Since there is over 20 million americans alone who suffer from one or another ailment of anxiety, that's just in the United States, millions more world wide, it can't be brain damage causing the anxiety, least not all of us. So, when you hear "it's all in your mind, get over it", don't let it bother you. Because they are right. To a point. It is all in your mind, but it's not like a fear of heights, snakes, spiders, whatever phobia ails many people. It's just not the same, sorry.
With severe anxiety disorders, such as I have, more so "had", there is a pathway in your brain that has been somewhat, some way altered. Basically meaning the previous daily routine now becomes difficult. When you come to the daily routine, the pathway in your head that's been damaged in a manner, what used to be second nature to achieve, now has this road block. And it is physically there in your brain, it's not imagined, the pathways have actually changed. That's what cause severe anxiety. You have to actually form a new pathway, by basically relearning what used to come natural to you, and bypass the old block in the path.
So, when you hit that block, you now start to worry. "oh no, yesterday I had a panic attack when I was going to walk the dog, I better not do that today." And that leads to no longer doing that particular thing. Then you are working in the garden, have a panic attack for whatever reason, guess what, new block in a pathway. And that according to the doctors is truly there and happening. Your brain regenerates the pathways, but you have to form them also, you learn constantly. With helps from medication making it easier to rebuild your path, you will get less blocks.
It's not like a fear of spiders, where if you constantly subjected yourself handling them until your fear was gone, which may work not sure, I hate spiders, where as anxiety the fear isn't really seen, it's felt, and you'd think you would be able to control your own body, since the brain is part of it, but it's a miraculous thing that brain, some smaller than others :) but with blocked pathways built up, especially in myself having built up a lot of road construction upstairs over 10 long years, it's basically like learning to walk all over again.
So, yep it's all in your head, they are right, but those that don't believe in panic and anxiety, aren't informed completely on what is truly the whole story. So, next time you hear, it's all in your head, get over it, agree with them, and maybe educate them a little on the part they missed.
Moving on. I've been bad about keeping up with my posts lately, as winter approaches i've been trying to push myself doing different things than normal, since i'll be locked up inside i'm sure more when it's cold out. Therefore i've lost a lot of interest in my posts, sadly. Was really enjoying seeing nearly a hundred people a day viewing the blog and growing, it's really dropped off, my fault I know.
News on the homefront. Went to the dogpark nearly at dark last night, didn't take any medication yesterday, well took my regular ones, but not the "relaxant" ones that i'm supposed to take morning and night, but I wanted to challenge myself to ride to the park, and do it without "help". And I was pretty darn jumpy, but survived it ok, no damaged pathways. Soon as I got home, I looked at the med bottle put one in my hand, and then put it right back in the bottle. Lifted weights for 15 minutes and painted for a half hour instead. Screw you anxiety.
I'll be trying that again without meds, i'll take them with. Sometimes just having the miracle medication around, is like a kid with a blanket, makes you feel safe. But that's why I wanted to go without. You take the meds long enough they start becoming habit, you "need" them. Just like alcohol becomes a habit or smoking or whatever. So, I need to be able to do this without relying solely on the meds or face addiction, habit, or a blanket that I need for comfort always. I survived it without a full blown attack, so I don't "need" them that much anymore. But do need to keep myself going for a while yet, I'm ready to walk, just not quite ready to run apparently.
Let's see, Loki's allergy issues or whatever it really is, finally seems to be healing up, so soon it'll be time to call the Vet and get his nuts wherever they are chopped. I'm not looking forward to it, he don't know it's coming, but I guarantee if he did, he'd not look forward to it either. I'm sure a lot more than I. But, they haven't dropped after 7 months, they aren't going to.
Bought one of those trail cameras, trying to figure it out, seems straight forward but sure not getting much at night, supposed to have 55 to 60 foot infrared range, which is very good distance for these cameras and 8 megapixels, also very good. But night time range i've tested isn't getting more than about 10 feet. Anyway, trying to get pictures of the damn coyotes that keep invading us, and it gives me something new and different to do.
We'll see what happens.
Later,
Lance
