Extreme panic attack and Urgent Care?
I wrote a question recently about having panic attacks again after not having any for many years. They are now very bad and the other day I had the worst one I have ever had.
With my panic attacks I fear I will swallow my tongue and it has nothing to do with a heart attack. I only mention this because I know many people have them but they think they will have a heart attack and mine are different. I think in my mind I have picked something that can scare me more and it is a terrible feeling.
Anyway, when I had the major panic attack the other day I drove myself to an urgent care but didn’t go in because I felt stupid, like they would think I was dumb going in because I was having a panic attack. To me though I really feel like I could die and I felt very faint the other day. I am not one who is thinking about harming myself, in fact if I was I probably wouldn’t have these.
Well anyway I was just wondering if I am dumb to go to the urgent care?
Thank you for the advice. I actually started seeing a therapist again after not seeing one for several years because I wasn’t having attacks. I also take medication and it worked great for the past 9-10 years and then all of sudden they started coming back again, but never like the one I had on Friday.
I know I need to see my therapist but the last time I saw him he didn’t change my medication or anything, just recommended relaxation methods. I am not sure they will work for me but I haven’t tried them yet.
I am also a person who thinks if something happens it is because I did something.. for example I could eat cereal and have a panic attack and then I will think maybe the cereal had some type of affect on my. I know this sounds stupid and normally after I think these things I normally can clear it out of my head, I guess I associate things.
NO, it is NOT dumb to go to the E.R. I will be 100% honest with you though.
I too have very debilitating panic attacks; mine are classic, in that I have severe chest pain, cannot breath, I black out, my limbs lose 90% oxygen, my vision blurs, my blood pressure rises to near deathly levels, same with my pulse. I go pee like (honestly) 30+ times within 10 minute periods of time, I shake and convulse, and I "just know that I am dying:" (tho’ I am not; it is the body telling us that we have overloaded our stress index!!!)AND THEN…then there is that, once again "classic" symptom of FEELING LIKE DEATH IS IMMINENT, CAN OCCUR AT ANY MOMENT, AND IS AT THE DOOR. I have only been to the Emergency Room 3 times, once by ambulance (about a year and a half ago).
When I said that I would be honest with you; I meant IT: All three times I went to the ER, I was treated like a JOKE. Suppose I was a waste of their time since most health "care" proffessionals DO NOT HAVE the least bit of KNOWLEDGE, or COMPASSION for what is a highly known mental EPIDEMIC, especially in the USA. The nature of Panic and Anxiety ATTACKS are JUST THAT……A T T A C K S!!!
If we did not have these physical symptoms, and what "professionals" coin as "mental falsehood"….then we would not be pushed to rush ourselves (MANY thousands of Americans who would rather stick a fork in their hand than go to see a :"doctor")..we would not, for the sake of what :seems to be imminent death; go to the ER "just bec’ we :"FEEL" like we are dying", hmmm!
So, as you can see, I have not personally had any good or compassionate reaction where I live, concerning the help I sought out from hospitals. I am almost sure that the many years of my unchecked ability to handle my stress and bad circumstances….are what led to these recurring anxiety attacks. What I ended up doing; *BC I JUST COULDNT LIVE WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHEN AND WHERE I WILL BE~THE NExT TIME THE ATTACK HAPPENS*, I ended up seeing a neurologist, and he prescribed me 1mg. of Xanax, 3x’s per day. This is SO THAT there be a CONTINUOUS FLOW of the med. in my system…so as to PREVENT an attack from even coming on.
The issue that you are facing with your fears about your tongue, is not uncommon. I have spoken to, and met in online "anxiety related forums"….OTHERS who have the same overwhelming fear. And I will tell you what I know, from a seasoned "veteran of anxiety"…..that you must CONTINUALLY RE-AFFIRM in your mind, and SPEAK IT OUT LOUD (when u are alone), that it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SWALLOW THE TONGUE, as it can only be swallowed if one were to actually severe this very, very strong muscle from the esophagus! LIKEWISE, you and I both NEED TO RE AFFIRM the facts (only after you have been MEDICALLY BY TESTING EXHAUSTIVELY_that you in fact DO NOT have heart failure concerns, lung or brain conditions too)….only then, can you begin to "re-wire" your brain by the transforming of your mind!!! THIS IS A BIBLICAL CONCEPT, if u did not know this already? ALL THIS IDEA BOILS DOWN TO IS THIS:
******When the first thoughts that accompany the symptoms of an anxiety attack enter your mind; it will do you well to first learn that YOU NEED TO NOT EXPEND your energy by wasting AIR…learn to breath effectively. Second~ as the thoughts of FEAR come upon you; tell yourself that this is a malfunction of your nervous system, and little else. (tho’ it could be a spiritual attack too, but I will not go into that)…..SIMPLY REPLACE THE FEARFUL THOUGHTS with thoughts of God’s PROMISES from HIS WORD; during the worst attact I EVER HAD, I opened up my bible and began reading OUTLOUD from the Old Testament book of Psalms….the LORD WILL bring you the comfort to get free from this; as HE is doing with me. THERE IS a HUGE misunderstanding, and lack of knowledge, concerning the POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD ALMIGHTY. His Word is LIVING, active, and able to transform lives. Believe, and pray alot. Talk to GOD as tho’ He were sitting right beside you; holding you! Bc’ the reality is, that GOD is omnipresent, and HE IS WITH YOU in your darkest times. I say these words bc’ I have KNOWN YESHUA (Jesus) perfectly, and have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in my midst; during some very horrific, dire, abusive times in my life. Tho’ I am only 29 years old, I have been thru the VALLEY, and that dreadful "shadow of death", I have wandered the wilderness; KNOWING that in CHRIST YESHUA alone, I will…I CAN….have PERFECT, all encompassing PEACE, which the Bible describes as being "THE peace that passes ALL understanding"….this is the one and only kind of abiding joy and PEACE of mind, soul, and body that can carry you through any storm, sadness, trial or tribulation!
I do apologize for writing a book…lol!!! I just have a heart for helping those who have the horrible misfortune of enduring panic and anxiety disorders. I hope you will feel free to contact me if you need anything! My 360 link is in my Y!A profile, of course. I will be praying for you in the meantime; "cast all of your cares upon the Lord; for HE careth for YOU!" He IS here with you, and wants you to rely on HIM for answers. God Bless you, and my heart truly goes out to you. amen.
In Christ Y’shua Alone,
<>< seven ><>
Comments
Comment from Red
Time November 16, 2009 at 1:42 pm
You should have gone because they might have been able to give you a sedative or gave you the name/number of a therapist.
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Comment from norelief13
Time November 16, 2009 at 2:06 pm
ER and Urgent Care docs see panic attacks all the time.
It is NOT dumb to get help, it is a MEDICAL problem that just happens to show up in your brain. There is no reason at all to feel stupid, except for the fact that some ignorant people might make you feel that way. Just go and get the help you need! Hope you get well soon……
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Comment from askdebb
Time November 16, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I don’t think you are dumb for going to urgent care. I was the same way, and as long as it makes you feel more at ease< I say better safe than sorry. I do know from studying this subject, that nobody has ever died from an panic attack. I had to learn a lot of breathing exercises that helped me. Good Luck! There are a million other people just like you and me. You are not alone.
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Comment from lzbtha
Time November 16, 2009 at 2:46 pm
no, you aren’t dumb.
when i was younger, i used to get multiple panic attacks every single day. it got so horrible that i was afraid to go out in public because i knew i would get a panic attack if i did. i know exactly how you feel…i honestly felt like i was going to die each and every time i had one. i went to a few doctors but they could never tell me what was wrong. they tested me for asthma and tried to tell my parents that perhaps i was faking it to get attention (that was absolute BS). in school, or wherever i was at the time of a panic attack, i would go into a bathroom or someplace where people couldn’t see me. i didn’t want anyone to think i was dumb (so i think i know how you feel about that too). well, the panic attacks interfered so much with my life that i had to do something about it. whenever i would have a panic attack, i kept telling myself over and over again that it "was all in my head." i would close my eyes and keep telling myself the same thing. i eventually became so good at convincing myself that it wasn’t real that the attacks went away after a little more than i year. recently, i’ve had 2 panic attacks (i’m 19 now), but i went back to my old methods, and they worked well. i don’t think urgent care is what you need, even though it might feel like that at a time of an attack. maybe you could try what i tried (breathe, convince yourself that it’s in your head, try to relax, etc.), but if that doesn’t work, i recommend talking with a therapist; maybe that will help. anyway, i hope your panic attacks go away soon, because i know how much you probably hate them! good luck! let me know if you have any more questions or anything 
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Comment from kattsmeow
Time November 16, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Well, first of all , it has been proven that you will not swallow your tongue. Second, before you have another panic attack,
go to a doctor that you trust, or an internist, tell him or her how you feel. You are not alone!! Other people have panic attacks, don’t feel stupid, do something before you have another one. There are medications that will help you so you don’t have another one. I can’t tell you whether you will have to go into therapy or not, but you need to do whatever you need to do to stop these attracts. Please take the responsibility and seek help for yourself. This is not because you are weak, it is because you are strong that you will find out what to do. I will be praying for you and hope that you get some help as soon as you possibly can.??
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