Panic Attacks - anyone suffer from these?

alyth

As a bit of background, I separated in April after 15 years, moved into my own place 6 weeks ago and promptly was made redundant that same weekend - so I've been under a bit of pressure - I'm temping whilst applying for jobs, the joint house is on the market, everything that could have happened did in the space of 3 months.

For the second time this morning I've had a massive panic attack - thankfully ex was here and looked after me, but the first time it happened 2 weeks ago I was driving home having been sent home from a temp job - I abandoned (literally, on the inside lane!) the car on the A9 (Scotland's equivalent to the M25!) and had to be rescued by a couple of truckers, who calmed me down,and followed me to make sure I got home okay.

So it happened again about 11.30 this morning. What I can see now is for about 12 hours beforehand, I feel a bit shaky and restless - when the attack comes on I am hysterical, crying, shaking, totally hyperventilating and my hands and feet go all numb and then pins and needly. The attacks last about an hour, I also feel very sick hence abandoning the car the first time as I was throwing up in the layby.

I'm not looking for medical advice, more a sympathetic ear if you like! I finalyl got my redundancy money sorted out on Friday so I'm trying to book a session of mediation/NLP type of thing for next weekend, but even now I'm still feeling a bit "sensitive" for want of a better word, like a bit shaky and can't cope with things. I've got rescue remedy and I suspect I'm going to have to go and see a doctor which I didn't want to me, but I just wondered whether anyone if they'd had a panic attack in the past had had the same type of experience as I have.

Thanks.

Classy_Chick06

I understand what you are saying about being under an enormous amount of stress, but there may well be some sort of undelying cause to these attacks....
I mysef suffer from panic attacks and have done for many years, but i have no warning signs of them coming on either, and no do they last for an hour, mine only usually last for about 10 mins at a time, although, they sure do feel like several hours at the time.
I find by sitting down and breathing into a brown paper bag helps enormously as it regulates your breathing and stops hypoventilating.
I really suggest that you go and see your GP about this and i guess he will run some tests to try and determine what is going on with your body....
Just a thought but have you tried taking some St Johns Wart?

Little_Chicken

Hi there - sorry to hear that you are suffering with these. I used to have them about 10 years ago and they turned me into a bit of a hermit.

Exactly the same as yours - I also suffered with odd vision and feeling somehow detached from my surroundings. There's a brilliant book that my doctor recommended - I'll post a linky in a mo.

I was prescribed seroxat originally - which i refused to take, I found that straight forward one to one counselling really helped me. As did gradually reintroducing visits to places that used to set me off: pubs/supermarkets/restaurants. It really helped me and after about a year I was back to normal.

I know some people suffer for years, but I truly think that you can control your reaction to triggers and recover. If people can meditate and have surgery, then panic attacks are really minor. It's easy to say that now, but at the time when I first experienced the attacks I genuinely thought I was dying!!!

On a final note - people couldn't believe I suffered from panic attacks as I'm loud, confident, game for anything etc. But it just goes to show they can strike anyone, so please don't feel you're alone.

It's how you deal with the situation now that matters - let them control you - or control them.;);););)

I know this sound like a rant, but I don't mean it to. It's just scary to think where I might be now if I hadn't found the strength from somewhere to beat them.

Try not to feel isolated, we're all her to support you too.:A:A:A:A:A

Little_Chicken

Here's the book. I felt it really helped as there are lots of case studies of other sufferers - it made me feel quite positive that I could get myself better.

I also found meditation/yoga/relaxation tapes worked too.

http://http://www.amazon.co.uk/Attacks-Thorsons-Health-Christine-Ingham/dp/0722526989/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217177770&sr=1-7

bobsa1

Hi, I started with panic attacks last year and they were exactly the same as yours. felt very odd before hand and lasted a long time.

I was diagnosed with depression and take venalafaxine, also had counselling.

Mine started as a reaction to large amounts of stress and happened when I was driving, shopping etc.

I know it can be very very scary.

Mine also caused me to have very high blood pressure because I ended up in a constant state of anxiety.

I would advise going to see your GP as soon as possible and being honest about how you feel. I think in retrospect I should have gone much sooner.

Best of luck

alyth

Thanks so much for your replies, I really do appreciate them. Interested that you mention feeling isolated Little Chicken, I was dreading the weekend as I had nothing to do and nothing to look forward to, I'm wondering whether that's some sort of trigger - I don't have many friends and don't want to bother my parents over this as they would think I was just being stupid. And thanks for the link, I'm cooking but will have a look at that later, I just wanted to thank you all for posting.

Hindsight's a great thing bobsa, strangely I had a similar attack away back in February and my boss rushed me off to the hospital, but it's only now that I realise it must have been a panic attack, although I always thought I was a very strong person, ran an office of 15 people, had a brilliant job, etc.

Thanks, it's nice to know that I'm not alone!

Little_Chicken

I think looking on the bright side - you can see the triggers for your attacks - so hopefully they can be beaten, and soon.

I agree speaking to your doc is a good first move, as they will be able to refer you for counseling if that's what you want to do. I would just be wary of taking any drugs as they won't necessarily deal with the underlying causes.

I also had 'slight' inklings that an attack was coming on - such as feeling hungry, but apparently that's just your body producing adrenalin for the 'fight or flight' reaction as it feels that it's under attack. The numbness and tingling you mention is the blood rushing to your vital organs - again, it's just working hard to protect you. Even though there's no real threat.

Believe me I know the medical stuff inside-out as I found it quite empowering to know why my body was reacting in such an extreme way.

izzydogsam

Hello!

I get panic attacks too! I read somewhere that about 1 in 10 people get them, so there's loads of us around!

I started with them aged 21 during a period of prolonged stress. Had them on and off for 14 years now. I spoke to my dad when they started, and it turned out he'd had them too and started with them at 21 as well. I never knew! He's the last person I thought would get them as he's very well-adjusted .

I went to doctors about them and she asked if I wanted to see the CPN - I said yes and had no idea what I'd agreed to. Turned out to be the Community Psychiatric Nurse, which I found quite amusing! He was very helpful though and gave me breathing exercises to practice and talked through my attacks with me. I agree with Little Chicken that it's really useful to understand what happens with your body when you have an attack and where all the 'symptoms' or feelings you experience come from. Helped me to rationalise the attacks and what was happening to my body.

I still get them from time to time and don't think they ever really go away - you just learn to cope with them better! For me, I try to absorb myself in whatever is happening around me to take my mind off them. E.g. if I feel it starting in a restaurant (one of my favourite locations to have an attack!) I strike up conversation with whomever I'm with. Next thing I know, it's half n hour later and I've forgotten I felt ropey because I've got involved in the conversation! I also like to sit at the end of the row at the theatre/cinema etc. so I know I can get up and out easily if it starts to get too much for me, and I won't disturb loads of people. Coping strategies for me I suppose.

I refused drugs, as I didn't want to mask what was happening and wanted to deal with it. But each to their own and it depends how extreme/how bad you are feeling. I know people for whom medication has worked, and people for whom counselling has worked. We're all different! The main thing for me was taking control and not letting them rule my life. You can learn to control them:j so try not to feel too overwhelmed by them. When I feel my attacks cranking up again, I try to take a bit more time for relaxation etc. and kind of see them as my body telling me to ease of a little bit and chill.

Easy for me to say now I feel I'm top side of them I know, but it really can be done. Remember you can talk yourself out of an attack, as well as talk yourself into one. I found it helpful to learn breathing techniques and practice them at home, so they became second nature when I started with an attack.

Sorry for the very long post! It is a subject close to my heart though .

Good luck - you can overcome it.
Izzy
x

phoebe03cat

Hi, my husband used to get these too at stressful times. Typical man though in total denial. Not until many years later on did we discover that he was overreacting to stress as he had a problem with his mitral heart valve. The fight or flight response was being exaserbated by the adrenaline produced by stress. Now its fixed he's fine. Always worth getting checked in case there is anything underlying, and if not you will get the support to help.:smileyhea

jeannieblue

Long while since I had any - but I know them only too well.

Remember, when the attack is happening - you are NOT going to die. It is NOT a heart attack. Kinda helps ...

If possible, if you feel it going to start, instead of rushing, (panic/flight etc) try and do the opposite, stop, pause, fiddle in handbag... whatever. Just stop/slow up.

If you are hyperventillating - then there is the paper bag trick... If possible, and I know this sounds silly, carry a paper bag with you. If you feel you are hyperventillating, breath in and out of the bag. Works..

Remember, the attacks, although horrendous, will not kill you, if you feel a numbness around the mouth, that is more likely to be stress and not a stroke - like I used to think!

Be brave, confront it, go on with your life and if need be, accept it. And then it will go.

Other wise, it ends up as a fear of the panic, and panicking when you are out and can restrict your life.

I wish you well - be kind to yourself, you've had a rough time lately. You're allowed to feel scared and all sorts of emotions... you may not feel like it but your subconscious may - hence, it throws the 'panics' at you.

belfastgirl23

I had panic attacks throughout my twenties. Actually izzydogsam's advice is probably good - I had mine sometimes in work situations and found that focusing on 'looking after' someone else really helped. The other thing I found useful was this: I read somewhere that when you feel an attack coming on you should welcome it since it gives you a chance to learn how to deal with it. Funnily enough I've found thinking about this to be really helpful...if I feel symptoms coming on I try thinking 'well I can learn how to handle this' which distracts me from my catastrophic thinking cycle and somehow helps it to go away. I only get them very rarely now, flying being my own particular worst trigger. I did have hypnotherapy for this last year which I think helped - I am contemplating going to the US next year which I couldn't even have conceived of before.

Just wanting to wish you luck, you're right seeking help so early, I didn't ever seek help and I think I spent about 10 years of my life fearing them which seems like such a waste...