panic attacks

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mooks

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Recently I've started to have mild panic attacks and I wondered if anybody might have any advice?

They started about 3 weeks ago and vary in degrees. Sometimes it's just a racing heart and butterflies in my tummy, and sometimes it's bad enough that I can't catch my breath, want to be sick and burst into tears. The really strange thing is that other than these attacks, I'm happier with my life than I have been in years.

I don't want to take any kind of medicine for this (I was on antidepressants a few years ago and vowed that I would never mess with my brain chemistry like that again), so if anybody has any input that would be great.

Also, if anybody has any insight as to why these could start so suddenly, frequently and without any environmental triggers, that would be awesome :)
 
I have a general anxiety disorder so will provide my knowledge based on my experience...

There is usually no single reason why you could be experiencing attacks, could be medical though. But if you need to cope without medication there are great relaxation techniques that you could practice using self-help books or try iTunesU which has free resources.
 
See a psychologist they won't give you "stuff to mess with your brain chemistry".
 
Could be something else in your life that's causing this like uncertainty about the future.
Evaluate your life and see where you can make an improvement.
 
You'll have to figure out the trigger yourself.

You could get some beta blockers...they work well & are pretty harmless (I took them for a while....doesn't mess with your head like antidepr would). Blocks the fight/flight response.
 
Exercise (20 minute run 6 times a week), eat healthy (no KFC for you), cut all the salt.

You'll feel much much better.
 
Forget the medication suggestions for now. I ain't no expert but I recommend two things.

First, not sure if you do exercise but if not, then do so. The endorphins will give you your natural high. Works for me. If I don't exercise for a week I start feeling down again and have "panic attacks".

Second, the human mind is a peculiar thing and just taking a "placebo" of sorts may trick it into feeling better. Now you would probably not be able to trick yourself so instead have a natural remedy on hand to pop and make you feel you have at least done something. For this i would recommend a bottle of Rescue tablets. They just give you something to focus on when having an attack.
 
Old expert here.....


First for a complete and thorough check-up at the Doc. This is so you can put your mind at ease that its not a medical issue.
Secondly, and because you now know its not a medical issue, you need to realise that panic attacks are not dangerous and cant kill you. Because panic induces more panic the biggest problem is that they become worse, more frequent and can ruin your life. The trick is to take the wind out of their sails by learning that they arent dangerous.
 
marine1 said:
Try mild beta blockers.
Also try breathing into brown paper bag.
Ypu can never predict when they will hapen :(
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It's the only thing I take which helps with my anxiety, stress and panic. I'm on 3 beta blockers a day and it works better than anything I had previously. I'm as calm as a sleeping kitten some days. I take other meds as well, but I know the beta blockers work, since it was added later :)
 
mooks,

What brings on these attacks? Explain in detail situations that bring on these attacks as well as your interpretations of things leading up to it.
 
People STOP "giving advice". This is not some motherboard we are talking about! You have no idea what is going on yet you keep saying this and that. A panic attack can be a very dangerous thing (can lead to hard damage or stroke). You don't even know if the op is male or female yet just because in your particular case xyz worked you say the op should do the same. My advice is to go to your doctor and don't ask advice from a computer forum. You may end up doing more harm then good. Wish you a speedy recovery.
 
intel8080 said:
People STOP "giving advice". This is not some motherboard we are talking about! You have no idea what is going on yet you keep saying this and that. A panic attack can be a very dangerous thing (can lead to hard damage or stroke). You don't even know if the op is male or female yet just because in your particular case xyz worked you say the op should do the same. My advice is to go to your doctor and don't ask advice from a computer forum. You may end up doing more harm then good. Wish you a speedy recovery.
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Bra relax by posting here people are asking for what worked for other people.

We all know to seek professional help but while waiting for office hours we do some "research" from other peoples experiences.
 
I guess you are right but after losing a family member (not close family but stil very painfull) because of lightly taken panic attacks, I am very sensitive to the issue. I just want to make sure the OP takes it seriously and gets professional advice/help. If that is understood then any Dick, Tom and Jerry "expert" opinion in here, is more then welcomed :D
 
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intel8080 said:
I guess you are right but after losing a family member (not close family but stil very painfull) because of lightly taken panic attacks, I am very sensitive to the issue. I just want to make sure the OP takes it seriously and gets professional advice/help. If that is understood then any Dick, Tom and Jerry "expert" opinion in here, is more then welcomed :D
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your relative but the story sounds strange how does a person die from panick attacks?
 
intel8080 said:
I guess you are right but after losing a family member (not close family but stil very painfull) because of lightly taken panic attacks, I am very sensitive to the issue. I just want to make sure the OP takes it seriously and gets professional advice/help. If that is understood then any Dick, Tom and Jerry "expert" opinion in here, is more then welcomed :D
Click to expand...

Taking it lightly is not good yes, but taking it too seriously can have negative consequences too, learning to accept the attacks is part of recovery, expecting everything to go back to normal is not the right approach and can also make things worse.

Seeking professional help is the right decision and asking for help is just the start, the OP has taken a step in the right direction.
 
OP, do you know what personality tipe you are? I think it plays a huge role in ones life. If you know you'll pick up on certain behavior instead of just allowing it to unconsciously rule your life. I'm a perfectionist mixed with a tragic romantic.I've known that for years, but never bothered to find out what it means. I've read up on it and now know all the downsides to it which will give me coping skills for the future.
 
buyeye said:
Sorry to hear about your relative but the story sounds strange how does a person die from panick attacks?
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I also thought is a joke and how can one die but after the ordeal I changed my mind in a flash. The term "panic attack" is a bit of a miss-nommer. In our case they were triggered by stroke damage to the part of the brain which controls the hormon level in the blood. In particular adrenaline. My nice was not afraid or anything as one expects someone in panic. She was just shaking uncontrollably all over and her heart was doing close to 180bpm and were very powerfull beats! I have a level 3 first aid course and I was there but could not figure out WTF is going on. By the time we got her to the hospital she already passed out but was breathing albeit very shallow and quick and was sweating. Her pulse was now erratic and weak. Within the hour it was all over. The cardiologist said that her and she burst a heart valve completely and damaged the other one. She basically passed away while they were frantically busy doing all sorts of tests. She just turn 51 a week and 4 days earlier. Panic attacks can have many reasons. Some of them may indeed be harmles while others can snow ball into a monster. I for one learned it the hard way. I hope this helps someone out there.
 
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