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dm1492
10-06-03, 00:24
I'm 25, and recently realised i was suffering from panic after 7 years of wondering what was happening to me. I'm going to see a specialist soon, then i get married 4 days later. I'm in a panic about having a panic attack on the day! The only time i don't panic is when i'm watching tv, knowing i don't have to do anything. I even make up stories so i don't have to go to work. I can't tell my family, because my dad's a doctor, and i feel embarrased talking about it. any advice would be greatly apreciated.

Jo
10-06-03, 16:12
Hi dm1492 - sorry to hear your troubles! I suffer with panic attacks also - and I, like you and probably many other suffers, panic about having a panic attack! I have suffered for about a year now and at the beginning didn't want anyone to know, which in itself caused me great anxiety! The only people that knew at the time were my parents and my boyfriend - who thankfully supported me. I know I wouldn't have gotten this far without them. I would seriously think about telling your parent(s), their reactions may surprise you!

Keep in touch

Jo (2) xxx

nomorepanic
11-06-03, 17:00
Hi dm1492

Sorry to hear you are suffering too. You really do need to tell someone and please do NOT feel embarrassed about it atall. It is now a much more recognised illness and I am just starting to tell people that I suffer to - I am surprised at their reactions. Most are very sympathetic (I do get some snide remarks) and appreciate how horrible it is for me.

If you want to get married then you need to get help soon or you will be cancelling that at the last minute and people will wonder why.

Please talk to your Dad - I am sure you will be surprised at his reaction. Let me know how it goes

Nicola

bruce
12-06-03, 01:28
Whats up dm1492?

It seems to me that now that you KNOW what your problem is (panic) then you are half way to recovery mentally. I remember when my panic attacks first started happening, i thought they were all flashbacks from some street drugs i had used wrecklessly, i was scared all the time of what i was considering to be a flashback and i suffered every damn day for the longest time until i realized that i wasnt tripping or high and that this was all brought out from the panic that i induced from using substances.

In your case, i am not sure what brought it on but cognitive behavioral therapy will shut it off, slowly but it works! if your really troubled and need an exact number, i would say 12 sessions with my psychologist made a very significant difference and i am continuing to go.

I wanted to ask you to ask yourself, marriage is a very important life decision and you said your panic started a while ago so i doubt this is relevent but could your panic have reached a recent apex due to your own insecurity about the wedding? perhaps you arent ready yet, its ok i mean 25 is not like a landmark age or anything.

Anyway getting back to the subject at hand, it is cool that your boyfriend is supportive, i can remember not telling anyone for a good five months (the first five were the worst too) and it was just terror. then when i did come out and tell my friends, alot of them stopped talking to me, i wasnt out drinking and having a good time couse i couldnt handle it and they didnt understand so they basically just left me hanging, pretty ****ed up thing to do but this helped me to separate who was and wasnt REALLY close to me.

I have since made some recent contacts and renewed some old ones so its getting better even socially. its great that your dads a doctor, he can help you or knows some one who can! my doctor didnt give a **** about me and offered no contacts and so i had to find all my help privately, your already a step a head.

Listen to me, one person who fully supported and stuck with me was my dad, finally after five months of no help and panicing the whole time i came to him and said that i had been using drugs and needed help. he took it very well. i had been avoiding telling him for so long for fear i guess of what ****ed up thing would happen but you just gotta say **** it, avoiding telling people will not help and will make it harder to deal with, talk talk talk, until you wear this problem out.

A great drug for panic disorder is clonezepam/ klonopin although you are only supposed to use it for a few weeks. i would suggest definitely at least telling your father and i would say that your fear of telling others is really a sign that you are afraid of what that will mean, i say dont be! I

f people look at you and treat you differently and dont stick by you then you dont want them as your friends anyway, they arent for real at all, and anyone who has ever been through this would have to agree with me. if someone leaves you by the wayside when your panicing then they are truly coldhearted.

I think that your dad being a doctor will work for you rather than against you, tell him! hes a doctor, its his work, hes actually more approachable than most because hes educated on such topics and probably has some professional dealings with it.

Listen as far as the wedding goes, your afraid of freaking out on that important day well dont be, usually the couple runs through the whole thing with the priest or minister prior to the event so you wont be caught with your pants down and also you could always have like a small wedding just to make it offical and then have a huge bash a year or so from now on your first anniversary when your all better and have like a second wedding with all friends and family and all the extras!

There are bigger things globally than weddings, youll be ok, think it out and take it as it happens. if your boyfriend is true, and it sounds that way, i think he will be willing to follow your lead.

O yea, one more reason to tell your dad,

dm1492
16-06-03, 16:46
I just wanted to thank you all for all your help and advice. Just knowing that there are other people out there going through this is a big help in itself. The fact that I don't know any of you, and yet you have offered your kind words is even more greatly appreciated.

I have now told my dad, who is finding out some more info for me about local support groups etc. and I hope that this is the beginning of the end of my panic.

Once again, many thanks for your support

nomorepanic
19-06-03, 14:12
Hi dm1492

Glad to hear you told your dad and he is helping you out - that is excellent news!

When is the wedding by the way?

Nic

dm1492
21-06-03, 10:33
Hi Nic,
The wedding is tomorrow, so i'm currently suffering from a more obvious panic!
Thanks for all your support, at least i know now where to turn when i need help


Dave
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