For those of you who suffer from panic attacks... (doctor, heartbeat, therapy)

[beckycat]

It seems like there are 2 types of panic attacks that I get. I used to always get the racing heart, hyperventilating, dizzy, feel like your dying. Over the past 10 years, it's more feeling like your going crazy, can't concentrate, tunnel vision. (really scary)Although, I get both, it's way more easy to deal with the racing heart, hyperventilating, dizzy, feel like your dying.

What do you all think? It just sucks that everyday of my life I have to face these.

[Hopes]

I have a family member who has anxiety problems. You're not alone.

[veuvegirl]

Have you been to the doctor? There are plenty of doctors that can help you both with and without medication.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

Have you been to the doctor? There are plenty of doctors that can help you both with and without medication.

Yes, I can't take meds b/c I get the opposite effect. I really need to get back to counseling b/c that works best for me. I've been putting it off b/c I don't want to drive there by myself. I'm sure my DH will go with me, I just have been lazy.

[MiamiRob]

your second symptons are the result of your first. Truly crazy people don't know they are going crazy but as a result of the fact that you feel you have no self control. A lot of people I know with anxiety develop your secondary symptons which are basically normal human reactions to an absurdity you can't understand.
Anxiety is your body's '"ight or flight" syndrome so a racing heartbeat is normal just as if you were running in a marathon. Your mind might think your dying but your body just responds to what you are percieving. Hyperventilating will lead the dizziness or fainting and neither will kill you.
Notice you've been having them for 10 years yet you are still here.
Drugs will relieve your symptons but you should seek Cognitive therapy to deal with it.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

your second symptons are the result of your first. Truly crazy people don't know they are going crazy but as a result of the fact that you feel you have no self control. A lot of people I know with anxiety develop your secondary symptons which are basically normal human reactions to an absurdity you can't understand.
Anxiety is your body's '"ight or flight" syndrome so a racing heartbeat is normal just as if you were running in a marathon. Your mind might think your dying but your body just responds to what you are percieving. Hyperventilating will lead the dizziness or fainting and neither will kill you.
Notice you've been having them for 10 years yet you are still here.
Drugs will relieve your symptons but you should seek Cognitive therapy to deal with it.

It's been on and off for 27 years. My mother was killed in a car accident when I was 11 and that's when it started. I have panic attacks in the car when I'm alone. I've used desensitization and it helped for a while. I've kind of done some cognitive therapy. It's true though, it's all in my thinking.

I had a bad experience yesterday. I tried to go to the store and had anxiety. I turned around and went back home. I tried again and went back to give it a break. A couple hours later, I told myself, I refuse to give in. I drove all the way to the store and started to have anxiety. I just about made it and sped up to hurry up and pull over. I got pulled over. UGH! The cop was a jerk! I told him I was having a panic attack and I suffer from panic disorder and I was trying to hurry up to pull over. He didn't care and slapped me with a $320 fine for driving 38 mph in a 25 mph. He handed me the ticket and said "If you have panic disorder, you shouldn't be driving". I told him my counselor told me the only way to get over it is to face it and do it. He could care less!

I hope this doesn't put me back more b/c actually I've been doing somewhat better.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

Anxiety is your body's '"ight or flight" syndrome so a racing heartbeat is normal just as if you were running in a marathon. Your mind might think your dying but your body just responds to what you are percieving. Hyperventilating will lead the dizziness or fainting and neither will kill you.

My family member's lymph nodes swell up. Strangest thing.

They stay enlarged for days or weeks after a particularly anxious event--even when not an outright panic attack.

[DixieChick1972]

Mine is a mixture... I get light-headed, dizzy, honestly feel like I am going to die right then and there, tunnel vision, and racing heart. My big thing is I want to RUN, no matter where I am, I want to run to get somewhere else.

I don't seem to hyperventilate (although when I was a kid I would), nor do I feel like I am going crazy. When I was a kid I would worry that I was going to forget how to breathe, and that would cause me to hyperventilate.


I guess I started having adult panic attacks about 6 years ago. First time I had one I couldn't stop shaking for a couple hours.

[misplaced1]

I have panic and anxiety disorder. It started some years back when I was injured at work. I'm sure a lot of life experiences helped lead up to that point but it was triggered then. I am back to being able to do a lot of things. We have a local grocery store though that I cannot go in by myself and often times I can't stay in there long because I feel like I can't breathe. It is cramped up and the ventilation is poor so you can absolutely smell everything. Hairspray, someone who smokes, parfume, ick, all of it.

When my injury flares up so does the anxiety.

[chica_bella813]

I think panic attacks stems from fear that is deep into our subconscious and its usually an issue that we haven't properly dealt with. We have bottled whatever emotion deep inside and it has to be released somehow. I can lament with you--I have been there myself. You said you can't try meds because you have a reaction--what kind of reaction or affects do the meds give you??