leeroy
04-02-11, 14:48
Hi All
just thought I would introduce myself. I'm Lee from Manchester
I have suffered with panic and anxiety since my early 20's (I'm now 27)
When I first had a panic attack I thought I was on my way out, I'd never been so scared. I was in the middle of a week in Austria with university and I was drifting off on the coach when I suddenly jerked up (like we all do when we drift off to sleep) but suddenly felt unreal, like I wasn't there, I felt empty, my breathing became fast and I felt hollow. My hands began to tingle..... you know the script. It ruined the rest of the trip and my life for the coming weeks and months. On my return I sought regular medical attention, trips to a&e even called out an ambulance because I thought I wasn't breathing.
I became agrophobic for nearly a month, I even when I did brave facing the world I would find myself leaving places I normally enjoyed and seaking the safety of my home. Football matches, playing pool with friends, even a Brithday meal for a mate were all situations which I wanted to escape because I thought I was going to keel over.
Eventually I got out more and more but still panic interupted my day to day life, I started drinking heavily in social situations as I found being p*ssed made me feel normal again, but that lead to more intense and prolongued bouts of anxiety and panic the day after
In the end I turned to CBT which really helped and I now get by a lot better... I still suffer with panic and anxiety and am even suffereing a relapse lately (hence me being here to seek some support)
But since the dark days of my early stages of panic I have achieved so much; 2 degrees at university, I hpld down a full time job which even entails some foreign travel and have happily endured many trips abroad both near and far, things I never thought I would do again... I hope this can bring soem hope to others who have been where I have and feel trapped
Anyway that's me, look forward to chatting with some of you soon
just thought I would introduce myself. I'm Lee from Manchester
I have suffered with panic and anxiety since my early 20's (I'm now 27)
When I first had a panic attack I thought I was on my way out, I'd never been so scared. I was in the middle of a week in Austria with university and I was drifting off on the coach when I suddenly jerked up (like we all do when we drift off to sleep) but suddenly felt unreal, like I wasn't there, I felt empty, my breathing became fast and I felt hollow. My hands began to tingle..... you know the script. It ruined the rest of the trip and my life for the coming weeks and months. On my return I sought regular medical attention, trips to a&e even called out an ambulance because I thought I wasn't breathing.
I became agrophobic for nearly a month, I even when I did brave facing the world I would find myself leaving places I normally enjoyed and seaking the safety of my home. Football matches, playing pool with friends, even a Brithday meal for a mate were all situations which I wanted to escape because I thought I was going to keel over.
Eventually I got out more and more but still panic interupted my day to day life, I started drinking heavily in social situations as I found being p*ssed made me feel normal again, but that lead to more intense and prolongued bouts of anxiety and panic the day after
In the end I turned to CBT which really helped and I now get by a lot better... I still suffer with panic and anxiety and am even suffereing a relapse lately (hence me being here to seek some support)
But since the dark days of my early stages of panic I have achieved so much; 2 degrees at university, I hpld down a full time job which even entails some foreign travel and have happily endured many trips abroad both near and far, things I never thought I would do again... I hope this can bring soem hope to others who have been where I have and feel trapped
Anyway that's me, look forward to chatting with some of you soon