Crash and Burn

Your heart is racing, you're sweating, unable to breathe, chest tightening. Chronic anxiety is associated with fibromyalgia, and is a scary thing. My first anxiety attack occured in December when I was fifteen (about a month before my fibro diagnosis). I was panicing over all of the make up work I had for school. I had missed thirty five days and was falling behind. I didn't know how I was going to make it up. I called my grandma crying over my work. I began to cry harder and harder. Then my chest began to tighten and I found it difficult to breathe. My grandma spent 45 minutes on the phone with me trying to calm be down. I began having the attacks once a week. Then my rheumatologist prescribed an anti-anxiety/depressent to see if that would help me, and suggested therapy to talk out my problems and find coping skills. The medicine slowly began to work, and I eventually began seeing a therapist. I still take the medication and see my therapist to this day. Back then I hit rock bottom, I crashed and burned. I wasn't sleeping and some nights I would cry myself to sleep. The next day I would wake up with my face swollen from crying so much. I would become someone else during the attacks. Once I sent an email to one of my teachers during an attack, and the next day I couldn't remember what I wrote in the email. Anxiety is a scary thing when you do and don't know what it is. You feel as if it's uncontrollable and are unsure of what to do. I would suggest discussing with your doctor, family, and friends before choosing an approriate treatment. I have been in therapy and on medication for five years and I am still working on it, but I have come a long way. Now I know how to prevent or handle attacks. If I have one I stop, close my eyes, and take deep breaths. I do the same thing to prevent them. Don't let yourself crash and burn. It's okay to ask for help. Asking for help makes you stronger not weaker.

Keep Livin'

Kayla Dawn