Hi this is scary

[StoneMonkey]

Hi all, my name is Simon and I am 45.
I have never been diagnosed but have Agrophobia, Gad or Panic Disorder.
I have been like it for 23 years and have never been in contact with a fellow suffer.
It was the huge secret disability that i learnt to hide.
I am not on any medication and have not bothered the medical proffession wth it for well over a decade.
The thing that i find helps the most is exercise.
It burns off adrenalin and helps sleep.
Running was quite good to get me out of the front door.
Instead of walking and fighting to hold it all together i would just leg it around the block.
Weight training is very good as it gives a routine and you have to focus.
Enough for now. I finally showed myself.

[nomorepanic]

Hi siram

A huge warm welcome to nmp.

You'll get loads of advice and support here and make some lovely friends along the way.

Best wishes

[linworth]

Hi siram

i am new to here, see my post, i have suffered on and off for 10 years, maybe a bit longer with panic attacks, but wasnt aware of them and they werent that bad, my mum says I have always been highly strung lol. I think you have managed very well, and i will take your advise about exercise, i am a member of the gym, used to go twice a week, but since my panic attack ( not had one for 5 years!) i have not been for over two weeks, seems like a massive big deal, which depresses me as i do enjoy it, hope fully i will be able to message you to say i have been ! do you go to a gym? do you suffer daily or just on certain occasions and manage to work through it? lynne

[Veronica H]

:welcome:to NMP Simon. Exercise is very important for using up the adrenaline. There is a brilliant book by Dr Claire Weekes;SELF HELP FOR YOUR NERVES published by Thorsens ISBN 0-7225-3155-9.This is available from the NMP shop. Dr Weekes was a physician and scientist. She was a fellow sufferer (nominated for the nobel prize for medicine) and really understood this illness. She took the mystery out of it, and devised a simple programme for recovery. I can't recommend this enough.( It is a bit old fashioned, but still so relevant).
Here is a link to her site;

http://www.drclaireweekes.co.uk/

Have you tried Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Mindfulness? Both also good for us overthinkers. Another book which has really helped me is;

Matthieu Ricard ' Happiness...a guide to developing life's most important skill ' published by Atlantic ISBN 978-1-84354-558-3.He is a French Buddhist monk and a very accomplished man....here is a link to one of his talks.....

http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ri...happiness.html (http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html)

This will get better. Veronicax

[Vanilla Sky]

Hi and welcome to NMP :welcome: paige x

[andrea thompson]

hi hon

you will get loads of good help and advice on here and sounds like you can give us loads too....

andrea x x

[StoneMonkey]

Thank you all for your response and support.I cant believe i have actually made contact with people that have a clue what im talking about. Thats a first for me.I would like to elaborate. Can an experienced soul tell me if i just continue here?I am after all a newbie.

[StoneMonkey]

Thanks linworth.
On a tuesday we have "old Boy" gym night at a friends house..
Its a good old bloke moan mixed with resistance training
I am unable to face a public gym and not just because of the cost.
I train a couple of times a week at home.
I discovered years ago that after having climbed a lake district fell that i felt a lot more chilled for a couple of days afterwards.
I also discovered that i felt safer on a mountain than in a supermarket.
Everyone looks a bit nervous climbing a mountain so i fitted right in.
Unfortunatley that makes you stand out down the shops.
I hope you can face the gym. someone will be able to explain that the endorphines created lift your mood but you must train hard! no mirrors!
I have better days than others it does vary.
How do i find you post? its all new.

[StoneMonkey]

Thanks Veronica for the links and ideas.
My first panic attack happened in 1987. The medical help i recieved was 6 meetings with a counsellor whose treatment was to leave me to sweat it out in the waiting room for half of the appointment.
That was over 20 years ago.
Books have been a great comfort. I wore out my copy of Self Help For Your Nerves.
It just got to the point with doctors that there is only so any times you can try to explain it, so i will have missed out on any improvements. I ended up outside of the system. I havent worked for 11 years yet i am not off sick. I dont get any benefits am an still living off of my savings.
Two years ago i developed skin cancer. I was staggered by the quality of treatment. Two week rules, this is where you go this is what you do. Why isnt there an equal reaction to people whos lives are ruined by anxiety and depression. Fortunately for me the local surgeon got the cancer in one go as i was more scared of going to the hospital than what having skin cancer meant. One more appointment in September and I will be clear.

[StoneMonkey]

Thanks Andrea.
Dont be worried by an oldy.
Many peoples recoveries are swift and full.
Life is sometimes hard but it is still a life

[annmarie]

hi my names annmarie and ive been getting panic attacks for 5 months now and they come on very bad they last for hours not minutes i tryed medication but makes me feel out of it so not taking anythink

[StoneMonkey]

Hi AnneMarie.You hang in there. There must be a place for medication .You could post or search what you were given asking others if the side effects improved.When you are already feeling strange sensations side affects ontop are awfull. I made the decision to stay off.One thing that i have noticed is that too much tea & Coffee make things worse. Smoking to calm the nerves makes you feel spaced out which can put you into panic.Sometimes little things can up to an improvement i find drinking milk quite calmin

[linworth]

Hi siram,

hope you are ok, just to let u know, I went to the gym today !!!
take care lynne

[StoneMonkey]

Good 4 you lynne.That is a good step or 2000 steps however many you did.Back in control !!!!An early morning run did me great yesterday. Cobwebs cleared.Simon.

[linworth]

Hi Simon

so true, think that was why i was feeling so desperate, felt total out of control with my emtions and life, and def feel like i have clawed some back !! only thing is now i am sat here waiting for the bad feelings to come back, i have to let it go.
glad u had a good run !
lynne

[StoneMonkey]

Hi Lynne,You did better than me today. I went to get some new tyres.It was too busy for me so i drove on.I wont allow myself to dwell on it though they will still be there tomorrow.I walked up the road and did some banking without any problems and sat out in the garden for the afternoon.I think what i have learned is to not expect too much of myself.Dont let the quiet time rob you of your victory at the gym!