Should I get myself warded? (Anxiety-related)

I know, please consult your doctor. I will, but I just want to make sure I am not paying excessive money for anything.

Anyway to cut the long story short, I got into a quarrel with a co-worker during which I broke down and went hysterical. I got half-a-day off to calm down, visited a GP the next day to get some pain-killers for really tense shoulders and chest pains. And the usual dose of medication for my anxiety.

Those do not work. I am a nervous wreck now. Hell, I can’t even talk to anyone on MSN without ‘feeling’ that they are angry. I want to do a thousand and one things but I don’t feel like doing it. I have slept the entire Saturday away. My head hurts. Did I mention that xanax doesn’t seem to help.

I’m staying alone in a rented room (don’t wish to involve my landlord). I don’t think I can handle work. I don’t think I can handle seeing anyone from my work-place. If I do go to A&E and say, “I can’t cope with my anxiety anymore. I feel like screaming and pounding the table all the time”, can they do anything to help me?

Or should I just wait for it wear off?

(Yes. I wish I have someone to call to talk about this. But I don’t)

Can you afford it and do you have insurance? I’d say that it can’t hurt to get inpatient help as long as you never sign away your rights to leave when you want to, but maybe not if you’re going to be saddled with a huge debt that will stress you out more. I’m not sure what you mean by ‘get yourself warded’ but if you do it, go in voluntarily and don’t force someone to commit (section?) you there. You won’t be able to leave until they say that you can if that happens, at least not in the US.

Anti-anxiety & anti-depression meds work differently in each person. Some people get good results from ativan, for example, but in me, it makes me feel hyper-anxious and almost manic. (I’m not bipolar; manic is not one of my regular symptoms.) So it’s possible that xanax is just not the right pill for you.

It’s important to stay close to your doctors while you’re finding the right medication and dosage. Don’t hesitate to go the emergency room* if you think it would help. Tell them what meds you’re on and that you’re having a bad reaction and need some help with it. They’ll help you get through the weekend and then help put you in touch with s doctor who’s had experience treating anxiety/depression and you can start finding the right meds for you.

Your smart to take it seriously. It’s not you - it’s the medicine. If you need help with it, get it.

Hope you feel better soon.
*I’m in the US. I don’t know what A&E or MSN stand for. Here, it’s they’re cable tv stations.

Aside: A&E = Accident and Emergency

Karyn’s right. If you go on your own and leave yourself the option of walking away if you want to, you’ll at least be able to retain a little control over your life. Good luck.

A&E = accident and emergency
MSN = Microsoft Messenger (online chat)

Everyone I chat to online sounds angry, bore with me or something. Of course I know it just me being dumb, but I am on the edge of a panic attack all day.

Right now I am worried if I do get myself under observation, I may kiss goodbye to my job. And my superior did indicate to me it’s a heavy week. Here I go again. And there is this thought “everybody hates me. everybody mocks me” running through my mind over and over again.

If by Monday morning I am still a wreck, I guess I would go A&E. My doctors aren’t around on weekends. I just hope my boss would understand.

Edit: By getting warded, it basically meaning going down to the A&E doc and say “I can’t take it anymore” and stay at the hospital for some time. My sister did that before and she was there for a week; intensive counseling and the such. Me? I know all the theory but my emotions just don’t care. Anything to help me to relax or stop the incessant automatic thoughts in my mind will be fine (as long as it does no permanent harm).

If you think that there’s a chance that you might hurt yourself you probably shouldn’t be alone all weekend if you can’t reach your doctor. You might want to call the hospital and ask for the number of their psychiatric ward, and talk to them about what the procedure would be for checking yourself in voluntarily, and if there’s someone that you can talk to about it. I’m not sure if your doctor is a psychiatrist or not, but the hospital staff will be able to work with them to help you figure out what’s next when they’re back on Monday. Hang in there.

You aren’t being dumb, you are feeling anxious and I’m sorry you are going through this. Have you thought about giving the NHS Direct line a call? If I remember, I think you have to explain your symptoms to the operator and then a nurse or doctor calls you back and you discuss your available options with them.

In the mean time, I sympathise with the racing thoughts which is why I am going to pass on a tip which is to write them all down. Simply, you cannot write as quickly as the thoughts can race. And they can really race, can’t they? Right into a sort of white noise of anxiety. Writing them down on paper therefore forces your brain to slow a little and gives you a chance to breathe.

IANAD, but I will say, chatting online is not necessarily a de-stressing activity. It’s a difficult form of communication, because no one sees anyone’s body language. If you are really in danger of a breakdown, Karyn’s advice is wise. If you feel you are in control for now, doing things like calmly going for a walk around the block, slowly drinking a big glass of water, doing a puzzle or reading a book or magazine, doing simple errands or chores, those are things more likely to keep you calm.

Also, since you are not in the US I’m not sure what is available to you, but here there are often crisis hotlines or employee assistance programs that can put you in touch with someone just to talk with. They can help you assess the situation as to whether you need to go to the hospital now or not. The phone book or information or Googling may help you find something in your area.

I can tell you first-hand that being in an inpatient psychiatric ward isn’t that bad. Just bring enough to read and keep an open mind. You get to see doctors on rounds at least once a day as well as social workers and the nurses are there 24/7. There are some unusual restrictions like no belts or razors but those are fairly minor. You also get to sleep a lot and go to a few simple classes.

You may have an undiagnosed greater disorder that they can figure out inpatient a lot faster than outpatient in general as well. They also tend to give you stronger drugs because they personally give you the doses personally and monitor you. Not all hospitals are created equally however so do some research before you go. Some have visiting hours to help keep everyone informed. I have done it several times (I am Bipolar I) and don’t regret it at all. You also get to see other patients that are many times worse off than you.

If your company is large enough (over 50 employees) your job should be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and you will protected when your doctor decides you can come back to work.

Thank guys; I’m not in the US (see location :smiley: ) but there is a SoS hot-line that can be called. It already has been the third day (tomorrow I am due for work) I am still feeling listless and there’s a pounding pain in my chest.

Everything sounds stressful to me - I can’t code (freelance programmer), can’t concentrate on a book, can’t even get absorbed into a video game. I just want to sleep and I think I am getting a pretty unhealthy amount of it.

Sorry for the donkey stories; the last time this happened was during my examinations last year. I grit on and I passed, but it was the most horrible feeling ever. The counselor was urging me to give up on the papers.

The sad thing is that all those are probably previous baggage and the quarrel just triggered lot of things.

Thanks for the advice; I really wish some of you are staying at the same little island country as I am so I could get help. I really have no one to turn to now. My friends are either going through their own job stress, or study stress and my parents are of no help at all.

I guess I am getting more stressed and anxious about being stressed and anxious. Ouch.

I’m Bipolar l also and we take racing thoughts to the pro level. It’s almost impossible to slow it down by sheer force of will. You shouldn’t feel weak because it isn’t something you can command yourself to stop once it’s past a certain point and anxiety is probably similar. I found that reading helped because I could read as fast as my brain could race and it was impossible to freak out and read at the same time. Let yourself read trash that you normally wouldn’t if that makes it easier. If it helps, I remember not being able to concentrate enough to do basic life functions but it never happens anymore. It can get fixed.

May not be a help, but can you smoke something? Pot is an anxiety drug here in Cali… Don’t particularly like it myself, but it works- depends on your circumstance…

Would that little island happen to be Singapore? Your post struck a chord with me cos everyone there seems to be suffering from anxiety/stress of some sort. I’m not in the spore at the moment but I could make some enquiries for you if you want.

Music can sometimes touch anxiety in a way words can’t. Do you have some soothing type music. Put it on, get comfortable, and just breathe. Go to A&E if you need to, and in my opinion, you need to.

How are you feeling today?

I feel genuinely sorry for people with anxiety disorders. My advice is to do whatever your doctor or therapist says to relieve your stress.

Also, being alone probably doesn’t help much. It sounds like you might be lonely, considering the only interaction with other people that you have mentioned is with coworkers or doctors. Go have a drink at a bar or attend a sports game or see if you can find a community of people who like the same activities you do, even if it’s something goofy like video games or charades or dungeons and dragons.

Anxiety, ugh. I really wish you weren’t going through this. I had similar issues that luckily went away on their own. I know how bad it can get. I came really close cashing out all my saving and running away to some distant city. Going to work was pure hell, but somehow I managed to pull it off and my life stayed on track.

Can you see a psychiatrist for this before you go to a ward? Checking into a ward sound a little drastic. Anxiety might go away if you learn to think straight. Sometimes only drugs will help, but you should at least try to talk to a professional and get your issues sorted out.

Right now you feel like you’ll do anything to fix your anxiety, that’s why checking into a ward sounds like a good idea. You won’t have to work and other people get to take care of you all day. How badly would this derail your life? Would your bosses be ok with you checking yourself into a ward? If it will send your life off course then try to do smaller things before checking yourself in.

Since you have experienced this type of anxiety before it might be related to conditions in your life right now. Not having anyone to talk to is probably setting it off. Go talk to a psychiatrist if you can. You need someone sane to talk to, I wouldn’t rely on what your brain is telling you.

Does alcohol work? I wouldn’t try it if you have drinking problems, but if you just need to get through the weekend it’s been known to work.

If this is being triggered by you being really lonely (or something similar) then please don’t ignore this. You have to face the fact that you’ll continue to suffer through this anxiety if you do nothing about your problems.

Thanks for the kind words.

I have been receiving treatment for about 10 years. So I am no stranger to this, but that the medication I am taking not helping is a first. Right now everyone is on “pretend nothing has happened” and it works quite well…so far

Meanwhile. inside me, I think my paranoia circuit is tripped. I feel agitated too and feel short of breath (a trick of the mind, I know). There are like 101 things that I want to do and need to do but I can’t find the energy and this makes it more agonizing. My shoulder hurts, the left side of my body is in pain, I feel breathless and tired, and seems to react to large noise. On top of that, it’s time for me to start my repaying of my uni fees and other loans.

The idea of being warded is so that I can exit my high-tension hyper-anxiety state so that I have a clear mind. I tried sleeping whole days, tried distraction but I still feel really tense. Also, I find myself wondering if people are talking behind my back, what they really thing - and can I cope with anything at all?

It’s like an emotional dam being broken and all the self-doubt, paranoia, worry and impatience drowning me.

Not fun.

Yes, it’s Singapore.

More background - I am actually resuming a part of my military service, so taking an extended MC is not that bad; but I will have to explain to the MO (military doctor) and justify it, and to me that a shitload of stress. As it is conscription, a lot of MOs always assumed that the solider is malingering.

That lots of people fake depression to go into services vocation instead of combat doesn’t help too.

The loneliness is not the trigger, but it is a big factor. I don’t have anyone to talk to. Or anyone who understand. I just need the time for all the adrenaline or whatever chemical to die down so that I can live normally, but God knows how long it takes. The last time it took me months, and I am still recovering from a major incident.

I do programming as freelance to keep myself alive. Now even the most minor of task looks impossible to me. I can literally feel the tension and stress throughout my body