Panic Attacks - Questions for those in the know

koq

Hello,

First off, this is my first post, so i'm sorry if i have posted this in the wrong section, Mods please feel free to move to the right place if needs be!

I have suffered from panic attacks for a few years, when they first start happening i didn't know what they were so i didnt develope any fear of the situation/place i was in at the time (ie. emotionial strain/crowed buliding) But over a year ago they got way worse, they could happen in shopping centres, cinemas, pubs.. anywhere, even when getting a haircut!

I went to see my GP and he put me onto panic attack meds- Lexapro 10mg daily, the attacks went away but the side effects were crazy, serious weight gain was the main one, i came off the meds after 6months and then i was fine, i also went to talk to a therapist which also helped and i learned more about how to breathe more freely when an attack is coming. After that i never really thought about the attacks the way i used to, until one morning a crowded train i had one + had to get off at the next stop, now i can have an attack 5 or 6 times a week, the only plus is that i now can tell if one is coming and get away from the cause.

I will go back to my GP but i'm not keen on going back on the same medication again, does anyone know of any other meds that have worked for you or someone you know without the bad side effects?

I was also reading about Cognitive therapy and i am looking into it some more to see if it can help.

Also, a friend gave me a brochure from a hypnotist and it says that he can cure panic attacks within 4 sessions.

If anyone has any advice or contacts please let me know, these attacks are taking over my life

Koq

The Black Oil

http://www.oneinfour.org/support/panicattack/

koq

The Black Oil wrote: »

http://www.oneinfour.org/support/panicattack/

Thanks for the reply, a lot of the things mentioned there i have already tried, depending on the situation they can work but in some cases they don't.

I forgot to mention in the first post, if the panic attack runs its full course i pass out at the end

Gibs

Go see a psychologist or therapist skilled in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

Ask your GP for recommendations. If he/she doesn't know anyone, try the PSI website in order to find a therapist.

You could also try the BABCP website for a recommendation.

In general, if you do see someone, ask them what model they use to treat the kind of things you are experiencing. If they haven't heard of Barlow and Craske, you should probably be wary.

You haven't provided enough information to offer specific suggestions, and the charter of this forum doesn't permit specific advice at a personal level.

If you can't find/afford/commit to going to a therapist, there are lots of books out there. Again without specific information, the best bet overall is probably this one or you could also try this one, which is written by two of the pioneers who have shaped the whole field of CBT treatments for anxiety disorders.

cathy01

what about NLP....just a thought,
cathy

DrIndy

this is a good thread for long term illness.....

Santa Claus

I suffered from panic attacks for many years and was also on lexapro. I tried hypnosis, NLP, CBT, counselling, reiki, (pretty much anything out there I tried) and found CBT the best really.

The meds served a purpose for me in that they helped me undertake the CBT work I needed to do so for me any side effects were worth it (I ran a lot so that counter acted the weight gain).

Only problem with CBT is that the waiting time even for private therapists is about 6 months at the moment, but there are some good books out there (this book was recommended to me by the guy I did CBT with and I found it very helpful)

koq

Thanks for all the replies, sorry if it seemed rude not replying to my thread but my net is down at home so i have to use work PC + there's plenty in here who love to look over your shoulder for a nose! :rolleyes:

I have been looking up some info on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy + i hope to see someone with knowledge in that area soon, I have some contact info from someone that has had Hypnosis + appartently it worked good, so i'm also considering that.

I will update the thread with any progress i make

Thanks!
Koq

JuliusCaesar

Santa Claus wrote: »

Only problem with CBT is that the waiting time even for private therapists is about 6 months at the moment, but there are some good books out there

Depends whereabouts you are - many are much shorter.

Another reputable website, apart from babcp.com, for mostly HSE CBT therapists ie mostly free of charge, but some do private work: psychotherapy-ireland.com (Irish Council for Psychotherapy) CBT Section

Do check out any therapists qualifications!! Since CBT became generally known to the public, there are a lot of counsellors who've done a weekend course calling themselves CBT therapists.

Gegerty

I have suffered on and off from panic attacks for many years now. At one point I thought I was cured, but a bereavement set it off again I now consider myself almost cured, in that I only get it for public speaking, by that I mean a crowd of people greater than 2 (ranging from speaking at a dinner table to the mother of all panics speaking in a meeting :eek:)! These are situations I just plain ignore. Yes and no answers are all you will get from me and frequent trips to the bathroom when I feel them coming on. Luckily my job does not involve many meetings.

To answer your question, I did not take any medication or seek and professional help at all. I got through it by exercising regularly and sorting out the problems in my life. A fit body really is a fit mind (related to endorphins?). I ditched my loser friends, moved out of my dysfunctional home, changed jobs and stopped smoking hash (which I acheived by ditching my loser friends :-)) It was tough but my life is good now, my mind and body are fit and in most cases I have no need to panic.

nesf

I suffered from panic attacks regularly for years until the root cause of my anxiety was treated (bipolar in my case was the culprit, the anxiety could be thought of as an epiphenomenon of it).

I had loads of "get me through it" tricks for dealing with anxiety but honestly, dealing with the source is a more effective tactic I think. CBD and other forms of psychotherapy is a great place to start looking for an answer and many people find it works great for them. Personally, no amount of "talking therapy" I tried helped much. If you find, after trying several therapists who use different models of treatment, then an appointment with a psychiatrist might be a good next step but I wouldn't give on CBD etc too quickly.