I have headaches and anxiety and am afraid to get in relationships, much less approach a girl (even though I am a pretty good looking, intellegent guy).  Everyone else in my family has family with kids.  I am getting older and want this for myself, but I want to get rid of the PTSD first.  What can I do??
204702
I would shop around for a counselor and psychiatrist. You may need to be on medication, even a low dosage. I'm on a small dosage of Zoloft right now for depression and it's been a great help in controlling my moods. Look into the counselling too because it sounds like that would be extremely prevalent to your PTSD. You don't have to suffer alone.\n\n*Edit* I'm glad you're on some meds then. I know the sexual abuse memory is EXTREMELY painful, but you have to realize that the only way you're going to "get it out" like you keep saying, is to continue counseling sessions. You need a professional because stuff could get really hairy if you sit down with a family member or friend and open up. I never suffered anything as severe as sexual abuse (thank god) but I have struggled with lesser, stressful situations and whenever I tried to talk them out with people I was immediately close to it always ended in failure. Look for a LCS (licensed clinical social worker). Trust me, he or she will get your through it. Remember that it's a work in progress and requires patience.
411567
Fisrt of all i'm sorry to hear that you have a problem. Second, my fiancee suffers from social anxiety as well, he is generally much better then he was...so it's good to know that it's curable, right? ;) Thing that you need and that could help is therapy! It helped my fiancee too! However, when he was diagnosed I knew nothing about it so i googled it and came with this cool site that could be of a great help to you too...maybe to know you are not alone and to make you feel free in telling and discovering your own brakes. Anxiaty is general is irrational fear, fear of being judged....but let me tell you one thing - NOBODY on this world is perfect :) \nP.S. DON'T TAKE MEDICATIONS ON YOUR OWN!!!!! U COULD ONLY MAKE IT WORSE!!!\nHere is the site:\nwww.socialanxietysupport.com\n\nAnd if you need somebody to talk to, who was there in a way....feel free to send me an email: lina_girl06@yahoo.com
181918
I also suffer with some of the same problems as you.Don't be afraid to go to the specialist. Let him know about your anxiety disorder. If you are still frightened,ask a close friend to go with you to the doctors. It is important to make an appointment as soon as you can, and you will get all the answers from the doctors. Good luck!
569218
i can totally relate. i am the only single girl in a group of 10 girlfriends-they're all in long-term relationships and getting married. i haven't had a boyfriend in 2 years, and in the past i've had my share of no-so-great men. but i'm happier alone than unhappy. we just have to realize that we are still young-we still have lots ahead of us and we will find that 4% of good men in this world to be good company with:)\n\nps i look at half of the relationships my girlfriends have and i'd rather cut off my foot than be in some of their positions, anyway. some are stuck with emotionally abusive/selfish men, selfish lovers, drinkers, or just herpes and scared to move onto another relationship because of fear of rejection (woo hoo! yeah, i'm sure your man isn't cheating, the disease just showed up!)... you name it.\n\ni'm sorry about your divorce and about how one man found it appropriate to break it off with you in a pretty cowardly way. i think time for you will wear things off a bit.. hang in there! you know you will end up with someone who is GOOD for you\n\ngod bless
450482
You would benefit from a few one on one sessions with a good therapist.\n\nNot dealing with what happened to you previously is the root of your problem.
79873
YOu show an awareness of the reason for your discomfort with women.  It could also be a fear of intimacy which is quite common especially if you had some kind of abuse as a child. It is a subconcious fear that you may be hurt somehow. I don't know how you would resolve this without some regular talk therapy. You need to explore it a lot each day and write your thoughts about it in a journal you keep to hlep you figure out and understnad it. Once you understand it completely it will lose its hold on you and you can gradually overcome it.
621691
I hear ya!...I have these attacks sometimes too....but what I do is go out in the country....where no one is around & scream...it is great therapy....& I can just clear my head....after about 10 min's of this...I am good to go for another week or so...unless something really bad happens...lol....I know it is good therapy...I have been told by the Single Parent Groups I go to...that sometimes your brain just needs to let off some pressure...so scream until your heart is content....I used to go to the mountain & scream & have it echo back at me...that was amazing.....
306727
I have PTSD with panic/anxiety disorder and I have gradually been able to get it under control.  I did see a psychiatrist and a therapist but that really didn't work for me.  It does though for many people so if you haven't I would start there.  I do take meds, but I think the best thing for me was learning breathing exercises and designating myself a safe place and person. A safe place is a place you can go where you know you are safe and can calm down when you feel an attack coming and a safe person is someone who can reassure you that your safe and help you calm down.  Stress relief and trigger avoidance helps immensely once you figure out what your triggers are. I hope this helps! Good Luck!!!
188918
Stay away from pastors & well meaning friends who tell you to get over it. They are true phobias, each with it own name. A good psychistrist can diagnoise & medicate these problems - it may need help from phychologist. Good luck. My spiders, people esp. crowds, & water are managable. Go Wolfpack- I'm back at games & sailed all weekend.
64979
You might. These are all symptoms. See your doctor, you may just have a fearful personality but you can get help for it. It could also be a phase you are going thru but you must get a professional opinion for your peace of mind.
376177
I can understand where you are coming from. I've had a similar experience. It seems that you are under a lot of stress. That maybe why your anxiety level is so high. Drinking doesn't solve anything it only delays the ultimate result. You still have the problem. It would be nice if you could find a therapist or someone close to talk things out with. Since you are on meds home remedies, such as milk and sugar may not be a good idea. Because they could have a negative affect on your meds.  I am sorry to hear that you lost your man. That can be painful. It could have lead to some of the problems you are having. I would suggest you find someone to talk this all through with. Call your doc and tell him or her the symptoms. Especially the dizzy part and the pain. If your doc does not understand find one that does. You don't have to accept bad behavior from your doctor, office visits are not free. Keep writing here we won't give up on you.
552952
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.\n\nEncourage your mom to get counselling, and to see a doctor.  There are medications that, while they will not get rid of the memories and the experiences, they may help reduce the amount of fear and pain she is feeling-medications may be able to help her sleep and to help her anxiety/depression.  Counselling, especially with a therapist who is skilled in working with Gulf War veterans, is also very important to help her work through what she saw and experienced over in Iraq.\n\nI have PTSD from non-military issues, and it can be a very scary disorder to live with.  Memories of the trauma can come back unnpredictably and sometimes the strangest things can trigger the memories-a certain smell or day on the calendar. \n\nI also know it can get better-and while some people can get past PTSD on their own, most need help from a doctor, therapist and possibly a psychiatrist.  Your mom will probably need help from all three, given the severity of her symptoms.\n\nThe links below desribe PTSD a bit more and give tips on how to help.  Don't forget to also take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself during this time-you may also want to explore counselling to give you a safe outlet to express some of your feelings over what your mom is going through.
225558
I just came back from Iraq, depressed and full of anxiety...  My experience has been, don't push her to hard let her go easy, find an unexpensive hobby that won't produce too much stress, I found that working with plants has helped me very much, some times to be alone does help.  Plenty of water, rest and fruit also helps.  Try not to do to much phisical work, especially out in the sun.  And fianlly,  read some texts full of live and promises from the Bible.  Not the 60's version but the new simeple English version does wounders.  Help you get well.
580416
Think like a soldier. When you have an impassable problem what do you do? You still get past it. That is what you must do. Have you told him of your fears? I tell ya what, if your kids are all okay with it, then you better hold on to him, that's rare! Go for it!
114611
you obviously have self-esteem issues. i don't know your age, but this is normal for a teen. if you're older, you may want to consider therapy to get over your issue, unless there's a reason you subconsciously want to avoid women (fear of intimacy, think you're not good enough, overweight, etc...) I recognize the city you are in (near pv mall), nice to talk to a phoenician!
518172
Hey.. you sound so sweet! \n\nSometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone and face your true fears. If you dont your not really going to grow and develop.\n\nI really dont see what options you have in this situation. Be confident, relax and have fun and people will want to be around you.\n\nGood luck
410573
You might start by considering yourself normal and expecting yourself to recover.  Post traumatic stress syndrome is a normal reaction to severely abnormal things, but doesn't need to become a permanent condition unless you let it.  Perhaps you need to find activities to occupy you so you have less time to sit and listen to the blood beating in the veins and arteries in your head.  Find something productive to do with your time and energy.  Volunteer, get a hobby, rediscover a hobby you used to enjoy, Instead of concentrating on finding things which aggrivate the problem- like pressing your head just so on the pillow- quit doing it and look for the things which take your mind elsewhere.  If you were okay before the hurricane, you will be okay again.  The hurricane happened over a year ago, it's time now to let the past go and get on with the business of living now, and for the future.  Take control of your life, find a productive use of your time and energies, and you should find life improves for you.