How did panic first rear its ugly head for you???

[Panic1971]

I have been trying to deal with panic attacks for over 5 and a half years now. They started after my 2nd daughter was born. I was very anxious after she was born, something that I was never before. I went to my doctor about it and he told me it was post-natal depression. He prescribed anti-depressants and only after just over a week of taking them I ended up at A & E with my first panic attack. It was horrendous. I seriously thought I was dying. The doctors at the hospital told me that they are a side effect of the anti-depressants and advised me to stop taking them. Anyway, since that first panic attack I just live in constant fear of another one. I have been tensed up now ever since. I have at least a dozen panic attacks per day, and feel my life will never be normal. I get angry over silly little things and just wish I could have an anxious free day!!!

I was wondering how yours first started and how long you have been having them? Do you have lots of attacks per day???

Thanks for reading.

[Wenjoy]

Mine started 25 years ago on a hot busy pakced bus and I had to get off -I then dreaded them and avoided places - that was over 25 years ago - I then had a gap with no panic until a year or so ago - dont know what brought it back but its the fear of having one that makes it worse so I try to just let it wash over me and not run away - very very difficult!!!
Love wenjoy x

[yorkylover]

Hi there my panic attacks started over 10 years ago,and it all started when I started antidepressants.I was taken to hospital as I thought I was dying.Iv had them on and off since.I go through patches where I dont get them for ages,and then when something triggers one off I get like you and have lots of them in a day.
You are not alone here pet.Im always anxious,coming on this forum as helped so much.Knowing your not alone,being able to get advise,making new friends.It has been a great compfort to me,and Im sure it will be to you to.
You may need to try a different medication.Im still on antidepressants.Side affects usually go after a couple of weeks if you get any.
Take care

Ellen XX

[Insomniac]

Hi there.

Mine started about three years ago. I was on a coach trip with the school I worked for. I felt dizzy and sick, and really wanted to get off the bus, bit knew I couldn't really.

After that I thought coaches and travel were the issue. I used to worry so much about it I made myself more anxious and avoided coach travel for ages. Then that summer I was very ill travelling to Cornwall and had an awful time keep wanting to run away and leave places. It was only after a week of that I realised it wasn't really travel sickness but anxiety. I went to visit a lovely little town and couldn't get more than 200 yds from the car!

I took St Johns' Wort on and off for a while, which really helped. But this year has been worse. I started anti-depressants in June. Had my worst PA yet in August. I have been ok so far since with just manageable anxiety (which is not good but much preferred to full on PA).

I do get more angry, though my husband says I'm les volatile since being on the tablets. I do feel worse about the time of PMS, but I'm trying to cut out sugar and chocolate and work on a GI diet. I feel better so far, though I'm now coming to PMS time again. Anxiety level is slightly up... So fingers crossed!

Lisa.

[Lindalou64]

i would have to say i had a bad anxiety attck having my son cause i had a spinal and couldnt feel anything but i had 2 before that spinals,,,,then a month later hit me full force..........18 yrs now ........like wenjoy said its the fear of having one again and we start to avoid these places ect........but we have to push ourselves and tell ourselves ok ive had this feeling before i will not die from it and it will subside.............i was doing great for yrs till this yr i had a set back.........but mine is all stress stress stress...............and stress can do so much to our bodys and mind..hang in there it does get better.....its just scarey and lonley i know ......best to ya..............Linda [8D]

[Tracy75]

Mine started about 5 years ago when I split up with a particularly nasty ex boyfriend i've found it hard to get close to anyone since as they dont seem to understand what I am going through when I have an attack. I suffered with them on and off for about 3 years and then seemed to stop for about a year or so I found I could do just about anything I wanted, go shopping etc then for some reason i've started getting them back again over the past 8 months and i've no idea what the trigger has been now I feel like i'm getting them worse than ever! I just have to keep believing that things will get better and that I will finally beat this one day but at the minute they are just getting me down!

[clickaway]

I had my first panic attack about 10 or 12 years ago, and it was fairly minor. I went to the docs about 5pm, he gave me a quietener and I was out having a good time that evening!

It really came out of the blue, although I was then very unhappy with my living arrangements. My panics would only occur in the winter but would get worse over the years, and then they started to occur in the summer too when stress levels heightened.

One night in Decemeber 2003, I experienced a churning of stomach muscles and that was the start of my GAD. I had been quite stressed for a few months - I could never get to work on time and when at work and had to run and hide in the loo when something upsetting was said (this was during the build up to the Iraq War). Also, I had broken up with my ladyfriend and had only just got to terms with it.

Now I have GAD, I don't have specific attacks - my anxiety state is just worse on some days than others and it is often difficult for me to undertake simple tasks etc.



Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[surreylady]

hi there.

my panic started after i had my second child who is now almost ten years old. i thought i was dying and ended up in A and E, had all the tests and it was put down to postnatal depression. i was put on dothiepin and managed after a few months to recover, having the odd panic attack over the years but nothing serious.
then about a month ago they came back out of the blue and ive only had a few but live in constant fear of them, though this is getting better after i was put on cipralex and im reading self help books. i know ive beaten this before so i can do it again, the thing is to try to be positive, which is hard when you feel so lousy!!!
i hope things improve for us all

mandy xxxx

positive attitude brings positive results

[AlisonP]

My first panic attacks started nearly 20 years ago when I moved to London. I think this was due to the stress of a new job, just started living with my boyfriend and London being so different from what I was used to (quiet country town). This eventually progressed into full blown agoraphobia and I was put on tranquillisers - but still managed to fight my way to work every morning.

People do not understand when you have a condition like this and it can be very difficult and embarrassing trying to explain it. It took me the best part of 5 years to recover and I still got panicky occasionally.

I have now moved back to my home town (after begin in London for 17 years) and had been here 3 years when (after a few particularly stressful months - house move, job stress, finances) I started to get panic attacks again. I was furious ! - how dare this happen to me again! I have been to my GP who has now put me on Citalopram. I am now at the end of week 2 and have had quite bad side effects - will it get any better? - my GP says it may take 3 - 4 weeks.

Anyway just taking one day at a time - and here's hoping to feeling better!

[squirrel]

mine started 25 years ago , It was certain situations at first ,then I started to avoid thing like buses trains, crowded places.I was put on Seroxat 9 years ago and that helped in the beginning but stopped working so the doc increased the dose. I then did some research on the internet about antidepressants and did not like what I read so I stopped taking them 18 months ago.I had a dreadful year last year after stopping the tablets and only just starting to feel better.I have lost all confidence and have bad balance problems and would swop this for my original anxiety anytime.