Panic/Anxiety attacks?
So I had my first anxeity attack about 2 weeks ago and it was the worst thing I have been through. I wanted to know if any one else has had them and has suggestions on how they got the little bastards to stop. They put me on meds but I have never really trusted medicine. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Comments
For a lot of people it's the stresses of their own lives that cause the attacks and mental disturbances.
Keep going to see your doctors and take the medication they perscribe. And keep a good attitude and positive outlook.
<strong>Basically they are caused by having to much psychic energy without an outlet to express it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Mount_my_floppy
I've had panic attacks since I was a little kid. They got really bad and the Drs. tried to put me on medication. Probably the same that you're on.
My parents have been on those drugs for a long time and its totally F'd them up. If I were you, I'd try to get off the medication as soon as possible.
I refused to take the medication and decided that I would learn to deal with them on my own, which I have. I kept telling myself I didn't want to end up like my parents and become totally addicted to those drugs.
Sometimes they can't leave the house without making sure they take them and the Drs. just keep upping the doses.
The first thing you need to do is focus. Take a deep breath. Slow your breathing down and try to stay calm. YOU CAN'T DIE. Nothing is going to happen to you. You need to keep telling yourself that.
When I was around 12 I used to get the attacks in school. I would feel like I wasn't connected to reality anymore. So I would tell myself that maybe I had super powers
Sure it sounds silly, but it worked.
Now adays if I get them I just relax and tell myself that there's nothing wrong and try to focus my mind on something else.
I hope that helps somewhat. Feel free to ask me anything else. I've been dealing with this since I was about 8 years old.
A panic attack is generally described as a feeling of intense anxiety, fear, panic or overall sense of dread.
Ever look out the window right before a thunderstorm and you KNOW something bad is about to happen and outside feels kind of surreal? Imagine that on a normal day, all of sudden, unexpectingly hitting you. Thats a panic attack.
There are lots of other symptoms that go along with it which end up making it 100x worse. Like:
rapid heartbeat/pain in the chest or both
sweating
shaking
dizziness
nausea
a choking sensation
the feeling that you're going to die
Nothing is physically wrong with you. You're not having a heart attack and you're not going to die. Many people end up rushing to the hospital because they think their having a heart attack.
Sometimes the fear of getting an attack is bad enough to not make you want to leave the house or drive a car (as with my parents).
I have alot of bad stuff happen to me and I worry "all" the time obsessively(sp?)... and thus also have a big problem with indecision, etc... obsessive compulsive disorders when I get nervous (indecision)
I dont understand how one can have a panic attack...?
How does it work?
Whenever I cant seem to handle things... I freeze up... mostly I think becuase I think if I had a panic attack things would only get worse...
I dont think I could "lose it"...
Is it just worry, Is that it? intense worry or what?
<strong>I dont understand how one can have a panic attack...?</strong><hr></blockquote>Believe me, you'll know when you're having one. It's all the symptoms that Willoughby listed. They are brought about by stress and may be more frequent if you are depressed.
I have had a couple before and my mother and aunt have too. I believe that while it mostly depends on the mental state of the individual, it also may be hereditary in part.
edit: I mean clinically depressed, not just "in a bad mood" depressed.
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
She's started going for counseling, and says it's really helping, and we've been doing tai chi together which has helped me a whole lot, too.
The good news is that it's probably the most treatable disorder there is. Lots of problems are just not treatable with psychotherapy (contrary to what therapists would have us believe), but panic attacks ARE treatable, and usually very successfully. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of quacks out there who don't know what they're doing. So you have to get someone who does.
People are often prescribed tranquilizers - usually xanax or valium. Some people are also prescribed anti-depressants. The problem, as with all of these drugs, is that you can't stop taking them. They don't cure it, they prevent it as long as you're on them.
The current psychotherapies are focused on how the body over-escalates its reaction to a small imbalance - like being out of breath. The body interprets that as a bigger problem than it is, tries to take in more oxygen, the heart beats faster, etc. etc. The therapies are cognitive-behavioral (not Freudian or some other nonsense), and focus on getting the body to interpret the symptoms correctly, rather than escalating into a panic attack.
Find a cognitive-behavioral therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders. That's the way that works. Again, it's the most treatable psychological disorder there is. And run away from anyone who mentions your mother or EMDR.
[quote]I'm a hard taskmistress.<hr></blockquote>
Sweeeet. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
--
How old are you Mount_my_floppy?
I think I may have had a precursor to a Panic Attack. I had just lost a job and was under alot of stress. I remember feeling like my chest was 10lbs heavier...even breathing at times was difficult. So I got the hell outta dodge and moved to Georgia...cured me in no time!
My girlfriend's father is bi-polar as well, but his medication does him a lot of good.
Edit: oops man my spelling is bad
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: Mount_my_floppy ]</p>
It sounds sort of weird, but being on Paxil for about 3-4 months, it reminded me that it was possible to feel 'okay' and not depressed and anxious and paranoid. Before that I had kind of forgotten what feeling okay or better yet 'good' was like. After constant depression and intense anxiety attacks, after a while you start to dread the next attack, which brings it on, and a vicious circle like that is really hard to get out of.
After I felt in control of life again, and after my student loan had run out, I went off Paxil again. For the next two weeks or so I had the occasional sense of panic and unease, but those subsided and I feel good now.
Take positive steps, little steps here and there, move forward and you'll likely feel good w/ out drugs. Address the things that drove you towards the deep end, and get past them. Eat right, groom yourself, get some excercise/sunlight.Think of funny (humorous) things.
Paxil's nice, it basically makes anxiety biochemically impossible, but it's expensive and not a solution, and has various side effects.
BTW, not sure if any of you read the magazine <a href="http://adbusters.org"; target="_blank">Adbusters</a> but the latest issue is all about depression and the US prescription drug industry. It is a real eye-opener.
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: stimuli ]</p>
I heard a simultaneous interview with a Harvard professor/researcher behavioralist and a Freudian psychoanalyst and by the end of the interview/discussion the Harvard behavioralist was saying things like "oh, I see...that makes sense" etc He had no idea how the metapsychological ideas of Freudian psychology are still very important and very relevant until he actually encountered them.
Now, as far as practice is concerned, it is often dangerous to try the deep analysis while the problem is real and needs immediate attention... it could take years and even then you might merely know what the root of the anxiety was caused by... so pragmatics when needed but don't brush aside the unconsciouse just because it doesn't fit with the new "managerial" style of behavioral psych
anyway, Mount_My_Floppy, realizing that life is not that important in the details but that living it for the joy of experience rather than achievements is a help..... truly realizing that all is not that important... that love and peace are worth more than a BMW can take a load off too.
and: [quote] Exercise and meditation can help <hr></blockquote>
<strong>Eat right, groom yourself, get some excercise/sunlight.</strong><hr></blockquote>
<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
No wonder they keep coming back, it must be the long dirty finger nails, lack of sun, and beard. I think I need to get out of the house
at any rate, paxil's side effects for me were worse than the attacks, because the attacks were very infrequent and the side effects were almost constant. so, if you're not opposed to it, I'd say try smoking. of course getting caught could create some stress of its own, but you have to weigh your risks with anything you try. anyway like i said it's just my personal experience.
counting the minutes 'til i get raked for this...
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: poor taylor ]</p>