Panic Attacks

Anybody here suffer from panic attacks? As well as physical problems, the panic attacks stop me from going out on my own and also socializing. Would like to talk to other people who have some understanding.

Hi Grandma7~ I also have panic attacks along with some other health issues. Actually, I was diagnosed with depression when I was 20, and then when I was 29, during my 2nd pregnancy, I started having unrelenting panic attacks. They were severe enough that during my 2nd trimester I was put on medication, as they were causing uterine contractions. I'm now 55 and still have panic attacks once in a while. Even with medication they will happen sometimes.

As far as therapy, I used a method called "exposure therapy" under a doctor's care. It helped me get back on track after going through several months with no treatment during my pregnancy. By then, you have started avoiding people and going places and you end up pretty much stuck in the house.

I have to say, that there are very few situations I will avoid. I won't fly. I can't do heights well at all. For myself, I would say the combination of medication and therapy did the most good. Also, being in a situation of having to care for children at the time was a good thing for me. It forced me to make my life work, panics or not!

Have you talked to a doctor yet? If you are starting to avoid things like groups or going places, I would probably want to get on some sort of treatment as soon as possible.

Jana

Thanks for your reply Jana. I have had quite a lot of therapy for various mental health issues, it's just that the panic attacks are worse since the day centre I attended has closed. I am on some medication for depression, but will ask GP about exposure therapy. I have vowed this is the year things will improve, because I am my husbands carer, but can only go out if he takes me! Take care of yourself. x

I know that my stressors are cumulative, so you might try doing something that makes you relax and puts you in a positive frame of mind BEFORE you try going out into the world.

On top of that, make your goal a positive one, like going to the library for a good book or to borrow a DVD.

Figure out what your triggers are. Too many people, loud noises, whatever, and limit exposure to those triggers until you feel more confident.

What you'll be doing is increasing the odds of a successful outing, and each time you successfully deal with the world you will grow stronger.

Love & Light,
Paula

Hello G7, Jana and Paula
I also suffer from panic attacs at times, they've come and gone over the years, and I still don't know what triggers them. I've also been diagnosed Bi-polar and O/C. I guess it's all intervowen. Add to all that the latest "problem" (i.e. brainstem hemorrhage) and you'll have a great combination....
I'm under medical treatment for both syndromes,while anytime I get a panic attack I'm supposed to take a few drops from a medicine the doctor prescribed me a few years ago. For me that's the only way out. Therefore, I'd also suggest an appointment with the GP and a prescription. Let's not make our lives even more miserable than how they already are...
Lots of love, Tessa

I almost died from anaphylactic shock in '98. In 2005 I was diagnosed with brain damage after I started blanking out periods of time and getting extreme sweats when I got anxious.

After the diagnosis I could look back and see how my behavior had changed, more obsessive and more anxious basically. A serious incident in 2007 made things worse, I was put on Buspiron but after a time on that I developed tremors. I googled the Buspiron and found it could cause tremors and quit.

Since the 2007 incident I was aggressively looking for a doctor with knowledge in both psychiatry and neurology in the Denver metro area. The neurologists said I was "somaticizing" and the psychiatrists just wanted to prescribe antidepressants and collect their money. I knew I was NOT depressed and further testing finally confirmed this.

Finally found a doc who was both a neurologist and a psychiatrist in 2011. He could not definitively say if my problems were psychiatric, neurologic, or both. By that time my tremors were getting pretty bad. People would think I had MS. He put me on Limotrigine and it helped, but he's not practicing now and I only have my GP to monitor. Makes me nervous, I know I should be under more comprehensive care, but it took me four years to find the first doc.

All this is by way of saying keep fighting, find a doctor you trust, but be careful with the prescriptions, know the side effects, and go with your gut. Be suspicious of a doctor who thinks he has all the answers, the good ones admit they don't, they listen, and they work with you to find the solution that's best for you personally.

Love & Light - Paula