panic attack disorder/depression - Anxiety Support

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panic attack disorder/depression

denimangel profile image
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I did a search under-"At the end of my rope with panic attacks" and you guys came up. I have had panic attacks all my life. I am now 64 and have a stressful 2 years with the sudden death of a 14 year old grandson who we didn't get to see again so no closure and then his dad turned to alcohol more than usual and went in to rehab and has been clean since but his wife served divorce papers and wasn't willing to work on the marriage. . Just a lot of stress and grief. In February of this year I started waking up in the middle of the night and was already in a raging attack !! I have been on Celexa for years with xanax as needed. I hate taking meds but at least it helps me. Went to new doctor and we ran the gament of new meds. I tried them all, but I sensitive to Advil so you can imagine. I even got so bad I did 3 weeks IOP at a Rehab place. Got much better there, but now they are back again. I have also been through a process called EMDR for PTSD which is suppose to help with these. I have seen a small improvement. My whole family is so concerned about me and I can barely eat and am exhausted from waking every other hour at night with attacks. I have tried the breathing and other coping ideas but that feel of doom consumes me. I literally feel like a lump of clay with no feelings !! Help !! I am not suicidial but don't want to live if I am going to feel this way !!!

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denimangel
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Agora1 profile image
Agora1

Hi denimangel, Welcome to the Anxiety forum, I'm glad you found us. Well one thing for sure is that anxiety doesn't pick or chose it's victims. This forum consists of men and women of all ages. Some in the throws of anxiety for many years and others who have just discovered what the word Anxiety Attack means.

I am very sorry about your grandson. It does sound like the last 2 years have been filled with more than your mind and body can handle. When this happens, the stress must be released in some way or it produces these symptoms. With you it started with you being unable to sleep through the night which then snowballs into pure exhaustion.

Meds are good only for a while to help with coping mechanisms through therapy or other techniques. Once you have gone past 2 years, nothing works anymore. It's more than reached it's efficacy level a long time ago. You may need to turn to therapy in order for you to move forward. Right now you are stuck in this mind trap which is consuming you. I'm sure there will be others who will give you some ideas in what can be done to start you on the right path to wanting to look forward to each day. My best deninangel. Please write the forum, we will be here to support you the best we can.

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943

denimangel, medications can help with general anxiety disorder but can't heal the cause of your symptoms, you've tried a lot of processes too but without success. There is only one remedy for anxiety that works and the first step is to stop fighting, let the panic attacks come, you know for sure they can't do physical damage to you. Let them come like roaring waves from the sea, don't tense up when you feel them coming, let every muscle in your body go limp, let the panic attack break over you and roar past you, the important thing is to stop fighting. If you are persistant and stop the panic attacks from frightening you then you rob them of their power and eventually they will stop. The thing is to stop first fear turning into second fear.

I am of course refering to the Acceptance method put firward 50 years ago by Doctor Claire Weekes and still curing people by the hundreds every week if they are willing to persevere and let time pass. Naturally there is more to it than I have described but her book 'Self help with your nerves', available from Amazon, takes you through it step by step, as I always say you will recognise yourself in its pages (its titled 'Hope and help with your nerves' in the U.S.) It will surely free you from the dread that you feel.

Losing a beloved grandson is a hard blow to take, it has happened and nobody can put the clock back, let yourself grieve but not for too long. You can't live your son's life for him, advise him and help him by all means but after that events must take their course, every adversity brings with it the seed of a greater benefit.

So to sum up, stop fighting those panic attacks, stop tensing, just relax every muscle and let them roll over and past you, they are only glitches in the nervous system responding to stress, they are frauds because in the organic sense they don't really exist.

Read that book, if you've read it before read it again and be more persistant this time and take the first step along the road to recovery.

msfool profile image
msfool

I'm sorry that you are dealing with so much turmoil. Losing a loved one is never easy but it gets better. Take some time alone in a quiet room and pray about everything, let it all out..it's ok..Tears are gonna roll down your face let them..Ask God to help you in all aspects of your battle with anxiety..your prayers will be answered.

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