Panic attacks

[glossygirl89]

Ok, so I was wondering whether anyone suffers from panic attacks or used to suffer with them long term and has now got through it?

I have recently been suffering with them & they are starting to overtake my whole life. I've always been a worrier & worry about everything but now I get irrational fears which lead to panic attacks. I feel like I can't breath, heart pounding, feeling faint & sick...the whole works. I recently moved out with my bf, to a completely new area which is about 2 1/2hrs from anyone we know due to his job. I'm currently unemployed, so am on my own most of the day which panics me even more! I'm wanting to set up mobile but fear that this is going to stop me.

I just wanted to hear about any coping strategies or from people who have come through it?

Thanks for reading

 

[vitality]

Hi I have had them since the age of about 14. I would even wake up from my sleep thinking I can't breath! I still get them to this day and although I know people who take medication for them I have refused. Although you may be better going to your GP just to see what they say.

Because I have been getting them for so long I now know when I am getting them and try to take deep breaths and they seem to not last as long. I am a very anxious person and I have just learnt to deal with it as I don't always see it as a bad thing because it makes me work harder and I am a perfectionist lol.

I used to feel that they were taking over my life, thinking that I was having an asthma attack, heart attack etc. sometimes occurring whilst in class or with alarge number of people. I don't know what triggers them but I am confident enough that I can deal with it which I am content with.:Love:

 

[Seashell]

Hi, sorry to hear you are suffering, must be horrible for you. I havent suffered myself but have several close family members and friends that have.

I'm no expert but I think the most important thing is to do something about it and not just accept it as something you will always be "stuck" with. My friend suffered for years to the extent that she rarely left the house. She eventually went to her GP who recommended her to a specialist(NHS). It took a while but she is like a different person now and only very occasionally becomes anxious and has coping mechanisms now so is fine.

All the best xx

 

[ABDiva]

Hi your not alone , i started having them aged 16 when my grandmother passed away. Im now 26

They lasted full on for a good year , then i started to relax out of them and they got better.
My temples used to throb and i felt like my chest was closing up they were trully awful. They also used to cause me very distressing tension headaches and palpitations which caused me to panic more.
It was a very distressing time , but i suppose time was what helped me get over it. I did try to relax more , started doing yoga and going to the gym that hepled and i to also moved out i was 19 but it made me feel great suppose it was a disrtaction that helped my attacks get less and less.

I went good few years with out an attack.........but still now i get the odd wave of one coming on i know the signs straight away. To over come it i just breathe deep and try to find a distraction or lie down till it passes. Once you know what technique works for you then your on your way to controlling it.
Breathing in and out of a paper bag is a great technique also , it gets carbon dioxide back in to your system which naturally relaxes you. I used this , my doctor told me of it and it really works

 

[007]

Hi Glossygirl89
I have been in the exact same situation as you and im out the other end, and SO CAN YOU!!!!
I moved in with my partner ( 2 and a half hours away from where im from)
I was already suffering from anxiety before we met but moving in with him to a place where i knew no one made it worse, i was unemployed at the time aswell. After admitting to myself there was something wrong i finally went to the doctor and he put me on to someone who could help, it was called cognitive behaviour therapy, it helps you analyse your thinking and behaviour patterns.
You have to push yourself to do mobile work, face your fear, its the only way to do it!
There is absolutely nothing to be scared or worried about.
Your not alone
Let us know your progress, id love to know how you get on, if you need advice or anything, im happy to help x :hug:

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Hello, another vote for cognitive behavioral therapy, drug free, and simply brilliant. It also works for some forms of depression and disorganised thinking etc. In fact I think alot of people could do with it LOL..they also give you work books to take home. Go and see your GP, make sure you dont have any underlying health conditions, have an MOT and see if yuo can get cognitive therapy. Good Luck. Plus remember you dont have to live like this, things can and will be done to help. xxx:hug:

 

[skymark]

Years back I was an awful sufferer with these to the point it halted my daily life for more than a year.

I will also say good things about cognitive behaviour therapy as I came through that much stronger and was able to move on with my life.

Two or three years later though they remerged and I did hypnotherapy and some traditional therapy to get through it. The hypnotherapy to learn about how to relax myself and release the causes of anxiety gently and the therapy afterwards to look at where these problems were seeded from.

In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, cognitive therapy can help you deal with anxiety and reduce the feelings you have about it, but I believe that until we uncover the true roots of he anxiety and our feelings of anger, hurt etc about them, then they arent really dealt with yet.

GP is the best place to start as long as you have one that is therapy happy not pills happy and I would look into some meditation, even just some basic meditation on youtube etc for the times you are panicking as it gives you something to focus on and distracts yourself from your fear.

 

[glossygirl89]

Thank you all so much for replying! It's really nice to hear that some of you have got through it or can deal with it without affecting your daily lives.

I have just booked an appointment with my GP just to make sure it isn't anything physical thats wrong with me & hopefully they might have suggestions of where I can go next in terms of help etc. It's just so hard to go to the doctors with something like this when there's no physical symptoms, I always worry they're not going to take me seriously but I guess it's worth a try?!

I'm definitely going to look into cognitive therapy & meditation. I do think I've got a hynosis cd somewhere on fear which may help?

Thanks again for your replies

 

[helb2112]

I am a 29 yr old mummy of 2 and I too have suffered with anxiety for years i am such a negative person and a hypochondriac it has change me completely as a person but now i have 2 children I worry constantly about them every day. I have had panic attacks and a couple of years ago had an ECG machine stuck to me for 24hrs as I kept having palpitations and of course my heart was fine. I don't tend to suffer with them any more., don't ever under estimate the power of your mind. I had twitchy muscles and thought i had MS I got checked out and ...was fine. I finally plucked up the courage to go to the Docs and he referred me to a ''Mental health'' therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy ( the word mental health scares me and makes me embarrassed ) He says i have Health anxiety and am so looking forward to changing the way i think about things hopefully will become more positive. I will let you know how it goes. Good luck with your appointment too x

 

[glossygirl89]

It's gd to hear everyone's stories & know you're not the only one going through it. I can really relate to everyone's experiences.

I did wonder about taking some kalms? Has anyone else tried them, did you notice a difference?

I've also read that you should avoid caffeine?
Xxx

 

[Jodie999]

I really feel for you.. 2 years ago I suddenly started suffering from panic attacks and it got so bad I couldn't leave the house. I started to receive cbt therapy but just seemed to be banging my head against a brick wall.. I fell pregnant and still couldn't leave the house so this worried me even more..I felt like I was spaced out and was going to have a heart attack every time I had a panic attack..now I was thinking How was I going to take me child out..even got thoughts of buying a wheelchair..I persisted with the cbt and gradually things was starting to get better.. First I was making it half way down the road then the next time the to the end of the road..eventually I was able to live a normal life going out and managed to do this before I gave birth..I have been free from full blown panic attacks for 2 years now and am pregnant with my second child..sometimes when I go to the hospital I feel abit panicky but now I recognise the feelings before hand and go outside for fresh air and it seems to pass before it gets too bad.. I tried every route but cbt done the job for me. Maybe also have your blood pressure checked as this can cause the same symptoms.. Be strong xxx

 

[Jodie999]

O and Yh I cut out all tea and coffee as I was paranoid it was making me feel worse.. I'm back on the tea now tho lol xx

 

[helb2112]

Oww yeah there's nothing like a good cuppa tea ad yes tried Kalms they didn't work for me. Think we all need to just relax although it's easier said than done when your a natural born worrier xxx

 

[Blinkingorgeous]

make sure you are eating properly, breakfast, lunch and dinner, they have found that symptoms are worse if you are NOT eating properly, cut down your caffein significantly, decaf coffee, decaf tea, not too much chocolate. When you start to feel like you are panicky, put one hand on your tummy and one hand on your chest and breath in, your tummy hand needs to move first, this will ensure that you are breathing properly and are less likely to hyperventilate, breath in for 10 hold for 10 out for 10 hold for 10 and continue until you can feel it passing. Music is good if you start to feel wobbly, put it on loud and sing, sing loud :lol: Exercise is very good for you, walking, running, swimming etc even running up and down the stairs, all good. The doc should take you seriously, however, there is always a waiting list for CBT. Go to your library there are some good books on CBT if you want to start reading up in the meantime, or google it, theres good info there aswell. The doc may offer you Beta blockers (propronal I think thats how you spell it) these are non addictive and can be taken as and when you need.

Hope thats a lil bit of help, all the best xx

 

[007]

I think Panic Attacks and anxiety can start for all different reasons and each one is individual to us. Theres no harm going to the doctor and telling him how you feel, you can feel embarassed but you could also feel like a load is lifted from your mind because you have shared it with someone else. Dont let it beat you. We only have one life. :hug:

 

[tracey louise]

i am also a worrier,i have been for as long as i can remember.
i have had problems with anxiety on and off for most of my life but i have always just avoided the situations that made me feel anxious.
i did try therapy afew years ago but it just didnt help me but im sure it can really work.

my boyfriend of 10 years recently split up with me which left me devastated and i just couldnt cope anymore as it brought the anxiety out of me even more than usual so i finally plucked up the courage and went to the doctors and have been prescribed propanlonol i think its called and they have really helped.its going to take me a long time to deal with whats happened but they certainly have helped me although i realise that it is something that will always be with me its learning to keep it under control and not let it control me thats hard

anxiety and mental health problems really are not talked about enough not just by the professionals but by us talking to each other and our friends and families,i really do believe it is more common than you think but people are just embarressed to admit they suffer from it which is a real shame as im sure we could one another

 

[glossygirl89]

Thank you all so much for your advice, it is definately comforting to hear people's experiences. I agree that this sort of thing isn't really talked about & is suprising to find out how many people feel real anxiety in certain times in their lives.

I think it's a mixture of embarassment (that you feel vulnerable) and just as a nation we're not very good at opening up & talking about our feelings! I know for definate i'm guilty of this I find it so hard to open up to even the closest people around me, I just don't want them to think I always have issues!lol I guess that's why I brought it up on here, it's alot easier to get your thoughts out when written.

 

[marie.st]

Hi, i totally understand where you are coming from. i started getting anxiety attacks, as the doctors put it, after my mum passed away suddenly. i found my self having to buy a house, pay bills, live alone and generally only have myself to look out for.
it got to the point where i felt sick with worry, was getting dizzy spells and crying for no reason. i got prescribed a mild anti-depressent which helped me get through the daily things like work etc, but then had to address it myself as i couldnt rely on popping pills forever.
my biggest fear was going out, even just to the supermarket. id go late at night or early morning to avoid bumping into people. so that was my first job, i started making myself go at the busiest times.
ive babbled on quite a lot. i think the best advice i can give you is do what worries you most. for me, the more i put myself out of my comfort zone, the less worried i felt about doing it.
im 5 years on now, and i still constantly worry and stress about everything, but still do it! you need to sort it our in your own head, then you will know what is right for you.
if i was you i would try and meet people and make friends where you now live.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[J.Victoria]

You poor thing, it will get easier and if you carry on suffering with panic attacks you will begin to regonise the symptoms and may even be able to stop yourself from having a full blown panic attack. I've had panic attacks since I was 14, at their worst I had about 2 or 3 a day for a year. I was extremely agorophobic and couldn't leave the house and if I did i had a panic attack. I moved abroad to live with my grandparents and literally didn't leave the house for a year, they gradually coaxed me out and built up my confidence. I bit the bullet in the end and got a job in a bar and this really helped me with my problems being outside and with people. I'm 24 now and although i still get them it's alot better. Therapy helped me out too...i also took Kalms but to be honest I think they are more of a placebo. Wishing you all the best xx

 

[glossygirl89]

Ok so I have just been to the doctors & they were great. I've got to have some blood tests done & then I have another appointment next week, where I have to decide to either go down the medical route or the cognitive therapy route of which I will get a referall. I was suprised at how helpful they were!lol but feel a bit more optimistic about it all now
xxx