Complex PTSD panic attack help?
I hope someone can help me. Feel suicidal.
I have clinical depression and for 30 years have suffered from panic attacks with agoraphobia. I overcame much of the latter by using valium, (not all the time and not everyday). No anti-depressants or CBT helped at all.
Last week a new psychiatrist (not referred by my gp) actually sat down and read my 30 year history and said that he could not believe all the other doctors missed the fact that I have complex PTSD. (Before that I was called borderline personality). The two can have similar symptoms, and I agree that I have some so-called borderline traits, but not enough for a diagnosis. He is also a specialist in addictions and said I am not addicted to valium ( I am psychologically dependent).
He now wants to put me on a high dose of prozac, and restrict the valium, (I take 5 per week). About 4 months ago, a close (in my face neighbour) harassed me so much that all the ptsd symptoms reappeared, this has occurred before, in that case I’d up the valium for two weeks, then drop it back down again – this helped regain my confidence, but I would always decrease the dose because I am very well aware of potential physical addiction.
I went to see my gp who refused to temporarily increase the dose, and gave me self-help books (recommended by Oprah !). I began losing more and more confidence and the ability to leave the house unaided, I saw him again, andhe tried to tell me I was bipolar and still refused to help – instead,he’s made me out to be a drug seeker (I have no history of this) and I have to go to the
chemist to get 5 tablets each week, like a drug addict. I hate this. I hate him
Agoraphobia is hell. Not only on the sufferer, but also because I have become dependent on my daughter to shop for me etc and she’s only 19 years old. I haven’t seen my partner for 3 months because I am so embarrassed about the panic. I sleep on the couch with my clothes on, I rarely wash because I feel vulnerable with nothing on. The telephone is muted as the ring makes me have an attack.I am scared of people visiting. I horde the valium I do get for when I absolutely HAVE to leave the house
like seeing the doctor. There are no doctors taking new patients in this place so I am stuck with this one
Sorry this is so long
AGORAPHOBIA often occurs as a result of having had a panic attack in a public place, and not wanting to repeat that experience outside of a place where someone feels safe, which is usually at home, in a place where they feel exposed, and unable to get help quickly. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either seek professional hypnotherapy, or more alternatives along such lines are on page 1, at 8m.com, below, about agoraphobia. At the first sign of one, employ an ANTI PANIC ATTACK breathing technique. Advice from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3. Keep repeating this until the panic subsides, which will deal with the hyperventilation aspect. View http://deeplyrelax.com & www.deepsloweasy.com/html/intro.htm Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms, as do medications/herbal remedies. Address the underlying cause, which requires some form of therapy; see your-mental-health.8m.com, below, re anxiety, on pages 1, h, & i. Page h shows the difference between panic, and anxiety attacks.
Read: When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life, by David D. Burns (2007), & Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick by David Carbonell, & "Power Over Panic", by Bronwyn Fox, from your bookstore, or enter "panic attacks" in the searchbar at Amazon.com for more media. Some people recommend nettle tea, with a little honey. Others use Lavender tea, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, but use no milk or cream with herbal teas, or Valerian (caution: use it for 3 weeks at most!). Know how these affect you before driving, or doing anything dangerous, and it is far better to use the treatments, rather than relying on herbal remedies. Free online PANIC COURSE – www.panic-attacks.co.uk also available by email. See the section on panic attacks at www.mind.org.uk also Ebooklet form. They recommend letting a panic attack run its course, without doing anything to treat it, so you KNOW you will survive it. The usual maximum is 30 minutes, until symptoms begin to subside. Also see www.anxietypanic.com/signs.html and http://www.onestepatatime.com (chatroom, and one free email is allowed to their resident expert on joining [free] – more if a paid up member) and
www.medicinenet.com/panic_disorder/artic… and www.squidoo.com/controlpanicattack/modul… and http://www.anxietynetwork.com Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody/a/Meditation.htm or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (a series of easy mental exercises only; no flexibility required) at http://your-mental-health.8m.com/blank_11.html Hypnosis alternatives are on page 1, at 8m.com, about panic. PTSD; see pages 1 & Q; use the EFT for PTSD; seek EMDR therapy.
Comments
Comment from Luke Reas
Time July 24, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relieves symptoms by helping you deal with the trauma you’ve experienced. Rather than avoiding the trauma and any reminder of it, you’ll be encouraged in treatment to recall and process the emotions and sensations you felt during the original event. In addition to offering an outlet for emotions you’ve been bottling up, treatment for PTSD will also help restore your sense of control and reduce the powerful hold the memory of the trauma has on your life.
Types of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
* Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD and trauma involves carefully and gradually “exposing” yourself to thoughts, feelings, and situations that remind you of the trauma. Therapy also involves identifying upsetting thoughts about the traumatic event–particularly thoughts that are distorted and irrational—and replacing them with more balanced picture.
* EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – EMDR incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. Eye movements and other bilateral forms of stimulation are thought to work by “unfreezing” the brain’s information processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme stress, leaving only frozen emotional fragments which retain their original intensity. Once EMDR frees these fragments of the trauma, they can be integrated into a cohesive memory and processed.
* Family therapy. Since PTSD affects both you and those close to you, family therapy can be especially productive. Family therapy can help your loved ones understand what you’re going through. It can also help everyone in the family communicate better and work through relationship problems.
* Medication. Medication is sometimes prescribed to people with PTSD to relieve secondary symptoms of depression or anxiety, but it does not treat the causes of PTSD.
http://helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm
References :
Comment from Jerry
Time July 24, 2010 at 11:54 pm
AGORAPHOBIA often occurs as a result of having had a panic attack in a public place, and not wanting to repeat that experience outside of a place where someone feels safe, which is usually at home, in a place where they feel exposed, and unable to get help quickly. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either seek professional hypnotherapy, or more alternatives along such lines are on page 1, at 8m.com, below, about agoraphobia. At the first sign of one, employ an ANTI PANIC ATTACK breathing technique. Advice from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3. Keep repeating this until the panic subsides, which will deal with the hyperventilation aspect. View http://deeplyrelax.com & http://www.deepsloweasy.com/html/intro.htm Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms, as do medications/herbal remedies. Address the underlying cause, which requires some form of therapy; see your-mental-health.8m.com, below, re anxiety, on pages 1, h, & i. Page h shows the difference between panic, and anxiety attacks.
Read: When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life, by David D. Burns (2007), & Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick by David Carbonell, & "Power Over Panic", by Bronwyn Fox, from your bookstore, or enter "panic attacks" in the searchbar at Amazon.com for more media. Some people recommend nettle tea, with a little honey. Others use Lavender tea, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, but use no milk or cream with herbal teas, or Valerian (caution: use it for 3 weeks at most!). Know how these affect you before driving, or doing anything dangerous, and it is far better to use the treatments, rather than relying on herbal remedies. Free online PANIC COURSE – http://www.panic-attacks.co.uk also available by email. See the section on panic attacks at http://www.mind.org.uk also Ebooklet form. They recommend letting a panic attack run its course, without doing anything to treat it, so you KNOW you will survive it. The usual maximum is 30 minutes, until symptoms begin to subside. Also see http://www.anxietypanic.com/signs.html and http://www.onestepatatime.com (chatroom, and one free email is allowed to their resident expert on joining [free] – more if a paid up member) and
http://www.medicinenet.com/panic_disorder/artic… and http://www.squidoo.com/controlpanicattack/modul… and http://www.anxietynetwork.com Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody/a/Meditation.htm or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (a series of easy mental exercises only; no flexibility required) at http://your-mental-health.8m.com/blank_11.html Hypnosis alternatives are on page 1, at 8m.com, about panic. PTSD; see pages 1 & Q; use the EFT for PTSD; seek EMDR therapy.
References :
Comment from D.D.
Time July 25, 2010 at 12:40 am
I am going to give you something to really help you if you want it. I am giving you the free version, but if you learn the method by downloading , reading the manual, then you can also hire a therapist that will work with you over the phone . the free version is eftuinverse.com , click on ‘get started free’, and the therapists are eftmastersworldwide.com eftuk.net emotional-health.co.uk
YOu can go watch the veterans heal from ptsd in a few hours, not days or years of drugs therapy and nothing at stressproject.org and some of the videos above also. they can probably resolve your argoraphobia fairly quickly and go from there. YOu wont believe it until you experience it yourself. i hope you do.
I am a big fan of eft, because i know it works and i use it all the time.
I know people can heal from it, not just cover it up with valium and other drugs, medications dont heal anything.
So that is what i would do.
Do as you will, and i wish you well.
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Comment from Georgiana Kasee
Time July 25, 2010 at 12:35 pm
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Comment from Gilbert Benware
Time July 24, 2010 at 11:16 pm
I have same problem, I take effexxor, and Ativan! to stop my panic disorder!
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