Phobias

[futurmil2b]

Anxiety

I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember but its never been a problem... always under control.

But now, its a bit over the top. I stay tensed a LOT which has caused tight neck/shoulder and tightness in head, I take a low dose Ativan 1/2 .5 once a day.. it helps take the edge off. I was tensed before my MRI dx - I went through a very stressful period almost 4 years ago...nothing to do with MS....

I have 2 things going on - I am 51 years young and have been recently dx with MS (Feb 2011) - had no relapses, etc. not on meds yet. The other thing is I am going through peri-menopause - so a lot of my symptoms are peri menopause..

I am a bit confused right about now about this MS stuff. I truly don't feel I have it... I hope someone out there can relate to what I am going through.

Jay

[jazzgirl]

I have a pretty common phobia....clowns. Don't like 'em, don't trust 'em, and they really do scare me!

I had fairly severe panic attacks back in the 1980s, but the MS was mostly quiet for me then. It seems that the worse the disease became for me, the less panic attacks I had. Thankfully, I don't have them anymore, but I'm physically disabled by the disease now, so I don't know which is worse....

[Seasha]

When I started taking an anti-anxiety med years ago, the first noticeable thing was realizing that I had anxiety problems for most of my life - including pre-MS! The meds helped in taking the edge off and made things even keel. When I started having bad flares, I also took Xanax as the anxiety (even with meds) mushroomed into panic attacks.

I think it understandable for you to feel anxious. MS can be so damn unpredictable. Be well~

[DancingOnTheEdge13]

Telephones

I never have cared alot for phones but I could hold a conversation. Now when the phone rings, I feel sick to my stomach if I think I have to talk.

I have issues with communication as it is. If I must explain something, it throws me for a loop and I wind up rambling. It's difficult.

Running into people I have not talked to in awhile also makes me anxious because I feel like I am going to come off sounding stupid.

I find myself shutting people off that I care for. I take 90 mgs of Cymbalta, but still struggle.

[mia319]

i have been dx with MS since july 2008 and since then would say i have had distinct moments that felt like full on panic attacks.

it is like a never ending vicious cycle. i get stressed easily, which in turn aggrivates my MS symptoms, which then i panic about because i feel worsening or new symptoms, which then stresses me out even more!

[lovedbydogs]

phobias

I have developed an extreme phobia of Neurologists and MS specialist since being diagnosed!

[Krysalus]

clowns are scary!

I agree with jazzgirl. Clowns should just keep their distance!

Since my dx I've been a bit more paranoid about falling and getting hurt because I don't always feel it or it feels so bad I think I've broken something.

[Sequoia]

I have a terrible phone phobia. It's only been a problem for the last 6 or 7 years...which is about the point where I transitioned from RRMS to SPMS. It's gotten to where I truly dread having to use the phone and avoid it if at all possible.

I'm also doctor-phobic, but there's a reason for that (which is not to say that there aren't some really good docs).

Jazz and Krysalus...there's a word for fear of clowns: caulrophobia.

[foxz71]

I have a fear of falling even when I have good balance days, especially on stairs...I'm always holding on and going slow.