Do any of you other women on this board have or HAD issues with panic disorder? I have panic disorder, and it's been getting worse and worse. The panic attacks are happening more frequently, and feel worse each time. It's gotten to the point where I hate driving from my boyfriend's house to mine, because I'm afraid I'll have another panic attack. Especially at night. Anyway, so I'm strongly considering therapy for it. Does anyone have any information/ideas/suggestions regarding this? Anyone ever go to therapy for it? About how long did it take to start feeling better? And what did the therapy consist of? I've researched it enough, I don't need facts or anything. But I want to know how much therapy or other methods may have helped, and how quickly, etc. Thank you.
Also, if you would like to keep this somewhat private, feel free to PM me instead. I am just really in desperate need of suggestions, and consoling, lol...
I don't know if I have it. I think I may. I get panic attacks a lot. Sometimes I sit curled up on the couch for hours at a time, too afraid to move. Occasionally, I'll sleep on the couch, too terrified to go downstairs to my bedroom. Once, in high school, I had a really bad panic attack in the library where I lye almost paralyzed on the ground and was too freaked out to get up for a long time. It was in a part of the library no one went, so no one knew to call the nurse. Luckily, I had a couple open periods in a row that day, so I didn't miss class, but it wasn't exactly the best experience of my life. They're so weird. I don't even know what, if anything, triggors them.
Wow.... I get that where I'm too terrified to carry on AFTER an attack, but the attack itself doesn't usually last any longer than 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Sometimes not even that long. But, afterwards, I get a bit paranoid to carry on with things, because I'm afraid of having another episode and stuff. I usually just try to get to sleep after having one so that I don't have to deal with it anymore.
i did, after my first daughter. well, it had been sorta building up for some time. i'd have times when i couldn't bring myself to take the two steps out my door to my car to go get toilet paper at the grocery store without hyperventilating. more of an agoraphobic reaction, then. then it started to plague me even when i stayed home. i couldn't go anywhere, do anything at all. it was horrible. i finally got help, i was prescribed zoloft, actually. i was suffering both from depression and panic disorder. i took the meds for about a year, and managed to get right in my head again. i still have my moments, but i'm able to confront them. i get annoyed instead of panicky.
get help, preferably with a psychologist, not a psychiatrist (a world of difference between the two). it's good that you're looking for a solution, but everyone is different, and panic disorder could be generalized anxiety disorder, could be post traumatic stress disorder, could be any number of phobias; you get the picture... anyways, meds can help almost immediately if you're willing to go that route. they can also come with the price of other unwanted side effects. so; I'd recommend CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy), either in conjuction with meds or all by itself, especially if you don't want to take meds. CBT will work on both your mental health, and will arm you with relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and such. Three or four months of this therapy is usually enough to get a patient panic-free. this is incredibly common, as in this is what happens 33% of the time for people with panic disorder (development of agoraphobia, that is). that's why you should get help.
Thank you that what was a good amount of what I wanted to know. Also, haha, I know the difference between psychologists and psychiatrists, I have been to BOTH before for other problems. And, I'm going to school to be a therapist [which is different than both, actually] I sure as hell better get my shit straight so I can get my degree and be of some help lol. Anyway, yeah I'm definitely going to check into psychologists... And, I'd rather do CBT than meds, or both. I have been on medication before and it's not something I'd ever do again unless extremely necessary and last resort.
I was on Zoloft before. For depression...it made me even worse, to tell you the truth. I got CRAZY on that stuff. I've tried umpteen different anti-depressents...I'd rather not ever go back on them again either. Anyway, I'm glad you are doing better now. Hearing "success" stories from all of you is making me feel at a bit more ease now. Thanks everyone.
that you keep an open mind to solving a self-acknowledged problem is reason enough for kudo's. and I sympathize with anyone reluctant to take meds; it's incredibly frustrating to keep trying to find something that works (I know from experience, as well), or waiting to see if the side effects go away. good luck with school! shooting to be a practicing pscyhologist can be more than disheartening at times, especially if you know the field you want to focus on... I'm not licensed, but I went way down that road before veering off
Thanks everyone. My old therapist emailed me back today [she had retired] and she said one of the therapists who worked in the same building as she did deals with panic and she's going to talk to her for me to see if I can get in there. I'm quite relieved about that. I also am really proud... yesterday while driving to my boyfriends house I had another panic attack and I calmed myself down by doing the breathing and clearing my mind. As I started to calm down I threw on some Fiona Apple and sang along to that, because singing helps me get my breathing balanced. I still got to the point where I felt like I was going to pass out, but I'm so proud that I could actually calm myself without having to veer off the road to recline my seat and lie back for a minute. I think this will take practice, but I'm definitely optimistic about this getting better. Thank you, all of you so much!! By the way I have one more question, can frequent panic attacks lead to any physical problems? I was just wondering because shortly after these attacks started happening on a more frequent basis, I have been getting bumps on my toes and fingers. I went to the doctor for it today and she wasn't worried, but she also didn't really know what it was. The only reason I possibly would correlate this with my panic is because when I have the attacks my fingers and toes go mostly numb. Hmm, just curiosity about that. Anyone know of any weird physical side affects? I haven't read anything about there being any physical side affects except for during the actual attack. That is, aside from mental side affects like phobias.
the bumps are a normal reaction (although most don't get them, it's still normal). it's akin to an allergic reaction, or even shingles; the body is stressed out, histamines are released, and you break out. if the bumps don't go away on their own, take benadryl
Oh wow. Really? I hadn't expected I'd receive that type of answer. I didn't think that it was related to panic, I just threw out possibilities. Crazy. Well I went to the doctor for the bumps and she told me to take Benadryl anyhow, and she also gave me some hydrocortisone to make the swelling of the bumps go down.
