 She began describing all of the symptoms I was experiencing: racing - seemingly irregular heart rate, dizziness, tightness of the throat, sweating, diarrhea and stomach problems, and feelings of bewilderment. She described the fear of losing control and embarrassing yourself in public and the fear of strange body symptoms. She talked about the fear of choking, having a heart attack and dying, and fear of losing your mind. Physical Symptoms
I was stunned, frozen in mid-step and glued to the TV. I couldn't believe she was talking about ME! For the first time in my life, I had a name for what might be affecting me. With a glimmer of hope, I set off to solve my own problem. I went immediately to the library and bookstore taking home every book and journal I could find about anxiety, agoraphobia, panic attacks and depression. Over the next six months, I devoted all of my time to simply understanding myself and this condition. What I learned not only saved my life, but also opened the door to a future beyond my wildest dreams. The first thing I learned however was most comforting. I wasn't alone! I wasn't sick, mentally ill or otherwise that different from many other people. In fact, I was among the estimated As I learned more and more over the following months, I slowly began to take control of my life. I started to think that my long journey was nearing an end. Then, I met Dr. Fisher.   |
