Hi new to the forum in need of help and advise.

[paul 34]

Hi im new to this forum its taken me a couple of months to really admit i have a problem with panic attacks and anxiety. It only started in Januarary this before that i was a care free social person who was really idependant i had my own flat, was studying and had a great job that was very rewarding. Also im a dj/producer so these attacks have really stunned me to the core and i feel like my life has been put on hold i almost quit university because of this as well but i managed to hang in there.
Ive had every emotion know to man i reckon in the last 5 months up, down and so on edge its really shook me up. The latest of which is i dont really out the house anymore which i know is not good for me but when i attempt to go out for a walk or to my friends house my heart starts doing crazy things like skipping beats and really pounding through my chest i also have had ecg tests and nothing has shown up. In need of help and advise though!

[sunndyd]

hi:welcome:
Im suffering from anxiety at the moment palpitations, dizziness shaking pins in needles in fore head which is a new one on me lol , but im comforted by the knowledge that i have gotten over this in the past on 2 occasions and i will again and so will you, just keep positive and take it 1 step at a time x

[paul 34]

Thanks for the reply, i had no idea that so many people sufferd from this its uplifting is keeping me positive. I just find it crazy that your body can do mad things like this even when you think your fine. For me its the toughest time of my life so far when i look back at some of the things ive achieved i dont even feel like i could re done any of them at the moment, but i cant give up and i wont.

[pollyanna]

Hi :welcome:

couldnt agree with you more about the mad things our bodies do
to us and at times what it puts us through.:weep:
Like you i have a lot of physical symptoms and it can show itself at times and for reasons i dont always understand,.It takes a lot of mental energy to try and peice everything together, work your way through it, give yourself lots of positive self talk and a huge amount of dertermination, but you will get there.
I have had problems with anxiety and depresssion on and off for many years now, and over the last 14 months or so have been having a very stressfull time with one thing and another, and it's still going on , and anxiety has been roaring in my head a bit louder than usual ,it has been a bit of an uphill struggle, but i have came across this site fairly recently and it has been a great help, also i think the more you tackle your problem head on,( and believe me i know its not easy), the more amunition and power you have to use against it the better, and the stronger you will become in managing your anxieties. You are making a very positive start, well done you, and i wish you all the best in your journey of recovery.

hope to speak to you again soon and will hear of your progress.

best wishes

Pauline :flowers:

[kimmrector]

Hi. I have been a panic sufferer for the last 7 years. I thought I had it pretty well under control still every now and then having panic attacks but being able for the most part to calm myself. I am now going on week 2 where I am also going through the same thing of not wanting to leave the house because everytime I do my heart starts pounding and I feel like I just can't make it. It's hard for me to try and lift your spirits as I am in a bad frame of mind myself but NO ONE deserves to feel like this and I want you to know that it will get better! That there is help! And if you haven't already seen a doctor to starts meds you should. You will get better and see that life can feel normal and happy again without all the panic and feelings of not being normal. As will I! I wish you all the best and keep your head up. We have to keep the strength and courage and never let the panic win!

[paul 34]

Thanks yeah its tough facing it head on, i think im mostly scared that im losing my lift to this situation i used to be so care free this was a total shock. I was really depresed back in Nov/Dec i think this is a direct result of all that depression.
Im worried that me staying in the house all the time is going to be a perminant fixture in my life i never used to be in the house for more than a few hours was that busy with music and workshops

Im due to re start uni in sept and im dreading it big time just thought it of being sat in a big room full of students and everything else that goes with that.
The heart skipping/banging is the worst of my fears(and is wear it all started) i cant go for a normal 30min walk with out it doin crazy things i did have some medication but as the doctor said its only a short term soloution to the problem so i stopped taking them and felt great for a bit then it will started again.(ps sorry for the long posts im used to writing so my fingers do the talking sometimes)

[LV25]

Hi, I have just joined the forum today. I was reading your story and couldn't help but totally empathize with how you are feeling.

My panic began in January 2009. At first, i was putting it down to a stressful job and not enough sleep so just carried on with everyday life as normal and as if nothing was wrong and didnt even know i was having panic attacks.

The more i carried on with life as normal the worse i got. This ended up with me being signed off work for over 3 months. I wouldnt go out and completely cut myself off from my mates due to embarrasment.

Going back to work tho has played a major part in my recovery from panic attacks. You will be able to get your confidence back in time. These things can be so difficult in social situations. I always challenge myself. I had one of my first panic attack in my local HMV....when i first started going back out i wouldn't go anywhere the place but now ( even if i dont want or need to go in ) i force myself to go in...even if it is only for 30 seconds or 5 minutes. The feeling of going back into the situations that scare you the most and conquering them is such a satisfying feeling and helps rid you of that fear.

My fears were very similar to yours, i will not go ANYWHERE on my own. I am too scared to be left alone with my on thoughts. Even watching my favourite TV programmes are a chore for me as my mind wanders. I have started picking up loads of little techniques that I have found really useful. I wont list them all here but let me know if you want any suggestions. These small things i am finding help distract me away from the panic/anxiety.

I am still very much plagued by panic but i really have found that talking about it helps.

I really do hope that you start to get your confidene in social situations helps. Small steps really are the key.

Its nice to know that we are not alone in these times.

xxx

p.s my fingers talk a lot too!

[paul 34]

Ive had a really great day today, which didnt start out well as i mentioned my dad is seriously ill in hospital at the moment, and we got a call saying be prepared for the worst and he didnt have much time left. This really upset me and i thought i would react with the usual stressful thoughts/anxiety but i managed to control it which i feel was a achievement. :)

[jue67]

Hi.
HOpe things are okay and sorry to hear about your dad.

I got to the point where i did not want to go out of the house, then my hubby would take me out in the car and i wouldnt go round the shops, but i had to make myself.
please do get out, whatever you do, do not let that happen to you on top of all that you are feeling, the thing is and im with you on this, i still feel the heart and the fuzzy head and im gonna collpase when i go out, but we have no choice but to do this unless we stay home.

i was at uni(mature student) when i started with panic and anxiety, it was like every step i took was gonna be my last, that i was gonna die, but i kept going, and i graduated, it was hard and i still get panic now, but im working on it again and will recover.

maybe you are a bit like me, the big stuff, bad news family stuff does not bother me at the time but then i will have the reaction later, maybe weeks later, so now i have to deal with it at the time, do relaxation and stuff.

i joined the charity no panic, the details on this site, and i got a relaxation cd, where you tense all the muscle groups then relax and this had a fantastic result for me, so things like that maybe worth a try.

hugs to you

jools

[sandradee]

Hi Pau 34

you wrote..... 'I was really depressed back in Nov/Dec i think this is a direct result of all that depression.'

I think you just hit the nail on the head, you're sort of 'coming back to life out of the grey' and it's scarey. Everything is magnified, bad as well as good.
Give it time, all will level out. Just take it in easy stages, and try not to look too far ahead. Half an hour at a time if needs be....thinking ahead puts the sensors on red alert and encourages panic. Not easy but you can do it.

Best wishes.:)

[paul 34]

Hey thanks to all you for your advice its really helping and means a lot to know there is somewhere i can come and relax x