Anxiety attacks

[ZGSA]

Hey all. Even as I type this I have severe heart palpitations and dizziness that comes and goes. I'm 19 and I'm a student. And I don't know what to do. I'm all alone in this. I tried explaining it to my mom but she's unable to really understand what it's like for me. She has a sort of a "well if you're getting anxiety, just don't be anxious" type of mentality and I've tried to explain that these anxiety attacks aren't in my control but she can't grasp that. When I tell her about an incoming attack she starts coming at me and raising her voice and telling me I shouldn't take stress WHILE I'M HAVING AN ATTACK and that just makes it worse. As a result I've stopped telling her whenever I get an attack. I frankly don't know what to do. I could start medication and I'm thankful that she will let me if I have to, but I'm avoiding it because of the serious side effects. I have exams in around June, and everything depends on them. How do I manage this without medication? I'm at loss of words. I don't know what to do. I don't have a support system hence this website. I just don't know what to do.

[Hidden]

Hi there

We are here for you. Have you tried breathing technique? Like breathing exercise. As for the meds, you are too young to not take meds if ur depression is intense. See a therapist as well and be ready for the side effects when they start, she will have ideas to help you. There are many here as well who will help you with ways you can deal with it. With your mother, she will not fully get ur situation hence u have us but what I would suggest you do is, search the net for this subject of enxiety and make sure you give it to her. Don't tell her to read but print it out. That will tell her how serious this is to you and make her read it. She won't be angry if you force to read it, she is suppose to be your supporter and unless you show her your seriousness, she won't be serious. Hope that works for you.

[ZGSA in reply to Hidden]

Im sorry I took so long to reply. Its a long story but my mom eventually got me in touch with a gp (through texting), who suggested I take inderal 10mg. She said anti anxiety meds could cause addiction problems so with inderal, I could manage my heart palpitations. She also told me that I can stop this medication whenever I want. So I started it, took it for around 2 months. Then decided to stop (on my aunt's suggestion). The very next day after I stopped taking it, my blood pressure was 76 by 64, I had chest pains, shoulder pain, nausea, just overall weakness. I read up online and found out that inderal shouldn't be stopped suddenly, but rather gradually, decreasing the dose as you go. Anyways it's a long story but yeah I stopped taking the medicine, I still occasionally have anxiety attacks, but I find myself handling them better than before. I'm 20 now, I got admission in BDS (Bachelor's in Dental Surgery), and I'm in a much better place than I was before. I want to thank you all for your guidance and support. Even though I didn't respond at that time, your comments meant a lot to me. So, thank you.

[Hidden]

I was right where you are last year. My anxiety had gotten to the point where I was having daily panic attacks, and felt like I couldn't function. Some people were supportive, but others just didn't understand and they would say things like "you don't have anything to be upset about". It was so invalidating, and I felt helpless about controlling my fears.

I was scared to start medication too. My doctor put me on a very low dose of an SSRI and I only experienced a couple side effects that went away in a couple weeks! Even at a low dose I started feeling less anxious and more functional within 5 or 6 weeks. Sometimes side effects happen, and sometimes your doctor may have to experiment to see what works best for you, but it can make a huge difference.

Do you have more people in your support system that you can reach out to when you're feeling anxious? Would your mom be comfortable doing some reading about anxiety to better understand your panic attacks? It helped me back in the day when I had a roommate with panic disorder.

We're here for you!

[ZGSA in reply to Hidden]

Im sorry I took so long to reply. Its a long story but my mom eventually got me in touch with a gp (through texting), who suggested I take inderal 10mg. She said anti anxiety meds could cause addiction problems so with inderal, I could manage my heart palpitations. She also told me that I can stop this medication whenever I want. So I started it, took it for around 2 months. Then decided to stop (on my aunt's suggestion). The very next day after I stopped taking it, my blood pressure was 76 by 64, I had chest pains, shoulder pain, nausea, just overall weakness. I read up online and found out that inderal shouldn't be stopped suddenly, but rather gradually, decreasing the dose as you go. Anyways it's a long story but yeah I stopped taking the medicine, I still occasionally have anxiety attacks, but I find myself handling them better than before. I'm 20 now, I got admission in BDS (Bachelor's in Dental Surgery), and I'm in a much better place than I was before. I want to thank you all for your guidance and support. Even though I didn't respond at that time, your comments meant a lot to me. So, thank you.

[jessicjames]

I can feel you, I used to have some anxiety and panic attacks. The best way to control your panic is breathing exercises. At the moment making yourself relax is the best option. There are many ways to deal with anxiety. Talking to someone really helps. I am not specifically pointing it. But talking to a stranger or a friend can be helpful. Avoid the triggers to your anxiety and practice positivity. I am sure following these few things can be very helpful for you. Some best ways to manage anxiety are mentioned in this article. mangoclinic.com/anxiety-man...

[ZGSA in reply to jessicjames]

Im sorry I took so long to reply. Its a long story but my mom eventually got me in touch with a gp (through texting), who suggested I take inderal 10mg. She said anti anxiety meds could cause addiction problems so with inderal, I could manage my heart palpitations. She also told me that I can stop this medication whenever I want. So I started it, took it for around 2 months. Then decided to stop (on my aunt's suggestion). The very next day after I stopped taking it, my blood pressure was 76 by 64, I had chest pains, shoulder pain, nausea, just overall weakness. I read up online and found out that inderal shouldn't be stopped suddenly, but rather gradually, decreasing the dose as you go. Anyways it's a long story but yeah I stopped taking the medicine, I still occasionally have anxiety attacks, but I find myself handling them better than before. I'm 20 now, I got admission in BDS (Bachelor's in Dental Surgery), and I'm in a much better place than I was before. I want to thank you all for your guidance and support. Even though I didn't respond at that time, your comments meant a lot to me. So, thank you.