1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Our TMS drop-in chat is tomorrow (Saturday) from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern (***NOTE*** now on US Daylight Time). It's a great way to get quick and interactive peer support, with Steve2 as your host. Look for the red Chat flag on top of the menu bar!

Should I Take Time Off from School to Sort My Life Out?

Discussion in 'Support Subforum' started by Balsa11, Dec 18, 2020.

  1. Balsa11

    Balsa11 Well known member

    Ever since withdrawal from Zoloft last April, I have overcome lots of nerve sensations only to be left fatigued, with constant panic attacks, joint aches, thinner stretchy skin, and reflux as well as occasional numbness/ dizziness/joint puffiness/slight instability. I was completely healthy before this. How do I stop getting sicker or making myself sicker? I was thinking of taking a quarter off from college so I can get treatment and make lifestyle changes. It has affected my academics and quality of life. Is it just something I can push through or is it worth getting help for? I thought this was just tension and anxiety but now I have no clue what's going on. I plateau for a few days and since it's finals week I feel like I'm getting worse. I want to cure this permanently. Is there any hope for a full recovery or will I have to live like this for the rest of my life? I don't feel safe seeing a doctor right now as COVID cases are spiking. I'm trying hard to stay positive and keep going. I don't even know what I want to do in life. I've been a successful and gifted student all my life and it's really hard to tell people I'm struggling because it's a constant thing(physical or mental), though I try to be honest about how I feel about things in general and not suppress my emotions. My mom is a narcissist and has hypermobile thumbs/really mild occasional rashes/wheezing. My dad has lupus because of dealing with her. I swear it was Zoloft but what can I do now? I haven't responded well to CBT aside from brief shifts in thinking, and I frequently bloat/have sluggish bowels. I don't feel like the person I was before taking Zoloft.

    Is there anything else I can try? Is it worth finding a doctor if I can't see them in person? TMS doctor? Ayurveda? Yoga and meditation? I really don't want to try any more drugs.

    Is this a gene mutation or is this all my fault? I'm at the end of my rope. I'm only 21 and I thought I would be healthier than my parents and yet this happened earlier.

    How do I stop myself from catastrophizing? I've done so many CBT worksheets and read so many advice posts but I still don't get it. Even if I practice during flare ups I just feel exhausted redirecting my brain and need something else to regain vitality and energy. My college major isn't the best fit for me but I've been doing it for years so I need to finish it to get a degree.

    I'm fixing my sleep and other lifestyle habits as well as working on my anxiety. I never exercised regularly in college or even now during the pandemic and I'm really regretting it but I get intense flare ups when I exercise so I'm trying to go back slowly and gradually. I'm also praying and doing Inner Engineering. Living my life works well for the most part to prevent anxious spirals, but the rest of my symptoms are more unpredictable. I don't know what else I can do. Should I take a gap quarter? And if so, what should I prioritize to get my life back as much as possible or improve my wellbeing? Can I even get completely better?
     
  2. Balsa11

    Balsa11 Well known member

    I've found focusing less on it helps better than therapy or journaling
     
  3. birdsetfree

    birdsetfree Well known member

    This is all TMS. Coming off the Zoloft would have heightened your emotions and consequently intensified your symptoms as they can flare up with stress. You have a lot of difficult situations that you are dealing with at a very young age but you are being very brave in all your efforts to sort them out and I am proud of you for that. I would suggest you redirect yourself to more emotional and physical self care. What are you doing for fun and just living your life? Are you giving yourself space to just breathe without having to do anything else at all. Give yourself permission to just exist and know that that is enough on some days.

    You can absolutely completely recover from this and with your open minded intelligence you will do it!
     
  4. Amber

    Amber New Member

    I don't know if anyone can tell you what to do about that, but I am 75 years old, and I sure wish that I could have del with my repression/anxiety issues when I was in college. I don't know if dropping out would help though. Please remember that TMS is from Tension and the more you can relax and increase the self care the better. Sometimes even forgetting about it for a while and noticing the feelings that come up. I do lots of meditation. Good luck and take care.
     
    Balsa11 likes this.

Share This Page