Anxiety and depression, panic and agoraphobia

Discussion in 'Meniere's Disease "Database"' started by waxwing, Oct 14, 2006.

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have you ever suffered from one or more of these problems?

Poll closed Oct 21, 2006.
  1. generalized anxiety disorder

    25 vote(s)
    78.1%
  2. clinical depression

    14 vote(s)
    43.8%
  3. panic disorder

    15 vote(s)
    46.9%
  4. agoraphobia

    8 vote(s)
    25.0%
  5. other phobia

    1 vote(s)
    3.1%
  6. none of the above

    3 vote(s)
    9.4%
  7. all of the above

    1 vote(s)
    3.1%
  1. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    The "exercises" are hard work Holly my friend. What they involve is making radically different choices from what is usual and customary so your brain can make new associations and forge a different neural pathway.

    In simple words...you have to challenge yourself to do that which you find really hard and keep at it until your brain "recognizes" it as the new way.

    A therapist can serve as a the middle man, so to speak. A therapist won't do the work for you. She can provide the opportunities, the ways to create these novel situations or, support you as you go through them until you master flying solo.

    CGR is correct..there are all kinds of therapists out there and most are pretty useless but if you are lucky to find someone intelligent, empathetic and interested in your well-being then a therapist is a huge asset.
     
  2. hollymm

    hollymm Me, 'in' a tree.

    Thanks Intrepid - I've (albeit sporadically) over the years, tried to find a therapist that "fits' well with me and have, as yet, to find one. I'm kinda burnt out on that tip. However, If I do apply myself and work at what is being written in the book, hopefully, it will be the 'therapist' I've been looking for.

    That's why the interest in the book. The video I found along with the review was excellent. To see things in a different way.

    I've done it without the help of a book although not in a complete lifechanging way. It'd just be good to have a more structured methodology to work with.

    I took an english class in college that talked, briefly, about neurons in the brain being electrical connections and how different connections can be made through repition and hard work. I remember she said that a repition of 32 times made a new neural connection - regarding words and phrases anyway. I've never forgot that.

    I know this book will be harder. May I ask how it, specifically, helped you?
     
  3. CGR

    CGR Guest

    FYP :D
     
  4. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    So mean!!!

    ;D
     
  5. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    The book doesn't tell you what to do. It explains the connection between brain and behavior with examples. The author puts forward suggestions at the end of each chapter to illustrate his points better.

    I didn't read it for help on a personal level. I read it because of the neuroscience aspect but there wasn't enough of it. I did not like the therapy aspect because some of his explanations and wordings were kinda lame.
     
  6. hollymm

    hollymm Me, 'in' a tree.

    99.99999etc. is pretty correct CGR :D

    Intrepid, you found his explantions and wordings kinda lame as for the therpy end of it. Kinda of lame for what you wanteded out of the book or kinda lame for the quality of the he was teaching from the book? Why would I want it if the info didn't contain some kind of high value to me? Just askin' for your opinion...
     
  7. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    I said it was an interesting read. I didn't suggest the book nor did I indicate it helped me deal with any issues.

    You'll have to ask CGR why he suggested the book to you.
     
  8. CarolineJ.

    CarolineJ. New Member

    I came across this article today. I thought it was a good one for this topic.

    Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:503-512
    Copyright © 1996 by American Psychiatric Association


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    REGULAR ARTICLES


    Panic, agoraphobia, and vestibular dysfunction
    RG Jacob, JM Furman, JD Durrant and SM Turner
    Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213, USA.

    OBJECTIVE: Otoneurological abnormalities have been reported in panic disorder. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of such findings in panic disorder with and without agoraphobia and to discern whether vestibular dysfunction was associated with specific symptoms. METHOD: Clinical audiological and vestibular tests were administered to 30 patients with uncomplicated panic disorder (without agoraphobia or with only mild agoraphobia), 29 patients with panic disorder with moderate to severe agoraphobia, 27 patients with anxiety but no history of panic attacks, 13 patients with depressive disorders but no history of anxiety or panic attacks, and 45 normal comparison subjects. Evaluators were blind to subjects' diagnostic group. Quantitative measures of subjects' discomfort with space and motion and of the frequency of certain symptoms between and during panic attacks were obtained. Anxiety state levels were measured during the vestibular tests. RESULTS: Vestibular abnormalities were common in all the groups but most prevalent in the patients with panic disorder with moderate to severe agoraphobia. Vestibular dysfunction was associated with space and motion discomfort and with frequency of vestibular symptoms between, but not during, panic attacks. There were no major differences between the two panic groups in anxiety levels during vestibular testing. There were no significant differences between groups on the audiological component of the test battery. Exploratory data analysis indicated that the constellation of vestibular tests most specific for agoraphobia was one indicating compensated peripheral vestibular dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical vestibular dysfunction, as identified by clinical tests, may contribute to the phenomenology of panic disorder, particularly to the development of agoraphobia in panic disorder patients.

    http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/153/4/503
     
  9. hollymm

    hollymm Me, 'in' a tree.

    Very interesting Caroline - thanks it explains some good thoughts on panic disorder, anxiety and agoraphobia. I'm going to look at some of the other things available within the site you gave.

    It'd be interesting to know how the brain developes this "Subclinical vestibular dysfunction" and how it takes place or how it happens in subjects who would be in the 'normal' range at early stages in life but develop this disorder in mid range (late forties and fifties) of life. I've always enjoyed staying home more than most, but now it's an anxious need that I can't seem to break away from. I know, I know "see a phycaitrist holly - geez". Well, I say -how the hell am I going to make it out of my house to meet all my appointments! :D

    I must say though, I did make it out of my house to take my grandson to his other grandmothers house to meet up his mom and it's about twenty minutes away. In after work traffic too! Of course I started feeling anxious (and getting worse) about an hour before we were supposed to leave so we called his mom and told her we were leaving right away before I went into a full blown panic! I was so happy to make it home ok. I don't like taking zanax before driving and I didn't, this time. I don't know what's better - feeling anxious the whole time I'm driving or feeling more normal but with medication in my system...
     
  10. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    Dr. Harold Levinson has published a few papers and written some books on the connection between the vestibular system and agoraphobia, phobias, learning disabilities etc.

    This is one abstract. If you like it, you can download the pdf and read it as well as other stuff or check out his website.

    It's not a new abstract and I remember reading it about 10 years ago.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2928069?dopt=Abstract
     
  11. AnneT

    AnneT New Member

    Update. No vertigo since May but the depression and anxiety just won't let me be free. My neurochemicals are a fragile bunch I guess. I think I am worse on generic remeron so I might go back to the $$$ brand name Remeron again.
     
  12. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    I believe that was Titus' experience also. Generic did not work so she has to keep buying brand name Remeron.
     
  13. AnneT

    AnneT New Member

    Thanks, Intrepid. I'm going to pick up my "Gold" Remeron this afternoon.
     
  14. CGR

    CGR Guest

    The Brain That Changes Itself is a great book for anyone suffering from anxiety, agoraphobia or depression. It basically shows that the nonsensical "therapy" methods being used today are often causing more harm than good. It also provides a neuroscientific approach to healing.
     
  15. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    Maybe so but somebody needs to teach you ways to "change" your brain. It's why I changed to a NSci program for grad school. There needs to be a bridge bet. counseling and n.sci.
     
  16. CGR

    CGR Guest

    The book shows you how. No need to pay some snake oil therapist another $100 per hour to read it to you.
     
  17. Aladdin-Fae

    Aladdin-Fae New Member

    I could not agree more.
     
  18. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    True.

    Not everyone is motivated to do the work or can do the work. If a person suffering from depression could be motivated enough to do the work on his/her own then there would be no depression in the first place :D

    Same with people who have phobias. If they were able to conquer them on their own they would not have had them in the first place.

    Even most neuroscientists agree on the benefits of therapy and how the two go hand in hand. But you're entitled to your views of course.
     
  19. hollymm

    hollymm Me, 'in' a tree.

    Wow, that one kinda hurt. I do suffer from a few 'mental' issues and maybe the fear, laziness, inability or reluctance to read resourse material has got me all hung up. I'm not saying anything bad about you Intrepid - not that it'd matter anyway, you're you own woman and don't take offense easily - but not having lived the life I've lead it's almost as if you are saying that a mental illness is the same as a physical illness. But of course we all know that there are some physical illnesses that can't be 'cured' - only alleviated with medications.

    I agree that I could be more involved in my own 'cure' but like most agoraphobic, bi-polar, PTSD, manic depressives, I guess I just don't have the motivation to get it in gear. :-\ :-[

    Is this one of those "the truth hurts" stings?
     
  20. hollymm

    hollymm Me, 'in' a tree.

    Have you been able to put into practice what the book is trying to teach?
     

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