Question:
Hello,
Many years ago, before I was born, my mom had an episode where she felt like she was having a heart attack. She went to the hospital and they told her it was an anxiety attack and sent her home and told her to take benedryl and get some sleep.
About 6 years ago my mom had another episode but this one seems to be different. I was present for this, and she was screaming at the top of her lungs, and started pulling on her hair and crying. She said she didn't care about anything and wanted to die. At the time my parents were going through a lot of stress and anxiety, lots of money problems (my dad had been laid off several times and because of his age ended up getting a job making a third of what he was making), among other problems. I feel as though this was definitely a nervous breakdown, she did calm down and got rest and never went to the hospital.
So, within 6 months of that event I bought a house, they filed for bankrupcty, moved in with me, and I take care of their financial situation. She agrees that she has had nothing to worry about much the past 6 years, the happiest she has been with no reasons for anxiety or stress.
Yet today she has had two different episodes. I was in my room and I heard her start to laugh, and her laughty increased rapidly until it sounded like a different person and it was extremely loud and uncontrollable until it turned into out-right screams. My dad grabbed hold of her and called for me, by time I got there she had stopped screaming but was crying and saying she was okay, she just needed rest. She kept saying how she just needs to lay down and get rest. She said she laughed because she made a basket when throwing paper into the wastebasket but doesn't know why she lost control.
Well, because of this my dad told me she had another episode earlier today that she didn't want me to know about where she kept saying something was wrong with her and she couldn't walk. He said it took a long time to just get her to walk 3 feet to the bed to lay down and when he grabbed her hands they were ice cold. She said she felt like she was moving in slow motion until she couldn't move at all. She said she was extremely afraid she was dieing and felt really short of breath. She seems fine now, but I'm afraid something else will happen.
She is refusing to go to the hospital because she says they will just say it's anxiety and send her home, and they live off of my dad's social security with no insurance. I can't even describe how much I love my mother and am extremely worried about her. I am posting on here with the hopes that other people with experience with anxiety attacks and hopefully may be able to confirm that this is just anxiety. The symptoms I've read seem similar to what she is describing, but I can't be sure. Thank you to anybody who took the time to read this, and hopefully someone on here may have had similar symptoms and were diagnosed as an anxiety attack. She is 59 years old, and recently had a check-up when she had to renew her thyroid medication and the blood-work came back perfect as far as cholesterol, sugar, bood-pressure, etc. Mental illness runs in her family as far as depression, several of her sisters and my sisters have to take medication for depression. I know she has had depression in the past, but she never went to a doctor or took medication. But like I said, the past 6 years she has been great.
Any insight would be helpful, thanks.
Answer:
I don't know if this is anxiety, but I do know that no matter what the money situation she needs to be seen by SOMEONE. That should be the ER if need be. If they are that financially strapped they can get some help through the state. Ask at the hospital about it. I would not let it go again without taking her in. JMO.
Answer:
Make her get checked. You mentioned she is on thyroid meds. Sometimes thyroid can cause the sluggish feeling and the cold hands I think, so have that checked too. Depression running in the family is a good indication that she could have a chemical imbalance which would cause anxiety.
I had my first panic attack after a day at the spa. massage, facial, pedicure, yadayada. How much less stress could you be feeling after a day like that?!? Sometimes we dont recognise the things that are stressing us. She may be subconciously feeling like a burdon to you which would cause anxiety and her attacks. She needs to be checked!!!! Im not sure of these things, I do say maybe, but that kind of behavior isnt normal and needs to be addressed.
Good Luck and I hope she can be treated so you all can have peace of mind.
Feel well, Felicia