My Panic Attack Solution

Comment from Sarah Ray
Time February 14, 2010 at 12:21 am

Have you ever tried to figure out why you’re agoraphobic, maybe if you find the root of your problem you can over come it.

Also you might want to talk to a therapist who believes in talking to their patiants instead of medicating them as a first resort.

Wish you luck!
References :

Comment from eharrah1
Time February 14, 2010 at 12:46 am

You need to find a doctor that understands your condition. Neither medicine is known for helping your kind of anxiety. Try figuring out what is causing your attacks and work on those. What is happening in your house that is causing them. Make changes so that you feel secure. Then, start in small steps. Pick one neighborhood convenience store and start going there until you are use to it and build from there. Also, start going to a support group. I have panic attacks when I am in unfamiliar circumstances. I just try to always have a friend (or my husband) with me that understands my attacks. Good luck.
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Comment from Kaopadgai
Time February 14, 2010 at 12:54 am

Lithium is for bipolar disorder.

Agoraphobia is usually treated with an SSRI (Prozac). A benzodiazepine (ativan, alprazolam, clonazepam etc.) is usually used prior to a situation where you expect to experience severe anxiety or taken during an attack to calm you down.

Ask your doc about them.
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My sister is 41 and still living at home with my parents because of her agoraphobia.

Comment from fuzzykitty
Time February 14, 2010 at 1:40 am

It is not easy, you need to go out side in small increments of time, take a short walk, and each day try a little longer , maybe arrange a picnic with your girlfriend and make it a short date. Doesn’t have to be elaborate. just the two of you, If you have a panic attack, try to comprehend what you are feeling. Is your heart racing and maybe you feel like you might pass out. Now let it pass, and breath, I know it’s a scary thing , but your still here, did you notice , that although it was bad you survived it , and you will the next and the next, ride it out and put it into perspective. Don’t expect to get better over night, but know that you will be able to get through it. One day at a time,
References :
Personal experience and my oldest son suffers from this problem also,

Comment from skunk pie
Time February 14, 2010 at 1:56 am

You don’t need to find some deep personal root for panic attacks. You’re agoraphobic because you’re afraid. Why are you afraid? Well, there are plenty of theories about the causes of panic disorder, but it doesn’t really matter. You just need to work on your anxious thoughts, your behaviors and your fears.

The best treatment for agoraphobia is something called exposure therapy and often CBT. Sometimes medications like SSRI’s (prozac and others) and anti-anxiety meds (xanax and the like) are used in addition to therapy, but drugs alone do not help any mental disorder because mental disorders are not strictly biological like diabetes. It is important that anyone who is taking psychiatric medication is also going to therapy.

I don’t know why you’re on lithium, perhaps your doctor feels you have an underlying mood disorder as well. Lithium is a scary medication though.

I have panic attacks and reoccuring depressions. My doctor put me on Prozac and I went from having an occasional attack and rarely do I have a panic attack when I’m in a real depression (as opposed to my usual crap mood) to panicking almost none stop on top of being depressed and suicidal and let alone the other odd things that were happening to me. Of course, it does work for some people.

Talk to your doctor about getting therapy for your agoraphobia. He may be able to provide it or will be able to refer you to a psychologist who can help you.
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Comment from cgflann
Time February 14, 2010 at 2:08 am

Agoraphobia is a very difficult disorder because it is in essence the fear of fear. Usually when people begin having panic attacks they avoid the place that the attack happened whether that be the supermarket ,church, or even the middle of the driveway. A lot of people fall into this avoidance because they are afraid of being embarrassed having an attack in public. Eventually, this avoidance leads to becoming housebound and it takes over your life. It is a viscous cycle that feeds off itself and unfortunately being housebound does not solve the problem either since you stated that you have attacks at home as well. You could avoid everything until you are all cooped up in a corner in a closet and won’t come out and still have attacks. Therefore, avoidance does NOT solve anything!! Here is the best way to make progress to get through it:

1-realize that if you have a panic attack, you are NOT going to die from it!! It may FEEL that way, like you are having a heart attack or whatever, but the symptoms can and do pass usually within a relatively short time.
2-if you do have a panic attack, assure yourself that everything will be fine…if you start to worry or try to "make" the attack end, it is like trying to put out a fire using gasoline…it only feeds into the attack and makes it last longer or get more intense.
3-during an attack, take long, deep breaths instead of quick and shallow ones….if you feel dizzy or are shaky, sit down in a safe place and breathe SLOWLY. This will help it to pass.
4-practice relaxation techniques…there is a ton of stuff on the internet related to progressive relaxation and guided imagery. In addition, there are numerous CD’s out there with relaxing sounds on them that may be beneficial as well as guided imagery and progressive relaxation scripts on CD and cassette tapes. I just picked up a DVD the other day that I think is great and you should look into getting it. It has relaxing music to it and has scenes of eagles flying over the river and other peaceful, natural scenes. Do a search for Eagle River relaxation dvd and you should find it somewhere for sale or rent.
5-Realizing that the cycle of anxiety is fed by avoidance, the only way to break that cycle is to do just the opposite. I don’t mean to go into the middle of a city during rush hour by no means, but start out small. Walk out to your mailbox and walk back. On the following day, walk down to the next block and back. If you have an attack, don’t chalk it up as a failure or be concerned that someone may have seen you. Just keep at it with these slow, gradual steps. Have someone go with you at first. This is good to add extra support and also is beneficial if you do have a panic attack, they can assist you with coaching you to take deep breaths, finding a safe place to sit down, and so on.

Good luck.
References :
personal experience with anxiety as well as a background in counseling other people with anxiety/depression

Comment from jacko
Time February 14, 2010 at 2:49 am

See agoraphobia treatments, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris on page 27.Practise the panic treatments, on page 8, well.
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Comment from Caroline L
Time February 14, 2010 at 3:00 am

First, let me say you are not alone. I am a fellow sufferer and on the outside I look perfectly normal. I go to work every day and have a full social life. But my agoraphobia has eroded my life because I have so many restrictions. I am afraid of highways, busses, subways, elevators and going far from home. At work, I am afraid they will want me to travel and I don’t know what to tell them. That I’m afraid? It sounds ridiculous to refuse to go a measly one exit on the highway.

I am coming to accept that my disorder is serious and while simple to treat, the recovery is far from easy. Let me share some of my experiences with you. Maybe some of what I will help and maybe not. I am no expert on agoraphobia and I am still suffering from it.

Things that have helped me:

1) Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you look at your limiting thoughts and practice "exposure" to things you are afraid. It helps having a calm and caring professional by my side.

2) Online support at http://www.PanicSurvivor.com. These people have a fighters attitude when it comes to dealing with anxiety. It is by far my favorite community that deals with anxiety.

3) Turning to friends and loved ones. My friends and family have been supportive, although I let them enable me sometimes. My friends have gone on exposures with me and told me to do it.

4) Have a good cry. When I cry and get the feelings out, my anxiety lessens. I used to cry before exposures, which helped me release all the negative feelings.

5) Working with a psychiatrist. I admit medications have not worked for me yet, but I keep trying. Research has found that a combination of medication and CBT works best. However, CBT alone is pretty effective too.

6) Reading books by people who understand. Bourne’s "Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" is a classic. Also, "Wish I Were There" is a memoir about agoraphobia. What I liked about the memoir by Allen Shawn is that is realistic. The man still has agoraphobia, but he is coping with it better.

7) Spirituality. I am not religious, but I have come to believe in a Higher Power to make sense of my senseless condition. I don’t think you have to be spiritual. But it helps me to rely on something greater than myself.

Self-care. I am working to eat right and exercise and get plenty of rest. Agoraphobia is stressful and takes its toll on my nerves. When I take care of myself, I send the message that I am important and worthy of love. Love tends to displace panic.

There is a lot more that I do, but I don’t want to bore you with all the details. Google agoraphobia, panic attacks, and anxiety. There is a lot of good information out there. Good luck.
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