Having almost daily panic attacks and struggling to cope.

[ByTheBeardOfGimli]

So hey everyone. I'm new here and I signed up because I'm pretty much at my wit's end with my anxiety/panic attacks.

I got diagnosed with Anxiety a couple of years ago but never really had a 'proper' panic attack until I was at a music festival a couple of weeks ago.
The second day there I ended up having a three hour panic attack which didn't seem to want to end. It was honestly the most horrific experience of my life.
I went for about a week or so without having one, was ill this weekend and walked into work on Monday only to have a panic attack when I walked into the building and got sent home. I was fine Tuesday and Wednesday, bit shaky but nothing to worry about.
Thursday saw another panic attack (after having Sudafed) which was on par with the music festival one and Today I had another one before work and had to call in sick. This one was triggered by antibiotics for some strange reason. I've been shaky, restless, nauseos etc all day and my face and arms keep going numb... making me think I'm having a stroke.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to have to keep going back to Drs because they'll probably get sick of me.

Currently on 120mg of propranalol and now 30mg of Mirtazipine daily.

[sputnikmoon]

The most important thing is not to panic :p

In all seriousness though, I tend to get panic attacks in seasons. I'll be fine for months, then I'll have one that freaks me out and makes me super aware of every sensation in my body that could be the slightest hint of a panic attack coming back.

I then feel a little every day twinge or change in blood pressure, and dwell on it as my anxiety rises and then another panic attack hits.

The power panic attacks hold are the fear of the symptoms and the stress you feel when your trying to hold them back. This stress adds fuel to the fire and means they develop into a full blown attack.

The key is to not mind it's happening, once you get in that head space the little symptoms that would normally progress into a panic attack become less severe, and the panic attacks ease away and never fully develop.

So rather than feeling short of breath and catastrophising it in your head that it's going to be awful and you'll collapse or need an as ambulance, try to think "I'm short of breath, it's my anxiety being a little bugger, my body is actually perfectly fine and reacting in a perfectly normal way, my brain is telling it I'm in danger so it's preparing me to run away, I won't suffocate and if I let it pass, I'll be fine"

It's tricky, but when you have a panic your perfectly safe, your body is reacting normally and trying to protect you, so don't be scared of the symptoms - your body thinks it's helping :)

Does that make sense, Which symptom is it that scared you the most?

[ByTheBeardOfGimli]

That does make sense. Thank you so much for the detailed reply :) it's something I need to do next time.

Sorry for the short reply I'm so tired!

[ByTheBeardOfGimli]

Sputnik, the symptom that scares me the most is not being able to breathe properly. It's that that causes me the most panic. I'm not sure why this has all started, I do feel ill at the moment and I guess I must be stressed out somewhere along the line. Who knows?

Anyway I hope you've had a pleasant weekend :)

[dorabella]

Panic attacks can make you feel really ill at times - I was like you until I started to educate myself about the causes and effects of anxiety - this is a really excellent site to come to for support - especially when you see that there's always someone else who is experiencing exactly what you are.

When you get anxious - and there's not always an obvious reason for it - your body starts to secrete adrenalin. This can cause the shaking and trembling feeling you get - the pins and needles or numbness you feel in your face, hands, arms or feet are often a result of hyperventilation, which is in itself a reaction to anxiety. You are most likely overbreathing without knowing it, causing the carbon dioxide levels in your blood to build up and in turn causing the numbness or tingling. See if you can get hold of some books and read up on your on your condition - it will take the fear out of it and you will start to learn how to ride the anxiety out.

Any of the books by Clare Weeks such as Self Help for your Nerves, and another really good book I cam across a few years back by Dinah Bradley 'Hyperventilation Syndrome'. I'm sure others have suggestions for reading that they could recommend.