Has anyone here ever had a panic attack?

[Tone Capone]

Or have any experiences with them? What can one do to stop them (besides taking drugs)?

[Lex Diamonds]

Take less drugs?

[trailerprincess]

My friend had acupuncture for stress (I realise it's not the same) and said it helped.

[TOY]

Just.. deal?

Clonzepam is a beautiful drug, though.


Usually I just try to make myself puke ('cause I feel sick/dizzy when I get them). Or breathing exercises!

[tracky]

whippets?

[na§tee]

be careful about what you are classing as panic attacks. most people overuse the phrase when infact they are just feeling a bit nervous or shocked or.. whatever.

my flatmate had chemotherapy etc for her cancer and even though the cancer is now in remission, she suffers quite bad panic attacks as a result of the treatment - apparently this is a common side-effect. and panic attacks are horrible sudden physical and mental reactions, not just a "oh i sort of want to get out of here" feeling. it is so, so disabling.

they were really frequent and because she is an actress she was having problems even going on stage or rehearsing for fear of having one when she was performing. she got a course of hypnotherapy for it and it seemed to help, a little, but now she takes anti-anxiety drugs to help, too. they seem to be under control.

again, be careful about what you are labelling a panic attack. there's a channel 4 programme, actually, that's being advertised at the moment about people who suffer from them if you're interested.

[abcdefz]

^
Yeah. I think "panic attack" gets misused almost as often as "migraine."

[QueenAdrock]

I suffered from panic attacks so severe I couldn't eat before I left the house. I had two types: One type lasted in 5-second bursts, and was basically the same feeling as waking up and realizing you were in a sealed coffin 6 feet underground. That feeling of panic and sheer terror.

Second type, longer and uncomfortable. Not terror or pure panic, but just overall anxiety that was unwanted and would make my heart race and make me sweat and have irregular heart beats.

First type NEEDS medication to be fixed. Nothing takes away those feelings of terror. If you have it, you need to be put on long-term medication to fix the problem, and short-term meds to deal with immediate effects.

The second type, it helps to do breathing exercises, stand over an air conditioner (lots of air blowing helps calm you down), and take small sips of water. Sometimes a back massage helps to unstress you, too.

I've overcome my panic attacks for the most part. I only need to take tranquilizers when I'm someplace that is foreign and scary and will probably make me panic - such as roller coasters and airplanes. Tranquilizers are the shit, they relax your whole body and you're UNABLE to get an attack. Ask your doctor about them, they're temporary (like bandaids) and don't do much to SOLVE your panic attacks, just repress them and take care of the physical effects. People take them when they have to take speeches or appear in front of large crowds.

[Yeti]

Go to the doctor.

[camo]

I had them a few years back. I just spoke to family and friends and they helped me through it.

[ericlee]

they should masturbate. The penis should be renamed the panic button.

If anything happens to cause any type of panic, just whip it out and pull on it and it will relieve any tension going on in one's mind.

[TurdBerglar]

i had one in my life. i had to run out of work in and sit in the park across the street. it felt like something was "gonna get me".

[Nivvie]

Many panic and anxiety attacks can be cured without drugs at all, even very severe ones.
I once nursed a patient who had to be sectioned and permanently hospitalised due to the severity of her attacks. She couldn't leave the house, she developed heart problems due to the enormous stress it was under, but she was cured eventually, and not with drugs, although it took about 5 long, hard years of treatment. No drug worked effectively with her, she just became a mass of side effects.
Seeing as there are so many causes and so many treatments available, you really have to see a doctor and get a proper diagnosis (if you don't have one already), or often, many doctors, to get it sorted. The chances are they will all will be open to discussing drug-free options, and if they are not, find another.

Sometimes, even the most severe and debilitating attacks will just ease off and go away by themselves, depending on how your life changes, time, etc. There are no hard and fast answers for anything to do with the mind, and for some people, drugs will not work. I have seen patients injected with huge amounts of sedatives and still climb the walls. Drug effectiveness varies so greatly, it should never been seen as the only answer to any problem.

[synch]

Take less drugs?
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[beastieangel01]

I never had them until recently. It's only happened a few times but when they do occur, I didn't know what to do except breathing exercises. They did help after a few minutes but good god.

[QueenAdrock]

Take my advice Ms. Crystal:

it helps to do breathing exercises, stand over an air conditioner (lots of air blowing helps calm you down), and take small sips of water. Sometimes a back massage helps to unstress you, too.

Trust me, I know how to deal with them.

Except mine got so bad that nothing would work except medication, because it was an actual chemical imbalance in my brain that was causing them, for NO REASON. Yeah, that's right. How fucked up is that? Lying down in your bed at home, and all of the sudden your heart starts racing and you think you're going to die. God that sucked.:mad: (n)

[Nivvie]

Except mine got so bad that nothing would work except medication, because it was an actual chemical imbalance in my brain that was causing them, for NO REASON. Yeah, that's right. How fucked up is that? Lying down in your bed at home, and all of the sudden your heart starts racing and you think you're going to die. God that sucked.:mad: (n)


Have you seen a specialist about having the root cause of the imbalance treated?
The only time I've known people not have a root cause discovered is when they have an obvious syndrome (such as autism) that has been present since birth, and therefore, that's what's causing it.
With many people it can be identified when other treatments are tried, and most doctors now realise that medication is just a band aid to fix the attack, and that the imbalance still needs to be worked on.
They can't expect you to stay on meds for the rest of your life, not when your tolerace will only get stronger, along with your dependence. Often doctors get lazy as meds usually only work on 60% of people, and so they are grateful if they have found a way of helping you to deal, but people who can't utilise meds are still helped, even when it's an imbalance.

[QueenAdrock]

Yeah, the root was high anxiety (due to depression). Chemical imbalance in the brain. It's been treated, I took Zoloft for about 6 months and it raised my levels and I've been fine since. I'll still have the panic attack when I have caffeine or am on a plane or a roller coaster, but they don't come out of nowhere - they now actually make sense. So my anxiety is under control for the most part.

If my anxiety goes outta whack again, they'll probably put me on meds for a while again. My doctor said meds were never meant to be permanent - most of the time they fix the problem in a few months or years.

[fucktopgirl]

I never had panic attack but some anxiety that drop on you like a tonne of brickwall. Usually it was due to something that bugged me in my life and once i fixed the issue the anxiety was gone.

Anxiety or panic attack must have their roots in the subconscious of people and must be in relation with choices that have been made and not fully assume or circumstances hard to deal with. Except for chemical imbalance, they can be cure by the force of mind/thought and comprehension. Anyway, i do believe!

[QueenAdrock]

A lot of panic disorders can be fixed best with just therapy (it's better than just medication, or a combo of meds AND therapy, it turns out). They take you out where you have the attacks (cars, planes, etc) and talk you through it, apparently. It didn't work for me because I had irregular panic attacks that were sporatic and not linked to panic-inducing situations; they just came at random and you can't really treat that with therapy. Meds were <3

[Nivvie]

It didn't work for me because I had irregular panic attacks that were sporatic and not linked to panic-inducing situations; they just came at random and you can't really treat that with therapy. Meds were <3


I swear I'm not looking for an argument, but you can treat any panic attack with therapy, regardless of cause or severity, as for many people the meds have no effect, so they have to.
It's just they'll usually only try that when the meds haven't worked.

[skra75]

drinking lots of coffee always helps! (y)

[Tone Capone]

These are great tips guys (most of them at least). Thanks.:)

[Junker]

You're trying to find a way to help Randy?? :p

[QueenAdrock]

I swear I'm not looking for an argument, but you can treat any panic attack with therapy, regardless of cause or severity, as for many people the meds have no effect, so they have to.
It's just they'll usually only try that when the meds haven't worked.

Nah, not true. They couldn't treat my panic attacks with therapy because they were irregular. I got panic attacks at different times and it wasn't linked to any sort of situation, so they'd pretty much just have to sit with me all day and just wait, and by the time they started the therapy my attack would be over. I had severe panic attacks but they'd last only in 6-second intense bursts at a time. It was a chemical imbalance. For me, it would be like saying "You need therapy for your anemia." Not true, you need iron supplements because your body is lacking in that substance. My seratonin was extremely low due to depression and this in turn also affected my anxiety. I took Zoloft for 6 months, it leveled me out and I'm fine now and only have the occasional panic attack every few months as opposed to every day, every hour.

But I haven't heard that there are "many" people that the meds haven't worked on. They worked on my mom, and they worked on me. I still have the occasional panic attack (this morning) and I just take tranquilizers.

It doesn't much matter to me, whatever works, works! Therapy didn't work for me, but meds did. I'm damn glad I took them otherwise I wouldn't be able to function at the level I am now.

[drizl]

i threw up in a movie theater during home alone 2 a long long time ago. it was so traumatic that every movie i went to after that, as soon as the lights turned out, i began to feel sick and would have to leave, hypervenilating. i finally stopped trying and didnt go to the movies for like 3 years or something.

i think that qualifies...:rolleyes:

[Nivvie]

Nah, not true. They couldn't treat my panic attacks with therapy because they were irregular. I got panic attacks at different times and it wasn't linked to any sort of situation, so they'd pretty much just have to sit with me all day and just wait, and by the time they started the therapy my attack would be over. I had severe panic attacks but they'd last only in 6-second intense bursts at a time. It was a chemical imbalance. For me, it would be like saying "You need therapy for your anemia." Not true, you need iron supplements because your body is lacking in that substance. My seratonin was extremely low due to depression and this in turn also affected my anxiety. I took Zoloft for 6 months, it leveled me out and I'm fine now and only have the occasional panic attack every few months as opposed to every day, every hour.

But I haven't heard that there are "many" people that the meds haven't worked on. They worked on my mom, and they worked on me. I still have the occasional panic attack (this morning) and I just take tranquilizers.

It doesn't much matter to me, whatever works, works! Therapy didn't work for me, but meds did. I'm damn glad I took them otherwise I wouldn't be able to function at the level I am now.


The fact is (and I don't mean to sound snotty but I am a nurse and have worked with hundreds of peope, if not thousands over the years, who have had anxiety problems of many different sorts) that when meds don't work you HAVE to find another way, even if the attacks are irregular. This can mean hospitalisation, which does happen.

If your meds hadn't worked, and by that I don't just mean they were non-effective, I also mean serious side effects, they would have HAD to treated you another way, even if it meant a stay in a specialist unit for observation and long term treatment.
Zoloft and other SSRIs can make people suicidal, so if that happens, that's a family of drugs out the window. If you have low blood pressure you can't take beta blockers, and so on and so on. There is also problems with people with epilepsy and kidney problems taking SSRIs, and the chances are these people would end up in the unit where I used to work, and that's why I am so aware of the people who cannot be helped by meds.
Seeing as (unless you are adopted) there is a genetic link between you and your mother the chances are meds would be effective for both of you.

The fact remains one person can be injected with a huge amount of a seditive and not wake up for days, and another can carry on as if nothing happened. Human brains differ too much to ever make hard and fast rules, although genetics do pay a big part, and many problems and pre-dispositions are hereditary.

If we were talking a pre-existing condition or a serious mental illness that was caused by brain damage or genetics, then yes, many people need drugs to get through a day, and in some cases, live, such as Schizophrenia where brain tissue is lost.
However, as many people cannot have their seratonin levels (in some studies up to 40%) improved with drugs, there has to be other ways.
I have also seen people who have had initial success with meds, only to have the side effects such as insomnia and in men, loss of erection or ejaculation, lead to depression which negates the work of the meds.
Also, some people cannot come off the meds. If the problem is corrected, then great, although many people will find their imbalance is not fixed when the meds cease. My grandmother has been on lithium for about 15 years or she'd have to be hospitalised, and every time they decrease the dose, she falls apart again. The fact she's so old means no one worries greatly, but if she were younger, there's not way she could stay like that forever.

I just cannot say that any imbalance caused by non-prexisting, non-traumatic or non-genetic condition has to be corrected with meds or else it will remain, and it would be highly unprofessional of me to do so.
It would also be a contradiction of the many people who I have nursed who have overcome imbalance problems, whe medication has not been an option.

I'm glad the meds worked for you, and I am not anti-medication where it can be utilised effectively, but there are many other avenues of treatment, and for people who cannot use them or for whom they are uneffective, there are other options available, even if they are long and slow, and require resedential observation.

[QueenAdrock]

I gotcha. As long as you're not anti-meds, because I've had a lot of people get on me about trying therapy or whatever else INSTEAD of meds, though effective therapy would a) cost a LOT more, b) take up more time, and c) I probably WOULD have to be institutionalized since I had a type of panic attack that a lot of doctors hadn't had much experience with. Meds fixed my problem in a faster amount of time and was cost-effective and has no lasting side effects, so I'm happy.

I just hate when people say meds are crap and no one should be on them; I've had my fair share of people tell me that I shouldn't take meds. I don't see what the problem is if it works for the person and is safe and non-addictive. That and the people telling me this have no bidness saying anything because they're not the ones who have to deal with the dehabilitating attacks in the first place, and if it works for me then why do they care in the first place, nahmsayin?

So yeah, I thought you were getting on one of my pet peeves, but since you're not and actually know what you're talking about, carry on. :p

[Nivvie]

Oh hell no, not anti-meds, and when that moron Tom Cruise started going on about the Scientology view on medication, my keyboard burned up from all the angry typing.

I agree if you can avoid resedential or long term care, especially the long term bit, as people have lost their homes and jobs and even spouses that way, meds are the way to go if they can be utilised effectively, especially if initial and more basic therapies have failed.

[QueenAdrock]

I had a terrible one that came out of nowhere this morning. I got a really severe upset stomach and my heart started to race. It was so uncomfortable this morning I just started to cry. It was twice as bad because I'm coming in early this week so I can leave early on Friday to be with Brett, and I realized that if I didn't go in today, I couldn't take off on Friday. So I forced myself to go to the Metro, sat down, and then I panicked so badly I had to get off the train and was about to go home when I forced myself to calm down, I took a tranquilizer and went back on. I almost got off another 2 times, but I just forced myself not to.

:( (n)

[Tone Capone]

I had a terrible one that came out of nowhere this morning. I got a really severe upset stomach and my heart started to race. It was so uncomfortable this morning I just started to cry. It was twice as bad because I'm coming in early this week so I can leave early on Friday to be with Brett, and I realized that if I didn't go in today, I couldn't take off on Friday. So I forced myself to go to the Metro, sat down, and then I panicked so badly I had to get off the train and was about to go home when I forced myself to calm down, I took a tranquilizer and went back on. I almost got off another 2 times, but I just forced myself not to.

:( (n)


Damn... I'm sorry to read about that:( .
Good job on powering through though(y) .

[Tone Capone]

Look what I found on the internet (to no one specific by the way...)


Panic Attacks Are Common
When I first became certified as a Hypnotherapist in 1990, I was surprised by the number of people who came to me with anxiety and panic attacks. Many people experience panic attacks frequently and live their lives avoiding situations that frighten them, in many cases irrationally. This simple technique for ending a panic attack was part of my hypnotherapy training and has been used successfully by many of my clients since then. Using the four easy steps below, you can learn to end a panic attack in as little as three minutes.

What Is A Panic Attack?
A panic attack is a condition of adrenaline being released into your bloodstream. A message of fear sends a signal to the adrenal glands that there is an emergency.

The adrenal glands are pea-sized organs that sit on top of your kidneys. They are filled with adrenaline that, when released into your body, gives you heightened abilities to respond to emergency situations. This emergency response causes physical symptoms that many people misinterpret as a heart attack or other serious physical conditions. Misinterpreting these symptoms can cause the fear response to continue.

Here's How It Works
Adrenaline causes the heart to pump extra blood. This extra blood gets pumped into your major muscles to increase your ability to run fast and to increase the strength in your arms. Extra blood also goes into your brain to give you heightened abilities to respond to the emergency.

It takes three minutes from the time that your brain sends the emergency signal until your body is fully adrenalated with extra blood in your large arm and leg muscles and in your brain. In that three minute period you experience your heart pumping hard and extra blood flowing throughout your body. As long as your adrenal glands keep getting an emergency message, they continue to produce and release additional adrenaline. Once your brain stops signaling an emergency, your adrenal glands hold the adrenaline instead of releasing it.

It Only Takes Three Minutes To Stop A Panic Attack
It takes three minutes for your adrenal glands to fill your body with the adrenaline response. It also only takes three minutes for your body to stop the adrenaline reaction. If you stop a panic attack as soon as it starts, the reaction only has to last for three minutes.

It's Very Simple
Stopping a panic attack is very simple. All you have to do is stop the emergency message from being sent to your adrenal glands. Learn these four simple steps and your panic attack will only last for three minutes. Once you understand how this works, you never have to have a panic attack again.

Learn These Four Simple Steps
If panic attacks have been a recurring problem, write the four basic steps on a little card, with a list of sample Coping Statements on the back. Mark the card with bright stripes to make it easy to find in your wallet, and keep it with you everywhere you go until you memorize the steps and know them thoroughly. Study these steps and learn them in advance. If you have a panic attack, get out your card immediately and follow it exactly. Once you learn these steps you won't need the card.

Full Resolution
If you experience panic attacks more often than occasionally I strongly suggest that you work with a practitioner to resolve the cause of your anxiety. You owe it to yourself to be free of anxiety. Permanently resolving issues of anxiety is one of my areas of specialty.

The Four Steps:
Relax.
Stop Negative Thinking.
Use Coping Statements.
Accept Your Feelings.
Here's How:
Step 1. Relax.
Relax by taking slow, deep, complete breaths. Calm yourself by remembering that you are only having a panic attack and that nothing more serious is happening to you. Continue to take slow, deep, complete breaths. Slow, deep, complete breaths will relax your body, which is the first step to reversing the release of adrenaline.

Step 2. Stop Negative Thinking.
Stop negative thinking by shouting the word "STOP!!!" really loud inside your head. By shouting the word "STOP" you are interrupting the emergency message that your brain is sending to your adrenal glands. Often people having a panic attack get into an endless loop repeating the same catastrophic thoughts over and over in their head. Interrupting this endless loop gives you the opportunity to replace the scary message with a calming one.

Step 3. Use Coping Statements.
A coping statement is a positive statement that is at least as strong as the catastrophic statement that you have been scaring yourself with. Replace the negative thought with a positive one. Choose a statement that addresses the negative thought.

For example, if you think that you are having a heart attack (a common fear during a panic attack) then you might be saying something in your head like, "Oh my God, I'm having a heart attack" or, "I'm gonna die, oh my God, I'm gonna die!" After you shout the word "STOP!" immediately replace the fear thought with a positive statement that helps you to cope with the situation, such as "I'm only having a panic attack and it will be over in three minutes if I relax" or, "My fear is making my heart pound harder, my heart is fine."

If you feel afraid hearing footsteps behind you on the street you might say, "I've walked down this street hundreds of times" or, "I walk alone on the street every night when I come home from work; what I hear behind me is someone else who is walking home from work."

Other coping statements might be, "I've gotten through this situation many times before and I can get through it again" or, "I am fine, everything is fine."

Brainstorm the kinds of fearful thoughts that bring on panic for you and then make a long list of coping statements that you can look at when you need to rather than trying to think of coping statements in the middle of a panic attack.

Note: If your fear is in response to a real danger I suggest that you consider making new choices that address those fears. If you are concerned about your health consult with your doctor.

Step 4. Accept Your Feelings.
Accepting your feelings is very important. Minimizing this experience usually serves to perpetuate it.

Start by identifying what emotion you are feeling. Most panic attacks are caused by the emotion of fear or some variation of fear. Identify the emotion you are feeling and find the reason that you feel it.

Validate that feeling and the reason for it. If you are having a panic attack before giving a speech, you are afraid because it's scary. Stage fright is a common cause of fear and panic. If you're afraid that you're having a heart attack, it's certainly valid to be afraid of that. If you are afraid of footsteps behind you on the street it's reasonable to be afraid that something bad might happen to you.

In all of these cases take the appropriate precautions. Have a regular check up so that you know that your heart is healthy. Walk in a well-lit area and be aware of your surroundings on the street. Walk like a warrior and not like a victim. These are all important precautions to ensure your safety. Then, when you use a coping statement that reminds you that you had a check up recently and that your heart is fine, you can reassure yourself that it's okay to be afraid, knowing that you are safe.

Fear is a positive emotion that reminds you to take care of yourself. Listen to your feelings, take good care of yourself, and keep your emotions in proportion to the situation by keeping an appropriate perspective.

Many people have stopped having panic attacks after learning these steps. However, there is a deeper solution to permanently resolving panic and anxiety responses, fully giving you emotional freedom and happiness. Your mind has the power to significantly influence your negative responses in all situations. By working with hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a powerful way of changing or enhancing your thinking processes) we can achieve any goal, solve any problem and create the excellence you desire in all areas of your life.

You can become the person that you choose to be.

[Audio.]

lol haha the Boston government are so retarded. How the fuck can this be a bomb...with a bright blinking light? hehe

i'm sure most of you have heard but for those who havent.....
check it.....
http://www.townonline.com/allston/homepage/8998966188914507775

Video of the "bombers" meeting with the media and refusing to talk about anything except for 1970 hair styles. BOSTON WINS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx2ytr2Oyv4

[QueenAdrock]

Well, that was random.

[Audio.]

sorry wrong topic:o