cant handle these panic attacks anymore

[annmarie2222]

i just stumbled across this site today while searching for help about my panic attacks/anxiety and depression.Ive been struggling with depression and severe panic attacks for over a year now and im just feeling like im losing control of everything around me.My problem Is when I have a panic attack that makes me even more anxious and I just dont know what to do sometimes I just want to scream.

any help would be much appreciated

annmarie xxxx

[potato11]

Hiya Annmarie

Panic can be a vicious circle! the more you panic...well... the more anxious you are which leads to more panic!!

But the good news is - you can overcome it by breaking that cycle. Have you ever heard of cbt? (cognitive behavioural therapy) it's the number one treatment for panic disorder, because panic is related to faulty thinking patterns and beliefs, and CBT helps to change them.

I thoroughly recommend an online cbt course called CBT4PANIC - it was featured here on NMP, which is how I found out about it.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91696

there's a free 30 day trial so you really have nothing to lose!! it really helped me to understand how panic works. whereas before, i viewed panic as something that wasn't under my control - now i have the tools to understand and control anxiety :)

Best of luck!

[rocklover]

I have multiple attacks a day and severe anxiety in between, I never feel right and i'm always on edge. I am trying the CBT4PANIC course, it is hard, but it is helping a little, I know it will be slow going as I have such severe panic disorder.

Robin is great and always answers when you email him for advice. No harm in giving it a go.

[ronski]

annmarie the reasons you are having panic attacks is because of fear, it's this fear that is allowing them to cause so much disruption in your life. Panic attacks have two components the first fear and the second fear. The first fear is not controlled by you and you will recognise it when you feel the panic starting to stir. This fear comes from your unconscious mind, triggered by thought patterns that you may recognise or maybe they are so fleeting you don't.
The second fear comes from your conscious mind and basically it is an escalation of fear because you are frightened of the symptoms and sensations of that rising fear triggered by stress hormones. This second fear you can challenge and stop and that will with practice disenable the control that panic has over you.
This is how it works and you must be as brave as you can, but with your next attack when it happens welcome the sensations and I know it sounds ludicrous but you must monitor them and just go with the flow. If you are really brave you can say to it well come on, is that all you have got. This has a dramatic affect of halting the attack as guess what you have lost your fear and those stress hormones will disperse.
All panic attacks are is excess stress hormones released because of fear. In other words you are frightened of being frightened and that really is a ridiculous place to be isn't it.
I do understand your fear as I have been there and I know how real and life changing it is but you are causing the panic attacks yourself by negativity. I know you can beat it but you must not be frightened of that first fear, it feels awful but stick with it and just relax when it occurs and you will beat panic attacks for life.

[rocklover]

annmarie the reasons you are having panic attacks is because of fear, it's this fear that is allowing them to cause so much disruption in your life. Panic attacks have two components the first fear and the second fear. The first fear is not controlled by you and you will recognise it when you feel the panic starting to stir. This fear comes from your unconscious mind, triggered by thought patterns that you may recognise or maybe they are so fleeting you don't.
The second fear comes from your conscious mind and basically it is an escalation of fear because you are frightened of the symptoms and sensations of that rising fear triggered by stress hormones. This second fear you can challenge and stop and that will with practice disenable the control that panic has over you.
This is how it works and you must be as brave as you can, but with your next attack when it happens welcome the sensations and I know it sounds ludicrous but you must monitor them and just go with the flow. If you are really brave you can say to it well come on, is that all you have got. This has a dramatic affect of halting the attack as guess what you have lost your fear and those stress hormones will disperse.
All panic attacks are is excess stress hormones released because of fear. In other words you are frightened of being frightened and that really is a ridiculous place to be isn't it.
I do understand your fear as I have been there and I know how real and life changing it is but you are causing the panic attacks yourself by negativity. I know you can beat it but you must not be frightened of that first fear, it feels awful but stick with it and just relax when it occurs and you will beat panic attacks for life.

This is exactly what I am trying to do with the CBT4PANIC course, it is really slow going for me and very hard because my panic disorder is so entrenched. Yesterday I managed to beat the panic pretty well, but today has been rubbish, I guess I just have to give myself time and just keep trying.

[ronski]

I had severe panic disorder and yes it works but yes it is a challenge. You have to trust that challenging your panic to increase will stop it. Let me tell you it stops it dead because you have lost your fear of dying and have attributed the fear just to adrenaline release.
When I got panic disorder I was convinced I was dying every day sometimes 2 to 3 times a day but that process I described proved it was adrenaline and not my heart.
Just do it and you will be so much better.

[rocklover]

I am trying, but obviously my natural instict is to fight and tense up, especially if I feel sick as i am phobic of it. Letting go towards panic is really, bloody hard, I know it works, it's just getting the hang of it.

[JohnBliss]

I agree entirely with Ronski -in my experience the best way to diffuse a panic attack is to invite it to do its worst For me the harder you challenge it the weaker it will become until it just fades away.It does take practice but it does work
All the Best
John

[Meewah]

Hi

This is a great Quiz to show what mindfulness is all about. It is about living in the moment. If the moment hurts or seems to cause us anxiety we should learn to accept it. I feel that it is too much to learn in real life situations so why not get in to a calm place like meditation and then act the exact scenario out in your mind and then watch and let the anious feelings pass without interacting to them. I would like you to make a mental note of the feelings and the thoughts that go through your mind.

In effect you are trying to bring on a anxious situation under controlled conditions and make notes. A scientific study.

When you have done this numerous times you can try it in the real world situation. You can be mindful and note down all the thoughts and feelings as they arrive. The important fact here is that you dont involve yourself with the feelings. They are just that feelings and they wish you to listen but you won't .

Try this quiz when you have practised this:-
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/4/

Mee