Why Do I keep having Panic Attacks Help?!?
Panic Attacks are taking over my life. I cant stop having them. I usually have them at night, I suddenly start feeling sick in the middle of the night and running to the bathroom thinking im going to be sick. Also Im shaking and sweating and I cant stand it anymore. Also Ive had them at school , sleepovers , outings , and also alot on hoilday when I dont know where I am. It started when I was 7 when a boy in my class was sick on me at school and I got took to the doctors for blood tests but they said that I was having panic attacks but i didnt get a cure for them. And Ive had them ever since and Now Im 16. How do I get rid of them?
my first panis attack was when i was 14 and i was in a shop. That wave of panic came over me and i ran out. I thought I was going to die, and then it went! Just like that! It took me about 10 years to over come them then. When I was 34 they caught me out again and I had a major one. I didnt know what it was at the time, I thought I was having a stroke, and then it went. I soon realised but for the next 2 weeks I couldnt even leave the house. Its the worse feeling in the world isnt it? You think u are dying and there is nowhere to run! Ive had the feeling sick and unable to breathe etc! Not nice. But I seem to be ok now (im 43) and Ive learned many lessons that you need to keep ready to think of when u feel an attack come on. Firstly YOU CAN NOT DIE FROM A PANIC ATTACK!!!!!!! remember this thought as u feel one start and it will actually calm you. Its cos the start of a panic attack makes u tense…which makes u panic….which makes u tense…etc etc etc. Try to think of what may bring them on? Do you have lots of caffeine in your diet? (tea/coffee etc) lots of sweets / sugar or any other stuff? Guessing not alcohol unless u started really young! Try to cut out any items you may think starts them, and see if it helps. Mine was coffee as I found I was susceptable to the caffeine and it made me a feel a bit light headed, in turn making me tense! Once you find what can help you, try to find something to control that feeling of tension. I used to find always having chewing gum, or mints, or a small bottle of drink etc was great. If I felt my tension levels rising id have a mint or a bit of drink and as it distracts you, its amazing how it can lower the anxiety levels. If you do feel the tension rising and you can calm it, think that you KNOW its only a panic attack…it WILL pass in a coupel of minutes….you WONT die, you CAN control it. Breathe slowly, try not to gasp for breathe as that doesnt help. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth slowly and concentrate on it. take a deep breathe and hold it a few seconds and then let out slowly. I used to set myself targets when I was really bad and go for short walks, and feel really good when I made it without an attack, and do more everytime. Learn the techniques that help you and soon when you feel you are starting to get tense, you will think "no i dont get them now" and just move onto thinking about something else. But dont ever let your guard drop and go back to whatever you know causes them. It may help you to pay yourself (if your doctor wont do it) to go to talkto someone about things in your past, like being sicked on, as I know now that many things in my past ruined my self confidence and started it off. You cant beat them, but u can control them and stop them actually occuring.
Good luck and rememeber you are in charge of the attacks, not them in charge of you.
Comments
Comment from Steve C
Time February 11, 2010 at 2:05 pm
You must first find out why they are triggered.for some there are no cures for them but there are ways to make them less powerful. What are you doing before you have them or what are you thinking about ? Once you figure this out them you will be able to face the fears that are giving them to you . The Doctor cannot help you with panic attacks as it is a mental disorder you should seek advice from a psychologist they will be able to help you better.
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Comment from John M
Time February 11, 2010 at 2:42 pm
my first panis attack was when i was 14 and i was in a shop. That wave of panic came over me and i ran out. I thought I was going to die, and then it went! Just like that! It took me about 10 years to over come them then. When I was 34 they caught me out again and I had a major one. I didnt know what it was at the time, I thought I was having a stroke, and then it went. I soon realised but for the next 2 weeks I couldnt even leave the house. Its the worse feeling in the world isnt it? You think u are dying and there is nowhere to run! Ive had the feeling sick and unable to breathe etc! Not nice. But I seem to be ok now (im 43) and Ive learned many lessons that you need to keep ready to think of when u feel an attack come on. Firstly YOU CAN NOT DIE FROM A PANIC ATTACK!!!!!!! remember this thought as u feel one start and it will actually calm you. Its cos the start of a panic attack makes u tense…which makes u panic….which makes u tense…etc etc etc. Try to think of what may bring them on? Do you have lots of caffeine in your diet? (tea/coffee etc) lots of sweets / sugar or any other stuff? Guessing not alcohol unless u started really young! Try to cut out any items you may think starts them, and see if it helps. Mine was coffee as I found I was susceptable to the caffeine and it made me a feel a bit light headed, in turn making me tense! Once you find what can help you, try to find something to control that feeling of tension. I used to find always having chewing gum, or mints, or a small bottle of drink etc was great. If I felt my tension levels rising id have a mint or a bit of drink and as it distracts you, its amazing how it can lower the anxiety levels. If you do feel the tension rising and you can calm it, think that you KNOW its only a panic attack…it WILL pass in a coupel of minutes….you WONT die, you CAN control it. Breathe slowly, try not to gasp for breathe as that doesnt help. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth slowly and concentrate on it. take a deep breathe and hold it a few seconds and then let out slowly. I used to set myself targets when I was really bad and go for short walks, and feel really good when I made it without an attack, and do more everytime. Learn the techniques that help you and soon when you feel you are starting to get tense, you will think "no i dont get them now" and just move onto thinking about something else. But dont ever let your guard drop and go back to whatever you know causes them. It may help you to pay yourself (if your doctor wont do it) to go to talkto someone about things in your past, like being sicked on, as I know now that many things in my past ruined my self confidence and started it off. You cant beat them, but u can control them and stop them actually occuring.
Good luck and rememeber you are in charge of the attacks, not them in charge of you.
References :
Personal experience for 29 years.
Comment from dzerjb
Time February 11, 2010 at 2:54 pm
You need to find a good therapist & talk through these incidents. Start with the most recent & just tell the therapist what happened. As you release each one, your mind will remember more detail of earlier incidents, so talk these out as they come to mind. Eventually you’ll be left with the incident that started it & just keep talking it through with the therapist till it feels safe & you can handle the memory without any of the feelings of fear etc. bothering you.
It may take a few hours but it will be worth the money.
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Comment from mudpuppie_80
Time February 11, 2010 at 3:24 pm
You can’t abuse any drugs or alcohol, get out and take a walk or exercise in some way, have to eat regularly, take a multivitamin, get your 8 hours of sleep and meditate. I used to have debilitating ones that sent me to the hospital and made my arms turn blue and cramp in to claws. I don’t recommend the miracle pills out there because they aren’t really miracle pills. Honestly I don’t want to put things in my body that could cause serious side effects. Have you wondered why all of a sudden people seem to be having these? 50 years ago you didn’t hear about this I tried researching it. It’s the way we are as a society. The majority of us eat crap food from cans and boxes that has tons of sugar, preservatives and sodium in it. Then we sit around playing on the computer (or working in a tiny cubical) video games, texting, watching TV- literally most of our lives are spent looking at some sort of screen or another. We don’t get out and exercise because of this which is imperative for healthy hormones and endorphin release. So it all builds up and the endorphins release at the most inconvenient time – which creates adrenaline and makes you feel like you are going to have a heart attack and get sick. Get out and exercise and live a balanced life – it is the only real cure. Medicine may help mask the symptoms but truly we need to take better care of our selves.
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Comment from Matthew
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Usally you will get them if your stressed out or Anxious or even at night if your body is to hot At night try to use a lighter blanket or dont use one at all.
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