I have had panic attacks since I was 16. I have been doing fine for many years. I am 52 now and recently circumstances have changed and Panic has raised its ugly head again.
I am terrified to be alone and I have no choice because my husband works and I don't drive because of attacks. So I am a bit of a mess right now.
My Dr. increased my Escitalopram and I am afraid of meds!! This is in turn escalating my panic!!
I don't know what to do right now.
I am open to any and all suggestions.
Thank you
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Suz65
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Bless you you've forgotten to remember what you have forgotten.
You letting that monster take over your head again , I'm also 52 I've also had panic attacks since aged 15 lol .
Love them panic attacks wow don't they just let you know your alive ?
Their yours take care of them learn to love them again weee here we go lol.
Feel the fear and do it anyway , remember ?
I don't care about my panic attacks anymore I just panic away what's the point of worrying ?
Seriously , theirs no point at all what will be will be xx
Just relax remember what you have forgotten ?
Re learn your breathing techniques?
Go on you tube and do some meditation theirs loads on their I've done most of them .
IDE be careful about upping the zitalapram myself you know they want us panickers paying their bills ?
It's just a relapse and you have coped for 36 years suz and you will be fine and you are fine don't try to fight it as theirs nothing to fight remember ?
It's just a feeling that's all just a feeling let it wash over you and laugh in the face of fear .
Breath and relax
Hey go on you tube right now and put in Matt Simmons catch and release .
And close your eyes breath and smile I'll bet you feel fine ten mis later xx
Thank you Callumlee. I started the increase on my meds Wed. I can tell it is helping some but I still get so scared from meds. (Mother had a bad reaction that I will never forget)
I have been on 20 mgs since 2016 when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. (I know! I survived cancer and yet I am letting Panic run my life)
I had to go up because I am afraid to be alone and my anxiety got wayyy out of hand.
Please don't tell me anything bad about meds because that will send me into a Panic right away!! 😩
I know what I need to do as far as coping skills I am just having a problem concentrating on them when I get scared. This is an awful cycle!! 😡
Do think you are focusing on being alone to much and overthinking it and then getting more scared and stuck in that cycle ?
Your on a low dose anyway so yes that will help temporarily.
Seriosly go on YouTube mat simmons catch and release close eyes lie down breath easy and enjoy then mail that you don't feel better , I bet you cannot?
Right now I am nervous about going to bed because of side effect of the medication, so I am here typing it away.
Ok ok what's the side effect of the Medes with regard to going to sleep suz ?
And ok try going on you tube and listening to Matt Simmons catch and release its so lovely it's like natural medicine I promise you ,,,,,
Don't go to bed then just sit back on sofa and listen to it now pretty please with a cherry on the top do it now and then mail me how you feel after , I'm curious to see if just listening to him for a few mins makes you feel as good as it does me ? Please do it give it a go nothing to lose ?
I wake up feeling like I am on fire. Every nerve in my body and head feels hot. I have been calling a wonderful friend and when we start talking it stops. I can't keep calling her because it is usually 3 am or so and she has to work. I have to find a way to get this to stop by myself.
I will listen to that song.
And yes the sleep dep thing is bad news because we get so tired we cannot get no clarity on our thoughts and tun into I'm a nutcase lol but we're not we're all people and we're all the same we all feel it from time to time I truly beleave that truly I do just most people hide it and never talk about it their to scared to for fear of sterio typing I bet the queen has panic attacks to ?
Hey suz did you know that Botox is the most poisonous substance on earth ?
And one kilo of the stuff is more than enough to kill every person on earth twice over ?
And one kilo of Botox costs ? Ready for this ?
One trillion pounds ????
I just watched a documentary on it .
I think I'll pass on the Botox then lol
Wow ok well no wonder your scared of the Medes then , and if I may say you are one brave person and I salute you suz.
Because I also have a Meds phobia and have never and will never take them no way I'm too scared that's the truth ,I beleave every action has a reaction and that would be a reaction I do not want to experience as that would make me freak the hell out and panic even more and that's not my idea of a cure I'm looking for a good reaction that's my reason or fear for not taking the Meds the gp thinks I am a nutcase lol and always tells me try these Meds and I'm like UHHH ?
what you got you can give them to your momma lol
Bless you lady your much braver than I and I mean that you really are .
Have you listened to Matt yet ? And how did that make you feel ?
I did listen to that song some. When I am overly stimulated like I am right now I have a hard time focusing on anything. If something helps me relax I freak out. It gives me the opposite effect.😩 If you can understand that.
It is a beautiful song and I can see why you love it so. I will return to it, I have kept it bookmarked.
I also have had panic attacks since childhood and now 52 , they upped my citalopram and it took a while but I finally did it, however my issues are not leaving the house, I have health anxiety "hypochondria" it ducks and I make a lot of doc appts and even though some are needed , I have a hard time and think everything is bad and fear what they say. Do I still have slot of work to do. But excersize, and yoga with a healthy diet helps. God Bless , keep in touch
Wow! I am so sorry you are having to go through with this right now. It sounds horrible and like you have already been through so much. I have been a constant worrier my whole life. Literally every thought revolves around a worry. In working with a therapist I have since been able to distinguish what I call, "the snake in the grasses" voice and rather choose to listen for a healthier positive one. But, to be clear, I am still in the midst of this and am not an expert. However this snake had me in the worst of shape. I was having an anxiety attack every 5 minutes. Literally all day.
I Really had a hard time getting out of bed. Plus I couldn't get anyone to believe or understand how I was feeling. Even at church I would open up and be vulnerable and people just looked at me like I was crazy or some how choosing to be like this. I felt so alone even in a crowded room.
All I know that I did that... over much much time... was take small steps toward things... one thing was to just get up and get dressed even if I still got back in bed. Later came just walking up and down some stairs a couple times a day... one of the bigger things was writing my worries down and getting them into the light of the day. Seeing them on player in a sense... also been working on CBT and ERP.
But I made a list of very simple distraction. Such as have a drink of water and concentrate on how cool and refreshing it is. Or take a short walk. Later they grew and over time and with the help of medication and therapy I would say I am feeling far better than I was.
Hope I hope this for you. Recognizing it and coming here to discuss I think are already great heathy steps. And please don't beat yourself up is if you struggle... this is going to take time. And on the positive note you may be addressing something that you have been needing to address for along time, and through this season you are going to finally get the help and healing you have always been needing.
The issue here is I am afraid to be alone. I have no choice because my husband has to work. My street gets empty during the day and I feel like I am the only living being here.
So I can't do baby steps. I have to figure out how the heck to handle this and quick.
Have you all ever heard of Mindfulness? There is a book I recently bought called "The Mindful Way Through Anxiety". It is a very good way to identify your triggers and observe the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that you have during a panic attack or when you are feeling anxious. I just started going to a therapist because of my anxiety- i stopped being able to sleep for a week straight and i was literally losing my mind...thought i was going to die! So, therapy and this book have been really helping me. Look the book up on Amazon and consider purchasing a copy. I am on Lexapro as well as Trazodone for sleep. Been on both for about a month now. Anxiety is a very hard thing to cope with and I have been experiencing panic attacks for a little over a year and a half now. I used to get them back when i was about 20, 21...but i talked myself through them and eventually they went away. i wish it was that easy now... i am 33, almost 34 now. good luck with your journeys! let me know if any of you gets the book and if it helps you like it is helping me.
Thanks Shannon, I have been trying to do mindfulness but it feels like turning the Titanic most of the time, but I know it is what I need to do and develop.
Thank you I will look into this book. I have The Anxiety and Panic workbook by Edward Bourne (?)
I just get so scared and can't concentrate to read.
I am very glad you have found something that helps.
How are you doing on Lexapro and what is your dosage? I am on the generic and just bumped up to 30 mgs last week. I think the side effects or anxiety is starting to lessen.
i'm doing ok with the lexapro... it was making me extremely dizzy and i had some naseau too at first, but those side effects seem to be almost gone now.. i'm on 10 mg, started on 5mg. i'm a lightweight tho, with meds and such.
Try a different medication. Let your doctor know it's not alleviating the anxiety symptoms. The more we try to avoid situations that make us uncomfortable, the more fearful we become of them. I would take baby steps and push yourself to go a little further everyday in terms of the driving. Maybe just try a drive around the block first. Once you have accomplished even small milestones, you'll be amazed how much better you will feel and the anxiety will be less. I too have suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. I have found taking baby steps to be very helpful.
Okay, I went to a counselor a bit ago for anxiety and panic disorder. I told her I was opposed to medications, so she suggested either eating a spoonful of peanut butter. In my case, because I am a VERY picky eater, almond butter. She says it's something about the proteins that calm the body. Try eating a tablespoon full of either whenever you are feeling anxious or going to have a panic attack. If you eat it before a panic attack it helps relieve some of the symptoms. Don't stop taking your meds though, the doctors know what's best.
You know I was on a med that is the same just went by the name lexapro and I was told it’s a “baby med” like not one of the big guns. Do you take meds for other things or is this anxiety about all meds? That must be scary, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope the meds do help though. Is that med for anti anxiety also cause all I’ve known it for is anti depressant. Are you to anxious to take anti anxiety meds?
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