Panic attacks

[1fastredsc]

This is a very sensitive subject, and if someone reading this doesn't feel comfortable with it, don't reply. I've been dealing with an anxiety disorder for about 6 years now. But six weeks ago it took a turn for the worst and i developed my first full blown panic attack. It had gotten so bad that i had to withdraw from school for a semester, and i hadn't left the house until yesterday. Now things are looking up finally as i broke my main fear yesterday (really hard) and am doing a little better (i have more work ahead of me yet). Is there anyone else who's had this problem? And can you tell me how you delt with it?

[Tishabet]

Are you already on a prescription drug regimen?

[Moses]

Sorry to hear about your struggles. I'm not an expert but I have a lot patients who deal with panic attacks and anxiety disorders. If it is getting so bad that you have to leave school and can't get on with your life, you truly need professional help. I know the medications aren't perfect, but I have seen them work wonders for people.

One thing about anxiety disorder and panic attacks, the prognosis is generally pretty good. It won't feel like this forever. Get youself some help. It can be a life saver. Good luck!

[Schrup]

I have dealt with anxiety disorder since I quit self medicating about 8 years ago. I thought I could remain chemical free, but after about a year & a half I had to see a doctor because I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't get out of bed. After explaining what was going on (omitting my drug history), he asked me if I had a history of using my drug of choice. I was shocked & stated that I didn't want anything in my medical records that reflected such. He said he sees people like me everyday. He gave me a prescription & explained how it would work coupled with my recovery program.

I have progressed enough in my program that I no longer need to take medication, but faced with that kind of anxiety again, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the doctor.

People who look down their nose at others who seek professional help for these kinds of problems are simply ignorant & have no clue to the personal hell that is involved. I suspect some in recovery programs buy into this backward thinking & end up doing their meditation with a gun in their mouth.

[Vipergrün]

Wow, took a lot of courage to post this on a public forum, I commend you. Have you been able to identify the "trigger" to your anxiety? You are not alone. Depression and anxiety go way back in my family tree. Seek some help before you get worse. There are a lot of choices in medications these days and you should be able to find one that has minimal side effects. Excercise can help too. Best of luck to you!

[Superman]

Yep, we appreciate your courage. I've had the shortness of breath phenomenon, but nothing like you're dealing with. Moses is correct. The field of psychology is still very much full of *****, but it has stumbled upon some techniques that can be effective. Further, clinical psychology is at least as much a gift as a skill. there are psychologists who are useless, and a few that are worth their weight in gold. find one of the latter. Also, yes there are drugs that can get you on top of this problem, where you can consciously deal with it. I do wish you the best of luck.

[A Quiet Boom]

I also commend your courage. I turned myself into an alcoholic at the age of 21 trying to self medicate. I dried up with the help of a doctor. I was diagnosed with severe panic disorder, meaning medication was about the only way to go. I have been alcohol free and on a very good CNS depressant for about 12 years now. I live a full and happy life with a good job and a family. My therapy is a mix of medication and cognative behaviorial. Please go visit a good psychiatrist, the quality of your liife depends on it.

Feel free to ask me anything either here or via PM

Sincerely,

Christian Sokolowski

[Wrecked944]

Hey, sorry to hear about your situation. I spent decades battling clinical depression and anxiety together. At my lowest point, I was actually out of work for over a year and ended up losing everything. So don't take this thing lightly. It's a serious condition.

That being said, it can also be amazingly easy to treat. After going through a string of well-intentioned, but ineffective doctors, I got a referral to one of the best psychopharmacologists in New England. He cost me a small fortune ($300 per hour), but he solved my problem with stunning efficiency. He prescribed meds very aggressively, monitored the results with an eagle eye, and adjusted dosages and chemicals like a master mechanic adjusting valves and carbs. So within a very few months after meeting him, my disease, which had once literally destroyed my life, was just a bad memory. I was (and still am) completely surprised by the dramatic turnaround.

So the moral? Don't skimp. Get the best doctor you can right away. My doctor charged more than the rest. But in the end, he cost less than the doctors who wasted a lot of my time and didn't solve the problem. Brain chemistry is a tricky thing. And most GP's and even most psychiatrists don't really understand it. So going to a super-qualified specialist really helped me a lot (obviously I am a big fan of medication - some of my colleagues at work have called me the poster child for "better living through chemistry").

And one more thought on the topic...take care of yourself. For some reason, we who suffer from these disorders seem to feel the need to do way too much and "fight" the symptoms. I did it and so did my friends with similar disorders. But now I say, "Fuk that". I recommend you take it easy, get some comfort food (delivered if necessary), watch the comedy channel and relax. If you had a broken leg, nobody would expect you to run a marathon, right? Same with anxiety (or depression). Feel free to blow off life for a while and let your doctor(s) figure out what to do.

Anyway, please feel free to contact me any time about this. I'm very comfortable talking about it. No problem. Good luck.

[tabs]

OK my friend you taken the first and most important step...your asking for help.

I do think you need a professional to help....It's a matter of being able to talk to someone who you can trust and who will not be judgemental about what you are feeling. I think talkiing will give you a sense of relief..that you have gotten what your fears are onto the table....Sombodies listening to how I feel.

This maybe a bit early in the discussion..but I feel medication can help for the short term..to get yourself back on an even keel....but medication doesn't untangle the deeper issuses of why you are having these attacks...

I personally think you keep things inside, until something triggers a release of these feelings all at once...I think your feeling are legitimate and perhaps need to be able to learn how to recognize the the build up of feelings and learn how to keep the valves open by talking about your feelings.

[juanbenae]

i have battled bouts of depression, and still do. my story mirrors pauls in many ways, had to clean up prior to stepping up. i dont think i could have exibited the courage you have by announcing this in a public forum prior to being treated and understanding my problems. here's to you, recovery and getting back on track!

if i was to have the stones announce something like you have in a public arena i think this would be the place of choice for me too. as long as politics is kept clear of the subject at hand i think this can be one of the most supportive groups i am involved with, not counting family i guess.

good luck, and i will be thinking supportive thoughts.

[nostatic]

see a good psychiatrist. xanax works wonders with a lot of people, especially for short term treatment. Longer term use is somewhat controversial, but it depends on the person. There are other antianxiolytics out there, all with pluses and minuses. You can also look at CBT (cognitive behavior therapy). And of course getting with a psychologist to get at the root issues is the best plan of action...but in the meantime you need to get some relief. And don't necessarily trust what your GP says. They often underprescribe.

http://www.adaa.org/AnxietyDisorderInfor/GAD.cfm

[nostatic]

wow...think there's a connection between old 911s and anxiety/substance abuse? Must be the addictive/obsessive personalities...

GAD sucks (although you might have a variation...you can get a feel for your symptoms at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/anxiety.cfm). And the tendency, especially if you come from certain backgrounds (including substance abuse) is to just "be strong". That is total BS. Great comments in the posts above...all spoken from people who have been there. I've had very good luck doing more regular exercise...martial arts twice a week that includes qui gong and tai chi (moving meditation). I'm now med-free, but it has been a lot of work and will continue to be.

But being insane has its benefits...

[tabs]

Depression and Aniexity are part of life..there are usually good reasons to feel these feelings... totally appropriate...

If there is a death or illness, divorce, loss of job ...depression is the appropriate response....happiness would not.....

If your waiting on some news that effects you life....like waiting for a medical report, or on a deciision as to whether you got the job or not, or someone you love gets to where they ar going safely...also those thing produce anxieity, and to not feel those feelings wouldn't be natural...

The thing is to just be able to ride the rollercoaster of life...nobody ever promised you that it wouldn't rain on your parade...the trick is to take each hurdle as it comes, rolll with the punches and try not to let it all build up within yourself.

Also I feel if you can recognize that you depressed or anxious helps..then you can say yeah I'm depressed cause my cat died and my Porsche won't start.

[juanbenae]

just reading this is therapeutic. thank you guys

[tabs]

Originally posted by nostatic


But being insane has its benefits...

Hah..now U got it Nostatus....U stumbled upon the rational of everything I do and am....

I am perfect in my imperfection...Nostatus....

Hey kid everybody is fked up, once you realize that you can start working on making yourself perfect at it....

[nostatic]

while anxiety and depression are "normal" responses to certain situations/stimuli, they are decidedly not normal in excess. The trick in today's "prozac world" is figuring out what is "just life's ups and downs" and what is clinical depression or anxiety. If it interferes with your life, odds are you're in clinical land...and for that imho meds should be seriously considered. But only with professional help. And realize that people are different...just because your friend responded to a certain med doesn't mean it will work for you. I was on long-term xanax (albeit low dose), but that is decidedly *not* for everyone. Worked well with my system though...ymmv.

I've given up on perfection. I just want to be in the moment. And *that* is the toughest thing I've ever pursued...but when I stop pursuing it, it will come.

uh oh...feel a zen moment coming on.

[Wrecked944]

Originally posted by tabs
Depression and Aniexity are part of life..there are usually good reasons to feel these feelings... totally appropriate...

I feel I have to throw a qualifier in here. Happiness and sadness are normal. But when the anxiety and sadness are out of proportion to reality, then it is a sign of a disorder and needs to be treated. When I could no longer go to work, I knew it wasn't normal or appropriate and needed to be treated. And nostatic is right about GP's. They mean well, but they often don't grasp the seriousness of the disorder and don't prescribe aggressively enough. And some take the approach that being "functional" is good enough. But my doc didn't agree. He felt that being fully cured was the only acceptable outcome. And I thank him every day for that attitude.

[Vipergrün]

Tabs, be careful you do not try to minimize the reality of the issues he and others face. Very often the depression and anxiety spoken of here are not of the passing, garden variety stuff you speak of. Rather, it can be, and often is, a dark and desparate hole which is very difficult to get out of. I speak from experience. Sadness due to life events like you mention is typically much different than not being able to get out of bed or leave home due to paralyzing fear.

[tabs]

I'm not trying to minimize anything... these are all very real feelings....and there is a good reason for having these feelings..

O

[Schrup]

The first doctor I spoke with knew a lot about recovery. He broke it down into simple terms I could understand. He told me that recovery works like motor oil & that the chemicals I've done had corroded my oil pan. He explained the meds he was going to give me would plug the holes in order to make the recovery more effective. He was right, after I had a chance to inventory my life & get to the causes & conditions cleared the wreckage from my past & came up with a routine to deal with the present, I was able to get off the strong meds that I was taking.

I think that meds are a lot more effective if they are coupled with some sort of intense therapy.