Serious question for the older ladies amongst us.

[karla]

keep in mind that the way through life is not always just about "losing" things (our way, our minds etc). More often than not it is all about gaining - it's just that the old has to move for the new to come in. You may find after this "breakthrough" that you have a new internal strength, peace and understanding never experienced before.

A while ago, after Little Boy was born (definately a hormonal thing) I become very isolated because of major panic attacks .. .to the point of total inability to leave the four walls of my home. I thought they would have to lock me up, and that I would lose my children. Yet today I'm doing things I never dreamed that I would be capable of, and am happier than I have ever been before.

I learned humilty, I learned how to ask for help, how to talk to people about what was going on without shame (it's amazing how many others go through the same stuff) and how to laugh at myself. And I can relate to others on a different level, because I understand what it feels like to go more than a little crazy, and to recover from the pits of what seemed like hell.

It's hard to change .. .but change is the one thing that is constant, and we are powerless over it. All we have to do really is take care of ourselves, and enjoy each day as it brings us, and those around us, new opportunities to learn and grow.

[slimjim]

yes and to may very well pay you to speak with your family doctor...could need blood test...check chemical unbalance..you may need vitam D tablets,fish oil...etc...my wife is going though this stage of her life..and be asking you are not losing out on anything..had the wife call in tear's..felt she had lost where she had parked her car...No love i dropped you off and was taken it for a warrant...huge relief...however now we spend more time with speaking and supporting her if she feels unsure..it may feel very scarey...but i'll still start with seen your doctor and asking for blood tests...all the best

[Trudes]

Buy a GPS and some remote finders for your keys. Helpful eh? NOT!!!

[Monamie]

Found this joke that went around a while ago.....

AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS....PLEASE READ!


Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.

Somehow I feel better,even though I have it!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm,and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke,a vase of flowers on the counter
catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk,but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter,fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.

Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So I set the remote back on the table,get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
The car isn't washed
The bills aren't paid
There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
The flowers don't have enough water,
There is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all damn day,
And I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem,
And I'll try to get some help for it,
But first I'll check my e-mail....
Do me a favor.
Forward this message to everyone you know,
Because I don't remember who the hell I've sent it to.
Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

[vifferman]

you may need vitam D tablets,fish oil...etc.

I've had a few panic attacks, usually when I'm really tired, although I haven't had any for quite a while. The "quite a while" may coincide with taking tablets for arthritis that contain (among other things) Omega 3. This was deliberate on my part - not only are they more effective than other tablets I've tried, but I figured the Omega 3 might help with my brain and it seems it may have. This is only anecdotal, of course, so doesn't prove anything.
BTW - women are generally worse at navigation than men. In part, it's some physiological thing to do with spatial co-ordination and with minute magnetic deposits in the skull that women generally lack, but which help men to navigate when they're out hunting sabretooth tigers, mammoths and squirrels.
When we were in Yurp, my wife was freaking out when we were walking around the towns on our own because within a few turns on the narrow streets, she was completely disoriented. I even had to buy a map in Venice, just to reassure her. I opened it once, just to prove I knew where we were going.

[Gizzit]

THAT ... is brilliant !! I love it.
Princess .... it happens to men and women I think ... (well I'm hoping guys get it too .... otherwise I'm going to have a hard time explaining it !! lol)

Ronda and I are 50's kids .... and we just laugh about it all the time! We work as a team so that one of us hopefully remembers what the plan was ... lol. You just have to laugh and not get too down about it. There is a LOT of it about !!

Now .... what was the question .... ????

Found this joke that went around a while ago.....

AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS....PLEASE READ!
Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.
Somehow I feel better,even though I have it!!
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. ...... SNIP .......

.................................................. ...............

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

[Imbray]

My parents call it C.R.A.F.T - can't remember a f@#%ing thing.

My mum use to leave home 1/2hr early to drive around & around & around & around untill she found where she worked, was ok untill last few blocks???, & all ways parks in the same spot in her small town or she can't find the car, she'll either wait or go home if she can't park within 5 spaces, otherwise she's mostly normal??

[Skyryder]

Only had one panic attack that was when the world litterally turned upside down. Long story that one and not for here but they pass and if you can recognise the symptoms you can usually take measures to avoid them.

Skyryder

[Troppo]

Deep breaths............anxiety hates oxygen xxx

[Dutchee]

Thought of this thread riding home from Taupo yesterday.
I'm hoping it's what's causing what I'm going through at the moment. If not, I'm screwed.
As we went over the Bombays, I suddenly couldn't remember how to ride. How do you indicate, change gear, look over the shoulder, take corners? All that I could do was hang on, throttle on. I thought when I got to my usual commute area it might come right, it didn't.
I just had to think about how to do everything, force myself to do it and generally freak out. My husband was behind me and he didn't notice anything wrong (it was dark, so he wouldn't have seen how tense I was).
I've had minor attacks before now, but nothing like yesterday. I've had it where riding along on a twisty bit, I've looked at a corner and wondered how to take it, and thinking I have to get off the bike to manage it. Then remembered I've just gone through umpteen corners before now, so what the hell is wrong. The next corner will be fine and no problems after that.
I will be talking to a gynaecologist tomorrow, so maybe get some answers but I hope to never go through that again. Blaming Auckland traffic could be it, but it's not as though I don't ever ride - I commute every day and have had my bike about 3 months & done over 6500km in that time (not my first bike), so it's not a newbie thing.

[karla]

This happens to me sometimes when I am changing gears - I forget which way is up and which is down. I think it gets worse when I am tired, or when I am stressed, or emotional. If I'm any of those things, I just won't ride.

Some time back I went through a rough patch and the result was that I lost a whole lot of my confidence riding, and nothing felt natural. I even had fleeting thoughts of selling my bike, which is totally insane - riding has been the thing I have most enjoyed for the past three years. I was thinking about buying a spinning wheel instead.

I carried on riding like you did, despite what my head was telling me, and I was ok, and it has gotten better in time - the panic moments are less and I know that I can ride through them and be ok. I believe that my head will eventually stop chattering at me (you're not good enough) and leave me to ride peacefully.

Hope that everything turns out ok for you

[martybabe]

Babe it's a very strange stage your entering, my lovely bride still battles the demon as we speak. A few things I've noticed along the way;

Temperature, freezing hot or boiling cold never normal.

panic attacks

the loss of left or right as alternative directions, they are now united.

Tearfulness over TV commercials with puppy dogs in them.

Memory lapses, perfectly normal in my case but for a woman that remembers what she had for dinner 25 years ago, slightly disturbing.

And a whole host of others, some funny some definitely not, personally I enjoy the odd bouts of nymphomania most and the smacks round my head the least but it's all part of life, things do improve honest. As someone said before, Fish oil is helpful.

Good luck with it sweetheart, it ain't easy adapting but I'm guessing a few hormonal imbalances ain't gonna stop a Princess like you for long. x

[Gizzit]

My input was meant to be humorous, and in no way dismissing the issue, or your feelings. My wife struggles with this problem, with the emotions that are easily upset, the extreme heat and the cold (I can be handy for her - when she's cold!), the forgetfulness is a major, and driving at times for her is a real challenge.
We are a team, and I help her out ... and she helps me out when I forget things. We seem to make everything work ok .... between us! It seems like she is just unable to think at times, which is frustrating for her as she is a very bright woman. I love her ... and "we" will get through it. I'm sure you will too.
All the best,
Grant.

... from an old woman ...

[PrincessBandit]

Thank you guys! It's such a relief to know that others are going through it too, and really nice to have encouraging comments from you all including the men. It is so appreciated.
I haven't had any panic attacks since but must say the internal thermostat ain't working too well so the hot and cold thing (well, mainly hot) is frustrating at times. But if that's the worst of it for the majority of the time then I will be a very happy little princess.
You guys are just awesome!!

[u4ea]

Im an apprentice "that time of lifer"...I call it having the brains of a fish...3 second memory....eventually you get to the top for air and wonder what the hell all that going around in circles was about..