SLjimbo
23-05-12, 21:46
Hey, my name is Jim and I'm a 27 year old panic/anxiety sufferer from New York and I'd like to introduce myself and hopefully give some encouragement to fellow suffers.
My first bout with panic happened back in 2006 when I was 21 years old in college and it hit me like a ton of bricks. A few days after coming back from a wild Spring Break, I was feeling really dizzy, my arms were weak, and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I thought "Oh God, I'm having a heart attack!" and immediately dialed 9-1-1. While the ambulance was on its way, the symptoms went away to my surprise. Even more surprising is when the EMTs finally came, they checked me out and I was perfectly healthy. For the next whole week, I was an absolute mess. I thought I was dying because I couldn't get any sleep because when I closed my eyes, my mind was racing. I'm grateful for having a supporting mother after I having the courage to tell her about my problem. She took me to the doctor, did tests, and of course everything came out fine. It wasn't long when we finally pinpointed the problem to garden-variety anxiety and panic, so that's when I saw a psychiatrist.
I've felt much better through CBT, seeing my psychiatrist time to time and medication, but I have had relapses before in 2010 and just last month. Thankfully they weren't as bad when I first had my anxiety. I think the most important thing to realize is you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. I found that it takes time, practice, and patience to overcome panic disorder and you just need to remember there's no "magic bullet" cure, so don't be alarmed if you still have a few hiccups following a major panic attack like I have.
There's two points I'd like to make that has helped me cope with my panic and anxiety. 1.) When you're having physical symptoms of panic, realize it's just nasty sensations, but nothing more. For example, whenever I get lightheaded, I reassure myself it won't do any harm because I have yet to faint or pass out from being lightheaded. 2.) Just monitor your lifestyle closely to make sure you don't aggravate your panic. I still go out and have a few beers with my friends once and awhile, but I do watch myself that I don't get completely plastered where I get a major hangover that leads to intense anxiety. I'm not saying you should all go out and drink, but just be careful when dealing with alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and so on.
Oh! I do want to point out that I also been dealing with "intrusive thoughts" along with my anxiety because I know it's quite common to have them while dealing with panic and anxiety. Originally, it would be adding fuel to the fire when an intrusive thought popped into my head like a knife would be sitting on the table and I would think "Oh no, what if I jab myself in the neck with the knife?" Thankfully, my psychiatrist reassured that intrusive thoughts does NOT mean you're suicidal. Intrusive thoughts can be anxiety-producing because you think you're becoming suicidal, but that is not the case. I've learned that you don't need to take intrusive thoughts seriously because you know they cannot harm you.
So remember, stay positive people!!! :yesyes:
My first bout with panic happened back in 2006 when I was 21 years old in college and it hit me like a ton of bricks. A few days after coming back from a wild Spring Break, I was feeling really dizzy, my arms were weak, and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I thought "Oh God, I'm having a heart attack!" and immediately dialed 9-1-1. While the ambulance was on its way, the symptoms went away to my surprise. Even more surprising is when the EMTs finally came, they checked me out and I was perfectly healthy. For the next whole week, I was an absolute mess. I thought I was dying because I couldn't get any sleep because when I closed my eyes, my mind was racing. I'm grateful for having a supporting mother after I having the courage to tell her about my problem. She took me to the doctor, did tests, and of course everything came out fine. It wasn't long when we finally pinpointed the problem to garden-variety anxiety and panic, so that's when I saw a psychiatrist.
I've felt much better through CBT, seeing my psychiatrist time to time and medication, but I have had relapses before in 2010 and just last month. Thankfully they weren't as bad when I first had my anxiety. I think the most important thing to realize is you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. I found that it takes time, practice, and patience to overcome panic disorder and you just need to remember there's no "magic bullet" cure, so don't be alarmed if you still have a few hiccups following a major panic attack like I have.
There's two points I'd like to make that has helped me cope with my panic and anxiety. 1.) When you're having physical symptoms of panic, realize it's just nasty sensations, but nothing more. For example, whenever I get lightheaded, I reassure myself it won't do any harm because I have yet to faint or pass out from being lightheaded. 2.) Just monitor your lifestyle closely to make sure you don't aggravate your panic. I still go out and have a few beers with my friends once and awhile, but I do watch myself that I don't get completely plastered where I get a major hangover that leads to intense anxiety. I'm not saying you should all go out and drink, but just be careful when dealing with alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and so on.
Oh! I do want to point out that I also been dealing with "intrusive thoughts" along with my anxiety because I know it's quite common to have them while dealing with panic and anxiety. Originally, it would be adding fuel to the fire when an intrusive thought popped into my head like a knife would be sitting on the table and I would think "Oh no, what if I jab myself in the neck with the knife?" Thankfully, my psychiatrist reassured that intrusive thoughts does NOT mean you're suicidal. Intrusive thoughts can be anxiety-producing because you think you're becoming suicidal, but that is not the case. I've learned that you don't need to take intrusive thoughts seriously because you know they cannot harm you.
So remember, stay positive people!!! :yesyes: