Newbie

[Pipbram]

Hi All,

Despite having suffered from panic attacks since I was 14 years old, I'm still not quite in control of them 17 years later! I've done CBT, hypnotherapy etc all of which have helped but nothing has ever 'cured' as some practioners promise.

I don't take any medication, for personal reasons I've never wanted to.

I thought I'd join this form and see if anyone has any advice on what else I can do and try.

Thanks

Pip x

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Pipbram and welcome to NMP

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way

[HalfJack]

Hello Pip
I seem to remember being told that CBT works for 50% of people, if that's true it's good odds but yeah no guarantees. I had a good time with it but found some parts of it to be beyond useless.
I've also found that trying a therapy once and it not working doesn't mean it won't work in the future or done in a slightly different way, all the same I hope you find something new here that puts your mind at ease!

[Shain321]

My therapist has been doing EMDR with me, and my doctor suggested Rhodiola (a Siberian herb that promotes a healthy response to stress). They both seem to be helping with my anxiety issues. I wish you the best of luck ��

[Mermaid16]

Hi! I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for the last 20 years. My psychiatrist has suggested concentrating on the task at hand when the panic starts. For example I have panic attacks while I'm driving, so instead of thinking what happens if I have a panic attack, which starts the panic attack and then thinking, I'm going to faint and crash my car and my response is to want to turn the car around and go back home (my safe place). I try to then change my thinking, concentrating on what is on the radio or what I am seeing when I'm driving, or what I will do when I get to the shop. The doctor called it loop thinking and you need to break that loop to stop the panic. It does take practice and I still get anxious before I drive but nothing ever happens. Also he suggested deep breathing for at least 15 minutes a day to get your body into a relaxed state. The brain then learns that relaxed state and you can put it into practice when you have an attack. Even focusing on your breathing, the air going in through your nose and out through your mouth can distract from the panic attack. Hope this helps a little. Tracy x