u/Recent_Garage_8617

Hey everyone. I have a confirmed POTS diagnosis and have been told I experience hyperadrenergic states. I’m currently spiraling in a moderate nervous breakdown and feel entirely isolated. I feel like my anxiety is a severe, untreatable anomaly, even though I know a lot of it is physical.

My boyfriend is a firefighter on 24-hour shifts (+ paramedic school), and my separation anxiety on the days he is gone has become incapacitating. I live alone, which makes it worse. When I panic, I get severe derealization (feeling high, completely detached, like nothing is real or like I'm losing my mind) and my heart rate stays pinned at 120 BPM just sitting on the couch. I also get severe pressure in my head, neck ache ("coat hanger pain"), and ear fullness. I tried getting back on Sertraline recently, but it completely backfired—gave me a horrific adrenaline surge and severe derealization.

I recently realized I have been living in a severe chronic water deficit (only drinking 16–30 oz a day) and a calorie deficit (~500–1500 max, I’m 5’5 and 115 lbs) for months or years. My blood sugars test fine, but I know my liver is dumping cortisol/adrenaline to keep it that way. I tried drinking electrolytes today, but it took me all day because the concentration made me anxious/nauseous.
I’m trying to do prerequisites for nursing or sonography school, but this breakdown is making me question everything.

Propranolol doesn't feel like enough to stop these severe chemical terror dumps. For those of you with hyperPOTS, what treatments worked to turn off the central adrenaline faucet? Have you tried Guanfacine, Clonidine, or Ivabradine? Also, did slowly correcting a chronic fluid/calorie deficit significantly lower your daily surges and lift the constant derealization?

Any success stories from people who got through clinicals or handle first-responder lifestyles with hyperPOTS would mean the world. Thank you!

Hey everyone. I started back on Zoloft (25mg) two days ago after a 6-month break. I’ve taken it before in life (off and on maybe 3-5 times with the last time being about a year and discontinued 6 months ago) but tonight (Day 2) I am hit with severe panic, a weird "high" feeling, paranoia, and my body feels numb and tingly. My body doesn’t feel like it’s mine.

It's Friday night so I am waiting until morning to call my doctor, and I'm definitely skipping my next dose until I talk to them. I'm just incredibly stressed and scared right now. Did anyone else experience this severe "activation" or jitteriness when starting? How long did it take to wear off? Looking for some comfort tonight. Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with worsening anxiety over the past few months that has started to significantly affect my daily life. I’m experiencing frequent panic symptoms, health anxiety, derealization/depersonalization (feeling unreal or detached from my surroundings), dizziness, and intense fear-based thoughts.

I’ve also started avoiding things like driving and being alone at times because the symptoms feel overwhelming. I am currently working with doctors, have upcoming testing scheduled, and am considering restarting medication and continuing therapy.

One of the hardest parts right now is that I feel very alone when I’m not with my boyfriend, who works long and demanding shifts. I don’t have a strong support system nearby, and when I’m by myself my symptoms and anxiety tend to feel much worse. This has been making everything harder to cope with.

I’m not looking for medical advice or reassurance about symptoms—more just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar with panic, derealization, and feeling overwhelmed when alone, and if anything has helped you cope or improve over time.

Thank you for reading.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with worsening anxiety over the past few months that has started to significantly affect my daily life. I’m experiencing frequent panic symptoms, health anxiety, derealization/depersonalization (feeling unreal or detached from my surroundings), dizziness, and intense fear-based thoughts.

I’ve also started avoiding things like driving and being alone at times because the symptoms feel overwhelming. I am currently working with doctors, have upcoming testing scheduled, and am considering restarting medication and continuing therapy.

One of the hardest parts right now is that I feel very alone when I’m not with my boyfriend, who works long and demanding shifts. I don’t have a strong support system nearby, and when I’m by myself my symptoms and anxiety tend to feel much worse. This has been making everything harder to cope with.

I’m not looking for medical advice or reassurance about symptoms—more just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar with panic, derealization, and feeling overwhelmed when alone, and if anything has helped you cope or improve over time.

Thank you for reading.

This might be a very silly question, but are there any nurses out there who struggle with severe anxiety and agoraphobia? I am a pre-nursing major and struggle with anxiety and a agoraphobia. I am currently a medical assistant at a pediatric office. I have had coming and going waves of this, sometimes I am fine, but other times there are moments where I am getting medical history or scheduling a patient and I start to panic and I get dizzy and hot. I also get derealization. I don’t know why this happens! It usually lasts for a few days, but I’m currently in my longest flareup of it. I have a fear of panicking in front of people or in the wrong situations or passing out. I have never even fainted in my life. I do have POTS and hypermobility and some undiagnosed headache and neck pain that is being sorted out, so I am wondering if that has to do with making my panic worse. I also don’t think I have a fear of seeing medical things, my bf is a firefighter/paramedic so we talk about all the things he sees and I have been a patient a lot since childhood. So I am very used to the medical environment. But I always have a fear in my head that I will panic or faint in clinicals and make a fool of myself. Any input or advice would be so helpful! I am feeling so discouraged! (BTW- I am seeking therapy and will start soon!)