When Normal Isn't Normal
Anxiety is something that I feel is rarely discussed when dealing with symptoms of multiple sclerosis. I found this out when I switched doctors due to a new insurance carrier and they refused to give me my very low dose of lorazepam that I had been using on an as needed basis. My new doctor went into the whole lecture that the meds were addictive and that they wanted patients off of benzos. Well, that is all well and good...that is until you are overcome with anxiety which increases to a full blown panic attack.
This panic attack and ensuing calls by my hubby to my new primary doctor and also a call to my primary doctor from my previous neurologist convinced her that due to MS, these medications were to be taken on an as needed basis. This is why I implore doctors to review your new patients medical record and do not change or refuse to refill medications without speaking to the patient and to previous doctors. Also, I implore that primary doctors need to be more familiar regarding the added scripts needed for people with multiple sclerosis. To the average lay person it may seem superfulous, but, it was given for a reason.
There are many reasons for anxiety with MS. MS is a recurring disease. It can go into remission or you can have relapses frequently. For me, MS is proving to be a progressive disease that has steadily reduced my abilities. And for me, the disease predictability is low. I have great things that I want to do and unfortunately cannot plan to do based on the unpredictability of this disease. The unpredictablity of this disease means on any day, at any moment, MS can rear it's ugly head. And, unfortunately does. This unpredictability of MS is a cause for significant anxiety. For many MS patients their MS is predictable, in my situation, my MS is VERY unpredictable, hence this is a significant cause of my anxiety.
Another reason for ongoing anxiety is the presence of a new symptom, or coming down with an illness. The thought of being sick with another illness in which I know will exacerbate any of my symptoms really increases my levels of anxiety. Due to dealing with my anxiety, yes I still at times will take a pill, but with this new year I am focusing more on more positive, natural ways of dealing with my anxiety. I am using yoga, and starting meditation. Though I don't think that meditation should be as hard as I am making it. I will just wait for my Deepak Chopra meditation tapes to be guided through meditation.
Here are some ways that I have found that are really helpful in dealing with anxiety.
- Chamomile tea
- Deepak Chopra and his 21-Day Meditation Challenge. https://www.chopracentermeditation.com/Bestsellers/LandingPage.aspx?BookId=172
- Yoga for relaxation and stress release. Try these Yoga DVDs'. This is one that I have been using: http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-
- If you need to talk to someone, you can go to http://www.liveperson.com/?utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=liveperson&utm_content=7062007458&utm_campaign=AdGroup&Network=Search&SiteTarget=&keywordid=102144&_kk=3f3b3ba2-9940-4eee-871b-3053f7270e80&_kt=7062007458&gclid=CKKTh9zx27QCFQioPAodbzsASg. This is a great site with great professionals who do talk therapy over the phone, through email, or by Skype.
- If all else fails, please contact your neurologist regarding your anxiety and remember that you are not alone in this fight.
