Question by Slippy Sandy: I suffer from panic attacks while driving and depression, I will be seeing my 3rd doctor in the last 3 years?
On tomorrow. One doctor told me I’m not depressed get over it, the 2nd told me since you cancel and appt I can’t help you anymore, and she she told me in a mean way to stop driving. So tomorrow markes the 3rd doctor. I was taking Xanex and Zoloft together. They both gave me headaches and chest pains. I’m am now seeking help from a therapist every week. I want the doctor to clear me of all/any HEALH PROBLEMS that could be causing me to not be able to swallow saliva at all times ( THYROID maybe?) , and for my eyes to feel like there shutting when I have an attack. WHAT KIND OF EXAM IS IT TO CHECK ME OUT FOR EVERYTHING? Can I recieve funds from disabilty since I can’t work b/c of my panic attacks, will DMV take away my drivers license?
I was taking the meds for less then a week b/c of the side effects.
Best answer:
Answer by Fancy That
stop screwing around with GPs and start seeing a psychiatrist. Your therapist should be able to assist you in finding a good one. They have the most education in issues like this.
What do you think? Answer below!
I’ve suffered from the same thing… in order to control my panic attacks I had to go through weekly counselling as well as take medications. You need to find a psychiatrist that is willing to work out the meds for you since the others you’ve taken dont work… there are TONS of options out there, its just finding the right medication for you.
If its hard to swallow and close your eyes DURING an attack, that is just the attack itself. If this happens other times than while an attack, you should go to your regular doctor — they will know what blood work and tests to run…
One of the scariest thing is panic attacks while driving, but once they are under control, you will feel a lot better.
Once you are on the right medications, you should be able to work and drive normally… the attacks will still happen every once in a while, but you will learn to better deal with them and get past them. I really dont think you can recieve disability because you TECHNICALLY can work after being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder… usually disability is for those who are very physically disabled or have serios conditions such as heart problems.
Talk things out with your doctor… dont take crap for answers, its your body and you know whats going on…
And for the record, you will need to stay on the medication at least a month to really know if they are working.
those docs are bad docs that you have seen it sounds to me, however what they will do is probably check your thyroid and make sure that is on the up and up, because that can cause anxiety and depression. however the feeling as though you can’t swallow that is part of anxiety attacks as well. make sure that your doc is understanding to your needs and express your issues with your meds. that could just be a temporary side effect. i have severe anxiety and depression and it take effexor, (which gave me a small underlying headache for the first few days) but so far seems to help and i take klonopin for my anxiety. at first it made me tired but now i do fine with it. it is longer lasting then xanex or ativan. i also take ambien to help me sleep and that helps a lot. and yes you probably can get disability due to anxiety and if you don’t tell the dmv about your anxiety or have any accidents because of it they won’t take away your drivers license. hope that this helps
I’m not a doctor, but the web site I looked at listed chest pain and inability to swallow as SYMPTOMS of anxiety, so it was probably not the anti-depressants causing that. If you only took them for a week, that wasn’t long enough for them to start working – at least 2 weeks is average.
If I were you I’d consult a psychiatrist as suggested above, and stop trying to self-diagnose: you’ll only get more anxious.
As for getting disability support, you could always just apply and see what they say.
Here’s the web address: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/anxiety_attack/intro.htm
Good luck, and persevere until you find a decent doctor.
to answer your questions, yes you can get assistance from a government funded agancy called social security. how ever i dont know how old you are but they give a person an extremely hard time. the doc’s will have to give a really good solid letter to say that you absolutely 100% cant work. you will have had to have a track record that say’s you have going to psychiatrist for year’s for med’s and that you have been seeing a psycologist to see if the problem is not reversable. that this disorder is you. to show SSI (social security insurance) that you have gotten in to several car accident’s while attempting to get to work due to axiety is required. this will prove your self. if you can get a letter from your job that you have missed several day’s of work. this will prove that hey i get depressed and cant function at a job at week’s at a time. its just really hare. you will have to dispute it up to 3 time’s because they usually deny you the fijrst time. if they still deny you then you’ll have to get a lawyer showing the judge all the things that i told you.
honestly, i dont drive so i dont know what is required to renew your licence. but it seem’s to me that you will have to get a clean bill of health from a doc. that you are of sound mind and your eye site is exceptable. it would make sence to me that if you are constantly getting in accidents in the car. the dmv will take notice like wow too many accident’s your a danger on the road.
as far as these doc’s your seeing. it’s a pain in the butt to find a caring doc who will take you seriously. your not the only one. docs do lack a bed side manner. so do as you are doing keep looking.
i do have to say this about what one doc said to you. “your not depressed”
a lot of people including doc’s will look at a women or a man and see they are well dressed. they are articulate, they have a job, a family, an other wise normal person. if you dont walk in there all dirty and smelly and babbling talking about the sky is purple they will say your normal theres nothing wrong with you. they dont see the fact that behind closed door’s the house is a mess, your in bed like a zombie or crying your eye’s out. they dont see all that. so this is how it is.
though i think this is ignorant of doc’s. they are right on ONE thing. that a lot of people seriously have problem’s but a problem that can be fixed. this is not the case with everyone but, with some it’s true. anxiety is a fear of something, something that has occured in your life that now your just unable to control your functioning. depression can genetics but not anxiety. so if you have this the anxiety is the thing that is causing you depression. it’s hardly ever the other way around. so if you can resolve the thing that gives you anxiety then you will resolove the depression.
people who have these disorder’s have to understand that depression and anxiety are not YOU. your a whole lot of other thing’s but emotions and thought are not YOU. they are ever changing emotion’s. things that are going on in your mind are not permanent. nothing that is permanent can not in any way shape of form is all that you are.
i think too that thinking these disorder’s are you then you give up. sure you go to see therapist and take meds’ saying i am doing something to change this but, really think about it. your hoping that the doc will fix you not you your self fixing you. it take hard work and time to find way’s to keep a positive my but its possible.. for now you have to still see the docs but, find things’ that work like mediation which id learning how to change your thought to control them.
well good luck and i hope this was helpful. i believe you but continue to believe in your self fight for your self. change takes a lot of work from you. the cure doesnt just fall in your lap.take care