Panic attacks, health anxiety, etc.

[Detroitbluebird]

I've had anxiety for many years, but this past July I had my first panic attack, and after that I kept having more of them along with health anxiety (I definitely prefer that over 'hypochondria', which is what I was calling it).
I saw a doctor after the first few panic attacks and have been seeing a counselor.
I found that the Paxil my doctor prescribed was unaffordable for me, so I didn't end up filling it. I also really don't want to take things like Xanax because my brother has had problems with being addicted to it and I personally have a history of alcohol abuse, so I don't want to take a chance of getting addicted to it.
I had been doing pretty well for a few months, but today when I was driving to work I had a panic attack out of nowhere, and of course I was convinced that this time, I really am dying, this isn't normal, I'm really sick, etc. and I ended up taking the day off of work.
I've tried researching panic disorders online, but the summaries always felt incomplete to me. Clicking around this forum has been helpful because I can see the many ways that anxiety manifests in different people, so I don't feel alone or abnormal.
I'm looking forward to being part of this community.

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Detroitbluebird and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[fduop]

Good morning Detroitbluebird. I totally get where you're coming from, I have suffered from Panic Attacks and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)for a really long time. While I feel it's not my place to comment about your prescribed medication, because each individual is different. I will say, I used a Paxil (Generic) for many years. It was effective and cheap, but the side effects eventually wore on me. I currently take a generic Prozac (Fluoxetine 40mg), which takes a while to get used to, but for a number of years has been very effect without the Paxil drawbacks. I also get your apprehension to use Xanax, while it is effective it can be addictive. In my situation, I use (Buspirone 10mg) for anxiety. Again fairly inexpensive and effective for me. I know this is a lot of information to digest but I hope this helps you create a plan to help you along your way. Best to you Detroitbluebird on your journey and be proactive in getting better.