Panic attack followed by acute depression.

[Sheryl]

8 hours ago, giddyup said:

Had the same problem about 3 years ago, had a full medical, all OK except for high BP which I already take meds for, that and gout. Had several medicals and blood tests since then, everything good for my age. The symptoms I had 3 years ago are the same as I'm experiencing now, and they eventually passed without taking antidepressants, so I'm hoping the same thing will happen now. It's horrible while it lasts though.

It would be worth checking a thyroid panel if not done within the past year.

[Bruno123]

People seems to disassociate their own behaviour and habits, from their ailments. Often their ailments are a direct result of their behaviour.

The problem is often they don't know how to unlearn the bad habits and get back to a healthier lifestyle.

I am not talking about drinking and smoking. I am referring to the approach to life.

People laugh and criticise the locals with their Mai Pen Rai attitude. But there is reason in the madness. It's better for you in the long run. Fighting every battle is going to leave you old and tired and angry. 

How can someone be depressed when everything is within reach? Your mind and body is not working as it should. It's not a matter of taking a pill. It's a matter of changing your approach to life. A pill might help in the short term; but it isn't meant to replace LIFE.

Continue taking them without fixing the underlying issue and you turn into a zombie. Choose life.

[giddyup]

12 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It would be worth checking a thyroid panel if not done within the past year.

There are a few symptoms of thyroid problems in men, depression can be one, but I'm not suffering any of the other symptoms.

[madmen]

10 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

It's possible that walking will have a positive affect on all of the above, but I'm not sure whether it would also include Cynicism.

Oh come on. How many millions have committed suicide through depression. I'm assuming none of then went for a stroll in " fresh air" 

 

[kingstonkid]

On 10/30/2021 at 5:05 PM, giddyup said:

What leads you to believe I'm set in my ways, because I walk the dog and have a cup of coffee everyday? I haven't resorted to medication yet and I may try a natural remedy like St John's wort before I do. Comparing what your relatives do to others is meaningless, there's no one size fits all. I'm relatively healthy at 79, others less so, some already dead.

I came here with depression that had left me suicidal in Canada,  Mostly due to backpain.  Since then I have been seeing psychologist in BKK.  The Psychiatrist will issue you meds but to be honest the different counsellors made the difference.

 

 

As to meds the one that I am using is esidep 10 mg.

 

BTW I am 65 and agree that a great part of it is due to age.  

Dogs cats are great and help along with a significant other and friends to assure you you are not a complete F UP.

 

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

I came here with depression that had left me suicidal in Canada,  Mostly due to backpain.  Since then I have been seeing psychologist in BKK.  The Psychiatrist will issue you meds but to be honest the different counsellors made the difference.

 

 

As to meds the one that I am using is esidep 10 mg.

 

BTW I am 65 and agree that a great part of it is due to age.  

Dogs cats are great and help along with a significant other and friends to assure you you are not a complete F UP.

 

Antidepressant meds will be a last resort for me. I'll start with trying meditation, which I've never done before, more exercising, more sun, and see how that goes first.

[hotchilli]

Maybe try to fathom-out the cause of the panic attacks and try to remedy that, instead of just hitting the anti-depressants?

[stupidfarang]

How about having a an extensive health check as a first step, then you can rule out or count in any results. Next step professional councelling so you can have a chat? If going on to meds I would want to find a doctor who has good experince in dealing with expats, and can talk things through with you. I see some doctors here just throw a raft of meds at a patient that may not have any thing to do with the medical problem

[kingstonkid]

14 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Antidepressant meds will be a last resort for me. I'll start with trying meditation, which I've never done before, more exercising, more sun, and see how that goes first.

All of those things definitely help.  Only reason I mentioned meds awas that you asked.  

 

Do not however expect immediate results as you probably knw from your past nothing happens overnight.  

 

One of the things I found helped was quietly brushing and petting cat.  Not sure of the size of your god but the same might apply.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by kingstonkid

[thailand49]

You sound like my brother he went to BPH, they gave him a battery of test said it was this and that in the end they gave him BP medication, sleeping pills, and aniexty pills the mixture made crazy, confused and worse.

His problem is directed at his home life he keeps everything inside doesn't like to express himself I told him get out exercise find time for yourself, even his wife say the same his kids are old enough to survive for a few hours without him. He says he do exercise got himself a treadmill at home I told him that isn't going to solve the problem since the things at home is the cause of things sadly. I visit him once a week as soon as I enter my BP starts to rise, the guy is got dogs and cats running everywhere barking like crazy I use to have a decent conversation but every second he has to attend to sometime 15 minutes visiting and I'm done otherwise I would be on mediation.

 

[Tony125]

On 10/30/2021 at 6:27 PM, giddyup said:

Thanks for the advice Sheryl, but this feeling of anxiety and depression can become pretty overwhelming and I'm not sure I could keep on going without some changes. With the panic attacks/anxiety it becomes overpowering and I have no choice but to go for a walk as I feel the walls closing in.

Try taking Turmeric aka Curcumin tabs with every meal. I take 2 (400mg) tabs with lunch and dinner but you can take 4 times a day. Will take awhile to build up in your body. Calming effect.

 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4

 

 

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/scientific-health-benefits-turmeric-curcumin/

 

[nobodysfriend]

On 10/30/2021 at 3:19 PM, giddyup said:

but am curious as to how the doctor will know which antidepressants to prescribe, if needed, as there seems like there's a lot of choices.

Get some ganja and make yourself a tea ...

You will be surprised how this helps to see things more positive .

[giddyup]

54 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

All of those things definitely help.  Only reason I mentioned meds awas that you asked.  

 

Do not however expect immediate results as you probably knw from your past nothing happens overnight.  

 

One of the things I found helped was quietly brushing and petting cat.  Not sure of the size of your god but the same might apply.

 

 

Yes, my dog gets plenty of attention, he's only small, Schitzu size, but he's my shadow and gives great comfort.

[giddyup]

25 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Get some ganja and make yourself a tea ...

You will be surprised how this helps to see things more positive .

Marihuana can also increase feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

[nobodysfriend]

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Marihuana can also increase feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

May be , but most of the times it makes you become more relaxed and more focused on what really matters ... try a little bit first , it won't harm you or make you an addict ...

[nobodysfriend]

6 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Marihuana can also increase feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

Think positive .

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

May be , but most of the times it makes you become more relaxed and more focused on what really matters ... try a little bit first , it won't harm you or make you an addict ...

Meditation is my first step. Try and clear negative thoughts.

[nobodysfriend]

12 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Meditation is my first step. Try and clear negative thoughts.

Another thing that can help you to focus on what is really important in life is Astronomy (NOT Astrology ) .

We are so small and unimportant in Universe ... it is just ridiculous to give too much importance to what other people say .

That's a big field to harvest , but it definitely can provide clues to what really is important .

I receive daily news from orbit ( no joke ) from http://spaceref.com/

Spaceref is for users that are a little advanced in Astronomy , but you'll find the basics in the web ...

Edited November 1, 2021 by nobodysfriend

[Tropposurfer]

May I offer something as an experienced mental health professional?

I would suggest you look for someone to talk to about what is creating your anxiety. I am not aware of any decent psychotherapists in Thailand. There is a fellow who practices Gestalt therapy in BKK but as for Pattaya region I am not familiar with anyone.

I had a colleague who lived not far from Pattaya but he is deceased now so I can't refer you to him.

 

Medications may be short term in relieving such anxieties but they will bring their own set of side effects and problems. The word anxiety is another word for the observable physical and mental manifestations of the emotion of fear, and other feelings such as, sadness, and unresolved grief and trauma.

If I were you, and looking for relief and possibly cessation of said fear/s I would investigate what I am fearful of; be it logical, present or past, or free floating non specific existentially based.

 

The use of medications such as anti-depressants (psychotropics e.g. SNRI, SSRI types) bring with them side-effects.

A few examples of these are e.g. impaired balance and reaction times (not good for drivers or bike riders), impotence - common side effect, inability to feel other emotions, drowsiness, weight gain, loss of appetite, autonomic/reflexive yawning, build up or some emotions like anger with strong outbursts of anger when our 'tank gets full', a sense of dullness of the mind - cloudiness or fogginess.

Anti-depressants definitely bring a flatten or levelling out of a persons emotional-range and dull the feelings and thought patterns, but they do not cure.

 

There is  another of group med's often prescribed for anxiety (commonly prescribed in Thailands as far as I know) ... these are of a group of drugs known as Benzodiazepines e.g. Valium, Temazepam, Mogadon.

These drugs while sort-term effective in suppressing anxiety attacks, and allowing one to sleep etc. however, are highly and rapidly addictive.

I.e. within 2 to 3 weeks of daily use the body will start to develop tolerance.

Dosages will then need to be increased to maintain effect and within 3 months the user will be well on the way to dependence. 

Around this periods of daily usage (as little as 5 mgs a day will produce this dependence!). This dependence will be felt as a deep need for the drug a 'craving' . Along with this will come intolerance of anything or anyone that is sensed as interferes with the taking of the drug and a real paranoid relationship with knowing the drug is available, nearby should one need it.  

Within a few months, and increasingly so if continuance of use is practised, the drug itself will in short order begin to produce chemical-induced symptoms of anxiety (as bad as or worse than the original anxiety that prompted the prescribing).

This onset and persistent symptomatic phenomena is made all the worse because it cannot be alleviated by activity, social pleasures or other distraction, exercise etc. as it is chemically induced and exacerbated by the half-life of the drug circulating in the brain, and other body tissues.

Until withdrawal from the drug is completed (which takes many months in itself and is described as horrendous by those withdrawing).

The craving, chemically induced anxiety attacks will persist along with sweats, shaking, drowsiness, and inability to wake and become active along with bouts of insomnia.

Benzo's as they are known are one of the most addictive prescription drugs ever invented. The half-life of this drug in the body is prolonged and the longer one ingests the drug the longer it takes for the body to leach this from the tissues e.g. liver brain, endocrine system.

If one is a drinker then these drugs present another danger as in combination they 'slingshot' each other and can lead to death especially once dependence is reached and high daily doses are normalised. Because alcohol and Benzo's are system depressants, together they are a dangerous cocktail.

 

The withdrawal from this group of drugs is one of the worst withdrawals of any drug of addiction, worse it has been said by heroin addicts than heroin, and on a par with crystal-meth withdrawal. 

This drug also has another very common and nasty side effect that inhibits sleep and is known commonly as 'jumpy legs' where the lower limbs produce twitching, nerve ending stimulation sensations which is in effect the impact of the drug on the central and peripheral nervous system. This symptom is a sure sign of physical dependence in the user, and even when completely withdrawn from the drug one can suffer from this, sometimes permanently.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Tropposurfer

[giddyup]

19 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

May I offer something as an experienced mental health professional?

I would suggest you look for someone to talk to about what is creating your anxiety. I am not aware of any decent psychotherapists in Thailand. There is a fellow who practices Gestalt therapy in BKK but as for Pattaya region I am not familiar with anyone.

I had a colleague who lived not far from Pattaya but he is deceased now so I can't refer you to him.

 

Medications may be short term in relieving such anxieties but they will bring their own set of side effects and problems. The word anxiety is another word for the observable physical and mental manifestations of the emotion of fear, and other feelings such as, sadness, and unresolved grief and trauma.

If I were you, and looking for relief and possibly cessation of said fear/s I would investigate what I am fearful of; be it logical, present or past, or free floating non specific existentially based.

 

The use of medications such as anti-depressants (psychotropics e.g. SNRI, SSRI types) bring with them side-effects.

A few examples of these are e.g. impaired balance and reaction times (not good for drivers or bike riders), impotence - common side effect, inability to feel other emotions, drowsiness, weight gain, loss of appetite, autonomic/reflexive yawning, build up or some emotions like anger with strong outbursts of anger when our 'tank gets full', a sense of dullness of the mind - cloudiness or fogginess.

Anti-depressants definitely bring a flatten or levelling out of a persons emotional-range and dull the feelings and thought patterns, but they do not cure.

 

There is  another of group med's often prescribed for anxiety (commonly prescribed in Thailands as far as I know) ... these are of a group of drugs known as Benzodiazepines e.g. Valium, Temazepam, Mogadon.

These drugs while sort-term effective in suppressing anxiety attacks, and allowing one to sleep etc. however, are highly and rapidly addictive.

I.e. within 2 to 3 weeks of daily use the body will start to develop tolerance.

Dosages will then need to be increased to maintain effect and within 3 months the user will be well on the way to dependence. 

Around this periods of daily usage (as little as 5 mgs a day will produce this dependence!). This dependence will be felt as a deep need for the drug a 'craving' . Along with this will come intolerance of anything or anyone that is sensed as interferes with the taking of the drug and a real paranoid relationship with knowing the drug is available, nearby should one need it.  

Within a few months, and increasingly so if continuance of use is practised, the drug itself will in short order begin to produce chemical-induced symptoms of anxiety (as bad as or worse than the original anxiety that prompted the prescribing).

This onset and persistent symptomatic phenomena is made all the worse because it cannot be alleviated by activity, social pleasures or other distraction, exercise etc. as it is chemically induced and exacerbated by the half-life of the drug circulating in the brain, and other body tissues.

Until withdrawal from the drug is completed (which takes many months in itself and is described as horrendous by those withdrawing).

The craving, chemically induced anxiety attacks will persist along with sweats, shaking, drowsiness, and inability to wake and become active along with bouts of insomnia.

Benzo's as they are known are one of the most addictive prescription drugs ever invented. The half-life of this drug in the body is prolonged and the longer one ingests the drug the longer it takes for the body to leach this from the tissues e.g. liver brain, endocrine system.

If one is a drinker then these drugs present another danger as in combination they 'slingshot' each other and can lead to death especially once dependence is reached and high daily doses are normalised. Because alcohol and Benzo's are system depressants, together they are a dangerous cocktail.

 

The withdrawal from this group of drugs is one of the worst withdrawals of any drug of addiction, worse it has been said by heroin addicts than heroin, and on a par with crystal-meth withdrawal. 

This drug also has another very common and nasty side effect that inhibits sleep and is known commonly as 'jumpy legs' where the lower limbs produce twitching, nerve ending stimulation sensations which is in effect the impact of the drug on the central and peripheral nervous system. This symptom is a sure sign of physical dependence in the user, and even when completely withdrawn from the drug one can suffer from this, sometimes permanently.

 

Clonazepam was actually prescribed for my RLS and works very well. Just don't use it on a regular basis, otherwise, as you say, it quickly becomes habit forming. Nothing else works as well for my RLS.

[wombat]

On 10/30/2021 at 3:43 PM, Moonlover said:

A few days of walking in the fresh air is probably more in order than medication.

backed up with breathing exercise from this bloke works for me
 

 

[crazykopite]

Try and avoid anti depression tablets most people I know who are on them are now addicted to the medication however having said that I don’t know the answer to your depression and I can only advise you to seek medical advice . I do know someone who takes the weed gel that is now legal in Thailand and they say it has worked wonders for her . Hope you manage to sort your problem out ???????? 

[giddyup]

4 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Try and avoid anti depression tablets most people I know who are on them are now addicted to the medication however having said that I don’t know the answer to your depression and I can only advise you to seek medical advice . I do know someone who takes the weed gel that is now legal in Thailand and they say it has worked wonders for her . Hope you manage to sort your problem out ???????? 

How is the "weed gel" taken? Just Googled it, taken in capsules. What are the effects of the gel?

Edited November 1, 2021 by giddyup

[giddyup]

52 minutes ago, wombat said:

backed up with breathing exercise from this bloke works for me
 

 

 I get the breathing from stomach to chest, but not sure how you breathe to your head, other than through the mouth like everyone else. I guess if it works for you, that's all that matters.

Edited November 1, 2021 by giddyup

[Thingamabob]

I'm the same age as yourself. I have found living day by day, rather than worrying about what our limited future holds, is helpful. Not easy to do, but worth a try if that is part of your problem. If not, I would recommend exercise, especially swimming. 

[Sheryl]

18 hours ago, giddyup said:

There are a few symptoms of thyroid problems in men, depression can be one, but I'm not suffering any of the other symptoms.

 

Sometimes anxiety/panic and/or depression are the only symptoms. Get a thyroid panel done, easy to do at a lab.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

On 10/30/2021 at 3:43 PM, Moonlover said:

A few days of walking in the fresh air is probably more in order than medication.

 

1 hour ago, wombat said:

backed up with breathing exercise from this bloke works for me
 

 

Yes, I'm a fan of him as well and I've been a cold shower freak for years.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Moonlover

[Stevemercer]

The type of anti-depressant depends on the symptoms. But it takes 4 weeks or so for a drug to be effective and, if not, you can't just stop taking them - you have to taper down the dose for a few weeks.

 

So it can take a while to get the medication that best suits yourself.

 

The doctor should give you a good physical and blood run down to rule out other physical disorders. This is especially the case if you don't have a history of anxiety attacks.

 

The drug will depend on the main symptoms causing you grief - can't sleep because of worry; anxiety; or clinical depression.

 

If sleeping is not a problem, you might start you off with Sertraline (Zoloft) which is pretty well tolerated by most people and blunts anxiety and depression.

 

If the problem is solely anxiety attacks there are milder drugs.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Stevemercer

[The Theory]

On 10/30/2021 at 3:19 PM, giddyup said:

Woke up a few days ago with a panic/anxiety attack. This eventually passed but what followed is severe depression

Drink 2 glasses of water every morning ,when you get out of bed. Drink enough water daily. Do not let your body becomes dehydrated. 

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, giddyup said:

Yes, my dog gets plenty of attention, he's only small, Schitzu size, but he's my shadow and gives great comfort.

I fond it a great way to meditate.  Instead of trying to shut off the brain just concentrated on petting the cat.  blocked everything else out.