Feeling hopeless

[Anthony_p15]

I had my first panic attack about 2 and a half months ago. Ever since then my life has just gone downhill. I lost my job, I stopped playing sports and doing things I love because every single day since then I experience severe anxiety. I have constant chest pains, headaches, dizziness, the feeling as if I can’t swallow or I’m choking. It horrible... I’ve gone to the ER and after all the tests they said it’s just anxiety. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like it’s out of my control and there’s nothing I can do. I had an attack today while I was at class and I had to leave and go home. I just want to be able to do the things I used to do and live the normal life of a 20 year old guy.

[Hidden]

Hi Anthony. I am sorry you are suffering with anxiety. Have you ever gone to your doctor to describe how the anxiety is effecting your life? That would be the first step to take.

[Anthony_p15 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I’ve gone to my doctor and he said that I have to make some lifestyle changes and he gave me certain vitamins to take but I feel no different.

[Hidden in reply to Anthony_p15]

That does not sound very helpful. I was thinking of medication to suppress the anxiety and therapy to get to the root of it.

[Anthony_p15 in reply to Hidden]

I’ve started some therapy, I’ve only had 2 sessions but idk how it makes me feel... like if it’s helping me at all and I just feel like I don’t know what to do.

[Hidden in reply to Anthony_p15]

It is very early in your therapy to know if it is making a difference. It is great you have a therapist to talk to. Therapy takes time so please do not worry about not feeling the benefit right now.

[NeuronerdDoaty in reply to Anthony_p15]

Vitamins don’t help me. I need the gentle exercise; yoga, walking, swimming, stretching.

[NeuronerdDoaty]

Make no mistake this is a physical issue. There is something your brain is trying to work out or keep hidden. I would suggest a counselor. You need to find out what and get it out. It’s like a splinter in your brain. Go get help.

Make sure you’re eating healthy.

Make sure you sleep/rest a good amount.

Control or stop alcohol and caffeine.

Control the sugar.

A nice gentle exercise for about 20 minutes daily. That’s very important. It gets the toxic level of chemicals out of your brain.

Try to get to a general practitioner to make sure it’s not another physical issue. Go tell a counselor ASAP.

I hope you feel better soon

Doaty💛

[Dollybow]

Hi Anthony, I know this only to well, Drs don't like to give out pills and potions these days, the panicky attacks are awfull to experience, lost my job, dident want to socialize everything was an effort,no motivation, try and think back to what have might triggered this to start with, and triggers that your still Give you the panic attacks, keep going to counciling even if it makes you feel like crap it dose feel better to get stuff off your chest, I can't belive you haven't been prescribed any thing for the panick go back to your Dr again and again and ask him for something,vitamins don't help with panick attacks, I've taken all this stuff,keep going back to the Dr till he gives you something for them, wishing you the best of luck x

[Lullee]

Hi Anthony, sorry to hear you're going through this. I have suffered for many decades & my heart goes out to you🙂

It can be very disruptive & frightening for you.

Please stick with your therapy sessions & get it all off your chest. I'm a bit mouthed about giving doctor giving you vitamins?

It would be good to keep a journal of your anxiety episodes, times, dates, places, situation, feelings & also possibly starting you gently on some medication alongside the therapy & your lifestyle changes & possibly some more tests as you cannot constantly be dealing with this👍🏼Don't feel alone we are all here.

[PastelPink20 in reply to Lullee]

This is a great response. I thought the same things! I think it’s a good idea to keep track of the anxiety episodes.

[Jeff1943]

Anthony, if things become overwhelming take meds by all means. But you won't recover by suppressing your anxiety. You will recover by facing it, feeling it and passing through it.

You will recover by losing your fear of anxiety and by accepting it for the time being. You see, Anthony, anxiety is a confidence trickster, it's all bark and no bite. You feel terrible, think you're having a heart attack or a stroke. But you're not.

Anxiety is very good at frightening you half to death with a bundle of symptoms almost indistinguishable from the real thing. But it's "only" a feeling, it's not the real thing. It won't show up on even the most powerful scans or the most sophisticated tests.

Your chest pain is muscular tension due to anxiety. It's not heart failure. Dizziness is a very common symptom of anxiety, we've all had it. And that choking feeling, there's even a name for it: globus hystericus, another symptom of anxiety.

You see, the power of anxiety is limited. No death certificate was ever issued with "anxiety" as the cause of death. It cannot disable you or make you lose your mind.

Anthony, the more you learn about anxiety, the more you lose your fear of it. And it's fear that anxiety thrives on, using it to make your nerves hyper sensitive. Lose your fear, lose your symptoms.

There was no need to leave your class because of your panic attack. You could have sat there and faced it. Panic attacks soon pass and it would have been a good opportunity to practice accepting it (for the moment). By learning to live with your anxiety you'll be able to live without it.

The minute you agree to co-exist with your anxiety for a while your anxiety's days are numbered. So frame your mind to Accept your symptoms, to accept them 110%. Acceptance replaces fear and little by little your over-sensitive nerves return to normal. And the sun shines for you once more.

[argh52]

Agree with everyone here but go to a doctor again. A DIFFERENT doctor. Maybe your therapist can recommend someone? It's so frustrating when a doctor decides not to take your complaints seriously. You deserve help.

[Anthony_p15]

Just got back from the doctor and he said that benzos and things of that nature are highly addictive and doesn’t recommend them. So I don’t really know what to do, he’s put in an order for some nasal spray that is supposed to help my anxiety so I guess we will see how that goes. I appreciate everyone for their words of encouragement and advice. So glad I have people who understand this feeling.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Anthony_p15]

Benzos are addictive because they actually work for everyone and only take 5 minutes to be effective instead of 5 weeks.

It's up to the prescribing doctor to limit the number you take, ensure they are only taken daily for a set number of weeks and then only taken occasionally in emergencies.

The prescribing doctor can stop any question of addiction by controlling the supply. And if somebody does become addicted to them you can easily be weened/tapered off them.

Some doctors are denying patients the benefit of this highly effective med because they won't take responsibility for their patients.

I took valium every day for a year in the 1970s and it did the job. When I decided to come off them I just tapered them off over a number of weeks. No problem.

[Alladin]

Try looking into healthy eating as a long term plan. I know that eating healthy food has helped a lot of people in Australia where they introduced a program to people with depression and anxiety and they got better and are now medicine free. It takes a few years to really work and they still took meds for some time but these were tapered off and now these people are meds free. They eat mainly green leaves, legumes and nuts and seeds. I am sure that there are many similar programs available now wherever you are in the world because of the growing awareness to go back to health eating. I also have friends who really got amazing results with keto diet. Switching from processed foods to these diets cost money, effort and time but the results are worth it. There is hope, Anthony, there is so much hope. Hope you get better, my friend.