My story: help/advice anyone?

[Sky232]

Hello. I am 26 years old now, since 10 years I suffer from panic attacks. The situation is worsening. Whereas I could still go outside alone until January 2006, now I'm totally stuck inside... I only go outside with close family members...

I am afraid of being alone ... I am afraid of "disappearing" out of reality... I have even become afraid of sitting in a car on highways (because there is no escape possibility...). I am getting so tired of this situation... it has destroyed my social life, I don't know what I have to do, I have seen one psychologist, one behaviour consultant... They all say things, but in the end, it's still me who has to do things...

Do you recognize this situation? Could anyone give advice?

[honeybee3939]

Hi Sky

firstly welcome to NMP, its lovely to see you here im sure you will get some great advice, support and make new friends too:) .

I could have actually written this exact post myself a few years ago, but believe me hun things can get better and im sure they will for you.:)

Just out of interest are you still getting any help? you say you have seen the psychologist etc what kind of support did they offer?.

I was housebound for 2 years and it took me many months to build up courage to even walk to the end of the street, i just took a few more steps futhur each day and by repeating these steps day after day it became easier and easier, all those little steps have now led to bigger ones to where i can now lead a normal life.

I hope we can help you hun to get on that road to recovery too .

Hugs
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxx

[ana]

Hello Sky!
I know exactly how you feel. In fact, everybody here knows how you feel because we are all going through the same thing. A panic attack is a horrible experince and sady, only the people who had experienced them can truly understand how you feel.
I posted my story yesterday, "For anyone who feels....." and don't know if you read it or not, but in it I tried to describe how horrible I felt. Maybe it will be comforting for you to know that someone close to your age has been struggling with the same issues.
Nothing lasts forever, especially panic attacks. Yes, they are horrible, but they can't and won't kill you.
You will get better. And you know why? Because you want to!
Hold on
Hugs
Ana

[belle]

Hi..
Sorry to read you're feeling bad.
Panic attacks are crappy and like you, i'm currently 90% housebound. I was doing "okayish" not going out alone as such, i was kind of living but with a few restrictions, now.....i am almost back to square one and the panic attacks have pushed me to fear everything again.
I hope you get the help and support you need from everyone here :)

x

[monty]

I have lots of experience of de-realisation/de-personalisation (the feeling on unreality) but don't worry- it's quite common for people with anxiety problems.

I also get anxious sitting in a car- usually I try to distract myself (music you can sing along to helps). But now I'm reading a book that recommends trying to just let the panic/anixety happen- not fighting it. Easier said than done I know but helps to have it in mind that I can be useful- and just keep reminding yourself that its only a feeling, a horrible feeling, but only a feeling!

Hope that helps :-)

Lucy -x-

[PUGLETMUM]

:hugs: hi sky,

you are certainly not alone with your feelings as you've already found out! everyone on nmp KNOWS how you feel, i hope that can comfort you?

we are all here to help each other to get better and you can and will, but like you said YOU have to DO it and so do all of us who are currently struggling - which in one form or another is everyone on here. so we all keep trying to DO it and we keep coming here and getting the care and support that can sadly be lacking in our 'real' lives:weep:

anyway all my best wishes are with you and i hope you can now start to feel better, knowing you have somewhere to come to get support:winks:
:flowers: from emma xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Sky232]

Hello,

thanks everbody for your advice which I am reading with much attention ... it's great to feel supported :)

:hugs:

[Sky232]

I had a really awful day today, I was out there with somebody I do trust (family) but I panicked and I was like one (!) street from home, but I just wasn't able to do it :shrug:... I felt like losing all control ... well anyway I got home finally by cab :blush:....:weep:... And yet afterwards I felt miserable and uncertain for five hours until I got "stable" again...:ohmy:... this feels like such a torture, I hate it :mad:

[PUGLETMUM]

:wacko: mmm yes sky i know the feeling well at the moment myself!
you want to do something, to move you forwards, so you go towards your challenge, then you get all the old thoughts, fellings and symptoms and you find yourself rushing away from the scene? but oh my gosh, then you get home or to safe place and after brief relief you feel awful for the rest of the day:weep: like you say or until you feel youve recovered which takes ages and also you then feel depressed:lac:
this is the nature of agoraphobia, for everyone whose anxiety disorder has taken this route,and there is help for it and you can get the old you back:yesyes:
but its no easier than what your going through now because you have to stay through the panic and not run - and that is painful:weep: but the pay off is enormous:yesyes: you will find that you can survive the brief but intense episodes of extreme panic when you are in a challenging situation, and when you return after your practice you wont feel the awful feeling you get when you avoid.
please believe these things
1)you will survive the panic
2)it will not last long
3)you will feel wobbily but not devastated
4)you will feel great sense of acheivement
5)you will not feel the awful feelings that you get when you avoid
6)you can conquer this
7)you can be happy!:yesyes:

so my thoughts are with you and you are not alone on your journey to turn your life around, all my best wishes to you:hugs:and :flowers: from emma

[Sky232]

Hello Emma,

thanks for your thoughts. What bothers me is that this nightmarish situation is going on endlessly. I can't even have the thought to live ever normal again :shrug:... like I did before. I don't know how one can restore confidence in himself if you are always again confronted with fearful situations... Despite everything, despite I know it won't harm me and that it will pass it just gives me a trauma :shrug:

x
:hugs:

[PUGLETMUM]

:) hi sky,
the only thing i can say is YES it does feel like this, it takes over your whole life:wacko: and you can almost see nothing else but this.
yesterday i went to a gym that is 2 miles from my house in busy traffic at rush hour because my daughter has an hour swim session there (i was with my husband), and i went to the cinema afterwards. but 12 weeks ago i couldnt function properly, i couldnt be alone in my house without panicking and i couldnt do my normal things!:weep: now that is only 12-13 weeks ago and now without meds and with alot of tears and deep sadness, i am seeing my way out of the hole, and you can too.
once you start to challenge the worried thoughts with ones that are more realistic it all starts to fall into place and you start to see that yes it is a traumatic feeling but you can handle it!:yesyes: and this gives great confidence and you can build and build each day, follow each success with another success(widely advocated on here and by therapists) you have to keep going, and remember you are never alone, you can always check back in here and get support and advice:winks:
i would recommend some cbt based books if you can find them, the one i use is american so if you want to try to get it i will let you know what it is, but there are loads you can get.
all my best wishes to you at this hard time
emma:flowers:

[Sky232]

thanks for the support !!:hugs:

[Sky232]

Does anybody wants to give his/her opinion on cognitive therapy?