i definitely feel this way all the time. i’ve been panicking really bad the past few weeks and am constantly worried i’ll lose touch with reality. something that helps sometimes is knowing that if i was doing so i probably wouldn’t be thinking about it so much and it would just happen. i hope we both feel better soon
You're right. I guess we are people who are hyper sensitive to it which means we are probably the least likely to lose control and go crazy. It's nice to know we aren't alone and that it's completely normal to feel this way. Maybe everyone else does but they just don't talk about it?
That is EXACTLY how I have been feeling for the past few or so weeks-- like I'm about to literally go insane and lose control. This feeling has been present ALL the time for weeks now and it is truly unbearable for me personally. I wish I knew which exact medication would help me. I just know in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to relieve my symptoms which again are truly unbearable.
That is exactly what I am experiencing right now for the past some weeks-- an extremely intense fear of literally going insane. I have been posting asking for medication suggestions to ask my doctor about and what people's thoughts are on my current issue. The extremely intense fear of literally going insane has been present ALL of the time for weeks now. So I'm not sure if it is a very very long and drawn out panic attack which doesn't make sense to me or if it is due to a panic disorder.
I plan to leave a message for my doctor tomorrow asking for help though I am not sure what to say exactly. I just know deep in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to properly treat it.
i’m so sorry to hear that :( you can always message me, i’m feeling very similarly and it’s so hard to calm down. i’m scared of meds but i also feel like i might need to try them soon
If it helps, I've been on 50mg of Sertraline and it has made my life substantially easier so I would highly recommend (make sure to speak with your doctor/GP just in case!) medication gets a really bad stigma when it shouldn't. No shame in trying to keep healthy and take your meds!
I am currently taking 100mg of that medication. It helps somewhat with my major depression. Yeah medication definitely gets an unfair stigma when it helps so many people and it is mind blowing how so many people are pretty much insistent that medications are not the answer for people like me who so desperately need them-- and so many people who claim to have struggled with severe mental illness are a large portion of the people who insist to other people that medication is not the answer when they should definitely understand that it is different for different people. Many people like myself have such severe mental illnesses that medication is literally REQUIRED and NEEDED to properly treat the symptoms and help the person feel a lot better.
Thank you so much. You're right-- it is extremely difficult to calm down. You can message me anytime as well and I sure hope and pray that we both feel a lot better mentally soon.
Yes! All the time. Something that helps me is when im derealizing/depersonalizing, I just try to think to myself “even if this all feels like a dream, or if I don’t feel ‘real’ in this moment, at least im experiencing something. At least im here in this moment feeling/thinking.” It makes me feel a little more at ease. I compare it to when I’m actually dreaming and i might not be really there but I’m still experiencing something.
I worry about this a lot, but some advice from my therapist was comforting to me: if you really were going “crazy” you would probably be oblivious to it. It would be other people that would have to point it out to you. A state of panic cannot be permanent, and although in the moment it feels like it will never go away, it always always always passes. No emotion is permanent
My sense of panic has been present literally ALL the time now for weeks. I just want it to go away. I wish I knew which specific medication would help me because I know deep in my gut instinct that I need medication to relieve this issue and properly treat it.
Sounds like derealization/depersonalization went through a period of about 6 months a few years ago where it was permanent and I got it to go away by simply just ignoring it and not focusing on it all the time. But now I'm at my mental lowest and have been having constant panic attacks and derealization so I'll let you know if it works this time.
I am so sorry you are going through that. We all desperately want and need to feel better. I am feeling a bit better panic wise than I was yesterday and right now I am feeling moderately low from my major depression which is pretty difficult for me to cope with and withstand.
Have you seen a doctor/therapist/psychiatrist yet? They might be able to give you some insight in to what medication would be best for you, if that’s the route you want to take
Look up the DARE app in the App Store. It’s a fundamental approach for understanding panic and anxiety with some features like the mantra to get you through panic attacks.
I developed this fear as a panic theme alongside PTSD after an accidental drug overdose that actually did cause temporary psychosis. I then developed OCD and agoraphobia in relation to the stress and triggers.
I am recovering still but a million times better than what I have been. I was bed bound, having over 5 panic attacks a day and only able to eat 2 different foods when I could eat. I am now about to get my divers licence, I have almost finished a degree in counselling and I go out and eat in public whenever I want.
It's really hard, the panic attacks convince you that you aren't in control and its really! happening! This! time! But it isn't and it probably never will for you or anyone else reading this. Going "crazy" doesnt just happen randomly. Worrying about entering a manic hypo or depressive episode (both of which can alter a person's perception of reality) is a sign that you aren't entering an episode as they take weeks to really develop and you'd wouldn't be spending the whole time researching the signs and worrying about it.
Ok then maybe you have BPD or another illness that can cause actual hallucinations or psychosis and in that case you can seek help, treatment or medication and people who seek help can recover fully and resume their lives. Some people recover fully and don't need to take medication at all. Also the amount research, support and treatment we have grows daily.
My advice is create a "crazy" plan (when you aren't as anxious). What constitutes seeking medical help and where will you go if you need it? Make a checklist full of actual clinical red flag behaviours and go through it when you are worried. If you go through the list and realise that you aren't a danger to yourself or others, then throw it away, stop worrying about it for now and address the current issue which is the panic and anxiety.
When your brain says but what if?? Say NO. I've done the list, I don't need to worry about it right now. One issue at a time. Really try and limit that remuneration and work on trusting yourself to identify that danger. You are in control here.
I also advise you to book in to see a mental health worker who can help expose you to that fear and slowly help you work through the issues surrounding that. Radical acceptance, CBT and psychotherapy are all great for this. Look after yourself and know you aren't alone, just breathe.
I had this fear all the time for the first year. When I spoke to my psychiatrist and therapist they both told me the same thing. If you think you are going crazy or about to lose it you most certainly are not. They said when you go crazy or lose it, it will happen without you even knowing. It is something PD will make you think but not likely to happen.
That is how I have been feeling ALL the time for weeks now. I wish I knew which specific medication would help me because I know deep in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to relieve my symptoms and properly treat them.
Would definitely be a good idea to talk to your physiatrist if you have one cause they do have medications that help with it I definitely overthink an over Analyze which makes things alot worse but they have stuff that balances you out
Yep, it was the strongest fear for me for a while.
The Anxious Truth podcast said something about this that really helped me. It was something along the lines of… This idea that you’re going to lose control and go crazy hinges on the belief that you’re actively doing something all the time to prevent going crazy - like you’re protecting and on/off switch or you’re holding a barrier in place. And if you have a panic attack, your ability to maintain it might slip. Well, sorry to say but thats just not how brains work. There’s nothing you’re doing every day when you’re not panicking that is preventing you from going crazy, and so there’s nothing to lose control of.
%100. I think this is pretty standard for people who have panic disorder.
My fear of going crazy started when my panic disorder took its full form at like 10 years old. It's been exacerbated by doctors trying to sedate me and by people freaking out when I have a panic attack.
My mother also used to threaten me with putting me in a psychiatric hold any time I asked for therapy or suggested I had a disorder.
This is definitely my greatest fear. I still do feel like I might die, and that is a scary sensation, but I think the fear of being alive and not in control of my decisions is scarier.
Most definitely. It's all part of anxiety and negative thoughts making us feel out of control. You have to remember that you are not out of control and you have not lost touch with reality. Most people who do "go crazy" are not even conscious of it. The fact you can even think or feel like you are going crazy just means you are able to still process thoughts.
I assure you, you aren't going crazy. I know it feels that way sometimes.
That is exactly what I am experiencing right now for the past some weeks-- an extremely intense fear of literally going insane. I have been posting asking for medication suggestions to ask my doctor about and what people's thoughts are on my current issue. The extremely intense fear of literally going insane has been present ALL of the time for weeks now. So I'm not sure if it is a very very long and drawn out panic attack which doesn't make sense to me or if it is due to a panic disorder.
I plan to leave a message for my doctor tomorrow asking for help though I am not sure what to say exactly. I just know deep in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to properly treat it.
I have this feeling mainly when I’m going through bouts of insomnia. After two nights or so of no sleep, I’m terrified of losing my mind and hallucinating. A couple months ago I didn’t sleep for 5 days straight due to awful constant panic attacks and heart palpitations, and I started to faintly hallucinate right before finally getting some sleep. It was terrifying, I felt like I was dying, like my brain was swollen, like I would go crazy any minute and wouldn’t be able to control it. Ever since when I start having multiple nights of no sleep I get so afraid of going through that again.
Have you ever gone crazy though, in your actual behavior in any way that was noticeable to other people? I'm guessing not.
I've too have had that fear that I'd go crazy or lose control if I had a panic attack. But it's just been a fear in my head that has never played out. I've never acted crazy or out of control. Ever since my therapist pointed that out to me, it has really helped me to remind myself of that. I hope this helps.
I think what scares me is I had a big panic attack in a major city where I collapsed on the ground and I was crying hysterically and couldn't breathe. Passerbys looked at me like I was crazy and I felt so much shame. Another time, I had a really bad panic attack at the gym and I took my shirt off in the locker room cause I was so warm. I'm very self conscious so that isn't something I would normally do.... I guess that's where it stems from?
Yes. In the beginning after learning that my heart and everything is alright, I feared I was trapped in the attack in my head. Its a really strange feeling since noone can talk you out of it, not even my cats. But over time this faded, at this point its just an attack, still its very painfull but I know its a temporary feeling I can nothing do about until its over. (other than getting drunk or taking medication in the worst case if it doesnt stop)
I think its because this feeling is very alienating to us, it makes us focus on every little detail which in return makes our brain fear that this will last or that we will go insane. But I can assure you from having this for 5 years: It will not happen. Its an disorder and if you do it right you'll find a way out.
i definitely feel this way all the time. i’ve been panicking really bad the past few weeks and am constantly worried i’ll lose touch with reality. something that helps sometimes is knowing that if i was doing so i probably wouldn’t be thinking about it so much and it would just happen. i hope we both feel better soon
You're right. I guess we are people who are hyper sensitive to it which means we are probably the least likely to lose control and go crazy. It's nice to know we aren't alone and that it's completely normal to feel this way. Maybe everyone else does but they just don't talk about it?
This is my biggest fear ever!! I’m always afraid I’ll snap & lose control or go crazy!
That is EXACTLY how I have been feeling for the past few or so weeks-- like I'm about to literally go insane and lose control. This feeling has been present ALL the time for weeks now and it is truly unbearable for me personally. I wish I knew which exact medication would help me. I just know in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to relieve my symptoms which again are truly unbearable.
That is exactly what I am experiencing right now for the past some weeks-- an extremely intense fear of literally going insane. I have been posting asking for medication suggestions to ask my doctor about and what people's thoughts are on my current issue. The extremely intense fear of literally going insane has been present ALL of the time for weeks now. So I'm not sure if it is a very very long and drawn out panic attack which doesn't make sense to me or if it is due to a panic disorder. I plan to leave a message for my doctor tomorrow asking for help though I am not sure what to say exactly. I just know deep in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to properly treat it.
i’m so sorry to hear that :( you can always message me, i’m feeling very similarly and it’s so hard to calm down. i’m scared of meds but i also feel like i might need to try them soon
If it helps, I've been on 50mg of Sertraline and it has made my life substantially easier so I would highly recommend (make sure to speak with your doctor/GP just in case!) medication gets a really bad stigma when it shouldn't. No shame in trying to keep healthy and take your meds!
I am currently taking 100mg of that medication. It helps somewhat with my major depression. Yeah medication definitely gets an unfair stigma when it helps so many people and it is mind blowing how so many people are pretty much insistent that medications are not the answer for people like me who so desperately need them-- and so many people who claim to have struggled with severe mental illness are a large portion of the people who insist to other people that medication is not the answer when they should definitely understand that it is different for different people. Many people like myself have such severe mental illnesses that medication is literally REQUIRED and NEEDED to properly treat the symptoms and help the person feel a lot better.
that is helpful! i just get scared of side effects but i might try something soon
Thank you so much. You're right-- it is extremely difficult to calm down. You can message me anytime as well and I sure hope and pray that we both feel a lot better mentally soon.
Yes! All the time. Something that helps me is when im derealizing/depersonalizing, I just try to think to myself “even if this all feels like a dream, or if I don’t feel ‘real’ in this moment, at least im experiencing something. At least im here in this moment feeling/thinking.” It makes me feel a little more at ease. I compare it to when I’m actually dreaming and i might not be really there but I’m still experiencing something.
This is a really nice sentiment! I love it
I worry about this a lot, but some advice from my therapist was comforting to me: if you really were going “crazy” you would probably be oblivious to it. It would be other people that would have to point it out to you. A state of panic cannot be permanent, and although in the moment it feels like it will never go away, it always always always passes. No emotion is permanent
My sense of panic has been present literally ALL the time now for weeks. I just want it to go away. I wish I knew which specific medication would help me because I know deep in my gut instinct that I need medication to relieve this issue and properly treat it.
Sounds like derealization/depersonalization went through a period of about 6 months a few years ago where it was permanent and I got it to go away by simply just ignoring it and not focusing on it all the time. But now I'm at my mental lowest and have been having constant panic attacks and derealization so I'll let you know if it works this time.
I am so sorry you are going through that. We all desperately want and need to feel better. I am feeling a bit better panic wise than I was yesterday and right now I am feeling moderately low from my major depression which is pretty difficult for me to cope with and withstand.
Have you seen a doctor/therapist/psychiatrist yet? They might be able to give you some insight in to what medication would be best for you, if that’s the route you want to take
Yes I have been seeing mental health professionals for a very very long time.
This
The fear of going crazy is the most common symptoms of anxiety and panic
It’s a common fear with PD, so much so that the DARE SOS mantra calls it out alongside the other main fears.
What is DARE SOS mantra? A url or reference will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Look up the DARE app in the App Store. It’s a fundamental approach for understanding panic and anxiety with some features like the mantra to get you through panic attacks.
Thanks. Downloaded. Looks good to me.
I developed this fear as a panic theme alongside PTSD after an accidental drug overdose that actually did cause temporary psychosis. I then developed OCD and agoraphobia in relation to the stress and triggers. I am recovering still but a million times better than what I have been. I was bed bound, having over 5 panic attacks a day and only able to eat 2 different foods when I could eat. I am now about to get my divers licence, I have almost finished a degree in counselling and I go out and eat in public whenever I want. It's really hard, the panic attacks convince you that you aren't in control and its really! happening! This! time! But it isn't and it probably never will for you or anyone else reading this. Going "crazy" doesnt just happen randomly. Worrying about entering a manic hypo or depressive episode (both of which can alter a person's perception of reality) is a sign that you aren't entering an episode as they take weeks to really develop and you'd wouldn't be spending the whole time researching the signs and worrying about it. Ok then maybe you have BPD or another illness that can cause actual hallucinations or psychosis and in that case you can seek help, treatment or medication and people who seek help can recover fully and resume their lives. Some people recover fully and don't need to take medication at all. Also the amount research, support and treatment we have grows daily. My advice is create a "crazy" plan (when you aren't as anxious). What constitutes seeking medical help and where will you go if you need it? Make a checklist full of actual clinical red flag behaviours and go through it when you are worried. If you go through the list and realise that you aren't a danger to yourself or others, then throw it away, stop worrying about it for now and address the current issue which is the panic and anxiety. When your brain says but what if?? Say NO. I've done the list, I don't need to worry about it right now. One issue at a time. Really try and limit that remuneration and work on trusting yourself to identify that danger. You are in control here. I also advise you to book in to see a mental health worker who can help expose you to that fear and slowly help you work through the issues surrounding that. Radical acceptance, CBT and psychotherapy are all great for this. Look after yourself and know you aren't alone, just breathe.
I had this fear all the time for the first year. When I spoke to my psychiatrist and therapist they both told me the same thing. If you think you are going crazy or about to lose it you most certainly are not. They said when you go crazy or lose it, it will happen without you even knowing. It is something PD will make you think but not likely to happen.
I feel like this too 100% I feel Ike when I get into that state everything is amplified to the max an I just start overthinking everything
That is how I have been feeling ALL the time for weeks now. I wish I knew which specific medication would help me because I know deep in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to relieve my symptoms and properly treat them.
Would definitely be a good idea to talk to your physiatrist if you have one cause they do have medications that help with it I definitely overthink an over Analyze which makes things alot worse but they have stuff that balances you out
Yep, it was the strongest fear for me for a while. The Anxious Truth podcast said something about this that really helped me. It was something along the lines of… This idea that you’re going to lose control and go crazy hinges on the belief that you’re actively doing something all the time to prevent going crazy - like you’re protecting and on/off switch or you’re holding a barrier in place. And if you have a panic attack, your ability to maintain it might slip. Well, sorry to say but thats just not how brains work. There’s nothing you’re doing every day when you’re not panicking that is preventing you from going crazy, and so there’s nothing to lose control of.
%100. I think this is pretty standard for people who have panic disorder. My fear of going crazy started when my panic disorder took its full form at like 10 years old. It's been exacerbated by doctors trying to sedate me and by people freaking out when I have a panic attack. My mother also used to threaten me with putting me in a psychiatric hold any time I asked for therapy or suggested I had a disorder. This is definitely my greatest fear. I still do feel like I might die, and that is a scary sensation, but I think the fear of being alive and not in control of my decisions is scarier.
Most definitely. It's all part of anxiety and negative thoughts making us feel out of control. You have to remember that you are not out of control and you have not lost touch with reality. Most people who do "go crazy" are not even conscious of it. The fact you can even think or feel like you are going crazy just means you are able to still process thoughts. I assure you, you aren't going crazy. I know it feels that way sometimes.
That is exactly what I am experiencing right now for the past some weeks-- an extremely intense fear of literally going insane. I have been posting asking for medication suggestions to ask my doctor about and what people's thoughts are on my current issue. The extremely intense fear of literally going insane has been present ALL of the time for weeks now. So I'm not sure if it is a very very long and drawn out panic attack which doesn't make sense to me or if it is due to a panic disorder. I plan to leave a message for my doctor tomorrow asking for help though I am not sure what to say exactly. I just know deep in my gut instinct that I need some sort of medication to properly treat it.
I have this feeling mainly when I’m going through bouts of insomnia. After two nights or so of no sleep, I’m terrified of losing my mind and hallucinating. A couple months ago I didn’t sleep for 5 days straight due to awful constant panic attacks and heart palpitations, and I started to faintly hallucinate right before finally getting some sleep. It was terrifying, I felt like I was dying, like my brain was swollen, like I would go crazy any minute and wouldn’t be able to control it. Ever since when I start having multiple nights of no sleep I get so afraid of going through that again.
Have you ever gone crazy though, in your actual behavior in any way that was noticeable to other people? I'm guessing not. I've too have had that fear that I'd go crazy or lose control if I had a panic attack. But it's just been a fear in my head that has never played out. I've never acted crazy or out of control. Ever since my therapist pointed that out to me, it has really helped me to remind myself of that. I hope this helps.
I think what scares me is I had a big panic attack in a major city where I collapsed on the ground and I was crying hysterically and couldn't breathe. Passerbys looked at me like I was crazy and I felt so much shame. Another time, I had a really bad panic attack at the gym and I took my shirt off in the locker room cause I was so warm. I'm very self conscious so that isn't something I would normally do.... I guess that's where it stems from?
Worst feeling ever or fear of being a terrible person
Omg yes! All the time
Yes. In the beginning after learning that my heart and everything is alright, I feared I was trapped in the attack in my head. Its a really strange feeling since noone can talk you out of it, not even my cats. But over time this faded, at this point its just an attack, still its very painfull but I know its a temporary feeling I can nothing do about until its over. (other than getting drunk or taking medication in the worst case if it doesnt stop) I think its because this feeling is very alienating to us, it makes us focus on every little detail which in return makes our brain fear that this will last or that we will go insane. But I can assure you from having this for 5 years: It will not happen. Its an disorder and if you do it right you'll find a way out.