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[susan c]

Hey all,

I just did a google search on what happens "before" a panic attack. I know the answers to this but was looking for some reference material I could print off for my files. I'm not sure why but it amazed me that every site states what happens during a panic attack but not what leads to it, the actual neurobiology of it. How is anyone meant to catch and learn to control panic attacks when there is no information online to do something about it. The information I have found is telling you to do something when it's too late. I'm not sure if anyone is interested but I found it very interesting.

Susan

[jill]

Hi Sue

It is good to learn MORE to try and understand panic, I do feel, knowledge is power.

I will tell you a little about myself, first before I give you MY opinion, on your question, I do find this thread very interesting and I feel, the knowledge I have gained over the years, has got me where I want to be and that is feeling better, NMP. I feel, for me it was this great site that has helped me gain this knowledge and pointed me in the right direction to gain more information, not only about panic, high levels of anxiety, but what just as important, is learning about myself too , I owe this site alot.

NOW, my daughter (at just age 3 years old ) suffered pa's, high anxiety, many, many years BEFORE I did, ( will not go into that right now ) She is 16 now and in her life, she has had 3 periods, were she has battled with a panic, disorder, BUT always recovered through the help and support of her family. her first episode took along time to recover from. Her second took, 5 monthes, but mainly around school. The last one was this time last year, she would not go over the front door, stay on her own, OHHHH my goodness me, my heart broke ( Mmmmm will not go into the ins and outs of it all right now ) TODAY, she has recovered and has moved SOOOOO much forward, I am sooo proud of her, back to doing the things she likes doing, ohh boy, it feels soooo good. BUT, it has not been easy, for my daughter or family involved, ( will not go to much into this hun ) This past year has seemed a long and hard year, for ALL involved

When she was young, I MYSELF NEVER new about panic, high levels of anxiety, to be honest, I had NEVER heard of it before not untill my daughter started with her's ( which took 3 years to diagnose ( mm, another long story ) never new what it felt like myself, UNTIL, it happened to me, many, many years later. (HORRIFIC, blimey, I can't even begin to enplane the horrors it can make you think or feel )

Sorry hun for woffling,

SO, I put YOUR question to my daughter, I had an answer in my head, but wanted to see what her answer would be and yes, it was what I was thinking....

**every site states what happens during a panic attack but not what leads to it, the actual neurobiology of it. **

Thought pattens, Mmm sounds simple doesn't it, but you try catch those thoughts, that's why I feel there is NO ONE answer, WHY is this you ask, because, we all may have the same or similar symptoms, BUT, what brought us to panic and what keeping it there is different for us all.

My daughter also went on to say, because I can panic can happen, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, OR where I feel it may happen, each time place has different thought proses, or different reason, SO, to me, each place or time should be picked away at, WHY I panic, in these places AS WELL as, learning even IF panic, does come, learn to talk and reassure myself that's its OK its there, except, distract, learn to talk to myself like I would a friend or family member if they were scared of something, learn to comfort myself, learn to feel SAFE, with myself. The more I do this with myself, over time, the panic, does not come. I AM IN CONTROL. BREAK, the panic down, strip it, so to speak.


Ohh my goodness, she has been listening to me. I am sooo proud of her.

I do say to myself, I had pa's, high anxiety for a reason, yes I know my reason now, why it happened to me, but I also say, it was to help my daughter over come her's, help her gain the knowledge that is needed to , to try and STOP, it from coming back from biting her in the bum, so to speak, Mmmm, but it IS, DAME HARD to pass on to other people, its such a complex thing, because each person has a different reasons for it being there and why stays and this can be dame hard to pin point, BUT, NOT impossible.

Will it ever happen to me again, Mmm, I can't answer that, its like saying after your broken leg has mended, will it ever break again, there's NO answer to that, BUT HAY, bring it on, I DARE YOU MR P.

As for my daughter, she still has things to learn, BUT, I will be there EVERY STEP of the way, This emotional illness is horrific , it robs you of a life, BUT if I have my way, ITS NOT going to stop my daughter getting on with her's.

Last Christmas, was horrific for me, although I was helping my daughter recover, doing exposure therapy around going out, staying in on her own. A friend on her on hear, pm'd me, not talked to her in awhile, she is better now and not active, I told her about my daughter, she said, "hope you are thinking about yourself in all this" Mm a lot of other nice things but this statement jumped out at me.

TO BLINKIN LATE, I forgot the first rule, BE KIND TO YOURSELF, take some ME TIME. I had just JUMPED into knowledge mode, forgot about myself, just wanted to help my daughter, so this action, DID help my daughter, but not thinking about myself, DID NOT help me, all I wanted to do was CRY NO one to talk to, no one understood, ohhhh hun, you know how it goes, ALARM BELLS, take , TIME OUT, take BACK, the control of my own emotions and I began to climb back up again out of my sorrow, OHHHH BOY, this site has tought me well.

Ohhh SORRY for woffling, I do go on sometimes LOL

I AM NO expert hun, what I have written is just my oppinion

Hope this has been of some help.

YOU KEEP looking, keep researching, but PLEASE HUN,. TAKE SOME ME TIME, time to STOP trying to understand anxiety panic, you mind needs a break from time to time, from even trying to recover, hope this makes sense to you, not that good at explaining things.

YOU TAKE CARE

KEEP LOOKING for you answers, YOU WILL find them in the end, but whats just as important, is to believe YOU CAN get better, if you can truly believe, your mind WILL show you the way.

TAKE CARE

LOVE JILL XXX

[mannix10]

I personally think one of the best pieces of advice every given to me was from my (very understanding) GP. He told me:- " John you will never recover from your anxiety by looking for a logical answer to it. You are looking for a logical answer to an illogical illness and will never get better while you continue to do this ". I think this sums anxiety up very well !

[jill]

Hi Mannix10

The statement form your gp sounds GREAT, this IS an illogical illness, when acute, our minds go all over the place, we find it dame hard to find logic in a lot of things, BUT, I will just put one example of my way, how I myself tried to find logic to my own panic, I will put down the most silliest thing I can think of that sent me into panic mode.

My son, he used to come home and make funny sounds with his mouth, BEFORE panic, it used to get on my nerves, it would do my head in.I would say to him, for goodness sake, STOP, doing that, NOW, when acute with panic, high levels of anxiety ( due to ?? will not go into that) my thoughts would go into overdrive, instead of it just getting on my nerves, my mind and body over reacted to normal sensations, my logic thinking went out the window, hence PANIC. This was me picking away at WHY I panicked in THIS situation, logic, thinking, my thoughts at the time was, If I can work on my thought pattens towards the sounds, remember how I used to feel, BUT, also think of the sound in a funny way, put a twist on my thoughts,eg, actually, it sounds funny, dance to the beat, ANYTHING, that would help take away the smaller sensations I used to get BEFORE panic, TRY to think of the sound not being that bad, work on my thought pattens towards the sounds, expose myself to the sounds, slowly, learn to reassure myself with reassuring statements, then it would not get on my nerves and my body and mind would have nothing to over react too, because the sound is funny really, MMmm, this did take time, but it did work, in THIS situation.

SO, in THIS situation, I DID find logic why I panicked, Mmm, the rest of the places I panicked is another story.

So FOR ME, one of the things that helped me was looking for logic reasons why I panicked, no matter how SMALL that logic was, I feel, it helped me, BUT FOR ME, I came to understand, that for MYSELF, I was on the round about, fear of panic, fear of fear, fear of all the symptoms, horrific fear of thoughts, panic.anxiety can give you , had to learn ALL about how to deal with that too. THIS SITE shown me the way.

It is sooo true, you can look to much into things, but I do feel, you know yourself, when what your looking into is not going to help BUT, is it.. Mr P, Mrs A telling you this, is this logic thinking or illogical ?????? NOW that's a question that's SOOOOO dame hard to answer, when acute, you life can be 99% ilogical 1% logic creeping in, but you have to get to know YOURSELF better, to find your answers. BLINKIN DAME HARD WORK, I know it is and my heart goes out to each and everyone

I am not sure if my reply is of any help to anyone, BUT, I AM panic, high anxiety free, so there must be some logic in what I have written, ohh I do hope I have made sense not that good at explaining things when writing in down LOL

TAKE CARE

Wishing you well

LOVE JILL XXX

[fallenidol1]

I personally think one of the best pieces of advice every given to me was from my (very understanding) GP. He told me:- " John you will never recover from your anxiety by looking for a logical answer to it. You are looking for a logical answer to an illogical illness and will never get better while you continue to do this ". I think this sums anxiety up very well !

Wow! That really hit home to me. I'm such a logical person, I always seem to need to understand what makes things work, what makes them happen and I guess I've been trying to do exactly the same.
Really good advice that!

[ikimasu]

I bet that really is a lot of the problem - I myself am very analytical. Thus why every little thing worries me. I can't STOP thinking about things. So the more I look for logic behind things, the more I let it take a grip, you might say. Interesting thoughts

[susan c]

Hey,

Thanks for your replies but think the question may have been put across wrong. Has anyone heard of future protocol? This is where you prepare yourself for an upcoming event, going to the supermarket to just getting out of the house. What I meant by my question is not about being analytical (although I am) it's about realising when anxiety actually sets in. That little amygdala gets going days before a full blown panic attack so what I was saying is why not educate people in this.

As for taking me time instead of trying to break this down......Firstly I do take me time and secondly I want to help others break away from this LIKE I HAVE through education and it was mearly an observation that people can not be told what to do once the horse has bolted. It's all about keeping the stable door shut. I have to say the only thing that has got me through this is questioning everything but making sure I got the answers. No it's not logical but there are answers for those who need answers. Not everyone is the same. If you are like me and need answers to progress then don't feel like you should give up on that. There are answers available for those who need them.

Anyway off now.
Bye

[jill]

Hi Susan

I am soo sorry I read your question wrong please forgive me

Hun, I never said, YOU take me time, if you read my reply I said, I MYSELF, never took me time.

YOU ARE right Susan, there is not enough education regarding this subject.

Ohh I can woffle hun, I can woffle again now on this subjest, but just wanted to say sorry If my reply was not what you wanted.

You are a kind and caring person who wants to help, you have come sooo far yourself and worked dame hard to get where you are today, you should be sooo proud of yourself.

Sorry again if my reply offended you

YOU TAKE CARE

LOVE JILL XXX

[teez]

i think i get what your asking ,,im not the brightest lightbulb in the box lol,,but what i think your asking is for us to be taught to reconize subtle changes that lead to a panic,,and alter or mindset to avoid an onset,,i wish we could ,,but as some panics occur for me anytime even when im laughing with friends,,totally out the blue,,,i dont think i could ever catch the little devils in time,,,yet my german sheppard dog wolf,,who i had some time ago ,,knew exactly when they were going to happen,,he would become very clingy and not allow anyone near me,,i even taught him to fetch me a paper bag,,lol, this german sheppard however hasnt a clue,,,however

[jill]

Hi teez

I think your bulb is very bright I got it myself, but not that good at explaining things LOL I forget, I do woffle a lot.

I can try to explain why you may panic when in laughter, I am not saying it will stop, but an explanation may help you understand why you may panic in laughter.

When we laugh we get a rush of adrenaline our hearts beat faster, this is normal, when we are acute with anxiety panic, our minds very quickly misunderstand these signals as normal, are minds very quickly put 2 and 2 together and come up with 5, (worse case scenario, panic)

I did this myself, panicked when laughing and having a good time, at the time, I sh*t myself and thought WHY, i NEVER even felt anxious ? I found my answer FOR ME, it was my mind over reacting to a normal bodily function.

I can only go off myself regarding this, I myself dealt with each panic different, because each time I panicked it was for different reasons apart from the fear of panic, fear of fear. So for the laughter one, this was MY reasoning on this.

Ohh dogs DO have a sense, don't they, could tell you lots of stories about dogs and how they help people.

Hope this has been of some help, even if its just knowing you not alone in panic when laughing.

You take care

wishing you well,

LOVE JILL XXX