Red wine is nature's great tranquilizer, hon.

Don't drink the whole bottle at once, though.

i don't know how old your oldest child is, so you may already know this. a female friend of mine told me one thing when i was going thru all my court drama and visitation with my kiddo (and was looking for someone to choke, since i wouldn't choke the mom, lol) and it really choked me up, but opened my eyes. she basically said, "no matter what you're going thru now, continue to do everything you can and at some point your daughter will figure out how you fought for her and well, that's already the win."

i realize you have quite a bit more things weighing on you and i feel for u with those, i really do - been a tough summer for me too - but i'd be patronizing to try to offer you advice on them. because i'm not living it with you. i do hope everything goes your way on monday.

however, back to my first reply. you'd feel immensely better if you just stood in front of a mirror naked as a jaybird and painted cartoon characters all over those sweaterpups with your kids' fingerpaint and just laughed at yourself ... (then took a pic for area 69 of course)

Ale


All I can do is share what happened to me and how I dealt:


In may last year ,a relationship which meant everything to me fell apart and I completely dropped my bundle. Fortunately for me, my best mate, the lawyer, is ALSO an experienced psychiatric nurse--practitioner.He immediately saw I was falling apart due to a severe,overwhelming anxiety state. He took me to a doctor and got me some valium,which calmed me down at once. Two days later I got some medication which was not addictive. I needed medication to function for about 3 weeks.

I become livid when some moron tells anyone in emotional pain to 'suck it up'. Most of us do that ,most of the time,but sometimes we need help. The kind of help you need (if any) should be decided by you and your physician.

Just a little aside here, sedatives are not as sedating as one would think for people with anxiety. Strangely enough, they often just put people in a state of calm that is not blurry or anything. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I take a pediatric dose of ativan and I pass out. Still, it does not hurt to try. Beats having an anxiety attack in a courtroom. There is also no shame in it.

(August 11, 2012 at 8:26 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Don't drink the whole bottle at once, though.

Why do they bottle them in such servings then?

Quote:Just a little aside here, sedatives are not as sedating as one would think for people with anxiety

I am not a doctor,and made no broad claims. I outlined only MY experience and ended with the implicit suggestion to seek medical help.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000


From wiki. The full article is worth reading.

VALIUM (Diazepam)

SOME uses:

Quote:Diazepam has a broad spectrum of indications (most of which are off-label), including:

Treatment of anxiety, panic attacks, and states of agitation[8]
Treatment of neurovegetative symptoms associated with vertigo[24]
Treatment of the symptoms of alcohol, opiate and benzodiazepine withdrawal[8][25]
Short-term treatment of insomnia[8]
Treatment of tetanus, together with other measures of intensive -treatment[26]
Adjunctive treatment of spastic muscular paresis (paraplegia/tetraplegia) caused by cerebral or spinal cord conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury (long-term treatment is coupled with other rehabilitative measures)[27]
Palliative treatment of stiff person syndrome[28]
Pre- or postoperative sedation, anxiolysis and/or amnesia (e.g., before endoscopic or surgical procedures)[27]
Treatment of complications with a hallucinogen crisis and stimulant overdoses and psychosis, such as LSD, cocaine, or methamphetamine.[12]
Prophylactic treatment of oxygen toxicity during hyperbaric oxygen therapy[29]

Dosages should be determined on an individual basis, depending upon the condition to be treated, the severity of symptoms, the body weight of the patient, and any comorbid conditions the patient may have.[12]

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Quote:Contraindications

Use of diazepam should be avoided, when possible, in individuals with the following conditions:[34]

Ataxia
Severe hypoventilation
Acute narrow-angle glaucoma
Severe hepatic deficiencies (hepatitis and liver cirrhosis decrease elimination by a factor of two)
Severe renal deficiencies (for example, patients on dialysis)
Liver disorders
Severe respiratory disorders
Severe sleep apnea
Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by suicidal tendencies
Psychosis
Pregnancy or breast feeding
Caution required in elderly or debilitated patients
Coma or shock
Abrupt discontinuation of therapy
Acute intoxication with alcohol, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances (with the exception of some hallucinogens and/or stimulants, where it is occasionally used as a treatment for overdose)
History of alcohol or drug dependence
Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder causing marked fatiguability
Hypersensitivity or allergy to any drug in the benzodiazepine class

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valium#Spec...ion_needed

I do have a psychologist, and I've been getting treatment for PTSD that was actually caused by the very man I'm facing in court. That's been hard to swallow, as I've always been the sort of person who isn't phased by very much, but things sneak up on everyone, I guess.

I don't drink. Many people say that's my problem. I am not opposed to taking valium or ativan, and I very well might. I might even drink at this point.

It's funny that you bring up having a panic attack in the courtroom, Shell. That's what's causing a lot of my anxiety now, is the fear of that happening.

Oh, I wasn't saying you had made a generalization, pad. I was just going off your post and and her op and trying to say that there is no shame in sedation and it is not as sedating as one might think. Definitely not in any way a contradiction of your post or a correction of it. You were spot on.

(August 11, 2012 at 9:09 pm)aleialoura Wrote: I am not opposed to taking valium or ativan, and I very well might.

I caught a flight with a friend of mine, who is extremely anxious on planes.

He took a good dose of valium and was high as a kite (in the best way possible). Definitely helped him.

I do think he took 3 times the recommended dose though...

(August 11, 2012 at 9:09 pm)aleialoura Wrote: It's funny that you bring up having a panic attack in the courtroom, Shell. That's what's causing a lot of my anxiety now, is the fear of that happening.

As someone who has regular anxiety and had a six-year custody battle, I know that my saying this is not going to help, but I never had an anxiety attack in the court room. We are talking about someone who has spent hours shaking, nauseous and just straight out freaking on the inside. I was nervous as fuck, but I never had a hard time handling it, once I was there. As is nearly always the case, you will have a tough time on the way there. Nothing I can say will change that. Once you are in your groove, it should dissipate and you will leave feeling ten times better for not having thrown up on the table thingy.

---

(August 11, 2012 at 9:13 pm)Napoleon Wrote:

(August 11, 2012 at 9:09 pm)aleialoura Wrote: I am not opposed to taking valium or ativan, and I very well might.

I caught a flight with a friend of mine, who is extremely anxious on planes.

He took a good dose of valium and was high as a kite (in the best way possible). Definitely helped him.

I do think he took 3 times the recommended dose though...

I don't know what I would do without medication. I handled OCD without it for years up until about four months ago. It was the only way I could eat or sleep. It does help.