Horrible Panic Attacks

[Rainbowinthedark]

Hi everyone.

I have terrible panic attacks. A couple months ago. I ended up in ER because I thought I was having a heart attack.
Last week I had a worse one, all my body was paralyzed, my hands were contracted. I rushed to the ER again.
I'm on medication for almost a month now, but I don't know what to do. I don't want to live like this my whole life.
I have an amazing boyfriend who understands me and supports me through this. But I can't accept the fact that my brain is doing this to me.

I know they are just panic atracks but once I get this first symptoms, tingling feeling in my hands or heart palpitations, I can't stop. I have seizures and once they're over they all seem so unreal as if it was a dream.

This panic disorder is consuming me and ruining my life. I don't have a specific trigger. My psychiatrist thinks it's a reflection of my whole life, what I've been through. And I never talk to anyone about my issues. I try to solve them on my own because that's what I had to do my whole life.

I have these attacks out of nowhere and like I said, I can't stop until I get to the ER. It's either heart attack or stroke.

Please tell me what to do if you experience the same. I don't want to live like this my whole life. My doctor thinks since I'm aware these are only panic attacks, I'm strong enough to manage them but I can't.

 

[Hiraeth]

I completely understand what you are going through right now. I have panic disorder. I have been having anxiety attacks for 12 years now. That is actually how I had my first anxiety attack. I ended up in the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack. That is actually very common with panic attacks.

Have you thought about seeing a therapist? Not a psychiatrist. I would highly recommend seeing a therapist who can help you work through your anxiety. You can tell the therapist that you don't want to talk about your issues but you wanna learn how to better manage your anxiety. The therapist should respect that and if they don't you should find a new one. You should also talk to your doctor about trying a different medication. Learn about different breathing techniques because that will help you calm down during a panic attack. Are you having anxiety induced seizures?

It sounds like you have been bottling up your anxiety your whole life and it is suddenly imploding on itself at the moment.Here are some tips that have personally helped me.

1. Getting a therapist
2. Getting on the right medications
3.Learning and Practicing grounding techniques
4. Mindfulness Meditation ( you can watch videos on youtube)
5. Learning Yoga and Moving my body ( working out gives you oxygen to your brain)
6. Learning Different breathing techniques (such as box breathing)
7. Finding distractions when I am in a panic that calm me down

I'm very sorry you're going through this right now. *hugs*

 

[StephanieEliz]

Hi there,
First of all, it’s great that you are talking to people. Panic attacks can feel like such a betrayal by our bodies. I started having panic attacks about 9 years ago and went on medication. Speaking from personal experience, it took me about 6 weeks for the medication to start to kick in. It didn’t happen immediately and I remember that made me panic more. However, they did go away and the medication helped. I didn’t notice it happening, but one day I realised I hadn’t been thinking about panic attacks for about a week and that’s when I realised it was working for me.

I decided to come off medication about 3 months ago and today in work, giving a 40 minute presentation, I had a panic attack. It felt like my mouth turned to cotton balls and my throat was closing. I felt so exposed and thought about just walking out but I someone rode through it. To be honest, I had no option... if I could have left I would have The attack lasted for 20 minutes ... I thought I was losing the power of my speech... and then it lifted. I was in such shock right after; just so embarrassed and frustrated. But... I had water and I was okay. I always knew my anxiety could strike suddenly again but I’m not afraid now. Also, there is a bizarre positive to panic attacks; they make us more empathetic as people. By god, today really gave me a jolt but by this evening I was okay.
You are strong enough to cope with them. As the poster above said, try different techniques. Box breathing helped me today... not easy while talking but I threw out questions to give me a chance to breath.
Also, a good old fashioned brown paper bag helped me years ago- I only had to use it twice or three times but it stopped me exhaling all my C02 which was causing my to get a fuzzy face that I thought was a stroke. (That’s a rough summary of how my dr explained it). Also, there is no shame in having panic attacks- people who have never had them are not immune; they’re just lucky.

It’s scary, but it will be okay. You will be okay. Find your techniques/supports/ tricks/ meds/ tips. Treat yourself like your own best friend- be kind and be supportive to yourself. X

 

[Keesha]

Also, a good old fashioned brown paper bag helped me years ago- I only had to use it twice or three times but it stopped me exhaling all my C02 which was causing my to get a fuzzy face that I thought was a stroke. (That’s a rough summary of how my dr explained it). Also, there is no shame in having panic attacks- people who have never had them are not immune; they’re just lucky.

It’s scary, but it will be okay. You will be okay. Find your techniques/supports/ tricks/ meds/ tips. Treat yourself like your own best friend- be kind and be supportive to yourself. X

About a month ago I had a panic attack where I went into hyper ventilation mode. A simple brown paper bag is the best thing for that.

Great recovery. You rode your panic out. Well done.

 

[Keesha]

I’m sorry you are going through this Rainbow.
You’ve been given some great advice.
I wish you the best.

 

[Seasider86]

Sorry to hear this. Been there myself and got the rushing to ER (a&e here) T shirt many times. I have even called for an ambulance so convinced I was having a heart attack. I am still struggling now, but havent rushed to hospital in years. The biggest thing with panic attacks is being able to rationalise ypur thoughts and it is exceptionally difficult to do. Sometimes I can, sometimes I struggle. When having a panic attack, gaining control of your breathing is key. Slow deep breaths are the way. Google has many breathing plans. The next thing is telling yourself that it is just (just? I know right?) a panic attack. It is NOT a heart attack or stroke. The thing about a heart attack or stroke is that they tend to happen quickly. I always keep an eye on the time when having a panic attack. This way the more time passes, the less likely it is going to be anything serious like a heart attack. I always think 'ok 5 mins have past or 10, if I was having a heart attack or stroke, I would have collapsed by now' so the more time that passes the more obvious it becomes that it is indeed a panic attack and nothing worse. Panic attacks are horrendous and I hate saying just a panic attack cos that makes it seem trivial and a panic attack is anything but. I also try and keep busy if anxious or having a panic attack by doung activities such as reading a book or playing a game on my phone. Colouring in helps sometimes too. I am 34 now and been suffering with panic attacks since my first attack at 18 and these are some coping mechanisms I have picked up along the way. You would think after 16 years of this I would be a pro at handling the attacks, but they still scare the life out of me. Also confiding in a partner or friend or relative who you trust helps. When having an attack talk to someone close. My wife helps talk me down from the height of panic also. She checks my pulse too so I can rule out anything sinister. Hope I have helped. Good luck

 

[Tony Tokyo]

Same here. Been to ER multiple times. So many ECG's, Echocardiogram, Excercise stress test. All came back normal. I went further and also got a cardiac ct scan angiography. Perfectly fine results. Panic disorder can ruin ones life.