Question:
Where is a good place to look for help….I have had ,from what I read in here anxiety disorder for about 3 years,last year it got so bad I started getting palpitations,and that made me even more anxious.So I ended up going to the doctor ,because I thought I had a heart problem,after lots of tests and an empty pocket book I was told there was nothing he could find wrong with me,but he put me on propranalol,which I am not convinced is helping me at all.Now a year later I have convinced myself that I am not dying when I get these palpitations,and shaking hands ect…But I still would like to know where the heck,to look for help.I would apprieciate any help with a direction in where to look. Thanks for your time,,hope I didn’t bore you with my little story.
Hi, Ken – welcome to asap. I am *not* a doctor, but IMHO propanolol is of very limited usefulness in anxiety. On the other hand, if you were only complaining about palpitations and your tests showed clear for major problems, it’s not hard to see why your doctor prescribed it. However, if the situation isn’t being improved by propanolol, it is certainly worth finding a doctor who recognises anxiety when s/he sees it. A good starting point is a GP, who can then refer you to the appropriate specialist, who might be either a psychologist or a psychiatrist. If you feel your GP isn’t very receptive, however, try approaching a psychiatrist directly via your local hospital. Hope that’s some help. — Gary Cooper
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Where is a good place to look for help….I have had ,from what I read in here anxiety disorder for about 3 years,last year it got so bad I started getting palpitations,and that made me even more anxious.So I ended up going to the doctor ,because I thought I had a heart problem,after lots of tests and an empty pocket book I was told there was nothing he could find wrong with me,but he put me on propranalol,which I am not convinced is helping me at all.Now a year later I have convinced myself that I am not dying when I get these palpitations,and shaking hands ect…But I still would like to know where the heck,to look for help.I would apprieciate any help with a direction in where to look. Thanks for your time,,hope I didn’t bore you with my little story. Ken
Hello Ken, You didn’t mention what type of doctor you saw, nor if s/he diagnosed you with panic disorder. If you have not seen a psychiatrist yet, I would strongly recommend doing so. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, who specialize in conditions like anxiety/panic disorder. One should be able to properly diagnose you, and recommend a treatment plan. The treatment plans with the highest rate of success, are a combination of medications and therapy. The psychiatrist can recommend medications to you, and prescribe them also. The psychiatrist can also refer you to someone for therapy. I am sending you by e-mail a pamphlet from the National Institute of Mental Health with information about treatment for anxiety/panic disorder. Good luck. John Daly
Response:
Hi, Ken, As you have probably noticed from reading the posts on asap, each person with anxiety/panic disorder may have more success with one type of medication or another. We are not all alike, and we don’t respond the same to meds. I hope that you will try to locate a therapist with a background in panic/anxiety. You might try writing to your nearest medical school or teaching hospital to ask for a referral if your own doctor cannot refer you to someone. Another source of information is mental.health.com. Contact them at http://www.mentalhealth.com on the World Wide Web. There you will find some addresses where you might obtain further information and possibly locate someone in your geographical area to help you. For myself, I am certain that the progress I have made in dealing with my panic is due to a combination of meds AND therapy. The therapy was important in helping me to understand what was producing all the strange physical sensations and ways of dealing with those through relaxation techniques and meditation. You might look for a copy of The Anxiety Disease in your local bookstore or library. Another good book is Anxiety & Panic Attacks by Robert Handy. I have personally benefitted from several books by Claire Weekes: Hope and Help for Your Nerves is one of them. Others have not been as impressed with Weekes.
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