skittish. Of course, my thoughts start racing, saying that I can't handle the stress, I'm going to go crazy, I'm going to hallucinate, etc.

DebDeb is right, practice the six steps. They will help us both. This is just a fear, nothing more.

Hello Happy.

I agree with DebDeb. You have to journal that stuff out. Replace those negative statements with the positives and get another journal and just write about it, don't concentrate on what you are writing just free-flow write. Write about everything that comes to your mind. You will find that key trigger, that little something that's causing you to hold on to that thought, then you will be able to reverse it with positve self talk. Your triggers could be a word, something someone said, something you say to yourself that you don't remember, something you've seen on T.V., or even a word or words like "oh lord, here it comes again", or as Christian said "I can't handle this" or "I'm going crazy".

What does going crazy look like? Can you describe it? Do you start eating bugs and worms for breakfast, start eating crayons for lunch, run out the front door naked hollering, "I'm crazy, I'm crazy!!" down the street, talk to your pets and expect a reply back, or? Just what is crazy??

I'm trying to be funny, to lighten things up a bit. I have never known anyone to "go crazy". Have you?? And I've been on a psychiatric ward twice in my life. I've never flipped out and I've never seen anyone else flip out either. I was just wonderiing what "going crazy" might look like. I've acted crazy to my friends when I was younger, still act like a wild and crazy guy a lot with my wife, especially when I'm feeling a high libido. But, I've never flipped out and gone "crazy". lol. I was just wondering what your version of going nuts might look like?

Although I know you won't believe me right now (eventually you will as you heal) I'm going to let you know that OCD sufferers do not, never, ever, absolutely will not go crazy. It's a proven fact.

If you did not resist the thoughts of going crazy and allowed them to come and go without your emotional attachment to them they would cease to bother you. You do that by welcoming them in. You welcome them in but you do not argue with them. Just say, "Oh, there you are. I've been expecting you." Immediately do your thought stoppage, then do your calm breath work (breathe in slowly, hold for 4 counts, and then breathe out slowly. Really go slowly.) Tense your body - your entire body and then release it. Then take your attention to something outside of your head. What are you doing in the present moment? Find something to do. Whistle, sing, sew, throw a ball, do dishes (and whistle at the same time), journal, pet the dog/cat. You name it. Just continue to allow the thoughts to come and go.

When you are ready just say, "Whatever you say." to what you are hearing. When you stop resisting them, they will go away.

Hi Happy to be me:
My doctor told me and I looked it up also: Anxiety will not make you "crazy". It is a state of mind. Nervousness is different. Nervous system disorders are what cause people "go over the edge". Hope that is helpful
Be well and God Bless

klincos,

The whole point to my post was to try and bring some humor into the thread. I have been on the edge of feeling like I was going crazy, but I didn't and never have. It wasn't anything meant personal to HAPPYTOBEME or you. It was an attempt to bring humor and assurance to someone suffering and thinking unrealistic thoughts. Perhaps I should have given into her fears and told her she could go crazy? That isn't inline with what I have experienced nor is it the experience of anyone that I know of including what is in the MWC program.

You seem to be taking this stuff as a personal slam against you. None of it is intended in a bad way. We are trying to help. If you'll look at my posts you will see that. I apologize if I offended you, but as I said, I was trying to bring some sense of reality to HAPPYTOBEME's post. People with anxiety/panic disorder do not go crazy even though you feel like that is what is happening. It is thinking which perpetuates these feelings. Feelings develop from our thinking.

Does your opinion count? You say rarely it does. Your opinion counts to you and that's what is important. Again, I apologize if I have offended you or anyone else on this thread. That was not my intention.

quote:

I find very little humor in this "disorder" so perhaps I need to keep searching.

I can understand and I can see how my post was not helpful but perhsps insulting to someone in pain. I am truly sorry. That is not why I was posting. I would say that I had good intentions but used poor judgment on this particular thread. Again, I am sorry. I hope you will reconsider being a part of this forum. There are a lot of hurting people here who can find help. I did and I have.

I have known one person who had a serious illness who found cognitive behavior to be helpful to her. I don't recall her illness now, it's been several years ago on another forum. So, learning cognitive skills can help someone with any illness, I think. If you stick around you'll probably find a friend.

don57 i really gotta thank you.
ever since i read that, i don't take the idea of losing control (whatever that means) so seriously.
everytime i worry about being anxious, or upset over nothing i get that visual in my head of eating bugs and it really makes me laugh.
its such a relief to see my anxiety in a different way.
i feel a little like i'm in the grips of a big ugly monster who's slowly losing his grip on me.
i can almost breath easy.

Well, I feel like the lone ranger here but I have "gone crazy." I've had three major depressions over my lifetime accompanied by psychosis. It runs in my family, my great grandmother and uncle had episodes like mine. Crazy for me is thinking things are real when they are not, like the T.V. sending me messages or finding messages in books. Thinking people can read my mind. I'm on medication and that takes care of the episodes. I felt very confused and not at all like my usual self. I believe for me it is a chemical imbalance. I get anxious and have mini panic attacks at times now but I don't go crazy due to my meds. I have a huge extended family, and a tiny portion of us had episodes. Most people do not have a serious mental illness but have only anxiety disorders. When I was in the mental hospital in '05 I saw what crazy looked like. And I saw people get well with medication. Anxiety does not cause a person to go crazy. It just feels that way.

Just wanted to say you are definately not alone!!! I experiance this problem all the time & since I learned to talk myself through it I am at least able to get through it faster. Hang in there! I will be thinking of you!

Hey I know exactly what your going through! I have been feeling the exact same way for the past three years. I hope you are doing better, as for me I am barely starting this program. I wish you the best as no one deserves to feel this way.

Geez. You hit the nail on the head.. when I am in full blown panic mode.. I am so detached and in my own world that I just cannot relate to anyone.. people talk and I dont hear it.. I am lookin at them but I see nothing.. its like I am in a bubble and noone can get to me....its terrible!

I often wonder if I should do myself a favor and pack up my pajamas and head to the mental hospital now.. at least this way I can avoid the embarrasment when I have to call 911 to come help me.

When I am in full blown panic with bad thoughts.. thats my idea of crazy.. I fear I will be stuck like that.. that it wont pass that it will linger forever.. how miserable!!