I know i have some sort of anxiety problem...?

Question

but what kind and what can i do? i used to take prozac and ambien to help me sleep...but after years of being on it i decided to just stop taking it..(bad idea i know)...besides the ambien made me do things in my sleep that i didnt know i was doing..after a year of being off both meds i have not been able to sleep..i am up every hour or so...i hate meeting new people..i cant go into a public place alone...and i will sit out in my car until either my friends come out to get me or someone else is walking into the place.. if i have to go somewhere to meet new people i freak out and get very nervous about it...i also dont like to answer my door if i am home alone... its strange because i work with the public and dont have a hard time doing that at all.. my grandma was diagnosed with schizophrenia and passed away very young..i am afraid thats whats happening to me.. i did make an appointment with the doctor.. but he will just put me back on meds and that will be it.. i feel like a crazy person and i hate myself cuz of it sometimes.. its affecting my life and my relationships with other people.. what can i do?

Answer 1

by reading your profile you sound like a good person. i understand your past. i was like that myslef until i started practicing coping skills nad got on meds. the coping skills will be the main diference

Answer 2

You can't view the meds as being an insult to your sanity. People close to me take anxiety meds and it helps. YOU ARE NOT CRAZY.

Answer 3

I am not a doctor, but it sounds as if you may have agoraphobia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agoraphobia

I experienced this illness when I was in my early twenties, and I know that it can be very debilitating. My advice to you would be to seek a professional therapist that can help you uncover whatever emotional issues you may be having that is bringing this on.

Good luck.

Answer 4

First of all, calm down a little and let's look over what you said. As far as sleeping is concerned, there are probably a few things you can do to help you with that such as run a fan at night for white noise (I can't sleep without one), take a very mild sedative like over the counter Tylenol PM or get some melatonin from the vitamin store, read a book to get drowsy at bedtime, etc.

Meeting new people doesn't thrill me much either but I don't mind it. Maybe you could examine exactly why you hate it so you can figure out if its fear, or just that you don't like to be forced to interact socially, or exactly what.

If you hate walking into a cafe or something alone, just take a book along with you so you can sit and read and then people will think you did it on purpose. Don't worry...when you get married and have a bunch of kids, you will LOVE the time you get to spend alone because you won't have much of it.

I don't like answering my door if I am home alone. It's a safety issue. You should not feel bad about this. Maybe you could get a peephole so you can see who is out there before opening your door.

Your anxieties are causing you distress, but do not sound so serious to me. I think a doctor can help you with them.

Schizophrenia on the other hand is a devastating illness that includes auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, forgetting to bathe and eat, feeling persecuted, etc. And (this is a biggie) NOT BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE ILLNESS. People in full blown schizophrenic episodes do not realize they are sick. YOu do not sound schizophrenic to me.

Best wishes to you...see a dr and you will soon feel better.  

Answer 5

try reading The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire- by Chopra (2003). It is an interesting read on what it is to be alive. Or an interpretation of it. The first few chapters are pretty heavy w/ science matter but ifyou get thru it, it is quite good.

going thru changes is normal. I remember being so anti-social that I would go off the grid (no one could find/reach me). I feel for you. I'll be up here in Canada thinking positive for you.♥