Jan 31 2009
Panic Attacks
I started having anxiety attacks a few years ago, when I was working two jobs. I had them on Tuesday afternoons. When I figured out what was going on they stopped.
Basically, I was having the attacks on Tuesdays because I worked one job Monday through Thursday and the other Friday through Sunday. By Tuesday afternoon my body figured out another week had gone by and I didn’t have a weekend in there – a time to relax, or at least do work more directly related to my own home, family and projects.
I listened to my body and made some adjustments to my schedule so that I could have the time I needed for myself, and the attacks stopped.
Then a year or so later, the seizures started, and I ended up with a pill-pushing charlatan of a neurologist that *started* me on a ridiculously high dose of Depakote: 1250mg a day. I called it “Dope-n-coat” because it reduced my life to an existence in pale fog. And it had no effect on the seizures. Finally I got a second opinion, got the dosage reduced to a reasonable level (250mg/day), and although the seizures were still unaffected, the medication was very effective at preventing one of the kinds of migraines I had been getting regularly.
And since then, the anxiety attacks have returned. Only now they strike without warning, no reason, to way to prevent them. Finally, after a week of four and five attacks a day, I saw the doctor and got a prescription for a med to help.
It’s been a couple weeks and so far so good … except that last night I didn’t take it, and today, sure as sunshine, I got walloped with a panic attack. At least it reminded me to take my pill – I am notoriously bad about “staying on meds” even when I feel they’re helping me.
