Serious Issues

[millerlite]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this forum, and I was hopeing maybe some of you could give me advice on a certain issue.

I just got done haveing a very intense 24 hour panic attack. I have had them in the past but never this long and powerful.

It started when I stayed up all night drinking coffe and working on a few things I was behind on..When suddenly I heard a commercial come on in the back round for heart attack warning signs..As I listened I got extremly freaked out that all the signs were feelings I had been haveing over the past few days: light headed or dizzy, inpending feeling of doom, increased heart rate, sweating, chest pains...I even had some shooting pains at one point.

As I thought about it suddenly I went into a panic attack and felt like I was haveing a heart attack right then and there..Hopeing and sort of thinking it was in my head and maybe I just had too much coffe, I jumped in the shower and tried to change my thoughts...But then the attack started getting more physical then mental as my left arm went numb and I started feeling like I was going to faint...I was just waiting to have a heart attack at any time I started getting tingly in my jaw and shoulders. Then came the chest pains and more and more heart attack signs popped up as hours of panic went by.

I wanted to go to the hospital but what stopped me was the fact that I had went to the hospital last year for chest pains thinking it was a heart attack and it just turned out to be panic attack..This seemed much more intense then the episode last year though.....Anyways this terror went on for hours until I calmed myself down enough to get some needed sleep....When I awoke the attack went on and on until (a few hours ago) I read some more about panic attacks and reasured myself that this is the problem.

I can't even begin to describe the fear...I'm still shook up and my head feels funny, I still got a numb arm but other then that I'm okay. This attack might continue but I'm hopieng it is over.

I have not had serious problems with panic attacks (besides the trip to the e.r. last year) In a very long time and I used to take kolonopins but took myself off because of the side effects..

It is obvious I need to do something about my panic problems returning but I really don't want to take medication....

Does anyone know what self help programs really work or any natural approaches to help me deal with this?

What should I do?


Thank you,
Dannie

[Lynnann]

Hi Dannie,

What a scary time for you, I amsure it was the caffiene that started things rolling this time, not that helps much at the moment. Havea look through the first steps links I am sure you will find them helpful.

Lynnann

[millerlite]

Hi and thank you lynn.

I went back to work today and I have to say it wasn't as pleasant as I hoped it would be.

I had a few panic attacks through out the day....I really feel I'm completely loseing control of my mind. I was feeling so lucid and in control then suddenly I felt tingly and faint and just felt like I was going down...I still worry about a heart attack(even though I'm only 22) but now I'm kind of worried about maybe fainting or a stroke or something.

To be honest, and this is kind of deppressing but I don't care at all about any mental abuses I get from my anxietys and social phobias....I have lived with those most of my life and have revolved my life around adjusting to them.......But these physical attacks, I just can't handle them....They are strikeing unprovoked and they completlely take over my mind...It is scarey..

I mean I'm so in control and then bam a attack hits and I freak out...At least at work they only lasted a minute or two, if I ever have another 24 hour one again, once I recover I will probably just kill myself because I just can't live in constant fear like that....

I actually caught myself smokeing more ciggerettes dureing that attack so that if I was going to have one it would just hurry up and kill me.....

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to beg for attention or anything like that. In fact I hate it when people do that. I'm just being honest with people that are experianced in dealing with this.

Actually I never would have calmed down enough to do more research on this topic if I hadn't gone and got some beer.......My mission was simple.......If I'm haveing a real heart attack and I drink these beers I'm going to have it head on, if I'm just haveing a panic attack it will go away long enough for me to get my head straight and figure out what the hell is happening.

Lucky for me it was a panic attack and for the first time in over 30 miserable long hours I got my mind back. I relaxed enough to do research and get a better understanding of my illness and find this site.

I know it isn't a good idea at all to use alchohol to medicate any anxietys but in this case it deffinitly helped me.

[Lynnann]

Hi Dannie,

I know the physical side of things has scared you and it takes a while to adjust to new symptoms. I know that sometimes it seems that drinking is the answer, but the reality is that it makes things worse. There is lots that you can do to help yourself. Good diet, exercise and plenty of rest help and going to see your doctor would not be a bad idea

Take care of yourself

Lynnann

Remember tomorrow is a bright new day

[sal]

Hi Dannie

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you had such a harsh panic attack, but i am pleased to see you feel a bit better now. You will get loads of support and there is so much information on here about panic attacks that will help you understand.

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".

[millerlite]

Well thank you guys,

As the days go by I feel better. I don't know what today will bring but I will report it when it is over. I really don't drink that much anymore but I will never regrete the last time I drank...because it probably saved me about $500 dollars.

I don't have a Doctor at the moment because I have moved around and haven't had any health problems(besides the occassional panic and anxiety attack) in a long time. I learned to deal with the anxietys on my own and was truely getting better until recently so I will be looking up a Doctor very soon...I really don't want to go on medication because to me it just seems like it cures you until you stop takeing it and like alchohol you have to constanly take it and in most cases higher doses. But if it is my only option then so be it.

[millerlite]

Well today went alright....Things are still not the same since these panic attacks got physical.

Once I punched in and walked to my working area I felt faint like I was going to pass out and everything was kind of cloudy....I felt shaky and kind of panicy, couldn't look anyone in the face and felt pretty dizzy.

But after I settled in and talked with my friends I felt better. Didn't have any problems for the rest of the day.

Havn't yet decided when I'm going to the Doctor because I still need to find one in this area. Won't have any money for a couple days either so that might be a problem but I'll see how things work out.

I'm really not likeing these weak dizzy spells.......I want to have control over my body back.....You guys sure none of these self help panic attack programs are worth looking in to?[?]

[gettingover]

Yes, there are many excellent anxiety programs available online. It's disturbing the way some anxiety sufferers say that such programs are scams, while they enrich the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies. Or they'll see a psychologist for years at $100/session when the anxiety programs only cost $50. If you see something that appeals to you, give it a try. Check out anxietyaway.com.. Or do a google search. And remember, any kind of informational product that you purchase online is fully refundable if you're not satisfied. If you have any trouble getting a refund, call you credit card company and report fraud. Since there's no signature and no shipping for information products, a chargeback is pretty much guaranteed.