Anxiety or Panic

[anon99]

How do your anxiety/panic attacks feel? What are your symptoms? Do you have them back to back, for multiple days in a row after not having any? Most importantly- how do you cope..

[Glitterpink07]

I have heart palpitations, lightheaded, legs get weak, feel faint, sweating, heart rate rises. I feel like I’m anxious all day everyday it just never stops. I have yet to find something that helps me cope but hopefully I will soon.

[XoxoFaith in reply to Glitterpink07]

Yes know all those symptoms pretty well

[Paula-38 in reply to XoxoFaith]

Most of them symptoms apart from feeling faint. I start off with sensations in my stomach then I get palpitations start getting breathless and sometimes I hyperventilate ehich is horrible when I have an anxiety/panic attack. I have to go for a lie down to take time out, deep breathing exercises breathe in to a count of 5, then hold it for 5 and then breathe out to a count of ten and focus on the word 'relax' or 'calm'. I found that the best way is to put one hand over your chest and the other over your diaphragm 'stomach' and the bottom one should rise 'not the top one' if one is doing it correctly which takes time and practise. I hope this helps you.

[Rosiemarie82]

Mine usually starts with palpitations. I'm SUPER sensitive to it, so once I feel it, it onsets panic. From there, dry mouth, chest pain, choking sensation and frequent trips to the girls room

On my best days, I have no symptoms, no panic and feel normal. On my worst days it seems no amount of breathing or positivity helps and I have to talk myself out of a trip to the hospital.

Generally speaking, I go an extended amount of time with no trouble, but yes, once one attack happens, I usually have several days worth of trying to get back to normal. I had a panic attack today that is the worst that I've had since I started medicine.

I cope by convincing myself that everything will go back to being normal at one point or another. Talking to someone (even my child, and my dog) helps A LOT. Breathing exercises do help too. I take a maintenance medication daily and I have something a little stronger and more fast-acting for emergency situations....like today. I almost reached for it, but came here and found someone to talk to instead

[Unky in reply to Rosiemarie82]

Been there done that. Anxiety, panic, stress come with all their symptoms & make our lives a living hell. Thousands have had it, having it, or will have it so don"t think your the only weirdo going thru this. Thousands of us self medicate thru alcohol , drugs , etc.

I quit drinking & it started with panic attacks & many of the other classic symptoms.

Once I studied the Fight or Fright response , what the symptoms were, what was real & what wasn"t, slowly got off the meds, kept my Xanax handy, started working out, started to be of service to others less fortunate, admitted to others i was bothered with anxiety, realized I was a normal person with anxiety, & read positve books & saw positive movies I slowly realized I was to busy & anxiety slowly crept out of my life.

Sure I have still have an episode or bad day but nothing like before. I still have some old Xanax but I think the pill bottle has mostly powder by now !!

[Rosiemarie82 in reply to Unky]

That's fantastic! I haven't had to resort to the xanax since last July (plane flights terrify me).

[Hidden]

Usually i feel ok during the day, but at times, I have had extreme anxiety bouts at night, where it feels like my brain is plugged into a wall socket. It would be so bad that not only can i not shut down and sleep, but also it triggers the need to poop constantly and i will go like 5 to 10 times that night. even the usual sleep meds would not help.

It seems to be triggered by things like: a major change in my routine, or a bad reaction to some food or vitamin, or some upsetting thing happens during the day, or not eating the right foods at the right times (though i am never sure exactly what is 'Right'. I do eat healthy foods).

Recently i found that taking Niacin twice a day really helps a lot. 80 to 150 mg morning and night, night being more critical time for me. this has allowed me to sleep consistently well, stop using the emergency sleep meds, and lower the dosage of antidepressant.

[anon99 in reply to Hidden]

My anxiety also triggers my urge to use the toilet.. Never heard anyone mention it before, I thought it was just me. I wonder why it does this

[Beevee]

It’s your fight/flight response preparing you to flee from danger. Less weight = quicker exit and a bigger chance of surviving the threat.