Curious about Anxiety?

[idawmn]

Is it possible to go through one bad panic/anxiety attack and it never occurs again? I posted about myself in the 'Introduction" section about my situation. I woke up one morning two and a half weeks after having gall bladder surgery and had this feeling that I couldn't breathe. This has been going on 24/7 for 12 weeks now although the breathing is more relaxed at bedtime. I have never experienced anxiety in my life and I'm 55 years old. All tests performed on heart and lungs and everything is clear. I will be seeing a cardiologist for further consultation in a week and seeing a counsellor in two weeks.

Is it possible also to turn the breathing issue around through therapy but not to have to use anti - depressants?

The whole breathing issue mystifies me as like I had mentioned I have never had anxiety in my life, this came out of nowhere. I was so happy to get my gallbladder out because of the pain I was in.

Thanks.

[RoseEve]

Absolutely there are many us including myself that are not on medication. Often when you have a panic attack but had never had one it can take a long time to get over the fear of having another one. The more you focus and worry about you breathing the worse it will be. Try to distract yourself.

[idawmn]

Hi and thanks. I try my hardest not to think of this breathing but it's right there. I feel I'm suffocating. I have been keeping myself busy in the house, going out and doing things but..... it's still a reminder. Last night when I laid down for the night, I thought the breathing would calm down like it normally does when lying down but it felt really intense and I started to panic. I ended up taking an Ativan to calm down. So tired of it.

[OCD-Greyback]

All facts are possible and such Miss Idawmn, exactly as Miss Rose has stated.

I have never factually taken medication, however I am factually unaware if I have had a panic attack myself, as my experiences with constant OCD and such increased the past few months or so.

My own centres around my best friend, indirectly from herself and yet she is not blame and not factually at fault or the actual cause herself in any fact.

My initial section of anxiety and such facts started over a year factually previous and pursued for more than a factual few days. When it started to abate, I was within the Emotionally Blank fact of OCD.

However with assistance from my best friend, I have been able to factually recover somewhat, however as stated recently it had increased. Yet now I am calmer than per the usual aside from when conversing with my best friend, which is when I feel my most highest in emotions.

Granted I worry about facts I require answers to, however I need not as she has never factually abandoned, attacked, been, shown or felt negatively towards me as she has stated.

I do factually inquire and ask if any statement within my post has done some fact of wrong against my best friend however if I might be permitted to do so?

If you require factual conversation Miss, and I can be of factual assistance and oblige, I am as per usual glad to do so and such.

Both to yourself Miss Idawmn and Miss Rose. Best of wishes to both of you DPGs and ladies for the remainder of your weeks ahead and such.

[hatsunemiku]

Hiya :) it's definitely possible to get better without anti depressants! To be honest they haven't helped me at all - counselling is whats changed me the most :)
I'd recommend that you get some reading material on anxiety, it's comforting to have a book that you can turn to when noones around.
With the breathing I am wondering, do you breathe with your chest or diaphram?
Try holding your hand on your stomach and when you breathe try to make your stomach rise. Doing this creates slow deep breaths.
I find that imagery based meditation helps, if you are familiar with youtube then I would suggest that you watch these videos made by 'TheHonestGuys' just type in their name (sorry I cant link as im a new member)
They post alot of really helpful calming meditation videos, although a lot of them require you to do breathing exercises which you may not like as it is focussing on the problem but if you skip into the videos they normally stop talking about it,

Most importantly.. don't panic about panicing!!! Something that everyone does is assume that what they are feeling now will last forever... it will not!! You are probably feeling the most anxious you will ever feel and you will find that as you have counselling then you will get more and more back to yourself :)

Goodluck xx

[idawmn]

Thanks for your response. I feel I'm breathing the right way but will double check on that. I feel I'm breathing the same way as I did before this whole problem started.

I mentioned in my post about being able to get through this reversed without using anti depressant medications and hopefully by the help of a good therapist. I then mentioned using Ativan. This was prescribed as an "on needed basis". I'm receptive to using that as an on needed basis (couple of times of week) because at times I have hit a couple of rough patches and it has helped but don't feel I need to be on anything every day. Hope this makes sense. Here's hoping to a full recovery.

I do have access to You Tube, thank you for the link and I will get right on it. Do you recommend a book for anxiety?

Thanks again.