Question

A friend of mine has told me alternative therapies such as massage or acupuncture will help me. I’m not sure if I should try them.

Answer

Massage and acupuncture can help to release and balance bodily tensions. As with all other therapies, we need to learn to control and^fnanage the anxiety and attacks ourselves. While we are learning the management skills, massage and acupuncture can be useful in reducing anxiety and tension. In the long term they can help keep our bodies relaxed.

Question

lam not happy about taking prescribed medications and I am wondering if herbal medications and vitamin therapy would help me instead.

Answer

Herbal and vitamin preparations are used regularly by many people. They can be bought over the counter or prescribed by a herbalist or naturopath. They can be helpful in easing the condition, but again they do not teach us the necessary skills for the long-term management of the disorder.

There is, however, one note of caution regarding these and other medications. Some people have reactions to them which are put down to anxiety; yet when the medication is discontinued the reactions disappear. If we are using these preparations, we must be aware of how we feel after taking them. We should not assume any new sensation or symptom is part of the disorder. It may be a reaction to the medication.

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It was one of those beautiful autumn evenings. The light from the setting sun filtered through the trees and their leaves blazed with colour. Jane wondered how many other people were looking at this natural masterpiece as they hurried home after the day’s work. Jane knew that she had never taken much notice before. Now was different. Once or twice a day she would be struck by the beauty of her surroundings. A moment here, a moment there. But those moments were precious in their spontaneity. They added to the peace she felt within herself. She was amazed at the last few years of her life. It had not always been like this. The years of panic disorder/agoraphobia had appeared to take everything from her. They were desolate years. The fight back was long and hard but she knew now it had been worth it. Everything that had been taken away from her had been given back a thousand-fold. She was at peace with herself and she was free.

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Remember, any person, including one facing emergency surgery, still has a right to know beforehand what is likely to be found and how the surgeon will probably want to deal with it. Any person also has a right to set limits on what he or she will permit. We discussed this earlier in this chapter. For example, the emergency patient described above may not wish to have a colostomy (bowel emptying through an opening on the abdominal wall). He or she has the right to refuse a colostomy and also the right to know what could happen because of such a refusal. Refusal may not create a problem if the surgeon can relieve the obstruction by some other means, such as removing or bypassing the blocked section of bowel. However, if this is not possible, the person’s refusal to have a colostomy could mean his or her death within a few days of the operation. Knowing this, he or she is still entitled to refuse a colostomy. No surgeon has the right to override an adult patient’s refusal to agree to any procedure, even though that procedure could be temporarily life saving. You know what’s best for you. You know what you can and can’t handle. You may know that you would rather die than have some drastic temporarily life saving treatment. Hold on to what is right for you.

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There are some cases when all efforts to make a pre-operative diagnosis are either unsuccessful or prevented by the urgency of the situation. Here is an example of the first type of situation. A person has had persistent abdominal pain and weight loss, for which no cause can be found on clinical examination and extensive tests. Cancer is suspected but cannot be proved. An exploratory operation may be recommended. In this case the person must either be prepared to have two major abdominal operations within a few days of each other, or agree to the surgeon immediately performing whatever operation seems best once the diagnosis is made. Fortunately, it is rarely so difficult to make a diagnosis. If such an exploratory operation is recommended to you I suggest that you ask for a second opinion before agreeing to it. Another doctor may be able to think of a way of making the diagnosis without operating.

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