Panic Attacks & Anxiety

Anthony_1980

well i have these 9 years and it restricts where i go etc

even city centre is a struggle for me

anyway my question is

NLP is meant to be a new therapy to help get rid of phobias etc ( paul Mc kenna ) uses this technique and its supposed to be the best ways to re-traine ur mind to thinking in diff ways

has anybody used this ?? or no anybody who is v good at getting rid of panic attacks

no smart arses thanks

KilbarrackBlows

Hi
I suffer with panic attacks for the past 3 years or longer even.
I tried almost everything like yourself going into town was a major problem for me and public place's.

So now anyway i tried some hypnotherapy stuff once it helped actualy i just couldnt afford it.But never the less you shold ask your gp i was put on a lot of diffrent meds from zanex to other things but i was put on this stuff called lexapro and its amazing after 2 or 3 weeks of taken it my panic attacks are practicly gone, i still havent gone to a public place like a pub or club since i started having them tho.

Anyway i just seen your post and thought id tell you about that lexapro i wish i was told about it sooner.

Marksie

I would just like to point out that you should go to your GP and ask his advice as regards medication and the like.

Anthony_1980

hey i was on lexapro 20mg for months and did f all and xanex , effexor and others etc

tablets only mask the problem and i want to find a way to deal with em and go and do things i used to do

dudara

I would elaborate on what Marksie said, and suggest that you visit your GP with the aim of seeking a referral to a professional counselor.

Alternatively, have a look through the forum charter sticky at the top of the thread list - there are useful links in there.

red_ice

I've told my story many a time with panic attacks. from personal experience, the best way to combat panic attacks is to face what ever it is that causes them. Mine grew to the point where i was getting scared going into town and drinking in pubs. When i felt it grow i told myself i wouldnt let it, so i faced it head on. With help from my friends (who knew about this), i got through it. Distract yourself from what ever it is that causes it.

Now i feel it come on, but it never gets the best of me.. i would get that horrible stomach feeling, and the knott in my throat, but it never goes to far as to make me break down. I like to think i have it under control now

Luckyduck

Hey Anthony1980
I have panic attacks for the past 15 years..but rarely get one now only when stressed or maybe after drink and when I have a had a few words with someone (hate rows)!
So I try to have a healthy diet-plenty of water, fruit, veg..eat regularly as it balances your sugar levels. I drink no tea or coffee and eat little foods high in colours. I drink very little and say away from it when I am feeling bad. I exercise regularly and keep myself busy. I flew last year for the 1st time in 10years.
I have never taken medication but did use <snip>not available for sale in ROI</snip> for a short time(sorry not trying to advise as I am not a doctor) as it has no side effects. I have read loads of books on it and I think the more I know the less I worry about things. Aine Turbidy has a great book, can't think of the title but google it and also there is a cd with it which is helpful. I'd be a pretty active person, play a lot of sports and I think it helped me as I met loads of people and forgot myself.
Tried Hyponotherapy, Reflexology, Acupunture, Yoga, NLP went to see a psychiatrist (can't spell!)....found Yoga and there is a therapy kind of like NLP its called cognitive behavioural therpy and both of these are the most useful.
You just have to convience yourself that nothing will happen that its all just feelings and also I say to myself sure I will get anxious tomorrow instead of today...
Its hard some days but it is managable. I think some people are pre dispositioned towards having anxiety etc. Thats my experience anyway

red_ice

dont use drugs to get past a panic attack. Its mind over matter.

Ekancone

Anthony_1980 wrote:

hey i was on lexapro 20mg for months and did f all and xanex , effexor and others etc

tablets only mask the problem and i want to find a way to deal with em and go and do things i used to do

No more so than medication 'masks' diabeties or epilepsy (spelling, i know). Sometimes these psychological problems are embedded and cannot be reversed and medication can be the only solution. However im not a GP so i would always follow my doctors advice instead of some boards poster. :cool:

red_ice

daithifleming wrote:

Sometimes these psychological problems are embedded and cannot be reversed and medication can be the only solution.

With panic attacks this is not true imo. Your mentality and way of thinking is what gets you through a panic attack. suffering with panic attacks does get embedded, because it becomes routine, when you feel one coming on you just give in and brace yourself. Its like your in a plane thats about to crash, so you just sit and wait for it to come on, which is not the case with panic attacks because theres nothing to be worried about. Its up to that person to decide when to kick it, and the only way to do it is to not let the panic attack get the better of you. I welcome panic attacks now, and i get a sick pleasure now trying to bring them on, simply because its not a challenge to kick them anymore. Im not being cocky, but its a matter of knowing that there is nothing wrong with you, and knowing that you dont have to go through this if you dont want to - i found the first stages of kicking the attack were accepting them, assessing them, then facing them. I laugh them off now, and i had severe ones.

daithifleming wrote:

However im not a GP so i would always follow my doctors advice instead of some boards poster. :cool:

always good advice right there. Any GP will tell you that its down to breathing and staying calm. Which is all you have to do. One of the things I found was that the panic attacks resembled butterflies in my stomach, the type of feeling that you get if you were to give a presentation or something. When ever i got that feeling i had a panic attack simply because thats what i associated them with. Now i can tell the difference. thats only one of the things that would bring on my attacks, there is a big list.

Its all down to mind over matter. And drugs will not mask what ever it is you are thinking, they will how ever make you feel relaxed and tired, and with relaxation comes slower more controlled breathing. With the right mental training you can make yourself relaxed. I learned this through a meditation CD. Im very strong minded and dont believe in using CD's, i couldnt see how they would help. Its not a case of listening to it and your panic attack is gone, you listen to it and learn how to relax and so on. I didnt believe in the CDs and what not, but they do work (im stubborn), you just dont realise that they are working.

KilbarrackBlows

Well i would agree with panic attacks it is a mind over matter problem it takes a long time to learn how to cope with them i found personaly for me the small dose of lexapro 5mg helped me cope with the anxiety i didnt want to be doped out of my head i dont even need medication anymore.
(by the way not saying you shold take medication just saying it worked for me)

There is no quick fix for anxiety problems i found myself that the more i put myself in a situation i would have had a panic attack in the less and less likely it was i had a panic attack there again .You need to break your comfort zone just go outside your regular area that you feel safe in and keep doing it till your not botherd anymore about going to a area or place you normaly would avoid, and one thing someone said to me once really helped.
I was in the city center and having a hard time and someone said to me

"you know all these people dont give a $^%$ who you are or what your doing they probaly wouldnt even notice you having a panic attack."

Sounds kinda rude but it made me realise i was to self concious about having a panic attack around people more than i was worried about having an actual panic attack . And once you get over that problem hopefully they wont hinder your life anymore i know it isnt stoping me now.

Terry

Just remember that a panic attack cannot kill you.
Nothing is going to happen you.

Don't rule out therapy. It can help and has helped plenty of people in the past.

Follow your GP's advice to the letter.

Lay off the drink too.
It only makes things worse.

Also, talk to your friends and family.
I found that one of the hardest parts of being in a state of panic is the embarassment you feel.
If you tell people what is wrong with you, the embarassment factor is significantly reduced.

stolenwine

LuckyDuck did acupuncture work? I was thinking about going to reduce stress?

ando

Lay off the coffee, lay off any stimulant drinks they don’t help in the slightest and get aerobic exercise! I wholeheartly recommend the following book,

The Anxiety and Phobia workbook by Edmund J Bourne

I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s helped me through some tough times in the past. Its self help and it works if you want to try and it try’s to get to the cause of the problem instead of masking it with drugs. Although my own personal issues were more anxiety than panic attacks but I still had panic attacks, the book deals with it all in detail. Best 20 odd quid I've ever spent

red_ice

Terry wrote:

Lay off the drink too.
It only makes things worse.

Dont take that advice. But again as i said to you in the pm, dont make it a crutch. Red wine is very good for calming. Infact its really the drink that made me get on the mend with regards to my panic attacks. Id have a glass every day or two. Sip it, dont knock it back. Id have a glass of red aswell before i went on a night out.

ando wrote:

Lay off the coffee, lay off any stimulant drinks they don’t help in the slightest and get aerobic exercise!

Yea, coffee, tea, coke etc get you very hyped up. This ups the blood pressure (compared to drugs/red wine lowering it). I took up football when i was coming to terms with kicking the panic attacks. Rapid heart beats/palpitations (i smoke) were another attack association that i had, so i had to come to terms with understanding that doing sport isnt a setup for a panic attack.

Its all about association! Mind over matter

Judes

I agree with Marksie and Dudara - this is one for your GP. I was getting a bit like that a few years ago before I left London - constant palpitations, sweats, had to keep jumping off the tube on route, just so I could breathe, as I felt trapped and very panicky! BUT - it turned out that I had a thyroid disorder and was totally hyperactive which makes you feel this way. Hence, always see your GP first - to get other things checked out - it may not be a state of mind - but a state of physical health/hormone levels etc. a million different things can bring it on. Best of Luck. J