Help needed URGENT

[Laurz123]

Ok I strongly believe in the power of the mind as you all do. I'll just set the scene...I had a relapse of panic attacks and had a particularly bad one at my bf's house. It kind of did not disapate until the next day when I seemed to calm down at a friends house later on. The next day i was ok until the afternoon but it didn't feel like my normal panic attacks. Must have been a constant state of adrenalin and I remember thinking I would rather die than feel like this. Anyway after a few days I'm getting weird symptoms such as the need to flick my head to one side and I felt like I needed to bang my head. Yep very odd?!Slept at my bf's and woke up in the morning feeling much better but then I had the thought...what if those feelings were all in my head (so to speak) anyways I then experienced the horrible internal itch and weird sensation to move my head to the left. This continued into the night and I started to think about suicide (genuinely) as I had this horrible feeling say an arm or a leg wasn't part of me...I even punched one arm pretty hard and was really scared i might hurt myself. I genuinely thought I had lost it. I manage to survive the next few days...one night I started having really bad leg pains which I put down to being tense...they were burning/crushing/knawing and I was honestly ready to pull out an electrical socket to end it all. The pain disappated and I relaxed and managed to get some sleep...the next day in the afternoon the pain came back but milder, again i put it down to my muscles, took some ibruprofen, led on my front and it eased off. I had been experiencing headaches and earaches at this time and what worried me about those was they were definately psychosomatic, just thinking about a headache brought one on instantly. This worried me and I thought oh my god what if the leg pain was like this. I then started to experience it but for some reason I thought no just let it go and it eased off and I went to sleep. The next day I was worried when I woke up but managed to hold off the leg pain with a belief you had to really think of it to get it going. Anyways fastforward 3 weeks...been experiencing those psychosomatic headaches and an itch (not that weird internal feeling, just a plain old itch). Hadn't thought about the leg pain and then bam started to worry about it and sure enough it came back....could not sleep at all. Had to have an early abortion the next day and as soon as I got in the car I think my subconscious must have thought there's no way you can handle this with that leg pain and it disappated (this was sunday) and then once I was home it started to creep back and this scared me. Could not sleep but managed to doze off from pure exhaustion...woke up at 8.30 and thought if I could stop it before I can stop it now (never managed to stop the headaches, they came instantly from thinking about them)....held off until very late evening, perhaps 12.30 when I was going to bed. All this while I had imagined itching in my ears, eyes hands, chest....even felt like someone was constantly rubbing & sensitising my nipple which was almost unbearable. Anyways In bed the leg pain started to come back, I was distraught, why before had I managed to hold this pain off and dismiss it. I couldn't sleep...the pain is mainly at my knees but moves to my ankles, shins and things. It is burning, knawing, constant pain but doesn't quite feel like pain. there is no ouch factor like when I have genuinely hurt myself....sometimes there is the wanting to move them/ or feels like someone is scraping my hin bone on the inside. i am at my wits end. I am so scared...I don't want to die but i'm getting desperate, im scared that there would be a possibility of feeling like this after death even and that scares me immensely. What I don't understand is why this pain can be so severe compared to the headache...why couldn't my brain produce a severe headache...and why only in my legs. My arms don't seem to be half as bad even If i concentrate on them. What I wnat to know is can hypnosis help me at all?I can't believe all this can be in my head but I know for sure it is!I'm getting desperate...everyday is a very long affair. I have even written a suicide note. And it's my birthday....I didn't know my life could be in such a mess. Can hypnosis in effect save me?

[Poodle]

I don't believe you firstly and secondly PROCEED TO A PSYCHIATRIST IMMEDIATELY or the nearest Emergency Room so that one may be called.

[Laurz123]

You think I would make all this up...honetly I am not, if there is any way to prove to you....what makes you not believe me, is it very inplausable?I just know before all of this I was a normal 22 yr old girl more interested in make up and my bf than anything else. I have been praying day and night and I honestly can say I would rather be deaf, blind or burned all over than feel like this. It's unrelenting and I am getting desperate. I am worried if I go to a psychiatrist they will either see me as delusional and perhaps section me. How could I handle this if I was 'locked' up in some psychiatric ward....I am not lying I swear on my families life. What I don't understand is why can't I just stop it, does the brain not work like this...is it more like the don't think of a yellow bird but obviously you then do nature. I didn't even believe in psychosomatic pain before except for maybe anxiety related symptoms. I tried to put myself under hypnosis but obviously I have no training and It isn't going to work!

[Poodle]

If what you wrote were true, we would not be able to assist you without a written referral from a psychiatrist! They no longer lock people up in "nut houses". You will be given a proper evaluation and maybe some meds. You can ask for a written referral to a certified hypnotherapist experienced in working with problems of your nature. You have a choice now. You can continue the way you are or you can go to the ER for help and hopefully a referral to one of us. We cannot offer therapy on the Forum. It was not designed as such. Wishing you the best, Pood

[Laurz123]

Thanks for that reply. I'm just so scared...I don't understand why it won't just stop, why would it do this when it is literally pushing me off the edge...do you believe the mind is this powerful. I didn't before this. Before when it happened I was very close to going to the A&E but was scared if i revealed any suicidal intentions I could be sectioned as a friends sister was after tring to take her life a couple of times. What do you think they would say to me at the ER (A&E over here). I hope you believe me...this was a last attempt at some advice, this forum seemed to have some actual experts compared to many of the others. I know it all sounds melodramatic and If i was reading this a couple of weeks ago I would have labelled the person a nut and gone out for a drink without a second thought. But I have not left my house since Fri when I started to think about the problems again....why do you think the pain stopped on the sunday. I had a shower and was thinking oh my god I can't believe this is happening but once I got in my sisters car I managed to think no I can't feel any pain just aware of my feet some more. And all day this remained. Why is the pain so severe compared to the headache pain. Thanks poodle I have read through most of the forum and you seem very helpful.

[skip]

Laurz ...

I agree you have problems.

Really far too many to try and work thru, in this type of venue.

Some of them 'sound' like they may be 'all in your head' as you fear. But all in your head is just as real a problem as something physical.

And some of what you have described does sound physical in nature.

A psychiatrist might be a good choice, because they are both an MD, and able to treat medical problems, and PHD psychology, and able to treat psychological problems.

BUT if you would prefer I would first recommend that you get a complete physical work up to discover and/or rule out some medical problem.

That in and of itself would provide some relief.

Then working with a HYPNOTHERAPAST, not just a hypnotist, would benifit the rest.

But this sounds like too big a problem to handle yourself, and too big to go at piece meal.

Get over the worry that someone will think you delusional, and get some help, you will feel better for it.

cheers,
skip

[Laurz123]

Thanks skip (sorry i did not mean to send you that PM). I know it is all in my head as it has only come back when I thought about it again and worried maybe I couldn't put it out of my head. The first time I did believe the pain was physical and it settled down both times until I thought maybe it's not and then it just seemed to trigger an automatic response. I think I am going to go to the hospital tomorrow. Hopefully if I get some sleep tonight and I wake up without the pain I seem to be able to 'banish' it for longer. Well I did the other day. I will let you know how I get on and thanks so muh for your advice. Have you ever heard of this type of problem before?

[Laurz123]

Also what do I say when I go to the ER. Do I just ask to see a psychiatrist?

[jaynebeal]

hello sweetie. look, don't be afraid of the psychiatrict profession, they are there to help. make an appointment with your gp/doctor and explain your feelings (physical) and your thoughts to them. they will have dealt with stuff like this before and can refer you to a psychiatrist who will know how to treat you. people don't get locked up these days, they get medication to help control symptoms that can cause anxiety and panic attacks. ask for a check up to make sure it's nothing physical but make sure you tell the doc how anxious and suicidal this is making you feel. people only get sectioned if they are considered a danger. you obviously are not but are very confused and it sounds like your mind is racing to me. the right medication can stop this and allow you to relax and figure out what is really going on in there. don't worry, there is help out there and the sooner you go to the doctors the sooner you can get it.

good luck sweetie

jayne

[Poodle]

Just go to the ER now! They'll ask the questions. You can describe the symptoms or just print out your first post and hand it over. The psychiatrist is also a MD and will look for physical causes as well as "brain" causes. After you are stabilized, you can ask for a referral. We do not work AGAINST medical professionals. We work WITH them. The sooner you go, the sooner you will get better!

[skip]

Im not sure I would go to the ER. It will be unnecessarily expensive and you wont get the physical exam you need.

Do you have a physician, or an OBGYN?

I would discuss it first with a doctor you know, if you have one.

If not, ask your friends about a good General Practioner, and make an appointment for a complete physical exam.

Tell them your symptoms and let them know you want to be sure there is nothing physically wrong with you first. This whole thing could just be a chemical imbalance or some such.

Once that is done, that physician, if they feel it necessary, will refer you to a psycharitrist or psychologist, they are framiliar with.

And as you make the appointment for the physical you can relax and feel more comfortable knowing that you are on the road to getting this solved.

be well,

skip

[Don]

Hi, Laurz.

I would like to support what both Poodle and Skip said. You have listed so many symptoms that some could have a physical source. So you should get a full physical.

What do you say when you go to the hospital? They will have forms for you to fill out and probably have someone who will ask you something like "why are you here?" Tell them exactly what you have been experiencing.

Did you ever hear an old children's song called "Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly?" It begins with her swallowing a fly and the singer saying they don't know why she swallowed the fly. Well, she goes on to swallow other things:

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don't know how she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat...
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog...
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat...
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird ...
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.

The key thing here is that it all begins with one simple thing.

Now, it would be unethical and illegal for me to diagnose or attempt to treat you in some way over the internet. But if you get a physical that shows you're okay and the doctor gives a referral for hypnosis, I just wanted to give you some hope.

Sometimes we get all involved in the later things. In the case of the song its the swallowing of the cow and the goat etc. But it starts off with something very simple: the swallowing of a fly.

Hypnosis, by itself, won't help you. But a trained and experienced hypnotherapist who will work with you before, during, and after you are hypnotized, may be able to give you surprisingly quick help. This is especially true if there is one subconscious source to your behaviors, but it is also true if there are multiple sources.

I'm not talking about years of hypnosis sessions, but just a few.

There is help and there is hope, but it only starts when you take the second step. You've already taken the first step by contacting us here. Congratulations! That took courage, drive, and energy, something that a surprisingly large number of people don't have. You clearly have it and that means you can change and can overcome what is taking place.

The next step is yours. Please let us know what happens.

Good luck!

[Laurz123]

It's different over here in the UK, national health service so the ER (A&E) over here doesn't actually cost you anything. Might not be the best place though but my doctor is notoriously hard to get appointments with and I don't think I can wait that long. I need to go tomorrow...the pain is that ad, that's what I don't understand. How the hell can it be in your mind and why can't I just stop it!

[skip]

laurz,

All pain is in your mind. That is the interpretation your mind gives to spacific nerve stimulus.

That is why hypnotists can eliminate pain without anesthesia, even for surgical proceedures.

I have treated women who cannot orgasm without cutting themselves. For them pain = pleasure. Wouldnt you agree, if a mind can do that, it can do anything.

Sorry I didnt realize you were in the UK.

Corrected advice:

Go to ER. Describe your symptoms. Follow their advice and prescriptions.

Be well,
skip

[Laurz123]

Yea I just don't understand why I can't just stop it:(. So in your opinion once I have seen a doctor and perhaps a psych, hypnosis could in theory help me. I had always thought of it as over rated mainly due to people I know not giving up smoking. BUT the way I have perceived it on here it is much more of a powerful tool than I thought...like I did not realise 'in theory' you could make a subject forget a memory or an operation could be undertaken without any analgesia!

[skip]

The reason you cant stop is you havent yet learned how.

You came with a brain, but it had no owners manual.

Yes hypnosis could help, a lot.

And this place and some published information can serve to teach you how to run your brain instead if it running you all the time.

But first we both want to make sure there isnt something physical going medicaly wrong.

cheers,

skip

[Poodle]

Said she would go tomorrow to what we call ER for referral to psychiatrist. She seems to think we can make it through the night.

[Laurz123]

Ok well last night....I got pretty much to the exhausted stage...severe lack of sleep since friday!And I led on my front reading my laptop until I was tired enough to sleep. Managed to ease off the pain...I suppose my brain was tired!Woke up at about 8am, am managing to 'hold off' the pain, just trying to believe if I did it before I can do it now!I have decided to try and wait out the day and go tomorrow just because I am still pretty exhausted and I think some more sleep and a bath might make me more prepared for questions. Obviously If I get in a bad way again I will be straight there but I just feel so tired still. You lot have been so helpful, I'm so glad I found this place...must be a little gem when it comes to hypno forums, most are just rubbish!

I have decided the pain is similar, as if trying to mimic when I hurt my legs skiing. My boots were too tight and so caused circulation problems...when I took the boots off to have an apres ski coffee the pain was so bad I made my sister hobble back immediatly to our chalet. The pain was immense and i quickly gobbled down like 6 ibuprofens (naughty i know!). I could not sleep for the next 72 hours, could not even put the worst leg to the floor, it had frozen in a flexed down position and constant burning/knawing pain...which meant I was in constant tears until the diclofenac built up in my system!It left me with numbness on my left foot and up the side of my left leg for the next two years (still a little now) and slightly weakened ankles which I never stuck with my physiotherapy for (again naughty!) but he did say they would strengthen themselves!

Do you think once the body 'learns' a certain type of pain it could then mimic that pain?

[Don]

Do you think once the body 'learns' a certain type of pain it could then mimic that pain?

In general (i.e., could it happen?): yes
In specific (i.e., could it happen to you or any other specific individual?): it would unethical and illegal to make a diagnosis without seeing a client.

[Laurz123]

Don't worry Don, I will definately see a MD first to rule out the possibility of any 'real' physical problem. I just know tomorrow I am going to feel like a complete nutcase going to see someone but I know they don't judge!

[Poodle]

What's going on? Yesterday you said TODAY. Today you say TOMORROW. When does tomorrow come?

[Laurz123]

Tomorrow is definately tomorrow. I just wanted a day to rest and compose myself, I'm still really worried about going even though I know I have to.

[Laurz123]

Well I have just printed out that post...am just going to have a bath and then i'm heading off. I'm not sure whether to just go straight to a psychiatry hospital?I will make my decision after the bath. I'm scared of waiting around at the A&E.

[Laurz123]

My sister still hasn't come home, and I live out in the sticks and don't drive. She had an exam today and her phone is still off...but she is bound to be home by 8!I am kind of happier going in the evening....less people. Anyone have any advice on whether to go to A&E or I looked up where the nearest psych hospital is....might they just dismiss me in A&E as a time waster etc?!

[Poodle]

I don't live in the UK. In the USA one does not get into a psych hospital without a psychiatrist sending you there and then, where I live, not all psychiatrists use the psych hospital. My best friend just uses the regular hospital and has a small wing devoted to psychiatric patients. I believe law enforcement can have people watched for a certain length of time (very short).

Do delete the part of your post re: suicide or you will be "sectioned".

I used to have panic attacks. No idea why. It was a crushing chest pain and unable to breathe. Docs thought it was a heart attack but that checked out just fine so they put me on a med. Only problem with the med -- it is taken AFTER the panic attack so doesn't help all that much if at all. They eventually go away. For us panic attacks are just plain fascinating. It's a split second learning in the mind that it repeats. Even though they are nasty buggers be very proud of your subconscious mind as it has learned something in a second and it is trying it's best to protect you from what it perceives as a danger. It is always operating for your best.

It is very, very easy for a skilled hypnotist to get rid of panic attacks.

Now to the "pain" and "itching". They do not exist except in our minds. It takes our minds to interpret what pain or itching are and where. Body sends up signals - brain goes into it's mode. That horrible leg thing could be something as simple as being deficient in certain minerals that the body needs to function well. There are lots and lots and lots of people in much worse shape than you are. I believe the rules for hypnotherapists are more relaxed in the UK. You will find someone very skilled and be back to that perfect self again. Go as soon as you can to get checked out. Wishing the best from across the ocean and most of the US too, Pood

[Laurz123]

Poodle, you nearly made me cry then....I can't thank you enough for your help.

Panic Attacks don't scare me, I used to get them, took seroxat (paxil) and because it diminished them it removed the fear for me. Suffered from a relapse but I followed the linden method the second time and it worked for me. The fear only came about then I thought I wonder if that nagging feeling I am getting to move my head to the left (and other random things) could be brought on by me thinking about it. An obvious yes which sent me into a spiral of 'imagine all the other things your mind could make you feel...pain, your teeth being on edge, your hand tickling, real itches, itches that feel like they are inside) God knows why I am punishing myself but that's what i seem to have done. before this my biggest worry was what I would wear on the weekend...I'm pretty normal, except for maybe a wild imagination and being afraid of the dark at 23 lol!)

I have edited it a little bit but will remove the suicide part on your advice!Just waiting for my sister to come home....she seems to understand more than my parents about the weird things your mind/body can do as she has too suffered anxiety.

I just hope they don't think I'm making it up as it's obviously a bit different to the usual drug/alcohol/depression problems they encounter and I'm not psychotic in which they might be used to more 'weird' symptoms!

I guess the ER then!

And I know there are worse off people out there, people with RSD etc. The only time I feel I can empathise with these people is walking from my room to my kitchen one day (age 13?) I was struck by an all over body pain, every part felt like someone stabbing me, I took two steps and fainted. When I woke up I was fine. The doctor had no explanation....confused signal in the brain?!Who knows but Imagine that's what these people go through!

[Poodle]

Who knows what's going on in that subconscious mind of yours! Will be interesting to find out. Make sure you get a complete blood workup. If sister does not show up, call a taxi. This has been going on far tooooo long.

[Laurz123]

She is on her way now, uni is approx 30-45 minutes away. Depending on if the bus turns up. I am feeling 'ok' at the moment and I don't mind waiting that time. I need some back up to force myself to walk in there!I have never been to hospital before, I even avoid the doctors at all cost!I would love to know about my subconscious also.