Therapy??

[CarlNottm]

Hi,

When I had my first panic attack almost two years ago I was in and out of the doctors all the time. I was given Propanalol back then but I haven't been for ages. I keep meaning to go every time I get a bout of anxiety symptoms but never end up going. Do you think I should go and try and get some counselling or just try and get rid of it myself by changing my lifestyle?

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Carl

[Lilith1980]

Hi Carl,

I think you would benefit from doing both - that's assuming your lifestyle can be improved!!

I'm trying to eat more healthily - proper meals instead of just a sandwich in the evenings, which is what I was doing a lot. I've cut down my drinking when I go out, I'm also doing regular exercise to keep my mood fairly constant.

I saw a counsellor for the first time last Saturday and although its early days, I think its the best move I made.

Counselling may help you to address some issues which you hadn't even thought of, or maybe you had thought of them and just not been able to talk openly about them or get feedback from someone who can help.

I think my overall aim is to take better care of myself and these are the ways I am trying to do that.

xx

[maddman]

Hi Carl

Yes I would go back and get yourself referred for CBT. There will a wait for CBT anyway. Mine was supposed to be a wait of 4 months which turned into almost double that (and only then when I repeatedly called the CBT service to hassle them), by which time I was considerably worse. Propanolol didn't work for me, but there again I was on a low dose.

I have been getting slowly better but can't really tell if it's purely down to the CBT. Feeling that you are being 'treated' has a beneficial effect even if it's only a placebo effect.

Your GP may prescribe an SSRI or refer you to a Psychiatrist (who will probably prescribe an SSRI). Medication does work for people and I have a friend who didn't have CBT but medication. Some people have a combination of both. I didn't want to go down the SSRI route as I had a very bad experience with coming off Seroxat a few years back. Also my CBT therapist seems to think that drugs are only an enabler in order to get you in a fit state to respond to CBT. The psychiatrist suggested I would only get better with SSRIs. So, yer pays yer money...

You don't mention what your lifestyle is so I don't know what you have in mind re changing it. I cut out tea, coffee (in fact all caffeine), alcohol and started 'taking it easy'. Cutting out tea/coffee etc seemed to make no difference. I still got panic attacks and anxiety symptoms. Besides which, I mega dosed on coffee for years and never suffered any il effects . When I first got panic attacks I had already cut down and was on a healthy diet. However, cutting down on tea,coffee and alcohol won't do you any harm.

Anxiety symptoms by themselves can make your life miserable. The headaches and dizziness followed by exhaustion that I got made it near impossible to get anything done as sometimes whole days were written off. You owe it to yourself to go back to the GP and get some more treatment.

Hope this helps. Best of luck

[CarlNottm]

Thanks people for the responses,

I think I will go back to my GP although im terrified of taking medication I am open to CBT. I kept putting it off thinking I wasn't bad enough to go but ive had some bad episodes I think its the right thing to do now. My lifestyle isnt too bad. I think it could be far improved though, I have an expensive gym membership but I cant motivate myself to go so I have cancelled this one. Im going to join a Tai Chi class instead and go jogging outside I think.

Thanks again

Carl