Panic is really affecting my daily life :(

[kungfukid]

Hello,

I found this forum after a quick google and thought I might find some support or answers so i'll tell you my story,

Im a 30 year old who doesn't drink and quit smoking about 6 moths ago. I had a brief spell of epilepsy when I was 12-13 but then it went.

About 3 months ago I was getting dinner in a supermarket after work and I fainted, I dont now why but I had hit my head and woke up in hospital 2 days later. in total I was in hospital for 4 days. I was discharged and given the all clear. It took about 3 weeks before I felt "normal" again.

During this time I was very dizzy and unable to go outside by myself, housebound if you will. It was very upsetting for me and my girlfriend :(

about 4 months ago I got better and got back to work and thngs were fine. a month later however I have started to panic about going out incase I faint again, the attacks are HORRIBLE I feel so ashamed and helpless. My girlfriend is finding it hard to cope with me too. I want to disappear into a hole and die.

I have been to the doctor and he prescribed some anti depressents but they made me feel even more "out of it" all the time. I stopped taaking them after a week, he only gave me 3 weeks supply anyway.

I know it's all in my head but the symptoms feel real, they are real but what can I do to stop it!

example;

I get sore eyes like swollen and dry.
I get blurred and flashing lights in my eyes
I get very hot sweaty
I feel sick
I feel dizzy like I'm going to pass out (but I never do)

This only happens outside tho' at home I'm fine! I guess thats because when I fainted I was away from home. It's getting so bad now that I'm only going out if I have to, eg going to work. I feel like I'm going mad!

Is there a magic cure? what can I do to stop it?

Oh and the strange thing is on some days I feel fine even if I start obsessing about how I feel I cant force a "panic attack" on.

I don't even know if a panic attack is the correct term as once I label myself it's like I give in to the disorder.

I sometimes think I shoul'nt of quit the cigerettes as when I smoked I never had this happen to me!!!!

Thankyou for taking the time to read this.... I'm going to go and over analyze how I feel just now

Will


Oh and the strange thing is I seem to be able to lessen the effects of an attack when outside by squinting if its a bright day and also wearing headphones and listening to fast dance music (strange as I dont normally like it)

bloody weird guy aint I!

[gypsywomen]

hi it sounds like you are going through a lot ,,maybe you need something to calm your nerves,, adrenaline working overtime

[Jyellowhat]

Hi You are not a weird guy, or if you are it means we,re all weird cos we all experience in one way or another the same as you. You really have been through he mill but you have come through it. The medication can take a few weeks to kick in and help a lot of people, for me they didnt, like you they made me feel totally out of it, i now only use homeopathic remedies.The key thing is like you say you feel faint but you don,t faint, thats because the chances of you fainting again are extremely remote. We as sufferers over analyze everything and although we know we shouldn,t do it, we still carry on. Which is why we end up having a panic attack. We tell ourselves its coming and it does. I now stand there and tell it to do its worse and i have to admit that 9 times out of 10 it goes off. It is really really hard to get it all under control and you may not feel like it now but you are defo making progress. So don,t give up, don,t go back on the cigarettes and if possible don,t stay indoors. Squint at that sun if it helps, its all about distraction. Look up a good homeopath, it has helped me cope with my day to day life, not made me into a zombie and its all naturally unaddictive. Good luck x x

[Kaato]

Hi mate, I've been lurking around this site for a while and decided to start posting.

Your symptoms seem similar to mine, sometimes i have really dry eyes and I feel like squinting when I don't feel well, I quit smoking a while ago, I used to be really outgoing and a right laugh when I was out with my mates but ever since I got ill with glandular fever I've suffered from all sorts of stuff.

Agoraphobia, anxiety, panic attacks - all similar to what it sounds like you have.

I can't work because of it, really struggle to get on with life, I'm getting CBT soon though which is good maybe you should try it?

I also get what you get with the inability to force "attacks", some days I feel great (very rare though), great as in, normal, how I used to feel everyday before this, and even when I try to make myself feel ill, or do something which normally does, it doesn't happen.

I'm glad you have found something which lessens the symptoms though mate, I am yet to find something to make me feel better, suffered for around 5 years now and I'm only 23 =/

Good luck though mate, we'll beat it.

[den68]

i started with mine about 4 months after stopping smoking and decided to start again as i thought that would make me better. It did for about 2 weeks and then they were back with vengence so dont start smoking again it dosnt work. you need to find away to control them i use breating and visulization which normally stops them in there tracks

[Veronica H]

Will and Kaato. There is a brilliant book by Dr Claire Weekes;SELF HELP FOR YOUR NERVES</B>
ISBN 0-7225-3155-9.This is available from the NMP shop. Dr Weekes was a fellow sufferer who really understood this illness. She took the mystery out of it and devised a simple programme for recovery. I can not recommend this enough. This will get better.

Veronica

[cathytink3rb3ll]

This is the exact same thing as me... I always feel like im going to pass out!!! and now i have stopped going out because of it!!!! Not sure how to tackle it anymore... I know thats not much help or motivation but it shows ur not alone.. x