Every few years I have an onset of extreme and protracted panic. This is not just a standard anxiety attack, (which i have had since childhood). This is a mental state of such intense and persistent anxiety (lasting weeks or months) that it cracks my sanity. It creates a deep cognitive stupor that unravels my ability to make even the simplest decisions.
The last one was 2011. I literally hid petrified with dread in my darken bedroom for 3 weeks in mortal peril. Typically this state is ignited by real events. The details are only significant in that they trigger issues around home and work stability, which have long plagued me.
My only coping mechanism is to hide totally receding from the world. The igniting factors of this episode will be a reality for at least few months.
I have no idea how to get relief. I cant sleep at night so I either pass out during the day (putting my job in jeopardy) or walk around in an anxiety filled haze trying to hide my terror.