Panic Attacks & Anxiety Attacks

LegacyUser

I am male 35 year old. I drank and smoke and gave them up a few years ago. I went cold turkey to give them up. I am slighly overweight but am now eating better and weight starting to come off.

I have no interest in attending gp or taken any medicine. I am looking for people personal experience with dealing with slight panic attacks and anxiety attacks.

The area i get effected some times is at events such as seated concerts or upper circle seats etc . Out of no where i feel a sense of panic and need to get out of venue. It puts me off going to any events/concerts

Other situation I feel it is driving on motorway odd time, It comes out of no where, no reason, like I am out of control, normally i pull in for a few minutes and them drive again.
Has anyone treated themselves naturally for panic attacks ie what did you do? Do you have a way of dealing ith them.

I had a slight one abroad over weekend, with into venue set down but left before concert started, I left venue and went back to hotel to bed to fight attack. I am slightly pissed off with myself as I dont know the reason why they are happening.

Thank in advance for any help

Hank_Jones

My advice to you would be to eat properly and to exercise regularly.
I know it sounds like a bit of a cliche but it will certainly go some ways to making you feel better.
I smoked and drank heavily for years, then gave up the drink and cigarettes for a year and now only very occasionally would I ever drink or smoke.

I certainly think that getting myself fit and watching what I eat has changed the way I am and made a lot less self concious.

Good luck with everything.

LegacyUser

Hi Op. I too am in the same boat and dont want medication either but would like a natural alternative.Theyre incredibly annoying as like u they come out of nowhere and is preventing me doing some things socially. I cant afford cbt and am nervous about going to a GP. In my head i try to rationalise everythng but this overwhelming anxiety just takes over.

Even simple things like the cinema (enclosed place) have started creeping into my mind and meetings in work.Help..i really dont want this to spiral out of control.

Miss Fluff

Go to your GP and discuss betablockers. They are an excellent treatment for anxiety as they slow down a rapid heartbeat which in turn gets rid of all other symptoms associated with anxiety. The beauty is that these are not addictive and can merely be taken if you feel an attack coming on. Go to your GP.

gilmour

Try meditation, however its not a quick fix, but the results are great

Denimgirl

Yeah meditiaqtion is great or the book men who worry also a book for woman who worry too much the (title) its great too, some great techniques in it to snap yourself out of it when you feel these feelings creep up on you.I got over my fear of flying myself the mind is very complex and powerful and when you learn to control it you can overcome every fear/phobia.Good Luck

LegacyUser

Hi waterbutter, I have had a lot of experience with anxiety and panic attacks, I went through a pretty rough patch a couple of years ago which developed into a full blown panic disorder, but I'm happy to say that I pulled through it and haven't had a panic or anxiety attack in several years. I recovered through natural methods so perhaps what I've learned will be of some use to you.

My first piece of advice is to go visit your doctor, but I'd be wary of anyone who decides to put you on medication straight away. Instead I think you should talk to them about going to see a psychotherapist or a cognitive behaviour (CBT) specialist. I think CBT would be down your alley as it sounds like you have anxiety just about particular situations, it can help you to reprogramme the negative thought cycles and overcome the panic. Personally I went to see a psychotherapist roughly once a week for over a year and it really helped hugely. I also went for a couple of sessions of neurolinguistic programming (NLP) which were also extremely helpful. Your doctor will understand and should help you figure out the best way forward to suit you personally, don't be afraid to ask for their help.

The key thing I learned that helped me to recover was how important stable blood sugars are to good mental health. It's not very well known but often the culprit source of panic attacks can be something as simple as a blood sugar low. When your blood sugars dip too low your body has to essentially provide fuel for itself and relases a bunch of chemicals which can send some of us into a panic attack giving us that 'fight or flight' feeling.

For example I learned that when I don't eat regularly, or have too much sugar/alcohol, my blood sugar dips too low and I get heart palpitations. But before I knew about the whole blood sugar thing I would just randomly feel my heart pounding for absolutely no reason at all as far as I knew. This triggered feelings of worry and panic, thinking there was something terribly wrong with me and things would progressivly get worse until I was in an awful state and felt like I couldn't breathe properly. Eventually I'd stop panicking but would be left feeling exhausted for days. Of course now when it happens I know exactly whats going on and just get something to eat instead of worrying about it. And I do my best to make sure I don't get blood sugar lows!

You may want to look into this as it's possible that at times like when you were in your car in a panic you were simply in need of something to eat. There is a really great book you can pick up that will teach you about it in an easy to read way called 'Optimum Nutrition for the Mind' by Patrick Holford. It will teach you the basics of eating to keep your blood sugars and mental health more stable. It's pretty easy really, all you have to do is never skip meals, eat regularly, avoid excess sugar and caffeine and eat foods that will take longer to burn up in your body which will keep your blood sugars happy and in turn keep your nervous system relaxed and chilled out.

Don't dismiss the food/blood sugar thing too lightly, some people don't want to have to change their diet habits a bit, but from my point of view it was completely worth it as I was about to be hospitalised and put on anti anxiety medication.

Sometimes the memory of a previous panic attack is enough to send us into another one - what I mean is that it's possible you had a panic attack once while at a concert, so now you associate gigs with that feeling of fear and unknowingly think yourself into an anxious state. CBT or NLP will really help you with this.

The combination of looking after both mind and body is a powerful way to help yourself. If you're wary about doing any of this stuff then just remember that it's important to reach out for the help you need and to help yourself where you can, otherwise nothing will ever change. My NLP therapist told me that 'if you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got'! which sounds a bit mad, but it makes perfect sense.

A couple of other things that may help you along the way:

Pick up a Vitamin B Complex with Magnesium - when stressed the body uses up the B vitamins quickly, they are essential to a happy nervous system and therefore good mental health, so when you're feeling rough take a supplement (be aware it will turn your pee bright yellow, so don't freak out!). Make sure it's compatible with anything else you might be taking.

Exercise is amazing for anxiety, it will help your body create hormones that make you feel good naturally.

Never ever skip meals, especially breakfast.

Avoid drinking caffeine, alcohol (you're off it anyway right?) or sugary drinks like coke. They're all stimulants and will put you on edge rather than helping you relax and they can add to blood sugar problems.

Avoid junk food and too much sugar. Eat more complex carbohydrates like brown bread instead of white.

Meditation as others have suggested will help you learn to relax, yoga would be fantastic.

If you're a smoker then consider giving it up, nicotine again is a stimulant. The same goes for marijuana, despite what people will tell you it won't help you to relax but is known to compound anxiety problems.

It can help to carry food with you that you can take if you're feeling panic coming on. Banana's are great, they will supply you with a good sugar boost quickly. If you find yourself beginning to panic then stop for a moment and focus on your breath, breathe in and out deeply and slowly. Take a long drink of water. I know it sounds bizarre but sometimes jumping jacks or running on the spot can help. I found that distraction was often helpful, if you can make the people you're with aware that you're feeling a bit on edge and get them to help you take your mind off it. If you're in the car on your own turn on the radio and sing along with the tunes. Try not to dwell on the panic feelings or sensations in your body, I know it's hard.

There is a great book you can pick up called When Panic Attacks by Aine Tubridy. Educating yourself on what happens physically and mentally when you're having an attack can be extremely helpful in talking yourself back out of the panic.

I hope this helps & that you manage to pull through this, it takes hard work sometimes but it's worth it

krudler

This is something I've been talking with my doctor about recently, my dad gets them and I think I have them as well, the blood sugar thing makes complete sense to me, as if I go a long time without eating or if I'm very tired I feel spacy and get sudden jolts of panic , ever get that feeling when you doze off on a chair for second then suddenly snap awake and your heart feels like its been jumpstarted? think of that but completely out of the blue.
I got it very badly at the cinema one night, its hard to describe but its like that feeling of falling you get in bad dreams, your stomach lurches, your heart starts racing and you feel dizzy.
Often I've gotten it on nights out, particularly if I stand in one spot for a long time, you know how busy bars can get, it feels like if I take a step to move I'll faint, and the more I think about it the worse it gets. Anywhere where I cant leave it happens sometimes, sitting in traffic, standing in line at a supermarket, and even the densist chair the last time I was getting a checkup, I know nothing bad is going to happen but its just a wave of panic and it gets worse unless I can get some fresh air, walk around for bit or just talk to someone until it goes away, I had a blood test done this morning actually, it might give me some answers.

During it occurring I can feel myself tense up in my shoulders and even my toes, clenching them together, which is ironic considering I'm training to be a massage therapist and trying to help other people relax!

shelly1234

Hi Guys... i was starting to think i was crazy!!! got my first panic attack about 4 years ago...was sitting in traffic extremely hungover and all of a sudden i had thr most bizarre overwhelming feeling that i just wanted to get out of the car, leave it there and run!!!! it scared the living daylights out of me!!!! they started happening more regularly then esspecially when i was hungover!!! its the strangest feeling its even hard to describe but i too get them in the cinema, at restaurants, dentist, hairdressers (when i have a full head of highlight packets in my hair! and planes (worst ever!) and anywhere it would be embarressing to get them!!! its a horrendous condition but i have definatly stopped drinking as the day after i cant even leave the house for fear it will happen and u can be sure it will! they seem to have lessened a great deal though, maybe thats to do with stopping drinking who knows and when they do occur now i just think to myself "look, your not gonna die and you will get over this and breathe deeply, i always bring a litre bottle of water with me also anywhere i go because i find if an attack comes on i just take deep breaths and drink water and they seem to not be as intense! hope you find a way to cure this as its a horrendous thing to happen!

LegacyUser

Shelly it might make you feel better to know that you're definitely not alone, especially with regard to having panic attacks the day after drinking.

Again with alcohol it comes down to a blood sugar thing. Alcohol acts like liquid sugar in the body and will send your blood sugars soaring, the resulting low is often enough to send people into a panic attack and many people suffer from this the day after a night out. Some people feel really low and depressed, others reach a state of anxiety and/or panic.

If you've found alcohol does this to you then it's great that you've cut down on it as it will really help! Another thing to keep in mind after you've been drinking is to make sure to eat properly the next day, don't skip out on breakfast and if you find a panic coming on eat something like a banana and it will help you feel better.

Again taking a Vitamin B complex will help too as alcohol strips the body of these vitamins and replacing them will calm your nervous system. Drinking lots of water too is a great idea as it will help with rehydrating your system!

With all this in mind you can drink responsibly with the knowledge that if you just look after yourself properly the next day and don't overdo it on the drink you'll be just fine

G-Money

I think I get something like this myself. All of a sudden I can start to get very fidgety and uncomfortable. It usually starts when I think about feeling that way, then it just seems to start. Any little twinge or pain I get, I suddenly get very uncomfortable. I noticed if I keep myself really busy and thinking about other things, it doesn't happen so much. It's usually when I'm at work and I'm not busy and I get nervous and fidgety.

The same thing happened at my friends wedding a couple of weeks ago. We were half way through the dinner and I started to feel uncomfortable. I noticed this thing a few months ago where I was drinking something and for some reason I wasn't ready to swallow it but it caught me out of the blue and I felt like I was going to choke/couldn't breathe. Ever since then I've been super conscious about it and the more I think about it, the worse it gets. So naturally I was doing grand at this wedding and then started to think about this and sure enough I can feel my throat tightening up and feeling uncomfortable.

I managed to get through the dinner and had to go outside and once I did, I felt much better.

I'm trying to figure out if there's a way I can stop this from happening. Like if I can identify the trigger, perhaps I can avoid it.

Drops of Jupiter

Wow there is some really good advice in the thread especially the really long post - can't remember who posted it.

I too experience anxiety from time to time and agree with lots of the stuff that's been already said.

I think some people are generally more prone to anxiety than others and there does seem to be a genetic component. In my case my mother was quite anxious and I remember picking that up as a child though not really understanding what it was.

I agree fully with the fact the steady blood sugar levels are essential. If I am hungry or haven't eaten in a few hours I start to feel very anxious. The same goes for sleep. I used to pull all nighters when I was studying etc and one time I went to an exam after no sleep - got totally overwhelmed with anxiety. If I don't sleep well I notice I am much more on edge the next day.

Alcohol is a real no no for me now also. I do drink but not to excess anymore. Just find I am a ball of nerves after a night drinking and it's just not worth the pain. I also notice that I much more edgy right before my period.

Once you have had some form of anxiety or a panic attack, you fear another attack coming on so become hypervigilant to bodily sensations. For example grand master you mentioned a choking sensation which scared you so now you are on "high alert" for signs that another attack is imminent. You might be more aware when drinking and looking for any signs. This keeps the whole cycle going. Fear of another attack, leads to hypervigilance, leads to misinterpreting signs, leads to panic.

Once thing I have learned is acceptance and that has been really helpful. Anxiety =fear and when we experience anxiety we try to avoid it. Just by simply saying to myself "I am feeling a bit anxious stayed up too late last night/didn't have breakfast etc but it's just anxiety and it will pass" This has helped me no end. Sounds simplistic but it helped me.

I accept that I am feeling anxious and then try and ground myself. I ground myself basically by taking a few breaths (we tend to shallow breath when anxious which makes it worse) and notice what is going on in my body. I notice that when I do this I usually have my shoulders hunched up and am holding my body in a very tense state. I would not even be aware of this without bringing my attention to it. Simply relaxing my shoulders can bring instant relief.

I mentioned to a therapist friend of mine about how anxiety can appear to come out of the blue and he disagreed with that. He claims that it may appear like that but in reality there is something else going on unconsciously or below the surface. He claims that often anxiety is to do with unexpressed emtions particulary anger and sometimes sadness.

Anyway it seems like there are loads of views on it. I guess finding what works/helps you is the key - everyone is different. Also, I read somewhere that 40% of people presenting for psychological help is due to anxiety related issues so we are not alone!

It's great the people are talking about this - really nothing to be ashamed of -but anxiety can really impact your quality of life.

Thanks to others for their good advice and best of luck to everyone. Sorry this post is not that articulate but I am rushing. Hope it made some sense.