Why can't i figure out my panic attacks?? PLEASE PLEASE READ!!!!?!
Question: Why can't i figure out my panic attacks.?.? PLEASE PLEASE READ!!!!.?
Ok, here's the story. In 2006 i was living in Kansas and my husband got orders to Iraq, about 2 months before he left I had a panic attack. My very first one ever in my whole life. Well after that happened, and i got some counseling as to what was going on with me, i started having them regularly, i would say between the time i had my first one and the time i got to my home, Utah a couple weeks after he left, i probably had one or two a week. So i went to the dr and told them what was going on and i was given a prescription to take whenever i had one, so i would have one, take a pill, and pass out dead asleep. Went back, got something else to take daily, it did the same thing. In the mean time i had started school and brought up my issues to another dr who suggested i may be ADHD, which i had figured for a looong time, back to my childhood, i went through a testing process and was indeed diagnosed. So i took all this info to a check up i had scheduled, on base, with my primary phyisician. Well, come to find out my PCP was transfered and i had a new dr who i sat down with and i showed him my test results from the pshychyatrist. He then looked in my records and saw i was on anti depresents for anxiety, asked me about it, and i told him i stopped taking them because they knocked me on my bootay and i have two kids a job and school to deal with. He then prescribed me with something new that contained epenephrine, in 15 mg doses! I didn't even know pills came in that low of doses! So i tried re routing him to the problem of my ADHD which is a huge issue for me now that i am back to school. He told me he didn't believe in adult learning dissabilities and belived that they were cop out excuses people used, then left the room. Soooo, all three of my brothers are diagnosed ADD and have been treated their whole lives, for some reason my parents never had me checked although i had always wondered my whole life if i had a problem but basically hid it because my middle brother had massive side effects from taking ritilin. So, here i was a month later, failing school during my first attempt to start up again, and having panic attacks about 3 or 4 times a week although i was taking pills. So i got online and started researchig. It took me over a year but i by using tips and tricks and info i found i was finally able to control my anxiety. It wasn't gone but i bet i went a year and had all of 4 or 5 attacks. I also learned to "talk" myself out of one and control myself. BTW i was 24 when i had my first attack, i have NEVER experienced this before. So, i haven't seen a dr about any of this because we have a few months left in the military and i am waiting for my new insurance which won't kick in until next year so i can go see a new dr and hopefully get some help getting myself under control, i am writing this becuase during the past week i have had 3 VERY bad attacks!! two were right as i fell asleep!! one was just a few minutes ago and now my body is in physical pain from it. The other was in school this evening, i didn't know what to do!! Its hard becuase i feel all loss of control when i have them! I have physically touched strangers during them, once i hit someone i didnt even know and other times i just grab people who are near me and reapeat shut up over and over again, and it's clearly obvious that osmething is wrong with me, then i come down from it and apologize, luckily everyone has been so nice about it. I just want to know if anyone feels they have had similarties to my story in their lives and what they do and what they take and how is it that my whole life i never had one single issue and suddenly it hit me one day! and why do i have such weird thoughts during my attacks and then when i come out of it i have no realy recollection of what i was thinking.?.? i'm kind of typing mindlessly here becuase i am still recouping from an attack but any thing, anything at all you can say would be great.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
After I had my daughter I started getting panic-attacks. They are horrible and I'm so sorry you have to deal with them. After a year, I got therapy and a year after that, I stopped having them. I haven't had one now since sept. of 2007. I believe the 2 biggest things that made it possible for me to stop having them were:
I moved to a different state, a place that is beautiful and a place I feel safe, secure and happy.
I started thinking positive. It sounds stupid but that was the big one. I started by picking a truly purely happy memory and when I would start to panic I would focus on it. Sometimes my thoughts would stray back to the panic but when I realized this was happening, I immediatly thought of that happy memory. I kept doing this over and over and over. This is what my therapist reccomended. Eventually, my panic attacks became less frequent and I found that without trying, I was having more positive thoughts more frequently. Eventually, after practicing this at every opportunity my panic attacks have stopped. I still get anxiety sometimes but when that happens, I just go right to my "happy place" and the anxiety subsides. (It took about 2-3 months of doing this to see a change) Good luck.
And P.S. I had them severely. At one point, I had a 1 month long panic attack. Everyday I would have your typical panic attack and when it was over, I would be in an incredibly heightened state of anxiety and fear. I had no relief from bad feelings for an entire month. it was awfulHealth Question & Answer
I moved to a different state, a place that is beautiful and a place I feel safe, secure and happy.
I started thinking positive. It sounds stupid but that was the big one. I started by picking a truly purely happy memory and when I would start to panic I would focus on it. Sometimes my thoughts would stray back to the panic but when I realized this was happening, I immediatly thought of that happy memory. I kept doing this over and over and over. This is what my therapist reccomended. Eventually, my panic attacks became less frequent and I found that without trying, I was having more positive thoughts more frequently. Eventually, after practicing this at every opportunity my panic attacks have stopped. I still get anxiety sometimes but when that happens, I just go right to my "happy place" and the anxiety subsides. (It took about 2-3 months of doing this to see a change) Good luck.
And P.S. I had them severely. At one point, I had a 1 month long panic attack. Everyday I would have your typical panic attack and when it was over, I would be in an incredibly heightened state of anxiety and fear. I had no relief from bad feelings for an entire month. it was awfulHealth Question & Answer
Here is my thought on this. If you have any way to cope during them do it and don't worry why you have them. I was having up to 5 a week for a time, but I learned how to cope and cut them way down. Now it's been over 4 months and none. What I did was have my doctor make my dog a therapy dog and when one would start to come on I would sit down and pet her. Dogs are great for helping with the attacks.Health Question & Answer
Xanax worked for me. I was prescribed Xanax for anxiety, they were very low dosage (.025mg) so I could take them as needed. The low dosage helped because it didn't knock me out.
I had two really crazy attacks where I felt so much pain in my chest I was on the verge of going to ER. I didn't know they were panic attacks. Both times I took 3 pills and it stopped within a minute.Health Question & Answer
I had two really crazy attacks where I felt so much pain in my chest I was on the verge of going to ER. I didn't know they were panic attacks. Both times I took 3 pills and it stopped within a minute.Health Question & Answer
View the techniques for control of anxiety/panic attacks, in section 8, at ezy build, below. Begin, on this first occasion, only, by holding your breath for 5, or 10 seconds: this will give you the confidence to realise that YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR BREATHING, but not pass out, or die (your autonomic nervous system resumes breathing, if you become unconscious). Advice from a published psychiatrist on controlled breathing. (1.) Get a clock, or watch with a second timer. (2.) Practise for 5 minutes, 4 times daily, until proficient. (3.) Take a small breath in, and hold it, for 6 seconds. (4.) Think to yourself: "RELAX", just before breathing out. (5.) Try to feel a sense of releasing tension, as you breathe out. (6.) Breathe in for 3 seconds, then out, for 3 seconds. Try to make your breathing very smooth, and light, as you breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, or nose. (7.) For the next minute, continue to breathe in, and out, every 3 seconds. (8.) Go back to step 3, at the end of the minute, and proceed through to step 7, doing this for 5 minutes. Use this at the very first sign of a panic attack starting, or any time you feel anxious, or tense.
Understand panic attacks, and what triggers them, in your life (if it is unresolved anxiety, or stress, see sections 6, or 42, respectively). The paper bag method also works for most people, but is not suited to all circumstances, such as driving, or playing sport. If you are fairly suggestible, (40% of people are) check out: http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/
Another alternative is psychotherapy, to address its fundamental cause: read section 1, and examine the http://1-800-therapist.com/ website, and use the locators, and phone book. I used to suffer from panic attacks, until I questioned what had changed in my life, at, or just before that time, to trigger them. For some people, this is enough. These days, I have instilled the habit of, whenever a situation occurs where panic is likely, I visualise a large, "STOP!" sign, as vividly as possible, followed by repeating to myself: "stay calm" in my mind. You could try the same method. It usually takes 30 - 40 repetitions, for most people, to establish a new habit. I also suggest that you learn, then practise the controlled breathing technique, until competent, then employ it, at the very first sign of a panic attack.
Practice one of the relaxation methods on pages 2, 11, 2c, or 2i, daily, and when needed. also, give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. There is also a version for use in public places, (if you like, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind). Section 53, and pages 2, 2.q and 2.o at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris also refer: "Even though I sometimes suffer from panic attacks, I deeply and completely accept myself." Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms (as do medications/herbal remedies): you need to address the underlying cause, and this requires some form of therapy, and Cognitive Behavio(u)ral Therapy has been shown to be effective.
Health Question & Answer
Understand panic attacks, and what triggers them, in your life (if it is unresolved anxiety, or stress, see sections 6, or 42, respectively). The paper bag method also works for most people, but is not suited to all circumstances, such as driving, or playing sport. If you are fairly suggestible, (40% of people are) check out: http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/
Another alternative is psychotherapy, to address its fundamental cause: read section 1, and examine the http://1-800-therapist.com/ website, and use the locators, and phone book. I used to suffer from panic attacks, until I questioned what had changed in my life, at, or just before that time, to trigger them. For some people, this is enough. These days, I have instilled the habit of, whenever a situation occurs where panic is likely, I visualise a large, "STOP!" sign, as vividly as possible, followed by repeating to myself: "stay calm" in my mind. You could try the same method. It usually takes 30 - 40 repetitions, for most people, to establish a new habit. I also suggest that you learn, then practise the controlled breathing technique, until competent, then employ it, at the very first sign of a panic attack.
Practice one of the relaxation methods on pages 2, 11, 2c, or 2i, daily, and when needed. also, give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. There is also a version for use in public places, (if you like, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind). Section 53, and pages 2, 2.q and 2.o at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris also refer: "Even though I sometimes suffer from panic attacks, I deeply and completely accept myself." Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms (as do medications/herbal remedies): you need to address the underlying cause, and this requires some form of therapy, and Cognitive Behavio(u)ral Therapy has been shown to be effective.
Health Question & Answer
Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.
Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There's this strange herb called "St John's Wort" - it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John's Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.
The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced... you have that "learned behavior" in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction... There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to....
Extracted from Source.Health Question & Answer
Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There's this strange herb called "St John's Wort" - it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John's Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.
The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced... you have that "learned behavior" in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction... There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to....
Extracted from Source.Health Question & Answer
I have a few suggestions.
First, panic attacks are fueled by fear. Ignore them and they slowly become less powerful. Tell yourself "It's no big deal, its just anxiety."
Second, check out this website: MentalHealthSolutions.Info I think you will find a lot of help there.
Third, if you feel you need medication, try to have it prescribed by a psychiatrist with a solid reputation. You can get it even without insurance. Just call your County's Information line and ask for your county's Mental Health Services dept.Health Question & Answer
First, panic attacks are fueled by fear. Ignore them and they slowly become less powerful. Tell yourself "It's no big deal, its just anxiety."
Second, check out this website: MentalHealthSolutions.Info I think you will find a lot of help there.
Third, if you feel you need medication, try to have it prescribed by a psychiatrist with a solid reputation. You can get it even without insurance. Just call your County's Information line and ask for your county's Mental Health Services dept.Health Question & Answer