Panic attacks and therapy. Waiting list?

[Katie_cupcakes]

Hi all,

Just new to this site, so hello:)

I finanlly went to the Dr about my panic attacks/anxiety which I have been suffering from for the past 8 years. I avoided it for so long as I am worried that my medical records will now have 'anxiety' plastered all over them and I won't get taken seriously anymore. However, having spent 3 weeks of having between 1-5 panic attacks per day, I decided enough was enough.

My Dr didn't prescribe me drugs as she thought it best to tackle the problem rather than the symptoms. That's fine with me, I would prefer not to take medication if possible. She said she would refer me for therapy, which I'm happy with.. But Im not sure what happens now. I haven't heard anything from the Dr.. Do I have to wait to be contacted by the therapist or the Dr? Is the waiting list usually quite long? She didn't say if I would be contacted or not, she just said she would refer me for therapy and then sent me on my way. In the meantime I'm still having panic attacks and starting to wish I had some medication as I don't know how long I'm going to have to wait.

Does anyone here know roughly how long it might take to hear back, and would anyone recommend/ not recommend medication? I'm worried about side effects of taking drugs.

Thanks!

[lizzie29]

Is it cbt you've been referred for? Waiting lists tend to vary depending on where you live, so I'm sorry but I've no idea. All I would say is, I've had cbt and found it useful and have heard lots of other positive things about it, so when you do start I'm sure you'll find it helps. I'd imagine you'll get a letter with a date for an appointment.

There are mixed views on here about meds. I'm on citalopram and it helped me to get to a stage where I could face my anxiety, as it felt unmanageable initially. The side effects were low for me, very bearable, and didn't last long. Obviously everyone is different but starting on a low dose helps. Deciding whether to take meds is a personal choice and everyone has different opinions. My view is, if I had a physical illness I would take meds, so why should it be any different for a mental illness?

Hope that helps.

[Tanner40]

Hi Katie. Welcome to NMP. I think thatnyou will find a lot of good people on here, giving much support. It's been very helpful for me.

A combination of CBT and citalopram has helped me quite a bit. Many people used medication and many don't. For me, the medication was helpful in controlling the symptoms while the therapy started to work. I think the important thing is the work that we put into our recovery.

I try to journal in the mornings, as that helps me to relax my mind and get my rational and irrational thoughts down on paper. Meditation and progressive, self guided stretching videos have also helped me. Practicing acceptance of my symptoms has been hard but the more I practice acceptance, the better I become at it.

There is also a free online CBT course that you can access and use while you are waiting for your appointment. I use this program and it has helped me. Good luck on your journey.

[Edie]

Hi Katie, and welcome.

You've taken a massive first step, so you should be very proud of yorself right now. This will be the beginning of things getting easier for you.

Normally you would get a letter from the therapist offering you an appointment. It depends where the GP has referred you, how long you might have to wait, but waiting times are really variable in different areas anyway. If you have been referred directly for CBT (cognitive Behavioural Therapy), then there can often be a bit of a wait. But often you will be referred to the Community Mental Health Team first, where someone will assess you and recommend treatments which might mean referring you on for CBT, or could mean regular meetings with a psychiatric nurse, or meeting with a psychiatrist to discuss medication.

If you're not clear on what will happen, ring the doctor and ask when you are likely to hear something.

There are lots of different opinions on medication. People all react to them very differently anyway. Medication can only ever treat the symptoms, but often it can be beneficial to ease symptoms. Things sound pretty bad for you, so it might be something worth considering. Sometimes if you're in a bad way it's difficult to benefit from therapy as you don't get much opportunity when you're calm to think things through. But it's got to be a personal decision between you and your doctor.

[Annie0904]

This s the link to an online course which is excellent http://ct-online-info.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fct-online-info.com%2F&reauth=1

[Cú Chulainn]

Hi Katie
Don't worry you medicals records will not have anxiety plastered all over them
And your GP will take you serious. I can promise you that.
It doesn't matter how long you've suffered as long as you have done the right thing now and seeked help.
As you're in the UK the crisis mental health team will contact you in the next week or two to access you. and a therapist will be in touch soon after.
In the mean time you should the CBT4PANIC link Annie as provided you as it really helped me.
As for medication it did really help me although you should be aware that on medication it sorta gets worse before it gets better as the side effects in the first month are ,for some people quite horrendous, all they due disappear.

[Katie_cupcakes]

Thnk you for all the replies! I am still waiting to hear about therapy, on the plus side I was also asked to have a blood test done and all was fine :) so that was good news.
I'm beginning to understand more about panic disorder through this forum and I am than kful for the support and reasurrance. I just really hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel for all of us!