No - you are not alone - far from it.

Normal? Well what exactly is normal?? But common yes!!

Life threatening - only if you do drive or handle dangerous machinery/chemicals while things are this bad, otherwise I doubt it.

Drs - I know it's a sin but couldn't we just kill alot of them off, the ones who think that they're gods?? That can't see beyond their own noses & definitely believe that they know you & your body & feelings better than you.

Look if your car ran out of oil & the oil line broke - you'd take it to a mechanic & you would only accept the job had been done & only pay him if he replaced the oil line & put in fresh oil & maybe a new oil filter - yes?? Well, who owns your body? You or the dr? The dr is simply the mechanic you take your body to for repairs so if they don't do their job don't pay them, demand they run some tests to see if there is a medical reason for your hands to be shaking. Demand that they listen(& hear) when you say you have oanic attacks - descibe what happens & ask for a referral to a psychologist or group therapy or a psychiatrist as seems appropriate.

If the first referral is a dud then try another, just like you wouldn't go back to a dud mechanic - but give the counsellor/etc a fair chance miracles from humans take time, effort & often pain on your part.

Good luck

I get them, and I don't know why some of the time...I can be going about a normal day...And all of a sudden, I can't breathe and also feel like i'm dying...However, my main prob is that i'm afraid of death...I don't want to leave behind my beautiful babies...And not have them remember me, but mostly just plain not have me. I love them more than anyone could ever put in words. When I get these I try to think of good things, but most of the time it doesnt' work. I was given medication, but I don't beleive it works, so i'm going to try different methods, like trying to stay positive about everything. I'm also 21!


Jennifer

I didn't say before but I do get panic attacks & they just come out of the blue, no pattern, no logic they just happen. The only things i've found & i'm 4 that really help are to try & have someone (not a baby & not a toddler!!) with me, it seems to sort of reassure my system & i'm less likely to get an attack. Be organized know what you have to do & what you just want to do, so if necessary you can deal wth the essentials at least. Be organized & make sure beforehand that you have whatever you're going to need with you & include or get a cool drink, because I come over so hot & sweat pours off me - I find that when an attack hits it helps if I sit down, have a cool (although you might prefer hot) drink & then try & just think about breathing calmly/slowly/deeply.

Hope this is of some help.

Sometimes (for me) nothing helps, it just takes like 8 hours for me to get out of it. I've tried deep breaths, drinking, eating ice, pacing, laying down...The only time I truely get out of it is if I go to sleep, and I can't do that during the day. I'm trying my best to get past this. I hope everyone else is okay.

Jennifer

Jennifer,

it must be awful having them last so long!!

Have you ever tried (& these would be long term "solutions" that you would have to learn & then practise before you could actually use them to help these attacks) things like yoga, meditation, pilates?? Just trying to give you some/any leads that might help even if they are long term.

Try not to be like me, I have kept looking for fast fixes for so long that it would take even longer to learn the slow ones, if i'd had the sense to work on the longer term solutions in the first place I wouldn't still be having attacks at 48.

Finances are the main leading cause to mine (i beleive) even when im not totally thinking about it. I worry about it too much (my hubby says)...But who can just look past those things. I'm actually in an attack right now, heavy breathing and my throat is tight. I don';t know anything about yoga, meditating, or pilates...And really don't have the time for it...I just hope that when things come together better these things disappear.

Jennifer

Sorry insurancegirl but if you have 8 hours for an attack you have 30 minutes to do yoga or pilates or meditation hell all 3 would only take 90 minutes you'd still have 6 1/2 hours of your attack time left!!

It really depends on whether you want to put your time & energy into getting better or into staying "sick" - your family will benefit most if you get better - i'm learning that one the hard way.

As to finances, if you have kids then it's likely they'll always be an issue in some way & if not you can always find another reason to give for your attacks. You can tape yoga & pilates shows on tv so no cost there. Here you can borrow meditation tapes from health or community centres or libraries even some drs till you find one you like then well tapes don't cost that much!!

If I sound unfeeling - well it's called hard love.

Don't worry about being hard...Thank you. I'll prob stop by the library today or tomorrow. Thanks again!

Jennifer

Jennifer,

i'm so glad to hear from you & know that you took what I said in the way it was meant, sometimes it's hard to write something to a stranger, I was so worried that you might be really hurt & not understand where I was coming from.

Do take care & do go to the library. Your kids might like the library too, here they have special little kids sections & often have reading times for toddlers etc which is good for them & you.

Good luck

Cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt) is the most proven treatment for panic and has been used effectively for over 20-years. Many universities in the us offer cbt programs for little or no cost and they generally only last 12-weeks and have over an 80% success rate. Insurancegirl, see if your library has a copy of my favorite introductory book outlining the tools of cbt called "been there, done that? Do this!" by sam obitz. I hope you will give cbt a try as you truly get out of it what you put into it and it has changed my life and eliminated my panic
good luck!

Q

Thanks guys! I;'ve tried meditating...But i;ve found it hard to do with the kids...So i'm trying to set aside some me time...Next to impossible...But i'll see what I can do. I appreciate everyone's input.

Jennifer

Good luck jennifer :d

Ya know what, between meditating, and things being on the up and up for the most part...I havent had one since I posted last. Thank you for all of your help!

Jennifer

That's great news jen :d
keep us posted and keep up the good work!

Q

Hey everyone out there!...I was at the doc's yesterday not understanding what happened to me the night before when I called 911 because I thought I was going to die and my doc said I was having a panic attack.....It doesn't sound like anyone else's on this site though, which is confusing me more.......With mine, I start getting dizzy and it get worse and worse, my heart slows down and I start blacking out and I feel like this is it, i'm dying...This is the 2nd time this has happened in my life......Does this sound familar to anyone?????? It is soooo scary

panic attacks have a wide range of symptoms and these certainly fall within that range. Most people in the midst of an attack think they are dying and it is as you said soooo scary! Many feel like they are going to pass out (and or die) but this rarely occurs. It is more common to have a racing heart than one that slows but everybody who experiences panic attacks has symptoms that are more common to them than to others.
As I mentioned in my prior post above I would urge you to look into cbt. It has an 80-90% success in curing panic and anxiety. It gave me my life back when I was at the end of my rope. Take care and good luck!

Q

Hi q, thanks for your reply...I don't know if this is going to happen again, it's happened 2times...........My question is this, how come noone else mentions blacking out???? I just want to make sure that I was disagnosed right

I think I get minor panick attacks. I'm not sure though. Let me explain.

I am a very nervous person!!! I make myself sick over the dumbest things, I worry about things way before they happen. I dwell on things all the time. I am very pesimistic, I always think about the negative side of everything. For instence, I have to have my wisdom teeth out in less than a month, and I am driving myself nuts, because I am deathly afraid. I really don't think I am going to make it through this. I know that it has to be done, but I am soooo scared. I've never been "put under" before, and i'm afraid how i'm gonna feel when I wake up. I am not looking forward to this at all!! I can't imagine what I am going to be like the day of the surgery!! But anyway...


When I was little I would never eat anything outside of my house. I wouldn't eat in school, at restaurants, anywhere. When I was 8 I had a blockage in my stomach and I used to get awful stomach aches. My parents always thought that I was just saying things so I could stay home, but I was really in pain. I would to school for a little while, then I would go to the nurse she would call my mom, and I would go home. This happened at least 3 times a week. So finally they brought me to the hospital and I was treated. After that I became very nervous about everything. I couldn't handle loud noises and people screaming and doing things when I was eating, so the teachers let me sit in the classroom alone during lunch period when the other kids went to the cafeteria. For a while one of my parents would come during their lunch break and sit with me, just so I would eat. Then eventually I just asked a friend to stay with me. And thats how I made it through grade school. I got better over time.

After this whole incident, and still to this day; whenever I get a stomach ache I freak out. I don't know why. If I feel even the slightest bit sick or nauseas, I start shaking really bad, and I sweat and I sometimes get short of breath, I don't know what my deal is. And it is so hard to calm myself down. It's scary. I have to like tell myself over and over again that i'm ok. It's really wierd. Eventually it will go away, but I just get so uncontrolable.

hi feelgood-
it's always a good idea to get a second opinion. I have not personally ever blacked out but I have heard others with panic that have. If it is panic it generally does not go away on its own. Get a second opinion to be safe and if it is indeed panic I hope you will give cbt a try as if you are willing to put in some effort it will teach you the tools you need to keep panic attacks away

take care and keep us posted.

Q