Anyone else experience seriously nasty anxiety? I have TLE and for a very long time I've had troubles with depression and my mood in general, but lately my anxiety is through the roof!! I constantly feel like I can't get enough breath in me... its awful!! And its so hard for the people around me to understand... I just look crazy, as usual.
I don't know if this is a common thing amongst people with a seizure disorder or its just another gift I was lucky enough to receive 
Boy do I hate it though!
-Em
Em-
I too have my moments!!! I call it being " desperate". When I get, it I think all kinds of things that I normally don't think (kind of wild thoughts!) and my heart pounds too. I feel uncontrollable when I feel that way. Usually a good night's sleep really helps me. I've had anxiety episodes for many years. I don't know if it's due to my TLE or not.
I think when you say you look "crazy" - I feel the same way too, ...that just about sums it up.
- Glenda
complex partial seizures since 22
I too have my moments!!! I call it being " desperate". When I get, it I think all kinds of things that I normally don't think (kind of wild thoughts!) and my heart pounds too. I feel uncontrollable when I feel that way. Usually a good night's sleep really helps me. I've had anxiety episodes for many years. I don't know if it's due to my TLE or not.
I think when you say you look "crazy" - I feel the same way too, ...that just about sums it up.
- Glenda
complex partial seizures since 22
lamictal 200mg 2x/d
zonegran 150mg 3/d
Emeria - I understand your feeling. I too get bouts of serious anxiety. Lately, it's been a fear of socialization. I haven't been calling friends. People invite my fiancee and I to do things and I back out at the last minute because I don't feel comfortable in these social situations. I feel like I don't know what to talk about because I am feeling "dumber". That's partly because of the memory issues, and partly because I am so preoccupied with doctors and medical "stuff" that they are all I think about.
Last night I had such a hard time sleeping because I felt like I was forgetting to breathe. All of a sudden, I would gasp for air. My fiancee was so worried, I kept him up all night too.
Good luck with it. Take a deep breath and tell yourself it's a passing moment, that your body needs to relax. Try yoga...I hear it works but, unfortunately, I have not tried it myself yet.
Peace, Love and Happiness
AmandaJane
I hope everyone's anxiety is doing better. I too have bouts with a bit of anxiety- for me though this may be somewhat hereditary, my father has an anxiety disorder, and I'm sure a few of his siblings have undiagnosed anxiety disorders. I start to worry about things that don't need to be worried about out of nowhere. One thing that has helped me but won't necessarily help everyone is I've been seeing a psychologist- part because I've been going through a depression but then some other issues. I also was told yoga is good for stress relief, we should all just start a yoga group- maybe that's the real thing we need to do to make these seizures go away! wouldn't that be nice? it's a nice thought... i think i might start yoga right now! well, hope everyone's feeling less anxious!
~Jessica
"Carry on. It is not easy. But it is what we have to do- only we do not have to do it alone."
~Jessica
"Carry on. It is not easy. But it is what we have to do- only we do not have to do it alone."
First seizure: 1993
Officially diagnosed: 1999
Type: Simple Partial to Secondary Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Cause: Unkown, all tests are negative for abnormalities...
Meds: 750mg Keppra 2xday
Boy oh boy,
this is me indeed...anxiety attacks, crazy thoughts, depression.
Complex partial seizures diag. in 1995
Absent, P.M. G.M. ....on and on
Medication at the present Trileptal 2400mg, Keppra 3000 mg.
You name the med, I have been on it.
Now a new diag. of Bipolar II, and a new medication.
How much more can one brain take ?
Best wishes to you all..............Pam
I can empathize! mine is affecting me at work (on a very serious level...my boss is on me like green on grass...he doesnt like the side effects my meds produce). It comes and goes and I have actually had people tell me to my face that have a "crazy look" about me (that is very unsettling to to say the least) however I am of the opinion that it is better to be honest than nice. This last year has been harsh....whats up? Its seems as though a lot of people have been going through this as well or similar.
The sun helps me (I know this sounds weird)...I take a time out...find a nice quite place and diassociate myself with the depression (everything) which makes the anxiety go away as well (some times and sometimes it appears to get worse) and then I can breath again. I actually have to leave work at times and go home and this can proceed full strength for days and sometimes its followed up by an earthshattering seizure(s). A few days ago the anxiety/depression showed up and a petit mall with it; after a lot of sleep I am feeling much better...its all good, this aint my first rodeo. My psych. informed me that these are "preludes" to on coming Grand Mals; this whole thing started about a year ago and has turned everything upside down because I normally have two/three per year on average with the help of meds so far this year I have had seven.
Oh well I am feeling better so my daughter and I are off to Six Flags.
The sun helps me (I know this sounds weird)...I take a time out...find a nice quite place and diassociate myself with the depression (everything) which makes the anxiety go away as well (some times and sometimes it appears to get worse) and then I can breath again. I actually have to leave work at times and go home and this can proceed full strength for days and sometimes its followed up by an earthshattering seizure(s). A few days ago the anxiety/depression showed up and a petit mall with it; after a lot of sleep I am feeling much better...its all good, this aint my first rodeo. My psych. informed me that these are "preludes" to on coming Grand Mals; this whole thing started about a year ago and has turned everything upside down because I normally have two/three per year on average with the help of meds so far this year I have had seven.
Oh well I am feeling better so my daughter and I are off to Six Flags.
Em
I can certainly relate.
I am a walking zombie and afraid to go out for fear that everyone would think I was a drunk. This shows me that there are still so many people that are still uneducated about this topic.
Diagnosed with epilepsy and ulcerative colitis in 1979,
This effected my social life big time and causes depression.
It even effected my personal life.
My own family was embarrassed to be seen with me. I just had to learn to deal with it.
In a lot of cases stress is a major trigger for epilepsy, CD and ulcerative colitis, if that flares up then you will have to increase your meds and that can throw everything out of wack.
Randy (Ontario, Canada)
Diagnosed with epilepsy and ulcerative colitis in 1979,
Been on meds ever since.
275mg-dilantin/day
120mg-pheonobarb/day
3,000mg-Mesasol/day
Em,
Also, do you get paranoid from the meds?
Example:
When I'm
driving, I seem to always be going too far to the right because I
feel that the oncomming traffic is going to hit me.
If I'm walking down the street and someone is walking towards me I
always get paranoid and feel uncomfortable or even if someone is in
the same room as I am i get paranoid and all of a sudden the room
feels over crowded, even with my own family.
All my driving is jerky (so my wife says) like fast starts, fast
stops, jerky steering and generally poor judgement, and my meds have
also effected my eyesight.
driving, I seem to always be going too far to the right because I
feel that the oncomming traffic is going to hit me.
If I'm walking down the street and someone is walking towards me I
always get paranoid and feel uncomfortable or even if someone is in
the same room as I am i get paranoid and all of a sudden the room
feels over crowded, even with my own family.
All my driving is jerky (so my wife says) like fast starts, fast
stops, jerky steering and generally poor judgement, and my meds have
also effected my eyesight.
I've been concerned about long term use of the meds. and side effects.
Randy
Diagnosed with epilepsy and ulcerative colitis in 1979,
Been on meds ever since.
275mg-dilantin/day
120mg-pheonobarb/day
3,000mg-Mesasol/day
For some strange reason, cooking is a relaxation tech for me. All I have to do is cook a large meal start to finish and I am good. I really focus on what I am doing and it works for me. I have found that Keppra has helped with my anxiety as well as the seizures. Each aed works different for everyone. My grandmother has serious anxiety issues. She has been taken to the ER via ambulance at least 4 times for passing out in public. So it is an issue for me. But I try to focus hard. It is funny, my friend can tell a story about something that goes wrong, and most of the time, I am angrier then the person it happened to (if I just made any sense at all) :) Take care, Tracy