Panic attack help

[Perrettstv1]

Hi all I'm new to this site but recently my panic attacks have got so bad I need some help, I have suffered with them for over 10 years I'm 35 now I know nothing bad will happen and that I'm perfectly healthy but I can't stop having chest pains and palpatations I need some help controlling them when they happen and training my brain I have had counselling and it didn't help l. Thanks for reading l. Steve

[emily67]

panic attacks are horrible.

had a really bad one earlier this week... I know what you're going through

[Randara]

Have you spoken to your doctor? They might be able to prescribe something to help with your symptoms. Or just suggest another type of counselling/therapy.

[Perrettstv1]

No my next step will be my gp I just find it so difficult that even though I can logically reason with myself and tell my brain I'm fine that I still get them and even more so now

[Randara]

I know how you feel, I don't have the same physical symptoms but when I do have physical sensations/sever anxiety about something I can rationalise with myself and but then I have this little voice that pops up and says 'but what if I am wrong'.

sometimes it feels like a losing battle - it's so tiring being anxious and it's also tiring fighting against anxiety and convincing yourself that you are ok! And being tired just leads to more anxiety.

i hope you get to see your doctor soon, and make sure you tell them everything about your anxiety and your physical symptoms.

[Perrettstv1]

This evening I was due to go out to a pub with my wife the pub was about 30 minutes away from our house but over a bridge on an island as soon as I got over the bridge to where the venue was I felt like I couldn't breathe it was horrible and obviously a panic attack so I told myself ride it out it will pass there's nothing wrong with you etc etc but the symptoms didn't go I'm now back home whilst she is out and I still feel just as bad now that I let her down, I know that there is no way she could understand I've tried talking to her but I don't see how anyone who doesn't suffer from some kind of anxiety can understand fully, I don't blame her for that but now that is making me feel anxious if you see what I mean

[Randara]

I know what you mean, it was stressing me out a lot before because I felt like my boyfriend could never understand what I was going through. I just felt hopeless! But you have to remember that even though they may not fully understand, they still care a lot about you and want to help and support you as much as possible.

It's difficult but push yourself to do things does help, it helps you learn that you will be ok and will also stop the guilt from missing out. Maybe you need to try small things that will halls he you at first and build up.

[Perrettstv1]

It is difficult as there's a fine line for me between being seen as anti social (which I never was before my anxiety started) and doing something that I believe may start and attack it's difficult because which ever way I choose to do it feels like I have done the wrong thing, if I would have stayed in tonight I wouldn't have felt like I did but equally I would have been told I never want to go out and do things which believe me isn't the case!

[Randara]

It sounds like there's a lack of understanding from the people calling you anti social, have you tried explaining to them how you're feeling and that it does affect you going out sometimes?

[Perrettstv1]

Yes I have explained numerous times if it is a place that I deem "safe" in my mind then I go and we have a nice time however if it's something (like tonight) that I am unsure of how I will feel when I get there then sometimes I don't go tonight however I was fed up with the label of being anti social so went and the consequences to me were terrible however now like I said earlier I feel worse that I experienced this in front of other people and wish I had just been labelled anti social and not gone.