My Panic Attack Solution

I think my mom might be suffering from a panic disorder. Explain how you feel (symptoms and fears) during an attack. How long does it last, and what helps?

For a long time I thought ‘Panic Attacks’ were for the weak and stupid and then my husband was deployed to Iraq.

And they his tour was extended.

And then there was a day when I realized I wasn’t breathing.

I was standing at the check out counter with a friend and I could not focus on what the cashier was saying. She sounded like she was speaking jibberish and in slow motion. I felt like my chest was going to explode if I didn’t get air in my lungs. I thought I was going to die. My friend turned to me and said something along the lines of ‘you don’t look so good,’ to which I replied ‘I don’t feel so good.’ She walked me out and I sat down on a bench and waited until I could hear again. I had some Lifesavers (no pun intended) and waited until I felt ‘normal’ again.

When I have an ‘attack’ the symptoms for me are: My chest gets tight and I feel like I can’t get any air in my lungs. Sound becomes muffled, people’s mouths move but their voices sound like they are talking through a pillow. My head swirls in a dizzy way. My body gets weak and I slow down (walking.) I think that I’m going to die. Afterwards I am VERY hungry. The circumstance determines how long the ‘attack’ is. Sometimes it can take all day to come on sometimes it’s an afternoon, sometimes it’s over in 20 minutes.

I went through deployment counseling because this was such a new situation for me and I did not have the tools to deal with the fears I was having with my husband being at war. Occasionally I’ll have an ‘attack’ but it is rare and I know now how to cope.

Coping for me usually consists of some kind of hard candy for the blood sugar, and refocusing my ideas on the positive things in my life.

I have been suffering from panic attacks for about 10 years now. Medication does not help much. I had a ct scan for another problem about 5 years ago which showed that I was actually missing part of my brain. I can only remember that it was somewhere near the base of the brain. Could there be a relationship between this anomaly and my panic attacks. Please, no guessing.
…and no there is nothing wrong with my thyroid…and again, please, no guessing just definite answers.

Though this isn’t a definitive answer, it certainly isn’t a guess. Any brain "abnormality" will change your brain chemistry and could lead to any number of emotional disorders. This doesn’t mean that it is the only reason, or even the main reason for the panic attacks, and only an experienced psychiatrist or psycho- pharmacologist can accurately judge the causes and possible treatments of panic attacks. If you would rather not be medicated, try breathing deep, removing yourself from the panic causing situation, and biting your tongue or the inside of your cheek, which stimulates other areas of your brain instead of the one causing panic.

Good luck!

I am 17 yrs old, i have had panic disorder since i was 14 or 15. I am on medication, but I’m still always worried that my tounge is swollen and that im going to either swallow it or choke on it. My breathing has got a little better and I don’t get rapid heartbeat as much, but there’s still something there …. HELP please. I need answers.

I’d say the worst thing that could happen is you not discussing your concerns with your doctor. All the advice in the world you get from here can’t replace having a good doctor check you out.

I suffer from Panic Disorder, and I’ve recently heard about some pressure points that help to calm Panic Attacks.
Where exactly are these, and how would i best go about applying them?

Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.

Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There’s this strange herb called "St John’s Wort" – it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John’s Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.

The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced… you have that "learned behavior" in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction… There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to….

Extracted from Source.

I’ve been suffering panic attacks for 6 years now, but i never realized that i might actually have a panic disorder, until i looked at a website called beyond blue. I’m going to visit my school chaplain to talk about my issues somewhere in the near future.
But i never realized there even was such a thing as panic disorders- i always thought i was the only one who suffered like that. Also, i don’t think that my parents would understand if i told them about my problems. They probably also have no idea about anxiety disorders.
What do you guys reckon? Do you think the world should be given better education on panic disorders or panic attacks?

yes, there should definitely be more education. A lot of people still think that a panic attack is when you lose your car keys and are late for work or something! A panic attack is much, much more frightening than that. I have had attacks for 28 years, and was agoraphobic (housebound) for at least 12 years. Because there is so little understanding of it, I am very embarrassed to have an attack in front of people in case they think I am crazy or mad, so I will avoid situations or drink alcohol (not a good idea, ended up alcoholic). Ironically, I prefer to be seen as a drunk, rather than a weirdo. I can’t go on planes at all – some people keep telling me that I must have had a traumatic experience on a plane – it isn’t that it is the overwhelming fear of not being able to escape the situation. Refusal to give tranquillizers early on in my illness did not help – that’s why I turned to alcohol – a far worse, and more harmful addiction. Panic disorder is very, very common and it should have more attention given to it. I am glad you found the beyond blue site.

had a panic attack last night because i was worrying so much, i previously had panic disorder/agrophobia/depression and over came all of this.but i feel calm yet weird today.is there a reason for this?

I have panic attacks too, and i don’t know about you but they make me really sleepy after i have one. If you had a bad one then you are prob feeling sluggish because of that. Also you anxiety will make you think you feel weird when there is nothing wrong

Is crying, sobbing, and having a feeling of lump in your throat, trouble breathing and shivering main symptoms of having a panic attack?

Would a person be having a panic attack if they are CRYING/SOBBING SOOOOOOOOOOOO hard and can’t stop while having the above symptoms???

Also, if crying IS one of the symptom of panic disorder/or having a panic attack, WHY does that happen???

I’m trying to find ways to calm my best friend when she’s having this ‘episode’ I’m not sure how, she’s always crying when I bring this up, she’s sorta shy person, and quiet, we have this debate to do last week and she suddenly walked out of the class crying so hard, I just felt so sad. I want to help her somehow, but don’t know how! Please help!

Tell me why is she crying? I ask her but she says she don’t know, she said she don’t think she can be in the debate because she feels she’s going to start crying and having all those symptoms… which I think is a panic attack, right?

I’m not sure, someone help, please…

Thank you so much in advance!

Hey, I understand how you feel…

The uncomfortable symptoms like sweaty palms, "jelly" legs, extreme alertness, "impending doom" feeling and the fight-or-flight response.
I’ve been there. I’m an ex-victim. Sometimes the deep breathing or distraction techniques doesn’t work – a full-blown panic or anxiety attack happens later.
Sometimes you experience panic attack out of the blue and such.

Do NOT buy Panic Away, Linden Method, EasyCalm or the Panic Puzzle. They do NOT work – I’ve tried them and their solutions are similar – it DOESN’T WORK.
Medications do NOT work – I was under many antidepressants (Prozac, Lexapro, Paxil and Zoloft) and anti-anxiety medications (Ativan, Klonopin, and Xanax) but my condition was the same – no improvement at all.

The only program that really work is The Panic Attack Solution. It’s found by an ex-victim. You can check out his old blog in his official website to read up some useful tips.
But the package is the best – it teaches 17 powerful techniques and the real solution to panic attacks. I’ve bought it and it really helped me – it’s the BEST anti-anxiety package or book I’ve read.
His theory really makes sense and it works effectively!

You will learn why your panic attacks can happen without warning sometimes; why having stimulant causes panic attacks; and many-many other useful tips!

Check out his official website:
http://www.ThePanicAttackSolution.com

i am looking for specific names of tests, please. How do you present the results clients?

Actually it is more of a conversation or dialog with your therapist than a test, for your condition. There are tests for other situations like ADD and HADD.

I Have panic disorder and this attack seems to be lasting forever..

Attacks can go on for hours, sorry to say.
I assume you are under the care of a psychiatrist and taking medication.
What works for you when you are in a state?
I know breathing exercises help.
I know concentrating on almost anything other than yourself helps.
Why are you panicking?
I stop and think about what could be making me nervous.
I walk myself through what is going on in my life.
I have a good job, my children are grown, my house is paid for, etc.
What there is to worry about seems to be what can’t be controlled.
I have to give my concerns to a higher authority.
I also have a friend I can call to help me, if needed.
I also write ~ excellent therapy.
I will be thinking about you tonight and hoping you are calming down.

I have Panic Attack Disorder. Basically I had a Panic Attack(the real pounding of the heart, dying sensation) twice. It was within 4 days. Now for about 6 weeks, I havent so its like just the symptoms and trauma. Never took medication. Why are so many people urging you need medication. I dont think you do because psychotherapy does it. Any explanations.

I have the same disorder and I take medications. When my panic attacks started, I could not leave the house, everywhere I went I freaked out. I freaked about everything even little things. Nothing helped but medication.