panic attacks, health anxiety, and being alone

[CatLadyTina]

anyone else alone all the time and have panic attacks and health anxiety? How do you keep yourself from calling 911 everytime you have an attack? I’m suffering so badly, to the point that I can’t even do daily tasks around the house for fear of my next attack and being alone.

[Hidden]

I'm sorry you're going through such a hard time.

You're safe here. Right now in this moment you're safe. Sending a hug.

A nice warm shower should do the trick. Put on some chill out music and maybe get a snack after. Do some self care and find ways to distract yourself for a while.

Pooh hug

[CatLadyTina in reply to Hidden]

Thank you 🫶🏻

[Hidden]

At one point, I was constantly freaking out and calling ambulances, going to the ER to find nothing was wrong. It was so bad the ambulance drivers would be like oh you again what's wrong this time. They'd even be rude towards me because they were tired of me. I eventually out grew that. I started by noting in my head the time I came into contact with something and waiting about an hour and see how I did. I was constantly afraid of having a reaction to EVERYTHING. I was always washing my hands after touching anything l, even avoided touch ANYTHING for awhile. But I finally pulled through

[CatLadyTina in reply to Hidden]

Oh wow. They’ve been nice to me so far, but I def do worry about getting rude people. I worry about having a breathing problem mostly. Idk, it’s hell honestly. I’m glad you’re getting better! I realllly hope I start getting better soon. I can’t live like this forever. It’s been too long already.

[Hidden in reply to CatLadyTina]

I'm sorry. I know it can be hell. Sometimes you may get rude people, I'm hoping not for your sake. It made me feel so insane. Thank you ! I'm still working on it. It takes time, and I'm sure you'll get past this too. You have all of us here on this site 💟

[CatLadyTina in reply to Hidden]

I made it the whole days yesterday without calling ems. I was anxious like all day.

[Hidden in reply to CatLadyTina]

Oh I get how that can be. I'm proud of you though! You did it 💜 It takes work and getting used to. Took me many months. I just had to force myself to convince myself I'm alright and if it was serious or truly felt that way, I'll have 911 ready.

[CatLadyTina in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, it was hard… especially bc last night was my first night alone in weeks. 🫶🏻 it took me a while to get used to sleeping alone when he first left, and then I started getting used to it and didn’t really have an issue, and then suddenly I couldn’t and needed to have someone here. I used 988 a lot yesterday honestly.

[Hidden in reply to CatLadyTina]

I'm sorry you're going through a separation. I know how hard it is to get used to being alone and sleeping alone again. I'm currently in a toxic relationship and want it to end, but also don't want to be alone again. I'm sure it makes sense in a way but I also feel like it makes me sound and look bad

[CatLadyTina in reply to Hidden]

No, honestly I know how you feel. I was in a terrible relationship with my kids dad for 9.5 years and I wanted to get out for so long but I was stuck and also scared to be alone.

[Hidden in reply to CatLadyTina]

It's a terrible feeling. I lost a lot of friends due to him ..

[CatLadyTina in reply to Hidden]

Oh girl me too. And my family. But, honestly, a lot of my family are just not great people anyway so maybe that’s not a huge loss.

[Hidden in reply to CatLadyTina]

I feel ya there. My family isn't great either.

[Bluecatbooklover]

I’ve been going through this too. I’ve started having them nearly every night after I got bronchitis earlier this year and woke up unable to breathe. My husband works offshore so I’m home alone and I have panic attacks because if something happens to me no one is going to realize it because I don’t get out much because of social anxiety.

[CatLadyTina in reply to Bluecatbooklover]

I feel this. And no one’s here to help me if I can’t help myself.

[blimpsgo180]

My best advice is to figure out specifically what you are afraid of. If you can't put a finger on it, take a guess. You said health anxiety, so maybe you need to schedule some sort of doctor's appointment to confirm everything is normal. By exposing yourself to your phobias, you come to see there's nothing to be afraid of.

I've had some bad anxiety in my life. Feel free to post here with updates. This is a very supportive community, in my experience.

[CatLadyTina in reply to blimpsgo180]

Thanks! Any time I’ve called ems and/or gone to the er, everything’s been fine. But sometimes I still can’t help but want to call.

[Tabby-5]

Hi CatLadyTina, do you have a doctor that is helping you with your anxiety and panic attacks?

I get anxiety and I have been on valium to help. I just can't find anything to help me with the sadness during the day. I did join a Scrabble club this week and it really help me focus and my mind was calm just thinking about playing. Maybe you could find a hobby? I know it's not good to stay alone, I just resigned from my job a couple of weeks ago. New Management came in and it took a serious toll on my mental health, My coworkers feel the same but it was very serious for me I knew emotionally I couldn't continue. Did you ever think of volunteering

somewhere you think you would feel comfortable at. That would get you out of the house and have your mind thinking of helping others. Just a thought. I really don't the reason why

millions of people suffer daily and with all the Doctors and specialists out there I have yet been able to find relief. It is exhausting!!!!! You definitely are not alone. Take care of yourself,

I don't know if you have a membership for Calm, but I listen to it every day. Many topics, to choose from and helps me calm down and the sleep ones help me as well.

[CatLadyTina in reply to Tabby-5]

Hi, yeah I have a pcp, psych, and therapist, I have daily meds and Xanax, and I start virtual PHP tomorrow. But I’m losing hope fast. Everyday is so hard. I read sometimes, otherwise I watch a podcast. I can’t go anywhere alone right now.

[Tabby-5 in reply to CatLadyTina]

I don't know what PHP is. I will have to look into Quabble and Tappy. I understand about you not being able to go anywhere alone now. I have been working with a hypnotherapist, and it does help some. Just wish it would last longer.

[CatLadyTina in reply to Tabby-5]

Partial hospitalization program. It’s very intensive treatment. They’re very helpful apps! I looked into psychadelic therapy but it’s so expensive and of course not covered by insurance. It’s supposed to work in 1-2 sessions and last forever.

[Tabby-5 in reply to CatLadyTina]

Hello good morning, I still have trauma from signing myself into the hospital from 2018. Just the thought or people talking makes me so uncomfortable. I have tried ketamine infusion and Spravato didn't help. I tried TMS didn't work for me but helped my neighbor immensely. Did you ever try TMS? Just a thought. What is psychedelic therapy? mushrooms? LSD? Every try hypnotherapy?

[CatLadyTina in reply to Tabby-5]

Morning! What’s TMS? Yeah, it would be mushrooms from what I understand. I have trauma from when I was involuntarily and unfairly admitted in 2013. I’ve never tried hypnotherapy.

[Tabby-5 in reply to CatLadyTina]

TMS is Trans magnetic Stimulation. They take a map of your brain and use this machine to pin point areas and give it stimulation. It feels like a woodpecker on your head. The first treatment worked but there are 35 treatments and you have to go at least 3 times a week depending on what they suggest. I did all the treatments and then was right back where I started. It worked for my neighbor and other people have had good results. Since I have such a sensitive body for medications I thought this would work but sadly it didn't. I also tried ketamine (horse tranquilizer) infusion and Spravato ketamine administered up your nose in a spray. Didn't work. Good luck maybe some of these will help you. Hypnotherapy gives me some relief I have a wonderful therapist,

not covered by some insurances but she uses a sliding scale. Hope this may help you,

[CatLadyTina in reply to Tabby-5]

I use Quabble and Tappy. Tappy has some calming stuff.

[Yorkiemanpoter]

I’ve been there and have been have extremely scary panic attacks following a 2nd trimester miscarriage. I was taken to the hospital once by my spouse and once by ems, who were very kind but the hospital Emergency Room doctor was so rude. I felt like it was so hard to breathe and that I might be having a heart attack. They ordered an ekg, but the doctor heard that I’d just had a miscarriage and canceled the ekg. “She’s fine, she’s just hysterical,” he said. Like something out of the 1950’s. He ordered Ativan then sent me home with a prescription for Ativan, quantity of 1 pill total. Real jerk. I went home calmer but still unable to sleep. I’ve had recurring panic attacks and sometimes a hot shower helps, sometimes it doesn’t do much or I’m unable to stand still to shower. I have the urge to run and move but I’ve got a nerve injury from an progesterone injection in my butt that hit my sciatic nerve when I was 6 weeks pregnant and paralyzed my right foot and calf. So I want to run, which I think would use up this excess anxiety but I can barely walk without tripping. I’ve never had anxiety like this in my life. I’ve been anxious and felt mild anxiety about things, family, work, etc., but this is not something I can live with. I ordered the product called CalmiGo, which has essential oil scents and helps you learn how to breathe deeply. But it only helps when the anxiety is light. If it progresses to the extreme level, I cannot talk myself down. I have 2 dogs and they help me to not feel alone. I try to focus on them as much as I can to stay calm. I did get a prescription for Xanax from my midwife and will see my pcp later this week to see if I can get that renewed. I find that the Xanax makes me tired but I seem to have rebound anxiety when it wears off, which is pretty bad. I see a therapist and I also am a mental health therapist myself, so I practice meditation and the same activities I give my patients to follow. It’s really really hard to manage life when anxiety is so significant and rears its head without warning so often.

When you have gone to the hospital, what kinds of things have they done that have helped? I wish that we could all be a support for each other, come over and hang out when things aren’t going well, and so on