Hi all. I don't want to go way in to depth with my illness, but one of the things I have struggled with is going into public. I have a mix of POTS and CFS (which I'm sure are the same, ect)
I struggle with nausea/abdominal pain, also increased heart rate, feeling woozy, get over heated, muscle pain/tension all over, among other things. Problem is, I can get a huge! increase in symptoms in public places like the grocery, or a wedding, or school/church/athletic events.
It's like I already feel bad, then the thoughts run through my mind like: what if I pass out, what if I puke, ect. Then my symptoms start to shoot up quickly with no control. When I feel worse, the reaction is worse. When I am going through a better phase, my reaction is not as bad but still there. It's almost like having the opposite of claustrophobia. I hate going into big places with lots of people around because I can't potentially 'escape' at a moments notice...
I've tried CBT with a therapist, a few antidepressants here and there, meditation, ect.
One of the only meds that helps 'a little' is ativan.
Any advice?
I struggle with nausea/abdominal pain, also increased heart rate, feeling woozy, get over heated, muscle pain/tension all over, among other things. Problem is, I can get a huge! increase in symptoms in public places like the grocery, or a wedding, or school/church/athletic events.
It's like I already feel bad, then the thoughts run through my mind like: what if I pass out, what if I puke, ect. Then my symptoms start to shoot up quickly with no control. When I feel worse, the reaction is worse. When I am going through a better phase, my reaction is not as bad but still there. It's almost like having the opposite of claustrophobia. I hate going into big places with lots of people around because I can't potentially 'escape' at a moments notice...
I've tried CBT with a therapist, a few antidepressants here and there, meditation, ect.
One of the only meds that helps 'a little' is ativan.
Any advice?