Back..Not Quite Intact

This is a very tough post. I just came back from my visit. I visited people I love very much who have beautiful, wonderful children. I love them all so much. Here's the thing though...
I'm totally wrecked. I'm wrecked because my visits are fewer and shorter than I would like because of my mental/physical problems. With all the love and fun the torture remains. My anxiety/ocd etc.,etc.,etc..... were in high gear because I was away from my nest. The last night there I awoke every couple of hours in a panic state. My thoughts were racing so much I couldn't even understand what I was thinking. I was just worried that I would start screaming and wake up my family. I didn't want to scare the kids. I was petrified. Every time I woke up I laid there frozen until the panic subsided. I was afraid things would escalate and I would be this frantic crazy-woman that had to be taken to the nearest psychiatric hospital. I thought that I had once again reached the point of no return. So,so,scary. Thankfully I was functional when I woke up in the morning. I don't mention these things to my loved ones. They really don't have time to read my blog, so hopefully they will not see this post. I am still sitting here scared even though I am home. My nervous system has to recover. Although I must say, it was worth going through this to see people that I love.

Oh, The Horror!

I realize that I'm always writing about my mind or the loss thereof. I go on and on ad nauseum. My mind is always on .....my mind. This nervous breakdown thing is a real pain in the ass. Modern psychiatry does not use the term "nervous breakdown".
However, I can't think of a more appropriate term for what has happened to me in the past. When a car breaks down, it stops going. That's what happened to me three or four times in my life, I stopped going. Each time I either slid or fell into this pit of despair and anxiety for months at a time. Fortunately, I was able to dig and claw my way out of the pit every time. The thing is, I never get far enough away from the pit. I live at the edge of this pit. Sometimes one foot slips in and I have to drag myself out again. I just never know when I'm going to fall in again. I'm used to having panic attacks, they come and go. My breakdowns always start with a panic attack. The difference is, it doesn't leave. It becomes an emotional state that just lasts and lasts. It doesn't have to be precipitated by anything traumatic, it just happens. Shit happens. When it happens, I feel really regressed, like a scared infant. I look in the mirror and see late middle aged, but I feel like an infant. Infants need care. I don't want to need care. I want to provide the care. I never want to be at the mercy of others. Anyhow, I am going away to visit family for a few days. The joy in this is always overshadowed by the fear of the breakdown. That's just the way it is. If anyone can relate to this, I'd appreciate the feedback. I guess I've said my piece. Thanks in advance for reading my post.