panic attacks

oakiecokie said:
My first panic attack occured on Christmas Day 1985 !!
I had NO idea as to what the problem was,but I honestly thought I was dying !!
I had no idea as to what was happening and I made the wife take our two kiddies over to her best friend as ,I did not want them to see me dying.
I honestly thought I was dying.I was short of breath,stomach felt as though it was exploding and was so aggitated,that all I wanted to do was pace up and down the Living Room,as I could not sit still.
Eventually when the GP arrived he diagnosed what the problem was and gave me some tablets to calm me down.
My biggest fear at the time was trying to stay awake,as I honestly felt, that had I dropped of to sleep,then I would not have woken up !!!!!!!!!!]
Even after 25 years of suffering I cannot go anywhere without my Diazapem,not so much as taking them,but knowing they are there to calm me down !!!!!
Nothing can stop the anxiety,as I`ve had many when watching City,whether it be live or on the TV !!
Basically it is a sudden rush of adrenalin,which brings on an attack,due to an upsurge of breathing and oxygen.
Way back in 1985/86 I lost a lot of time of work,due to this condition and I was referred to our works GP from Dunlops.
He was brilliant and asked me if he could use our discussion,via a dictaphone,for an article he had been writing in the "Lancet" ?? ,the GP`s monthly/quarterly magazine.
Please if anyone else suffers from this severe condition,then please PM me,as I am always here to listen and give advice.
You are NOT alone,so please let me help and support you,in any way I can.
Cheers,
Oakie .

my counciler advised me not to take any medication cus if i accidently forgot it one day n i was out ide end up panicing ect.. but i have other things that calm me down that i need to stop doing but i telll you what it's fuckin hard and ive still not stopped,

1) can't go out anywhere without a drink of water (incase i dehydrate, but i know i won't it's fucked up)

2) without menthol chewing gum because it helps me feel like i can breathe better (when it makes no difference)

3) i wont get on a plane because the thought of not being able to get off and i might panic attack and get arrested for people thinkin im a terrorist (sounds crazy i know lol i used to love flying)

4) won't get on a train on my own, but i am fine with other people (fucked up)

But my anxiety has got a hell of alot better in the past 9 months.

same as the other guy said if any1 wants any info or ideas how to cope with some of this shit just pm me i'm always happy to share and help people. but like i said before <a class="postlink" href="http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.nomorepanic.co.uk</a> is a really good site with alot of people who post on that forum.
 
If she's got an iPhone she could try this:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.panic-attack-aid.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.panic-attack-aid.com/</a>

I think the key to getting rid of them is to face the symptoms head on until you're no longer scared of them, because it is only the fear of the symptoms creating the symptoms.
 
Panic Attacks and Ainxiety Attacks are simply getting you in a state because mentally you think you are going to die.

I suffered from them badly for about 9 months in my early twenties, it got so bad that i stopped going out at the weekend or even to the gym and city incase any sort of excitement brought it back on. I used to struggle for breath, and used to think that my left arm was numb with shooting pains running up and down it. It was all in my head though.

I got over them by one day trying to "beat" the attack and i got through it and thought "is that it??"

The key is to tell your mum that she cannot die and nothing bad will happen from a panic or ainxety attack, it's her mind playing tricks and it happens to hundreds of thousands every year.
 
I think it's important at this point to differentiate between 'the mind playing tricks' and 'the brain working inappropriately'.
 
bananamilksheikh said:
I can speak from experience and my advice is:

1 only use medication as a very short term measure if your are very worked up
2 using medication re-enforces in your mind that something is wrong with you
3 carrying tablets around is a sign that the panic is still controllling you
4 see you doctor
5 seek self-help books, relaxation cd's, self hypnotism, breathing techniques
6 avoid food/drink with stimulants eg caffine, nicotene and chocolate
7 work out what the triggers are and adjust your lifestyle accordingly
8 increase your physical activity eg walking, jogging, swimming
9 consider a talking therapy eg counselling or cognative behavioural therapy
10 have someone to talk to who is there 24-7 eg family or helpline
11 dont avoid doing things as this will only reinforce your negative feelings

My last comment is probably the most important. You need to know what is happening to you. Once you understand that the myth is exposed and you are no longer under the spell of this mysyery force.

negative thought>heart starts racing>you notice and want to know why>your breathing accelerates>you now know something is wrong>your get a hot flush>more worry>the fingers tingle>panic>all symptoms intensify>complete panic

The thoughts drive the physical responses. As you have heard the symptoms wont kill you and can only reach a certain level. So recognising this vicious circle will be your key. Just ignore the symptoms.

OP the fact your mum has had subsequent attacks is to be expected because she is now constantly monitering her body and mind and the enevitable will happen. Sometimes called a self-fullfilling prophecy. If you asked her to make an attack happen she couldnt. That is because it is the predominantly initiated by the sub-conscious part of the mind until the conscious mind mind takes over to help the panic reach its max.

To give you some other examples of the sub-conscious controlling your physical responses: you look at food and your mouth starts watering; you get home and immediately have a desperate need for the toilet; when City have lost you adopt a dejected body shape with slouched shoulders.

There is an abundance of stuff on the internet. But remember the key
*CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK*

The one biggest factor which you say does not help is stimulants.
However the biggest one of those is ALCOHOL.Seems great at the time,but the next day,your body then starts to reject your feelings of calm etc,from the night before.
This has nothing to do with a hangover,but the process of alcohol within the bloodstream which acts as a depressant.
Although I agree with some of your points,you have to realise that evey single person is different and NOT all of your points can become possible.
You seem like someone who would turn around to someone with depression and say "Snap out of it"
If only !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its NOT as easy as you appear to claim and after 25 years of sufference,I do know what I am talking about.
Also doesn`t help watching the Blues !! lol<br /><br />-- Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:58 pm --<br /><br />
johnny on the spot said:
Great post bms, with some important truths about Panic.

But everyone's at their own stage of dealing with the condition, within their own circumstances. I haven't found it as easy as following points A, B and C, partly because anxiety forms only one facet of my mental illness.

I agree that long term medication is not in all cases the best course of treatment, nor an ideal course in any case. But talking and cognitive therapies are increasingly difficult to access. It takes up to 3 weeks for me to see my GP in a non-emergency, another few weeks to obtain a referral to either limited counselling appointments or to the Community Mental Health Team, who conduct an assessment and decide whether a referral to a consultant is required. The whole process can take months, in which time a person's wellbeing can potentially decline. Medication can effectively bridge this gap.

I'll concede in part that my carrying of medication reinforces the view that I am ill, but the fact is that currently I am. While undergoing treatment, I feel the need for that safety net and I accept that this is part of the process and hope that eventually I won't need it.

That post is so absolutely spot on "johnny" and I get disheartened when I hear other people saying its not as if you are going to die,come around to another way of thinking.
If we could all do that,we wouldn`t need medication,nor help !!
Keep cool mate.Doesn`t help watching the Blues as the adrenalin reaches it tipping point. lol But its true.
 
If there was such a 'key' to avoiding panic, nobody would suffer from panic disorder. The doctor would sit down with you and say 'You're merely thinking incorrect thoughts. Think these thoughts instead'. While to extent this is what CBT is, it is expensive and time-consuming and therefore limited.

The 'snap out of it' merchants are talking mere alchemy. You can no more talk yourself out of an anxiety attack than you can a migraine or a black eye. It is the symptom which is irrational and not the person, which is why they are so frightening. These aren't phobias. If I were arachnophobic and encountered a menacing spider, of course I'd be entitled to my anxiety attack. Socially, phobias are tangible and accepted. Panic seemingly for the sake of panic is not.
 
OakieCokie> I have suffered from depression since 1980 so I am NOT the sort of person to say "snap out of it" I am on medication for life (Lithium/Venlafaxine). I tried to word my post in such a way that the OP could relay some points back to his mum. I didnt see the point in showing too much empathy as she is unlikely to read this. Although I heavily rely on medication for depression I stand by my comments about using medication for anxiety as a long term solution. I have been prescribed all the usual stuff eg Propananol, Diazapam, Tamazapam etc. As you know depression and anxiety come as an evil pair. They are great drugs for a short term benefit but the side effects are significant. Diazapam or Valium suppresses the central nervous system and can be used like a "stop tap" when things spiral out of control. I had days when even popping a few of them didnt even touch my anxiety.
I am a strong believer in pursuiting whatever works for you. I have experienced a lot and after reading loads of books and seeing professionals etc I feel qualified to comment on this subject. My checklist was designed to give a few ideas toward the textbook way of dealing with things. I am only writing on here to help and not to tell anyone what they should do. I am currently having some CBT and I believe the pursuit of rationalising negative thoughts is the best long term strategy. The more we suffer the more understanding we achieve and so the fear of the feelings is reduced as we have "been there before." I think mental health illnesses are worse than any physical ones.
 
You know, we fuck about a lot on BM, but this is probably the most important thread I've read as it gives clear directions to help people in a bad situation. This is why I say that we are one big City family, because of stuff like this.
 

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