Anxiety?

[Domo]

Might I sound a bell of warning? Tranquilisers such as Xanax and Lorazepam are effective medications when taken irregularly and preferably in the short term (refer: Benzodiazepams) but if used too much are highly addictive. Some people can get away with taking them regularly over a long time, but many also crash and burn. There ARE alternatives, many of which are - IMO - superior. For example, Dosulepin, a TriCyclic Antidepressant at a low dose. It soothes, raises mood and acts as a sedative. Non addictive for the most too. Pregabalin is good too. In fact, there are many meds out there. And many can help tonnes. I guess what I'm saying is don't be afraid of meds, but do be realistic.

 

[PrincessJo]

My DS and I suffer from anxiety and we both have panic attacks. Planning our Disney vacations actually helps lessen my anxiety, believe it or not. When I first start planning, it is very stressful and overwhelming, but then I get my notebook with the calendar and I begin my new Excel spreadsheets and lean back and say aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. I make one decision at a time.

For me, if I have copies of everything and all of it is neatly organized and at the tip of my finger, I'm okay. Yes, my family, friends and coworkers tease me for my color coded notebook and spreadsheets, but hey, gotta do what you gotta do.

As a side note, DS and I both choose to be medication free. We both didn't like the way it made us feel. It's a personal choice

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Might I sound a bell of warning? Tranquilisers such as Xanax and Lorazepam are effective medications when taken irregularly and preferably in the short term (refer: Benzodiazepams) but if used too much are highly addictive. Some people can get away with taking them regularly over a long time, but many also crash and burn. There ARE alternatives, many of which are - IMO - superior. For example, Dosulepin, a TriCyclic Antidepressant at a low dose. It soothes, raises mood and acts as a sedative. Non addictive for the most too. Pregabalin is good too. In fact, there are many meds out there. And many can help tonnes. I guess what I'm saying is don't be afraid of meds, but do be realistic.

Looked up your meds because my DH is only doing Xanax at this point and he knows he has to get on something eventually. He was on meds before however he was zombified and could not work so he went off meds.

Dosulepin is not available in the USA. (Figures)

Looks like Pregabalin is marketed as Lyrica here in the USA.

Anymore you can throw out? Mainly his issue is depression, anxiety, rumination.

 

[Domo]

Looked up your meds because my DH is only doing Xanax at this point and he knows he has to get on something eventually. He was on meds before however he was zombified and could not work so he went off meds.

Dosulepin is not available in the USA. (Figures)

Looks like Pregabalin is marketed as Lyrica here in the USA.

Anymore you can throw out? Mainly his issue is depression, anxiety, rumination.

BuSpar (buspirone) can be very effective with minimal side effects; it's not always on the ball though. BUT - definitely worth a punt.

 

[Tasha228]

BuSpar (buspirone) can be very effective with minimal side effects; it's not always on the ball though. BUT - definitely worth a punt.

Yeah, a lot of people swear by it. I am NOT one of them. Gave me migraines that made me almost too sick to function and I stuck it out for weeks to see if would subside with time. It didn't. But tons of people love it with little effect. I've never claimed to be normal.

 

[roseaster]

BuSpar (buspirone) can be very effective with minimal side effects; it's not always on the ball though. BUT - definitely worth a punt.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA's) are rarely prescribed in the U.S. any more. The main reasons being that they require blood monitoring for levels, and people aren't, generally, compliant, and that if taken in high levels, either accidentally or purposely, they can be fatal as they cause heart arrhythmias. Unfortunately, for people who are depressed and anxious, overdose is a real concern.

Benzodiazepines (valium, xanax, klonopin) are addictive and should really only be used in the short term until your anxiety is under control, or very rarely for break through anxiety. If used on a regular basis you will need higher and higher doses as you can develop a tolerance. They also cause people to be sleepy or loopy, so they are not good on a regular basis if you need to be alert.

There are many effective medications on the market to treat anxiety. Many of the SSRIs (prozac, paxil, zoloft, celexa, lexapro) Some of the SNRIs (cymbalta) BuSpar is a mild, non narcotic tranquilizer. Some people complain it makes them drowsy, others not.

The thing to remember is that with psychiatric medication it is trial and error. What works for one person may not work for another. Unfortunately it is a trial and error until you find the medication and dose that works for you. Almost all of these medications take 14-21 days to build a therapeutic blood level, so don't become discouraged if they don't work immediately, or if the 1st one (or 2) don't work for you.

Therapy to learn mechanisms to cope with anxiety helps too.

OP. If you are having issues with anxiety, and planning a Disney trip is giving you anxiety have you though of, maybe, taking a vacation that is less active and requires less planning and structure? Maybe a nice island resort or a cruise (both of which would probably be cheaper anyway) where you could choose whether or not you felt up to a busy day, or not, on a day to day basis.

 

[Darcy03231]

OP, take this with the spirit in which it is intended. Give yourself a break. You don't have to plan everything to the nth degree to have a great trip. My brother and his family are not planners at all. They very much prefer to be spontaneous when they're on vacation. They did WDW recently, with children, and other than making their fast-pass reservations and a couple of must do dinner reservations they didn't plan a thing. They came back and raved about how much fun they had. If a line was too long, they just went on the next thing. If they wanted a sit down meal they called Disney Dining to see what was available for the time they wanted and went there. Sometimes they skipped their fast pass times if they were either in a different park or somewhere doing something else and rode the ride at a different time. This board can sometimes make people think that if they haven't made a strategic plan to cover absolutely everything contingency under the sun they aren't doing it right and they're doomed to have a terrible vacation. There are lots of people who go to WDW that either aren't planners or who don't know they should plan that still have wonderful trips.

 

[DaisyMom09]

Hey! I started a thread on this a while back on the disabilities board. Here's a link: http://www.disboards.com/threads/touring-the-parks-with-anxiety-disorder.3464921/ It's got some helpful suggestions some of us have come up with. Hope this helps!

 

[Domo]

You would probably benefit from a sedating medication rather than any old SSRI/SNRI/NARI etc. It may sound scary, but low doses of certain atypical antipsychotics can be extremely efficient. To be precise, the classic drugs of this type are Quetiapine (Seroquel) and Olanzapine (Zyprexa). At low doses the drugs do not act as antipsychotics, rather they behave as sedatives with the added quality of combatting so-called negative symptoms that can fuel anxiety. Do not fear the drug type; I found Olanzapine extremely useful in treating my anxiety.

 

[roseaster]

You would probably benefit from a sedating medication rather than any old SSRI/SNRI/NARI etc. It may sound scary, but low doses of certain atypical antipsychotics can be extremely efficient. To be precise, the classic drugs of this type are Quetiapine (Seroquel) and Olanzapine (Zyprexa). At low doses the drugs do not act as antipsychotics, rather they behave as sedatives with the added quality of combatting so-called negative symptoms that can fuel anxiety. Do not fear the drug type; I found Olanzapine extremely useful in treating my anxiety.

Are you a healthcare provider? I am also assuming that you are not in the US. In the US this would never be a 1st line treatment of anxiety. Antipsychotics, even atypical ones, come with a very large side effect profile one of which the most significant is prolonged Q-T interval, which is a heart arrhythmia, if you are unaware. Also, they are very sedating to someone who is not accustomed to this class of medication, so many cannot take them and work/drive/supervise children. Seroquel is very sedating, even in small doses.

"Any old" SSRI/SNRI? These are medications that are clinically proven to work with relatively low side effect profiles and little to no danger of overdose. They are very widely prescribed and very effective.

Anyone who is considering any type of medication should have a discussion with their healthcare provider to determine what is best for them. They should do research, real peer reviewed scientific research, and then sit down with their health care provider and discuss the pros and cons involved in long term therapy.

Also seeing a therapist and learning alternate coping techniques for when anxiety flares is a great idea. Things like exercise and yoga and meditation help, too. They aren't a cure, but being healthy absolutely helps.

 

[Domo]

Are you a healthcare provider? I am also assuming that you are not in the US. In the US this would never be a 1st line treatment of anxiety. Antipsychotics, even atypical ones, come with a very large side effect profile one of which the most significant is prolonged Q-T interval, which is a heart arrhythmia, if you are unaware. Also, they are very sedating to someone who is not accustomed to this class of medication, so many cannot take them and work/drive/supervise children. Seroquel is very sedating, even in small doses.

"Any old" SSRI/SNRI? These are medications that are clinically proven to work with relatively low side effect profiles and little to no danger of overdose. They are very widely prescribed and very effective.

Anyone who is considering any type of medication should have a discussion with their healthcare provider to determine what is best for them. They should do research, real peer reviewed scientific research, and then sit down with their health care provider and discuss the pros and cons involved in long term therapy.

Also seeing a therapist and learning alternate coping techniques for when anxiety flares is a great idea. Things like exercise and yoga and meditation help, too. They aren't a cure, but being healthy absolutely helps.

Call me someone with a long history with medications. I won't go into details, but I have a nasty illness profile and have taken a lot of different medications - every SSRI, SNRI, NARI, most TCAs, TTAs, MAOIs, AAPs, TAs, mood stabilisers, tranquilisers, hypnotics and anxiolityics. Thanks to this experience I am a jaded moderator on the leading psychiatric medication forum/database on the net (which will remain nameless lest I am guilty of advertising) and I like to think that experience multiplied by research has left me in The Know.

 

[Domo]

One other idea is pretty out there, but still practiced by experienced psychiatrists - beta blockers, such as Propranolol. They will help fight panic attacks, and can chill you out, but may make you feel giddy or weak.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

BuSpar (buspirone) can be very effective with minimal side effects; it's not always on the ball though. BUT - definitely worth a punt.

Thanks, has already been on the usual suspects.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

One other idea is pretty out there, but still practiced by experienced psychiatrists - beta blockers, such as Propranolol. They will help fight panic attacks, and can chill you out, but may make you feel giddy or weak.

Yes one of my dd's was on that and had to be taken off it very slowly since she has a heart condition.

My dh has had a heart attack and triple bypass so not sure his cardiologist would be onboard with that.

 

[Domo]

Some more suggestions (I don't know if they're available in the US or not!)

Pazinaclone
Suproclone
Suriclone
Etafenoxine/Etifoxine
Ocinaplon

 

[MamaLema]

I suffer from anxiety also. My doctor wouldn't give me meds and sent me to see a counsellor. At first I was upset but then I realized that therapy, exercise and coping techniques are much better for you than any meds because meds just mask the problem. Learning to cope is harder but I think overall better.

You are not alone and you would be surprised just how many people have anxiety. If Disney planning is really stressing you out, why not plan a much more relaxing vacation somewhere else?

 

[Delphinidae]

Thank you, everyone, for all the responses. There were several things asked about/pointed out in many of the replies that I should have clarified in my first post:

This is not a solo trip, it will be me, DH, DD13, and DD10. We are booked at AKL for August, and so far I have 3 dining reservations booked that I may or may not actually keep, lol. No real plans other than that and I don't even know if that will stay as the days we are going to parks may be rearranged. I don't know that it's the Disney planning so much that is stressing me as it is the CHANGES that keep spilling out. The last trip I planned was not anxiety-causing and was actually one of the things I would turn to to relieve any anxiety I may have had at the time. But changing park hours, different paid events after hours, Rivers of Light uncertainty, timelines for the new/refurb rides, the fact that they are considering adding fees for parking, resort fees, who knows what else has kind of killed it for me. I don't even know if all of that is still even being talked about or has been implemented or not as I finally had to stop reading about it all because it was something new every day. Also the last time we went (2012) there were no Magic Bands or Fastpass plus so I'm trying to decide our best plan of action for FP+. I would PREFER to not have to plan every single thing, just a couple of restaurants we want and if there are rides that we absolutely must have FP for. Other than that, I like to have a general touring plan that will hit all our must-dos but not keep us to a rigid timeline.

Medication/doctors. Should have mentioned that part. I did see a doctor about this, last time was when I was married to my ex, probably in 2012 or 2013. I did end up being prescribed Zoloft to take every day, and Xanax to use on an as-needed basis. They did help with my anxiety, but I felt like the Xanax did more for me during high anxiety times. I don't know how I really felt about the Zoloft because sometimes I would feel like I really could not care less about anything. Not like in the depressed not caring way, but like nothing would bother me and I didn't even care if I paid bills on time, would just brush it all off. Things got really bad in the few months before I filed for divorce and up until it was actually finalized, where I was probably taking Xanax at least every other day. After everything was done and I moved, and eventually met a WONDERFUL guy who is literally my soulmate, I was feeling so much better that I stopped taking everything, which in hindsight I probably shouldn't have done. I do have plans to go see another doctor and figure something out. I just kept putting it off because it bummed me out that my new life and happiness wasn't enough to keep the anxiety away for good. :/

My husband suffers from severe anxiety. He is mainly unmedicated, but has one pill he takes when the stress starts. I am going to assume there are no children on this trip. That alleviates a lot of stress. Also are you traveling alone? We did Disneyland right before Christmas, and we had a lot of issues due to us being uneducated about how Disney handled this. Since we went as a family, if need be, I was able to stand in line, and my husband was able to meet me at the loading area. Also take it slow. Do not do rope drop if it stresses you out. Take breaks. If you are traveling in a group, take some time for yourself. Even if it is just to browse a gift shop, get a drink, or watch others on a ride. Know that is it gets to be too much, you can always go back to the hotel to rest. Sleep in! My dad came with us, so I was able to meet him at the park with my kids, and DH came later. Just take it at your own pace. Enjoy your trip!

Thank you! I would like to try rope drop, as we never made it on time during the last trip, lol, and I really do enjoy being there from open to close. Crowds do bother me, but they bother me way less at Disney than anywhere else. We have never been in August, it's always been May/June or September, so I'm hoping it won't be wall to wall.

Not a silly post, anxiety is a PITA.

I suspect you have some depression going on here with your planning. Anxiety and depression kind of go hand in hand.

I have been dealing with family members for yrs with severe anxiety, depression & bipolar issues.

What solutions would be acceptable to you?

You could hire a TA to care of details for this trip. Esp. if you really want a trip.
And it is OK to do this, you just have to allow yourself to do it.

You could do some talk therapy to help you with your planning. As odd as that sounds, it is actually something very healthy to do.

Or if you do not want to do the 2 things above, you could break down your planning and do a little bit each week. However this does take some discipline on your part and I would only suggest that if you feel you could do that. You have to be careful about skirting the depression.

We openly talk here at home about healthy ways to go about life with regards to anxiety & depression since I have to deal with many personalities with issues.

I am pretty certain that there is some sort of underlying depression, though I'm not sure where it comes from exactly and the anxiety is way more prominent. For this trip, I actually did book with a TA just because we got an amazing deal, but as far as letting her handle everything, I'm not sure I can let go enough lol. I may need to find someone I can talk to about it that isn't a professional counselor, someone who will just listen. It's hard to talk about it with friends or family who don't understand that you can't just "stop worrying about it".

I do not have anxiety and cannot offer advice but I do wish you the best.

Thank you!

I deal with this as well. It's always been an issue but it's gotten worse post-divorce. At times I shake in stressful situations--super fun. My therapist told me to talk to my md which I have yet to do but need to because it's dramatically impacted my quality of life.

Definitely make time to do this.

I have lifelong anxiety that I just deal with and can usually cope. But I have to agree with you on the trip planning. I have always been a BIG planner, but with all the changes they've made over the last few years with Disney (ADRs WAY out, FP+, etc) it just kind of killed the joy for me. I don't even want to do it, but I do want to go.

I think this is exactly why planning this particular trip is stressing me so much! It makes me sad because every other time I had so much fun planning! Now I always dread it because of what other new thing they've changed or started to charge for or taken away

This idea probably won't be warmly welcomed here, but I feel it's worth a moment's consideration anyway. We've all loved our Disney trips in the past and looked forward to an opportunity to return. The changes over the past several years have removed our incentive to return. WDW doesn't offer the style of vacation we enjoy anymore. Some of your hesitations may be legitimate, not anxiety related at all.

I would encourage you to think about it seriously and decide if your concerns are for concrete reasons that might encourage you to vacation elsewhere, of course being careful not to fall into a trap of letting your anxiety get the better of you and prevent you from enjoying a WDW trip if that's truly your heart's desire. Good luck and have a fabulous vacation, whatever that may mean for you.

I think that one reason I want to go right now so much is because my kids are 13 and 10 and this may be the last Disney trip for a while. There are tons of other trips I want to take, but I want to get one more Disney in before they get much older.

Do you "have" to go to Disney at this point in your life? I'm not asking to be mean, but if the changes at Disney are stressing you out, and the planning needed these days is giving you anxiety, I wonder if a trip at this point in time is really healthy for you. Are you planning on going solo, or are there others going, too? If it's just you, I would most definitely put off a trip, even for a few months, and get the anxiety better managed. It seems like these days, a trip to Disney entails a great deal of advance planning--meals, fast passes, etc.--I can see where it could trigger your anxiety. A lower-keyed vacation might be a better choice--maybe a resort with activities available, if you chose, or even a cruise? A Disney cruise might hit yoru sweet spot--Disney characters and fun, but a lot less planning, and plenty of activities to do (or not).

I already explained most of this, but I think if it was just me, I'd already be there, and I wouldn't need to plan much at all, lol! I've been on only one cruise, but I loved it and definitely want to do more. I would love to bring the kids and take a Disney cruise with them, but it is WAY too expensive for us and I check back all the time to try to find specials with no luck. So while it may not be able to be with Disney a cruise is definitely on the list for probably next year or the year after with the kiddos. Just want to get one more trip to the World before they get much older.

OP, take this with the spirit in which it is intended. Give yourself a break. You don't have to plan everything to the nth degree to have a great trip. My brother and his family are not planners at all. They very much prefer to be spontaneous when they're on vacation. They did WDW recently, with children, and other than making their fast-pass reservations and a couple of must do dinner reservations they didn't plan a thing. They came back and raved about how much fun they had. If a line was too long, they just went on the next thing. If they wanted a sit down meal they called Disney Dining to see what was available for the time they wanted and went there. Sometimes they skipped their fast pass times if they were either in a different park or somewhere doing something else and rode the ride at a different time. This board can sometimes make people think that if they haven't made a strategic plan to cover absolutely everything contingency under the sun they aren't doing it right and they're doomed to have a terrible vacation. There are lots of people who go to WDW that either aren't planners or who don't know they should plan that still have wonderful trips.

That is more or less what I like to do, plan the "must-do's" and kind of just go with the flow for the rest. Though I will admit sometimes I need at least a loose plan or I get stressed. But I don't like having a rigid schedule either.

Hey! I started a thread on this a while back on the disabilities board. Here's a link: http://www.disboards.com/threads/touring-the-parks-with-anxiety-disorder.3464921/ It's got some helpful suggestions some of us have come up with. Hope this helps!

Thank you! I will check it out!

Whew! Sorry this was so LONG!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You would probably benefit from a sedating medication rather than any old SSRI/SNRI/NARI etc. It may sound scary, but low doses of certain atypical antipsychotics can be extremely efficient. To be precise, the classic drugs of this type are Quetiapine (Seroquel) and Olanzapine (Zyprexa). At low doses the drugs do not act as antipsychotics, rather they behave as sedatives with the added quality of combatting so-called negative symptoms that can fuel anxiety. Do not fear the drug type; I found Olanzapine extremely useful in treating my anxiety.

DH's mom was schizophrenic and Zyprexa was the thing that did the trick. DH did the Seroquel with no luck.

Might have to look into the Zyprexa. Interesting, thanks for the idea.

 

[::danielle::]

I do suffer from generalized anxiety disorder as well, so I know how much of a challenge it can be. The most important skill to learn when suffering from anxiety is mindfulness. I've read some awesome books by Gina Lake (you can find them on amazon for a great price) It may sound too simple to be effective, but living in the moment is really the key to happiness. That coupled with meditating has been really beneficial for me. Also watch the amount of sugar and caffeine you're having on a daily basis.

THIS! In January, a life coach encouraged me to try meditations and affirmations. I resisted because they sounded so "new age" to me. She challenged me to do it every day for 30 days. I always did it at bedtime (I often fell asleep) but also when I feel anxious, and during other "mindless" times such as cooking or cleaning. I felt SO much better! I still listen to them daily. I also listen to audio books about anxiety which help me to understand the physiological and emotional aspects as well as my triggers. In addition, exercising helps as well. I never want to exercise but there's a huge difference in my sense of calm when I do vs. when I don't.

If it helps, I use the free anxiety meditations, self hypnosis, and affirmations available on YouTube. The audiobooks are available free through my library. I would highly encourage you to give it a try.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Call me someone with a long history with medications. I won't go into details, but I have a nasty illness profile and have taken a lot of different medications - every SSRI, SNRI, NARI, most TCAs, TTAs, MAOIs, AAPs, TAs, mood stabilisers, tranquilisers, hypnotics and anxiolityics. Thanks to this experience I am a jaded moderator on the leading psychiatric medication forum/database on the net (which will remain nameless lest I am guilty of advertising) and I like to think that experience multiplied by research has left me in The Know.

To be fair to posters here, I am aware that Domo has a history of medication use and that is why I asked him here on this post.

A bit of a high jack but it is worth understanding his perspective on meds. If you ever had ran through the gamut of meds it can be informative to get a med perspective.

And yes, I do agree that meds are not the be all end all.

OP, working on your anxiety is a job. You just have to find what works for you.