thank you and goodbye

[crazychick]

this site has been amazing to me over the past 2 weeks i have been e member and most of you are great. however i can not go on. these attacks have taking over my life too much that i just feel i am too much of a burden on everyone around me. i joined here to get support and thought i had found the extra support i needed but unfortunately not all of you are as kind and thoughtful as some of you are. today has made me see that and made me see that i can't go on like this. however i want it known it is possible to pass out during an attack - i have done so on numerous occassions it is rare though but it does happen but i know peopleon this site do not believe me - they have said so so all the extra support i needed has gone but this has got too much. you are all fab and good luck in overcoming your panic attacks.

[tnt808]

Crazychick,

I am so sorry some people have not been kind to you. The reason we come on here is to educate ourselves and get help, and to finally feel we're not alone.
I try not to judge people on here and try my best to post my replies as diplomatically as possible. I just wish that you wouldn't stop coming here you have said how much it has helped you so, please stick with us..there are really kind and helpful people still around!
I hope you reconsider but if not, please continue on your journey to getting yourself better. As for the passing out thing goes..I believe you..if you say it has happened I have no reason to doubt you.

Take Care of You,
Tina

[sassy]

hi crazy, hope you dont leave. sadly, many people misunderstand others experiences and can tend to judge a little. i dont think they mean to, but sometimes our own suffering can make us a little selfish.
as for passing out during an attack? yes, it is possible. im suprised anyone would want to argue this fact. anyhow..im a sucker for making a point so i looked it up on the internet. here is what i found;

"One of the most common and least worrisome reasons for fainting is anxiety or other emotional upset. At first the heart rate may speed up, but then a sequence of physical events may follow that cause the blood pressure to fall. There may be less blood flow to the brain and you may faint."
http://www.onyebeke.com/fainting.htm

i often feel faint whilst having an attack..today i came close. i have learnt some tricks to prevent it happening..you might find them usefull.
i ALWAYS take a bottle of water with me..A) it can prevent fainting B) it gives me something to do whilst feeling panicky.
next..when feeling faint, pretend to bend down and pick something up (lame but gets the blood flow to the brain).
finally, avoid standing still. i either rock like a lunatic or pace lol..who cares if bystanders think i need sectioning ;)
dont leave..we'll miss you :(

[nomorepanic]

Crazychick

Don't leave because of one person who said it wasn't possible to faint - I think it only was one person.

I found this for you ...

Fainting may result from very rapid breathing (overbreathing, or hyperventilation), which may be due to anxiety. This type of fainting is called hyperventilation syncope. Overbreathing removes large amounts of carbon dioxide from the body. The decreased level of carbon dioxide causes blood vessels in the brain to constrict, and the person may feel faint or actually faint.

Of course we believe you but most people never actually faint so can't understand.

It would be silly to leave if you get good support here so please reconsider.



Nicola

[sassy]

its me again..sorry, but once im 'off on one' you cant shut me up ;)
a great deal of people who suffer with panic/anxiety/ocd also suffer with low self esteem (myself included). DONT let anyone put you down. everyones suffering is unique, there is no two panic attacks the same.
ok i will slip quietly away now [:I]

[devon_guy]

Crazychick I think you are being silly if you go, we all are here to help one another, I never accused you of lying about fainting, just said it was virtually unheard of, you have obviously misinterpreted what I was trying to say and I apologise if that was the case.

[Keitharcher]

crazy

I am sorry if someone on this site has been a little thougtless, however, the majority of us will try to cheer you up and help in any way we can. You will have notices that the majority of the people on this site will listen and not judge you or put you down. Support is always forthcoming from the members of this site. As an example when i first joined this site i was diagnised with depression and anxiety and with sucidal tendacies. In point of fact i was referred to the crisis centre at the local hospital who had me has a day patient, every day for three weeks. During thet reprise i found this site and was able to talk trough my worries and problems with the people here. Now I consider myself cured, but still come into this site in the hope that i can repay some of the help i had by helping others. We know what you are going trough we will listen and try to help you, I do hope you come back and join in, I gaurentee no one will judge you, in fact they will be glad to see you. I hope you continue to make a rcovery no matter what your decison regarding NMP is

Keith

[jackie]

i really hope you dont leave as it is our attention to help not to make worse

i know you are right it is soooo possible to faint and everyones experience is different

i hope that you can see that we all want to help and do not leave

jackie

[a-little-room-to-breathe]

sweetheart, please dont leave over what some thoughtless, stupid, insensitive person said to you. there are so many people here who want to support you and help you through this, so please dont leave over one stupid idiot. if you look you will find that there is as much support here as ever, so please dont leave. we are all here for you.

and, if you do decided to leave, remember that if you're ever in trouble, we are still here for you.

all my love goes with you,
katie xxx

"If I can wipe from any human cheek, a tear,
Convince one man that hope and heaven are near,
Create more joy, more hope, less pain,
And though not one shall know my name nor drop a flower on my grave,
I shall not have lived in vain while here."

[susan]

Hi, crazy chick, -Just joined today and am browsing thro post. Hope you havent logged off for good! Yes, It IS possible to pass out from an attack!! people make me sooo angry when they say illconcieved and uneducated things like "lots of people panic do you see bodies lying on the floor?- direct quote from that awful large blonde woman on breakfast TV. Yes Ive passed out darling, and Ive had fits, and Ive been taken to hospital with suspected heart attack while lying on the floor. I dont deserve this illness-neither do you! If you do read this, rejoice for all the beautiful colours of your soul and know you are loved. unpleasant people have their own paths to follow- those paths are nothing to do with yours. x

[crazychick]

thank you for all your kind cooments. i did not plan to leave a message but everyone is being so kind that i do want to stay using th site. you give me the extra support i need.
susan , can i ask whats happned when you've passed out? i just want to know i'm not the only one as heartless as that may sound. what kind of fits have you taking with them?
i have warned my employer that i can pass out and if so it is not a major emerency and they think i'm wrong to say that but i hate visitng the hospital with this.

[andrew]

hi crazychick,

pleased to see that you've decided to stay... tc andrew

[Ammeg]

hey crazy chick!!
well i too have passed out when i panic, so dont you leave because of that!!! I have passed out about 6 times in 3yrs and on one occasion i ended up in hospital!!! this site is for support- we are bound to disagree but you have to see through that hun!! who said you cant faint?
Hope your still here- though i must say me heart went in me throat wen i started readin ur thread as i thought it was a sucide note- please dont do that again!!![8)]
Hope your ok
Ammegxxxxx

[suzy1984]

Hi Crazychick
Glad you decided to stay, there are a lot more lovely supportive people on here than nasty ones. Just wanted to say I have also fainted during a panic attack although I didn't realise what it was at the time. I started to feel sick and dizzy and went to get some air but by then i had already started to panic, lost control of my breathing and passed out, my friends even called an ambulance as they didn't know what was wrong but 15 minutes later i was feeling better and on my way home. Don't understand why anyone would think its not possible to faint during an attack.
Take care
Suzy xx:)

[crazychick]

thanks again for you comments.
ammeg - i am so sorry for making you think that, i was in a bit of a state when i wrote the message as i felt i never had the support i needed to get through this anymore - i know fainting is rare and i think that makes it a much harder symptom to live with and i just took it that i couldn't be leaving messages asking for advice if people didn't believe me.
Suzy - thank for you message - i can understand why your friends would of caled an ambulance - it would scare them - i scare a lot of people during attacks although i try not too. last time i took one at work one of my collegues thought i was dieing! that actually scared me more though as i don't like worrying peopele and when i see them panicking i panic even more!

[crazychick]

those of you have left messages saying you have also fainted during attacks can i ask how you have dealt with it especially in public places, how have the hospital or ambulance service been with you if they were called? i always feel guily no matter how bad i feel although i'm told not too. sorry to be asking so many questions - i've never spoke to anyone else with the fainting symptom before and i just feel it helps me by knowing i'm not the ony one.

[sal]

Hun just caught up on this post.

You are not alone and done let one comment upset you, i konw how easy it is but hold read the good ones. You are not alone and we are all here to help you babe.



Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[crazychick]

my attacks are not good at the moemnt - i've been clear for a week but they have got so frequent that i feel like they are getting worse - i feel my medication works but it masks what i would call the signs an attack is iminent and suddenly i'l be hyperventilating, panicing, shaking, keeling over and it is like i have no control i feel people are watching me wondering when i'm next going to go and i don't like it. for me a week without an attack is amazing but i worry that others don't see that and i just never know what to do.

[kimmy]

crazy chick, Im sorry you have left because of somebody elses opinion. I have fainted when having a panic!!!!!

Your experiences are yes negative to you but positive to somebody else. You ca share you experience and tell that next person, you can faint.

Dont leave xx

[crazychick]

hey peeps!
its not been a good week which is why i've not been on. i took an awful attack at the start of the week, i sat down in an office at work and woke up on the floor. its scared the hell out of me, i really thought i was getting better but it doesn't seem it. i've not had another attack since monday though so four full days which is good to me but to others its nothing. i'm just so down with this at the momen5.

[Ammeg]

hey chick
hope your feeling better today!! i am one of those who has fainted durin a panic- the ambulance has been called only once as i am always out with my bf!! the first time a paniced an ambulance was called as i hit me head on the way down!! the second time me man took me into hospital and they were fine with me- we have an illness at the end of the day with loads of symptoms!!!
its fab u havent paniced in 4 days- try not to be down! i know others dont understand but we all do!!!
hope ur doin ok
Ammegxx

[steffi]

Hello

I too am a fainter.
It is rare but I have learnt to spot the symptoms or triggers.
But it does not make it any less embarassing when it happens.

The first time it happened was evidently a medical reason...
I had felt slightly odd but in no way ill.
Anyway....I found myself on the floor surrounded by ambulance medics and a doctor.
It seems i had been running an internal fever that was not obvious as I said I had no obvious symptoms of illness.

It was explained to me that due to the hight internal temperature my body had attained in the attempt to fight the infection...for want of a better term...my brain had simply shut down to prevent any form of damage, whilst my body fought the infection.
This has happened several times since...In fact I recently suffered a serious bout of influenza and fainted twice...resulting in a few bruises.

But those are medical reasons.....

I also have a fear of doctors and medical procedures..probably bought about by incidents that happened in my childhood.
So whenever in any medical situation I also run the risk of passing out, even though I know no harm is going to come to me.
And always make sure that the doctor or nurse is aware that I might faint.

A rather embarassing situation occured a few years ago where I had to attend a Health and Safety talk regarding lifting boxes etc.
They got out a mock skeleton to explain how the discs in your back work....
That was it.....Temperature started to go up....Felt sick...Asked to leave the room for some fresh air...Got just outside...and next thing I knew I was on the floor surrounded by people asking if I was alright.
I felt very silly indeed.

The mind is a strange thing...and all we can do is try and look for the signals and triggers that cause these situations. and do our best to avoid them if we can.
I soooooooo wish it was that easy.

Welcome to this particular little section of our own personal Twilight Zone

Take care chick

[crazychick]

thanks Ammeg and Steffi! good to know i'm not alone. i think it makes the panic worse when you know you do faint as you panic even more about fainting then wham you don't calm down and you do faint.
i'm trying to find a better way to deal with my attacks at work as i find it a difficult situation to deal with them in - at home i am much calmer or relaxed during an attack but if i'm in a shop or work then it is really scary!!! its simple things like when do i decide i better go for a break so this doesn't get worse? do i et the duty first aider know so he/she can sit with me? or is there any point as until i faint i am in control? should i tell them that unless i injure myself an ambulance should not be called. its just so next time i take one i am calmer and deal with it better. i am always trying to improve dealing with them though and as soon as i have an attack the opposite happens!!

[dawnym]

Hi ,I almost left once over something someone had said,but like you I read all the nice peoples comments and decided to stay.In my opinion if someone does not understand or know about something it is kinder not to reply.
I have suffered withfainting for a long time no one ever knew what caused it but as the years passed and other panic symptoms appeared it all became clear.
The only advice I can give is to get as low to the floor as you can I often sit on the floor if I feel faint but obviously sometimes this is not appropriate,these are the times when Ive hit the floor or anything in the way as I go down.
I hit a chair in the bus station once and split my eye and ended up in casualty they just put it down to the heat and the crowd.
I very rarely go out now so I don't have the embarrasement.
I hope the kind people keep you coming back,Ive met one lady who I could not imagine my life without now she understands me so well.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[crazychick]

thanks for that. how long does it take youto recover after fainting? i often recover really quickly from it - more so than if i sit hyperventilaing for ages. thi weeks attacks have been really short nd i have dealt with them better but it normally means something bigger is ust round the corner so i drea the next attack and the next faint will be bad.

[dawnym]

Hi again I do come round very quickly usually feeling very emotional.
I remember once a man coming running over saying Im a denist is she okay he kept trying to get me to sit up I pleaded with him not to but he and another passer by sat me up on a wall within second I was back on the floor,you need to handle the recovery how you feel best,it will become a second nature to you.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[crazychick]

i think i'm just worrying more as i am having a set back in my recovery at the moment. i'm just worried if i have another one at work i'l be letting everyone down again. its really difficult. i like to sit up asap after an attack so i have as little attention on me as possible and most times after a short time i can finsih my shift at work or if i am at home i will sleep it off. its just difficult to deal with at times and i do have to ask why me.

[crazychick]

i feel so horrific i am sure i am getting worse and i don't know what to do. i don't even think i can face going to work incase anything happens. i havw moved departments and its brilliant a lot better and easier to deal with this but if i go in and have a bad attack then i'l be letting a new team of people down. i just can't deal with this aymore. i am so scared of having attacks even though i have had so many. i'm scared what others think of me and that they don't understand and think i'm crazy and sometims i think maybe i am and i just don't know what to do

[crazychick]

i'm in an awful state, i don't know when i can go back to work. i'm scared to leave my flat incase i take an attack. its like something has taking over from me. i don't know what to do i just feel like i am a complete wreck and there is no need for me to feel like this. i just can't cope and no as soon as i go out i am going to panic. i do go like this every few months but it doesn't make it easier. i can't do this.

[crazychick]

the past 24 hours have been awful its just panic after panic after panic. i feel so weak and useless and just have no idea what to do. does anyone else get like this every so often? i know its prob just a blip in my recovery but they r never ending

[joolsukuk]

hi there hun
i did suffer with attack after attack..but that was long ago now it is a blip and will pass...i read you have been fainting if you feel light headed you should sit down i have bent down in middle of tescos plenty of times cos i felt light headed most people are great and ask if your ok thinking of you hunxx

jools xx

[Trev]

The problem with the attacks is that once you've had one the fear of the next one keeps the fear alive. It's such a difficult circle to break in some ways, especially when you are very sensitised after a string of attacks.

I know it sounds simple, but you need to try and remove the fear of the next attack. Relaxation, exercise, and doing something that takes all of your attention are the keys really. As I say, simple, but not easy!

It doesn't change overnight and so you have to accept that you may have more attacks. Once you can really do this then the fear of them drops ever so slightly. As the fear of them drops, so they become less harsh. It's the fear that feeds them in the first place.
Gradually they will diminish. Hiwever you must measure this change over weeks and months, not days or hours. When you can accept it may take a long time again the fear is lost and so you make even more progress.

Good luck and all the best.

Cheers,
Trev :D

[crazychick]

hey, thanks for your messages. i think i'm just letting this afffect me more tan i should - i was improving so much which was great but i think because they are getting out of control again it is more difficult but the panic about if they will happen probably means they will happen an will be worse. i have dealt with htem so many times but i am still so scared each time they happen and i don't understand how. i've been taking bad ones everyday at the moment though i even passed out on the stair case and broke my hand - i have to be grateful it wasn't any more serious but i can't go on with these attacks if i thought i could change within a few weeks it would be fine but if that doesn't happen i don't know what i'l do

[Trev]

Don't think that you are letting them affect you too much. It's very understandable to be so affected by them. We are all aware of how bad they are. They are very scary. That is their trick.

It's great that you were improving. This means you can overcome them. Sometimes though we are at our most vulnerable when we make good improvement.
We can see the finish line ahead of us and dream that we will be free of it all. We can then become so concerned that we will lose it all and drop back that it generates fear. Fear of going "back there" into the darker place.

I found the trick is to tell yourself that you don't care. You don't care if it comes back because you know you have come this far and you can do it again.
To do this you have to get "it" out of the focus of your mind. Try and fing something that you can get fully involved in and that takes all of your attention.

Don't look at the time. I know how desperately you want it all to stop and go back to normal.
You can make changes in weeks. Just don't get too focused on how long it's been. Forget about the calendar and just try and do the things you normally do.
Do them at a steady pace and try to become as involved in outside stuff as possible. The more you can do this, the more it stops you looking in on yourself and the panic.

Don't despair. You can work through it and come out the other side. :D

There is no reason that you cannot make a full recovery. Go easy on yourself.

Cheers,
Trev :D

[crazychick]

thanks trev - it often makes more sense when someone else explains it to you. fingers crossed i on that and actually get better again even if it takes longer than i would like it to be - its just really difficult to see sense and the end of ths someontimes and i just want my life back.

[ruthb1]

crazychick, i am sorry you feel the way you do at the moment. we have all been and are going through simialr things to what you are, i have found this site of great help to me, just for a good chin wag and laugh and also when you are feeling low to talk about things, i am glad you have decided to stay with us and i will be looking out for you to have a good natter with next time you are on. take care hun ruth x x

[crazychick]

i've had a better few days thepast few days with no problems since monday so its nearly been a week. i am still dreading the next attack though i don't know when it will be how i will deal with it or how bad it will be and that really scares me - the unpredictable thing is the hardest thing