Constant panicky state

[Dechad]

Hello all. I'am new here so i thought i should share my own experience with anxiety. Last october (2016) my doctor told me to have an mri scan because of some issues i had with my left ear.

The whole procedure took about 45 minutes and from the moment i was in thst tube i had high bpm and was worried, but it did the test which thankfully came back as normal.

The next week as i was at work i had my very first panic attack. I didnt know what it was so i rushed to the ER. They told me i was ok and gave me some pills to relax.

Even since my life has been a mess. Especially at work i feel tense and panicky all the time and i have to go out several times a day when i feel like im losing control and an attack is imniment.

Due to all this stress i have pains in my stomach, bloating etc and also muscle pains, headaches diziness. I feel like sick everyday

I started going to a shrink for a month now but not much has changed. Now ive got to the point of not being able to function normally when around people, in meetings, eating with others, going out etc. I feel like my life is ruined and I cant see some hope.

What should i do? Go for the pills (i dont want to) or try other ways? Ive tried breathing, hypnotherapy, meditation but nothing seems to help. I'm lost and only 30 years old

Thank you all.

[Hidden]

Hi sorry to hear this. I would imagine you have suffered from anxiety for quite some time before this event at work moved it into a higher stage. You are doing the right things by seeing a counsellor but it will take longer than 1 month to start helping. You are expenting results far too quickly so have patience.

It's up to you whether you want to use meds or not but they are only a tool to help you feel better and more able to tackle your issues. Most users are only on them short term so it doesn't mean you will be on them for life or anything.

Have you tried mindfullness? This helps many people and there is lots of info online.

[DianeA]

Why not Take pills. Why not try. I have.

[Claudio10]

I'm in the similar situation. Talking to someone doesn't seem to work for me. I will try pills because I don't see any other way out. I suggest you do the same before you destroy your career. I've already ruined mine because I realized my mental illness a little too late. Best of luck!!

[CJ07]

Staying plugged in and talking about it works more so than not. I have been helped through cognitive therapy and exposure. Once you face the anxiety and practice facing things, they become smaller. Worked for me. Hope helps you

[kimcrane2000]

I am reading great workbook called The Mindfullness and Acceotance Workbook for Anxiety. I have read a million self help books and I really like this book. Unfortunately, the best way to get over panic is to go through it. Fighting against it and trying not to have a panic attack makes your world smaller and smaller. Hang in there!

[menagerie11]

Have you heard of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Panic Attacks? It can be very effective at helping people to overcome panic attacks, with or without medication. You can learn more about it at anxietybc.com, which also has a self-help section of CBT. I know many people who used to have panic attacks and are now free of them. They are highly treatable.

In addition to CBT, and medication if you feel it is right for you, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle: nutritious food, lots of water, sleep, exercise, relaxation techniques, etc.

You may feel lost now but am confident that if you take steps to learn how to manage the panic, you won't feel lost for long and you will emerge even stronger and better than you were before. It does take some time and effort, but it is well worth it.

All the best.

[shannon_nicole777]

It is very scary to go through this, I totally get it. I started having panic attacks back in Feb 2016 & my anxiety escalated to the point of no sleep for weeks and I finally succumbed to medication. Don't let it get that bad before you finally are almost forced to choose them. You don't have to stay on meds forever. But they will help you get a handle on things. I tried prozac first, and now I'm on lexapro. Everyone is different so they will try one med and if that doesn't work, they will find one that does work for you.

[Dechad]

Thank you all for your replies. Reading throught these comments and posts on this i realised just how many people are suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.

I understand that 1 month of councelling is not going to eliminate my problem but still somedays i just feel like it's getting worse. More sleepless nights or nights where i wake up in panic and trying to breath in the middle of the night.

Lately im trying to just take control and not let it spiral out to a full panic attack but it's so hard. I always feel like im on the edge. That just a litle "push" it's going to make me go full panic mode.

Im trying to communicate with my parents but since they are old and they never had anything like that, it's so hard. Most of the timea they just tell me that if I keep this up I will just destroy myself and I should just go out more

Anyway, for now I will continue going to the shrink and try my best to control this as best as possible. Good luck to all who are/were suffering from this. The sad thing is that wherever i read on the internet about this its just people who never got out of it completely.

This makes me lose hope. Maybe i should just stop reading there