nineteen and panic attacks?
I am a nineteen year old female who gets panic attacks where i feel like i am having a heart attack but i am not. I have had ekgs done and they are perfectly normal. I often have a hard time calming down, and I am afraid of alcohol, caffeine and nicotene and certain times. My attacks always happen at night. I dont abuse drugs and when i drank i did it in moderation, I quit drinking altogether and I dont smoke or take in caffeine at night time. ANyone have advice or ideas on how to help me calm down??
Hi, I’m pretty much the same sometimes. If your attacks happen mostly at night, and you don’t need to stay up late, try drinking sleeping pills, or havig herbal tea (with valerian or something) a few hours before you go to sleep. Have a bath, do something brainlessly relaxing, and go to sleep early. If you need to, wear yourself out during the day so that you’re tired by about 8:00 pm. Go to sleep as soon as you’re tired and don’t let yourself think about anything related to reality: that’ll just distract you and make you have another attack.
I had panic attacks similar to yours for about a month, but that’s how I got through. Good luck.
Comments
Comment from I_think$
Time January 7, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Well, at least your fears are preventing you from doing bad stuff. {light humor, but I am not making fun. I had panic attacks for a year in my forties when I started thinking about my lack of retirement funds. And at age 45 I could have really been having a real heart attack!!} See a psychiatrist who can guide you through cognitive therapy [i.e., you think and reason about why things are as they are, then you learn to rebuff them.] Sometimes, low dose anti-psychotic pills help {hopefully that would be a temporary measure.} My panic attacks seemed to go away on their own. It helped to tell myself I was going to die before retirement age(!) (LOL) but I am still here. Good luck.
References :
me
Comment from no-one
Time January 7, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Hi, I’m pretty much the same sometimes. If your attacks happen mostly at night, and you don’t need to stay up late, try drinking sleeping pills, or havig herbal tea (with valerian or something) a few hours before you go to sleep. Have a bath, do something brainlessly relaxing, and go to sleep early. If you need to, wear yourself out during the day so that you’re tired by about 8:00 pm. Go to sleep as soon as you’re tired and don’t let yourself think about anything related to reality: that’ll just distract you and make you have another attack.
I had panic attacks similar to yours for about a month, but that’s how I got through. Good luck.
References :