Recovery

[beadbabe]

I am coming up for two years with severe anxiety and panic attacks with lots of physical symptoms which are the ones that trouble me - I can cope with worrying but I can't cope with constant palpitations and dizziness. I just wondered, because we don't hear much about this on here, has anyone recovered or heard of anyone who has recovered from these problems...

Do people recover from this? does it matter how long you have had this, or what age you were when it all started?

I am running out of hope actually, as I have tried medication and CBT but nothing is shifting.

I think if I could just have a glimmer of hope...!

(Wanted to do a poll but don't know how.)

[ParrotLover]

First of all *hugs* I feel your pain.

I used to have all the physical symptoms of panic attacks. I got on Paxil, did some personal growing and they went away for a while. I stopped Paxil cold turkey and was okay for a while.

I still occasionally get heart pallipatations out of the blue and especially at night when I'm trying to sleep. that I worry may be heart disease or a heart attack. I have recently had an echocardiogram (sonogram of the heart) to show that my heart is normal so that has calmed me a lot but I still worry "What if the dr mixed mine up with some one elses or what if they missed something?!"

I ALWAYS feel that dizzy feeling and kind of out of it disconnected feeling no matter what. I've just kind of learned to live with it. I've had a full physical blood test and all to show that I'm fine physically (other than HIGH cholesterol [don't get me started on my worrying there...]). I think it just take s a lot, lot, LOT of time.

Perhaps someone else can give you more advise. Hang in there. You're definitely not alone.

[SammiB]

Hello,

There are so many people with success stories, in my opinion recovery is totally possible but its not about what medication your on or what therapy you have its just learning to control how much anxiety you have by making it second nature. if you carry on normally, with things you do or don't do then you will still have the feelings but after a while the lessen and then you don't notice that they are happening.

I get dizzyness all the time, it still scares me everytime, but i carry on through it and it comes and goes.

i think parrotlover is right, it takes a long long time, but doesn't have to if you stick with it instead of fixating on it.

hope that you feel better and keep going.
it can get better

xxx

[PUGLETMUM]

:) hi beadbabe,

palpitations have also been one of my longest symptoms, right back to the beginning when i first experienced a panic attack, it was my pumping heart i noticed most!!! and after the initial phase had subsided i was still left with almost constant palpitations, although it could have been tachyacardia. one or other my heart was either constantly beating too fast or i was just aware of it.

anyhow my heart has always played a major role in my physical symptoms, but unlike you i dont worry about it anymore, for me its the psychological symptoms i cant stand, just the anxiety and fear feeling i cant cope with!

but they are all related anyway, as you experiencing a feared/loathed symptom will only cause it to be worse, so you are really in a catch 22 situation until you decide not to be bothered by the symptom!!!

have hope, you can live with this disorder,you can get better from it and you can learn and grow as a person!!! life is worth living. and im currently in a slump so i do know how you feel. i cant shift one particular fear and it is driving me crazy and making me utterly miserable, but i do have hope, because i know ive been here before and i do come out of it.

btw i still suffer palps 20 years after i first experienced them, they are almost constantly present when im in a highly anxious state, but as i calm down they do too. i hope this helps. :winks: emma

[beadbabe]

Hi to all who have replied so far - thanks for your kind words and thoughts. I'm not looking for sympathy (honestly :) ) but inspiration from others who have managed to succeed because I honestly think I have got as far as I can with knowing what it is, but just need a bit of light at the end of the tunnel!

We're all in similar boats and just wanted to hear of more success.

bead :hugs: