Category: Health and Wellness
I have had a three-year struggle with a minor case of panic disorder. I had to see a psychologist to make sure these panic attacks wouldn't interfere with the rigorous training it takes to work with a guide dog at the school. It has been almost five months since my last panic attack, and I know how to handle them better should another one arise. Has anyone ever had one?
Some guide dogs are trained to help with panic attacks. You might want to ask about it when you apply at a guide dog school.
I've been having panick attacks for near on six years now... I don't really know how I do cope with them, just that, I'm still here afterwards, so I must do at some point... I try and keep myself busy and talk to people as much as possible so that I don't have time to start panicking about my panicking. Sounds ridiculous, but you'd be amazed at how easy it is to do, and obviously it just makes things worse. I also try to keep my breathing as slow and deep as possible, which is no mean feat when it feels like the world is imploding on you let me tell you. Otherwise, I'm not really sure. Herbal medicine is my friend. Not much more I can say on that oen.
Yes, I have had panic atacks before. They aren't frequent, but when I do get them, they are severe. I do have a medicine I can take when ones strikes. It's called Klonopin. I avoid taking it if I can, by focusing on my breathing, making it slow and deep, listening to soft music, sometimes writing out thoughts just as they come into my mind, with no censoring. I'll also talk to close friends, who can help take my mind off whatever is causing me to panic in the first place. But if I absolutely cannot get control, I will take my medicine. Perhaps you should talk to your psychologist about Klonopin or a similar medication.
I have mild OCD and suffer with panic attacks. I have got pills that I have to take every day to keep them under control.
My psychologist gave me some progressive muscle relaxation techniques I practice every day. These involve tensing and relaxing different muscle groups throughout the body too learn to relax during a panic attack. "Relax," is my word of choice when I inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth. So far, they're working. I'd like to avoid any medication if I can help it, and my doctor said that because my panic attacks are not ruining my life, I don't need medication.
OK, so as soon as I post about how infrequent my panic attacks are, they pick up at an amazing rate. Sometimes I swear it's life's way of kicking me in the butt. I do still take my Klonopin when needed, but now I'm really having to rely on other natural coping skills. The worst of it is in the midst of the panic attack, when I'm already hyperventolating. I can still hear the rational part of my mind trying to guide me through what I need to do, like breathe slowly, etc. It's just getting my body to listen to that rational thinking, and follow it.
Lol, yeh, certainly easier said..... Especially when it feels like your wind pipe's about to turn it's self inside out......
Sister Dawn, I hear you.
So, today at work, when I got some really distressing news from the head of our HR department, things were not cool. I could feel a panic attack coming, but managed to control my breathing while I talked with her. I could feel my body tensing up, my stomach going queasy. As soon as I was out of that office, I ran for the bathroom and promptly got sick. Anyone ever experienced that one before?
NO, cant's say I have. For me, public speaking is a trigger of a panic attack. Just thinking about it makes my heart skip a beat. I can remember giving a speech in my junior English class and my hands started shaking and sweating. I lost my train of thought, because my only thought was, "don't start hyperventilating. Everyone else has to go through this, it's not just you." I have no recollections of how I got through that one, but I managed.
several days since my last panic attack, but I managed to keep it under control I'm okay
I never had a panic attack, but some of my friends have. usually they ask me to talk them through it, and I try to use a soothing voice when I have to talk to them while they are having a panic attack. I usually ask if they want to hear music or something, and remind them to breathe. there's not much I can tell you. not what others have salready said.
Oh yeah. my mother also has them. she puts cold water on her face. she says it snapps her right of it.
might try that next time, thanks
I get panic attacks. I also have depression. Some times I think am going to die. But I am not as bad as I used to be. I take venlafaxine and seroqual. The seroqual helps keep me calm.
i did get an anxiety attack after i was sitting at my dask right here at my dorm.
I felt like i wanted to die and thought of calling my roomate saying "please make sure you get me up tomorrow."
i did not know what an anxiety attack was and i felt a cold sweat, my heart skipped beats inside my chest, i felt like throwing up at my desk if not the case.
i felt the chills and my hands and legs were giving out.
i hardly stood up to make it to bed but i managed to do that after closing my computer and just layed there and told my roomate to set my alarm to wake me up for the last porsion of a conference i had to attend on a sunday.
i have no idea what triggered this, oh, and i had slight chest pain very slight.
I know this is an old topic...
it's very interesting to read about all this. I think i have some mild form of these. It hits me worse when I wake up and am half conscious, a thought will hit me and my heart will race and skip beats, and I feel chilled and terrified. during the day, when I'm conscious, I can keep the anxiety to a kind of dull dread, but it's still there. it's a scary feeling.
Has anyone tried st. john's wort? that's supposed to be an herbal remedy. I want to try it.
struggle going on six years now. grrrr, medications can just go and ... well, from my experience, they don't seem to help. I tried an antidepressant-antianxiety drug, but all it did was make me feel sleepy and pack on the pounds.
I don't get them, but my wife sometimes does. DOn't let anyone tell you that they're no big deal or to just get over them. They're real conditions, and should be treated as such. I hate people who tell you to just get over it and grow up.Guardian