Panic Attacks and Gambling

[chelseablue]

Not a good mix I know!

Would it be possible that the two are linked? like p.a's and alcohol/smoking. I haven't read much linking the two, however it seems obvious with gambling leading to release of adrenaline. I myself have always liked a bet-nothing excessive just once a month at the races or when a big horse racing meeting is on. I enjoyed the sensation that I got from it (the buzz!) the feeling of winning (a temporary high) and in a way I enjoyed the feeling of losing a bet.

I started suffering panic attacks about 3 months ago following a stressful incident at the wheel on the motorway. I think I am getting better through rest, exercise and eating the correct foods and I am now driving again. I had a bet today for the first time in a few months with it being a big race several friends asked for my opinion which I duly gave them, I only bet a very small amount but could barely watch the race, I felt awful, my heart raced (it felt even faster than when I excercised, I couted 30beats over 15secs just after) and I got all the other 'classic' symptons of a panic attack-what a knock back! Just wanted some advice on wether this is just a result of my nerves being shocked by panic or if gambling over time may have caused my attacks! It is not so much my own personal money as I only bet amounts that I can easily afford but it is more the pressure of giving people advice and feeling I will be judged on the advice I give.

Any thoughts or advice welcomed?

[fork n knife]

Hi Chelseablue,
i think that you are putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.
The thought of your horse not doing the business on the racecourse
and of letting others down with your tips is making you very nervous.
That's probably what triggers the panic attack.
Try placing a bet but without telling the others about it.
See if that lessens the pressure on your bet and stops the nervousness.

All The Best F'n'K

[jill]

Hi hun, :D

I am no expert, but what I would say is, your nearves are shocked by your first panic, which was due to your stressfull acident, THIS IS TRUMA, but what you have to remember IS, panic is truma too, it takes time for the mind to reprogramme from ANY truma, to adjust, that the truma has past and it wont happen again, with pa's, the mind is very powerfull, any sensation in your body can remind you of panic and your mind will go into automatic response, PANIC.

You bet a little, if you don.t see this as a prob, then no probs, if you know what I mean.

You say, before your panic, betting would put you on a high, even if you lost, mmm, you think long and hard about this, I bet your heart rate went up at these time,s BUT, you NEVER gave it another thought, you would not have even noticed any changes in your body, ( before panic) this time round, cos you have had pa's, your thinking about your body feelings far to much, we can look to deep into how we are feeling and THIS, reminds us of our past truma, PANIC, we feel these symptoms, we react in a negative way, ohhh nooo, my hearts racing, whats wrong, ohh I feel like am going to panic, more symptoms will jump in.

I would say, there is no link between gambling and panic (thats if you don,t have a gambling problem) the way we feel when doing is, the rush of adrenaline you feel, IS NORMAL, you have had it before, but at this moment in time your mind is responding in a negative way, to the feeling you are getting when putting a bet on, you have to try dame hard to learn to shut this down, tell yourself, your feelings within your body have nothing at all to do with panic, use a hell of alot of self positive thoughts, this will pass in time, but you have to work dame hard on those thought pattens, ohh I know its hard hun,

This IS dame hard and takes time, you have to keep looking back into your past when you put a bet on and feel any emotions or symptoms and reasure yourself, that its just YOU getting over excited.

I have had what I thought was a link, but with flying, I LIKE flying, always have done, (befor panic) but my first pa was in a airport, mmmmm, this was the last thing regarding panic I had to shut down, it has been dame hard, flew out last week, yeeehaaa nooo panic hehe, well done me, but its bl**dy hard work.

So hun, take fork n knife good advice, take the presure off yourself, JUST FOR NOW, NOT FOREVER, tell yourself just for now, I will stop giving people advice, in the near future, I WILL get better and be back to my normal self, giving out all that advice again, see yourself better and doing this hun,

Be kind to yourself hun,

hope this has helped a little

You take care

love jillxxx