i have suffered from this for about 2 1/2 years. anyone else had/have this problem? how do/did you cope/get over it? any suggested treatments? appreciate ANY help. thanks.
I have suffered from these for almost 8 years. Luckily there is lots you can do. Firstly, see a doctor to rule out any underlying medical causes, even wierd things like hypoglycemia and other medical problems can cause panic attacks. Seconldy, either see a psychologist or therapist of some kind and try to rule out any underlying psychological problems that could be causing them? Are there any specific situations that spur them? people? foods? substances? For me, it turned out to be purely a chemical imbalance. I am on medication which many may disagree with but it allows me to function normally and be a happy, content mom without always being fearful. This is NOT the case for everyone, but for me it was. I have tried weaning myself off of it several times with always the same result - spiraling depression and constant crippling anxiety. DO seek help, there are lots of people out there with similar problems and there is so much you can do to help yourself. As a sidenote--one thing that really helps me a lot is exercise. I run 20-30 miles a week. It's a good outlet for that "flight or fight" response.
My mother's panic attacks are so fast and intense that she passes out when suffering from them. My anxiety disorder has really worsened in the last year, to the point that I might feel paralyzed, disoriented and almost entirely unable to think rationally for several hours. These attacks used to result in avoidant behavior, or extreme anger. In recent times I have mostly been able to ride them out, function almost normally and stay outwardly calm. A few of the things that have helped me (if you haven't done them already) - Saw a very modern, open minded psychologist - Meditation (Very important in my opinion) - Thinking. ie. If I am extremely worried about something, instead of panicing, I try to think about what I can do to remedy the situation, and what inescapable realities I will need to accept. This is probably the best cure for general anxiety, and might calm you down overall, but will not help in a panic attack. - Eliminating undue stress from life - Learning self respect and how not to give a shit about what other people think Unfortunately, certain situations still seem to trigger panic attacks and I have as yet found no way to stop them. The pain, the worry and the stress is there, and its terrifying, but all of the above have enabled me to ride the attacks out whilst keeping in almost complete control. I think taking some sort of drug may be a good idea. I choose to avoid anti-depressants because I am stubborn and I can function without them, but sometimes I feel as if I am only "just" getting by.
I've had this since the 5th grade (I'm a freshman in college now). I just recently did a round of therapy and have been on medication for about a year. It has helped a lot. I haven't had a panic attack in a couple months. My therapist greatly stressed being aware of your emotions, but not letting them rule you, knowing that your true self can watch your physical self in a calm way. This, of course, is harder than it sounds. If you go see a therapist, this can be explained more in depth, and to suit your situation. So, aside from professional help, some things that I find helpful are: *Yoga. It did wonders. I had no panic attacks for about 6 months after I started. * Find SOMEONE to talk to. If you refuse to see a therapist, just find someone. I have used my parents to talk me down multiple times. I really cannot stress how important this is. It will pull you out of yourself, which is where you form more panic. *Try to avoid being anxious about your anxiety. You are not crazy. *Though this could be just me, avoid getting too tired. I think that you are much more susespitable to anxiety when you are not in a good mental state. Personally, I plan on doing some things like rock climbing or martial arts. I think that getting some of that fight or flight response out of my system in a controlled environment will be good for me. And remember-this is according to my docter- anxiety disorders root in an oversensitivity to our environment, which kept us alive as primative humans. So people like us are the reason why humanity still exists!
I get periodic panic attacks, the triggers being connected with childhood abuse and trauma. But they're much less frequent now, with the help of regular ongoing psychotherapy, daily journalling, anti-depressant medication and complementary medicine.
