Hi everyone

I got full-blown anxiety in the 70's. I was a bright, attracive young woman with a fantastic job. Life couldn't have been better. I had one bad marriage behind me and ended it and struck out on my own to find out what I was all about. I enjoyed "getting to know me" and had many friends. I have always been out-going and compassionate for others because of this (and help from God) I met the man of my dreams. Oh, he was not wealthy and had an average job, but he's a wonderful man and I am happy to say we've been married 32 years (not without it's bumps here and there though. LOL) My father suffered a stroke and I was working long hours, rushing up to my parents to help my mom with my father and then coming home to the apartment and picking up speed there. This went on for many months and it "just caught up to me!" One day at work I felt like I had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer and I broke out into a sweat and all I wanted to do was run and hide. The long and short of it is ... altho my job was left open by this great co., I worked for I could not go back. I lost my job, my panic attacks took over my life and it turned into Agoraphobia. It was hell! I finally found a wonderful doctor (from Ireland) and he put me on a great SSRI (older one) and it was up-hill from then. I was only on the SSRI for 8 mos. I was back to normal! Then in 1996 had my gall bladder out and it was a lot more serious than the surgeon anticipated. I was pretty sick. After that the panic attacks came back full-fledged and I was devastated. My doctor put me on a low dose (.05 mgs) of Xanax and that is what I am on to this day. It gave me my life back and I am doing much better. I still have issues with driving freeways or on long trips, but I feel blessed that I can work, be happy once again (altho I do have my days) and all I can say is this Anxiety problem has really humbled me and made me see people in a different light. I am much more sensitive to people's feelings (I mean reallly sensitive!) A good learning tool in life.

Although I work, I have deticated my life to finding answers to this ever growing disease. Yes! It is a disease. I am most fortunate in having the opportunity of working with a few doctors, psychiatrists and getting their view of the situation as well as looking in other directions. I know that we are probably genetically inclined this way and now I am trying to prove that hormones (even in men) certainly play a large part in how we deal with stress. I just keep plugging away at it and I know that there will be a cure for this disease and it won't have to be controlled by medications that can sometimes leave us with unpleasant side effects.

Thanks for reading. It's great to be here.