Panic disorder

LegacyUser

Hi guys,

I've suffered in silence for the past 10 years from constant anxiety & also severe panic attacks in social situations.
I've never taken medication for it because from what I've read there's no miracle cure & the side effects can be quite bad.
But I've now reached the point where I feel I need to try medication because this has taken total control of my life.
I find myself avoiding social situations which I logically know can cause me no harm but I can't control the physical effects of the anxiety.
The anxiety is preventing me from being the real me & has made me look like a complete lunatic in front of other people in my life at times.
I'm visting my GP tomorrow to discuss the situation but what I want to know is whether medication can ease the anxiety to some degree? Even a 50% reduction in how I feel would make a huge difference to my life!

Advice would be appreciated!

Sardonicat

Hi OP

Sorry for what you are going through. I can relate a little (esp the looking like a nutter thing:(.) I can get anxious in certan situations and know how crippling it can be. It must be awful for you to struggle with it long term.

Well done on taking the step to see your GP. I'm not a professional so can't give you any professional advice, but, from my expereince (both myself and others) there are some meds that can help. I've never taken meds myself but have seen others benfit hugely in the SHORT TERM from them.

Best thing is to be open with your GP and let him/her make a diagnosis first off.If meds are proposed ask loads of questions about what they are, why those meds, how long for etc.

I believe that some behaviour/thinking techniques work excellently for anxiety and panic attacks. Have used these myself in the past. Do ask about this and the possibility of a referral to a proffesional who can help you learn these.

Best of luck to you. Let this be the start of a new begining!

Johnny Bitte

Hi mate,
I've had panic attacks and anxiety for 10 years now myself.

I m not sure who you talked to about the meds and side effects but I ve taken various meds over the years and the relief for the pain was life changing.
I ve only ever experienced side effects when coming off them to see how I could cope.
Currently on Lyrica which dulls the nervous system so the anxiety is dulled down. Works a treat.

I have had hypnotherapy which was an amazing short term fix but because the under lying problem was still there they came back.

The worst thing is 10 years ago my GP suggested therapy and I just ignored him. After a year of therapy I have to say it was worth it. Hopefully with a bit more time i ll be able to cope a lot better. I suffer from Cleithrophobia (fear of being trapped) which cause the panic attacks. If you dont find the cause you'll just be treating the symptoms.

Whatever you do, get help. I ignored it every time the pressure eased and went from not being able to take buses to barely being able to leave the house.

George Orwell 1982

username****** wrote: »

Hi guys,

I've suffered in silence for the past 10 years from constant anxiety & also severe panic attacks in social situations.
I've never taken medication for it because from what I've read there's no miracle cure & the side effects can be quite bad.
But I've now reached the point where I feel I need to try medication because this has taken total control of my life.
I find myself avoiding social situations which I logically know can cause me no harm but I can't control the physical effects of the anxiety.
The anxiety is preventing me from being the real me & has made me look like a complete lunatic in front of other people in my life at times.
I'm visting my GP tomorrow to discuss the situation but what I want to know is whether medication can ease the anxiety to some degree? Even a 50% reduction in how I feel would make a huge difference to my life!

Advice would be appreciated!

Talk to your GP about cognitive behavioural psychotherapy.

Novella

I have panic attacks quite a lot, and while I take medication for depression and bi-polar and these probably do help, I really think the best thing for panic attacks is a change in behaviour. What causes you to panic, and why? Generally, when we have panic attacks we are in no real danger, it's just something going on in the mind and this thought process can be changed.
Perhaps you should look into some kind of therapy before medication? Then again, I'm not a professional. That's just from my own personal experience. Definitely do talk to your GP about all avenues.

LegacyUser

Thanks for the replies guys!


Sardonicat: "I believe that some behaviour/thinking techniques work excellently for anxiety and panic attacks"

Yeah I bought a book called the Linden Method which covers these techniques & it does help my general axiety. But when a real Panic attack sets in I just can't control it using these techniques. It's too powerful to control!



The_goose135: "I ve taken various meds over the years and the relief for the pain was life changing"

I hope I can say the same thing in the near future. Hopefully I'll have a similarily positive reaction to medication!


The_goose135: "I have had hypnotherapy which was an amazing short term fix but because the under lying problem was still there they came back"

I've tried hypnotherapy but it didn't prove very successful in helping with my anxiety.


George Orwell 1982: "Talk to your GP about cognitive behavioural psychotherapy"

Will do, thanks for the suggestion!

LegacyUser

Novella: "I really think the best thing for panic attacks is a change in behaviour. What causes you to panic, and why? Generally, when we have panic attacks we are in no real danger, it's just something going on in the mind and this thought process can be changed"

Thanks for the response!

I agree with what your saying about panic attacks but I also suffer with general anxiety & feel medication may be the only way to help with this.
I also think that if I can ease my general axiety that it will help with the panic attacks as their connected.
I'm always anxious! My chest/back always feels tight, heart is always pounding, head feels like a pressure cooker etc.
If I can ease the general anxiety in any way it will significantly improve my quality of life!

Cushla

There's a really good author Dr. Claire Weekes. My friend gave me one of her books~don't be put off by the title, I found it brilliant. More help from your nerves. She has other books too, & is available on amazon. She writes very naturally & kinda teaches u not to fear the panic & how to live with it. I also found alternative healing,that works on energy brilliant.Reiki or aura clearing. I've had a number of panic free years which was brilliant,recently it has started again but I know my personal life is under huge stress at the moment so I'm hoping things settle down when I get things under control. I've kept doing the alternative medicine stuff coz I found a brilliant practitioner, so that's helped keep me so good I reckon. I attended a psychiatrist for about a year that time & took anti-depressents for anxiety. Have to same I didn't find either much good. I actually got more benefit from rescue remedy.
Its good to see people talking about this stuff & that its becoming less of a taboo subject. Best of luck with everything..

LegacyUser

Hi, I was wondering if anyone on here could give me some tips or advice. Basically, my husband has been suffering from panic attacks in recent months. They began as a result of an injury to his arm which led him to believe he was having a heart attack at the time. He went to the doctor to deal with the arm injury and was sent for xrays and a scan which turned up nothing. For the next few months he suffered with panic attacks on and off until I got him to go to the doctor again. Doctor had full trace on his heart done and a full panel of bloods which all came back normal, and put him on the list for physio for his arm, and CBT for his panic attacks.
He's been called for physio and has had a couple of sessions and his therapist has said he thinks he has suffered nerve damage that may not ever get fully better. He also has a back problem that he is working on. We are still waiting for an appointment for the CBT.
In the last few days, he has been feeling increasingly uneasy walking home from work due to the dark evenings. I think it may be related to the panic attacks and the injury as the injury occured on a dark evening away from home. He said he feels very uneasy and that the dark evenings have him feeling disorientated and queasy.
I'm really worried about him, and I was hoping someone going through a similar situation may be able to help. I'm not looking for medical advice as he has been to doctors and physio. I'm just looking for ways to try and help him feel more relaxed and less uncomfortable. Who knows how long we'll have to wait for a CBT appointment with the way things are going in this country...
I'm really sorry this is so long but I'm just so frustrated and upset for him. Its so hard to see him so vulnerable. Any advise would be so great. Thanks

Dizzyblonde

Hi, I have no experience of panic attacks but what you posted about the dark making your husband feel disoriented and queasy rang a bell for me. I have an inner ear disorder and am in touch with others who have various balance problems (see my signature), and walking in the dark can make a lot of people disorientated and queasy. Often people feel anxious and even panicky in crowded places, dark places, standing in a queue etc and don't realise that it's a feeling of false motion or disequilibrium that's behind it.
I'm not saying that this is the case with your husband, only that it might be worth looking into.
There's a very good book available on Amazon called Hypreventilation Syndrome by Dinah Bradley that explains how we overbreathe when we feel anxious, and it teaches proper breathing techniques. It can really help someone to deal with anxiety.

LegacyUser

Thanks for that Dizzyblonde, I'll definitely look in to getting that book for him. I've never known him to suffer with ear problems, even as a child, but it may well be a factor. Have you always had inner ear problems or was it something that happened you during your life? Its just it seemed linked to the panic attacks in the sense that its never happened to him before and that it all kicked off due to an injury sustained at night. But it may well be two separate things. Like always, we tend to put things together and come up with an answer that may well be very wrong. I really appreciate your reply though, so thank you.
Does anyone have any experiences they can share with regard to dealing with panic attacks that maybe I could use to help him. I really feel so useless not knowing what to do or say, and the CBT waiting list is probably massive

Dizzyblonde

My balance problem was caused by a virus which damaged my inner ear and my brain failed to fully compensate, but there can be many causes. It's nothing to do with earache and that sort of ear trouble. It might not be anything to do with your husband's problems, I just mentioned it in case.

I hope your husband doesn't have to wait long for CBT - in the meantime there's a CBT website that I've seen recommended by others. As far as I know it's free to join but you have to register. It's a UK site and is supported by the NHS. It might help him until he gets to see a CBT therapist:

http://www.livinglifetothefull.co.uk/

LegacyUser

I'll give that website a look, thanks again Dizzyblonde. Any little thing I can do to try and help him is a big bonus in my books, so thanks!

Ammsy500

Hope I can give you some tips and advice since I suffer with panic attacks and anxiety myself. I can understand how hard this can be for the two of you as it can be very confusing for the both of you when it first happens. I can imagine this is very distressing for your husband as when we our anxious the symptoms can seem very real, our mind likes to play tricks on us like that

You say he has been feeling uneasy when walking home on the dark evenings and this is when his injury first occured. Well basicaly it all comes down to the flight or fight response its what anxiety really is. As you said he felt he was having a heart attack well this was really his adreniline running high in this body making him ready to run or fight the situation just like back when we were cavemen. When this response happens sometimes we get flustered and our breathing gets shallow whatever the symptoms may be we start to panic we feel like we our going crazy especially when we dont understand it. Now everytime he is walking home in the same situation his mind is remembering what happened and is telling him to fight the situation and thats why he is feeling disorientated. Just accepting the anxiety is better than trying to ignore it.

What would help you now while he is waiting for the cbt is to research the fight or flight response to our bodies I learnt all about this and felt so much better just understanding what was happening in my body and mind when I felt anxious. I did CBt and I have to say I found it great it really helps but things into perspective sometimes when your dealing with anxiety you feel like your going crazy but they help you understand its just a response that will always pass. Tell him that the anxiety will always pass it will not kill you :cool:. Just learning how to breathe properly is a great tool for anxiety just taking a moment and taking a deep breath in through your nose until you feel it fill your belly and than slowly out through your mouth this will calm the breathing down.

I know with cbt its all about facing your fears what scares you about your anxiety. It may sound scary at first but its all about understanding that your worst fear NEVER happens. A tip would be since he is finding it hard walking home from work at night why not try going for a short walk when he gets home every night like a 5 minute walk. What this will do it will help him understand theres nothing to be scared of his mind will learn that its not the night or the walk from work he is scared of its the panic attack. He will soon start to feel comfortable walking at night time again.

Also if you would like to pm me I could give you the number of CBT therpist I went to she was very good. Dont worry it will all get better just tell him to be strong and not let this beat him its him who is in control

LegacyUser

worriedwife, I just read through your post and oh my god my husband and your husband could be twins! My husband also had an injury to his arm that made him think he had a heart attack, and has been having trouble with the dark in the evenings. We did CBT for a while and it really helped him, he hasn't had any attacks since the 2nd session, he's had about 10 so far. CBT therapist recommended a book by Aine Tubridy which is very good if you wanna have a look at it
http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Panic-Attacks-Aine-Tubridy/dp/0717144291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289781490&sr=8-1
All I can say to help is just to try and be there for your husband, let him know he isn't alone in his suffering, and listen to him when he feels like talking about it. Good luck! I wish I could PM you but I'm posting anonymously too cos my husband is on here and he might be annoyed with me!!

LegacyUser

Ammsy's post is really fantastic, and it should definitely be read closely. I'll add that your husband feels queasy because the blood is rushing to his vital organs. He may feel tingling in his fingers/ feet and have jelly legs. It's completely harmless. Ask him to write down the physical sensations he gets when he is anxious, and then ask him to write down the physical sensations he gets when he is angry, happy etc. They are all harmless physical sensations and are emotional and physical reactions to adrenaline. CBT will challenge the thought processes your husband has (fast heart beat = heart attack for him, maybe).

I've read Aine Tubridy's book and it has a fantastic chapter on the physical sensations and she explains them in terms of medical science. Tubridy is a medical doctor as well as a psychotherapist. I'd tell your husband to read bits of it but that it does have a lot of nonsense in it about chakras and past-life regression that would not suit my beliefs. CBT is a lot more scientific and logical.. Breathing is great because when your body calms down your mind follows. If you asked him to just stay out in the dark for awhile and try some breathing techniques he could get over this himself.

LegacyUser

Hi guys and thanks for all your advice and comments! Well my husband seems to be doing a bit better now, he's gotten over the uneasiness at night time and his back is much better as well. He's done 2 sessions of CBT and so far he hasn't felt a huge difference but its early days yet. I bought him that Aine Tubridy book (thanks for the suggestion wannahelpyou) and we've been reading it together. Yes some of the past life stuff is a bit silly so we kinda skip over that, but her explanations and reasoning is very good and I think it is helping him a bit.
Its a really hard thing to live with because people looking at you can't see anything wrong. If you had a broken arm people would see a cast and understand that something happened to you and that as a result there are things you can't manage. With panic attacks and any panic disorder its really hard because outwardly you seem ok and there's nothing physically obvious to notice.
Thanks for all your help on here everyone! If anyone else has anything to share I'd really appreciate it!!

Beingolderis better

cbtainetub wrote: »

Ammsy's post is really fantastic, and it should definitely be read closely. I'll add that your husband feels queasy because the blood is rushing to his vital organs. He may feel tingling in his fingers/ feet and have jelly legs. It's completely harmless. Ask him to write down the physical sensations he gets when he is anxious, and then ask him to write down the physical sensations he gets when he is angry, happy etc. They are all harmless physical sensations and are emotional and physical reactions to adrenaline. CBT will challenge the thought processes your husband has (fast heart beat = heart attack for him, maybe).

I've read Aine Tubridy's book and it has a fantastic chapter on the physical sensations and she explains them in terms of medical science. Tubridy is a medical doctor as well as a psychotherapist. I'd tell your husband to read bits of it but that it does have a lot of nonsense in it about chakras and past-life regression that would not suit my beliefs. CBT is a lot more scientific and logical.. Breathing is great because when your body calms down your mind follows. If you asked him to just stay out in the dark for awhile and try some breathing techniques he could get over this himself.

I note how you dismiss something that you cannot understand,but for many people the spiritual path is the only one that works ,and must be considered,along with the physical therapies.

krankykitty

Often, you can recognise the early signs of a panic attack, if so, a technique that can be useful is this one:

Notice and name...

5 things you can see in the room/environment (ie, a tree, a dog, a painting etc)

4 things you can feel (ie, my feet on the ground, phone in my hand, chair on my back)

3 things you can hear (ie, traffic, barking dog)

2 things you can smell (or things you like the smell of)

1 good thing about yourself


Focusing on these things can sometimes help.

Good luck to you and your husband

LegacyUser

krankykitty wrote: »

Often, you can recognise the early signs of a panic attack, if so, a technique that can be useful is this one:

Notice and name...

5 things you can see in the room/environment (ie, a tree, a dog, a painting etc)

4 things you can feel (ie, my feet on the ground, phone in my hand, chair on my back)

3 things you can hear (ie, traffic, barking dog)

2 things you can smell (or things you like the smell of)

1 good thing about yourself


Focusing on these things can sometimes help.

Good luck to you and your husband

Thanks for that, I'll definitely get him to try that. He hasn't been too bad the past few days, I'm hoping maybe the treatment is helping

designman

Hi All,

I just wanted to post my experiences of panic attacks - as you are all saying they are pretty difficult to understand and sometimes to cope with too. However, I have suffered them only recently after a period of intense stress and have found the following really helpful:

(I'm putting it up here in the hope that someone who is desperate and terrified with no hope in sight will read it and see that it will be OK - it's the kinda thing I needed to see when I first got mine)

OK,

You will not go mad, insane or kill yourself from panic attacks.

At the end of the day they are a simple chemical release of adrenaline in response to a threat or perceived threat - your body floods with adrenaline and you experience profound fear , physical sensations and 'unsafe' thinking.

I know when you get them that you feel you can or will die and there is no future but they are manageable.

I now look on them as a way that my body is telling me to check something out.

To deal with mine I did the following:

Slept as much as I could.
Ate well, no alochol, no caffeine.

Read ' When Panic Attacks' the book from Dr. Aine Tubridy - available in most bookshops, there is a great CD with the book.

I went to see Dr. Tubridy too for one session and she was excellent - my Dr. told me that she was 'the woman' for the panic attacks and I found her great.

I am still seeing a psychiatrist and on meds but a very low dosage as I want to feel I can manage these on my own.

It's still early days but am so hopeful.

Hope this answers questions and provides reassurance, if anyone wants to pm me please do and I;'ll get back to you.

Best of luck.

cassid

hi there,

Aine Turbudy's book is great, has a good cd to listen to and learn to relax and take control. There is also another good book- feel the fear and do it anyway or something like that, gets you to do something you are afraid of doing, maybe thats for the later stage, but Turbudys book is good. best of luck pet xx

designman

Hi

In response to your post about your husbands panic attacks - I can recommend he Aine Tubridy book as being brilliant. JUst also would say that I would try to see her too as I had a session with her and it was brilliant.

Not sure (as a relatively new poster if I am allowed to name her here but hope I can as she really helped me. Good luck. Message me if you need more info.

D

sam34

thread smerged as they essentially cover the same topic.

messes up the flow of posts a little tho, sorry!

LegacyUser

Beingolderis better wrote: »

I note how you dismiss something that you cannot understand,but for many people the spiritual path is the only one that works ,and must be considered,along with the physical therapies.

It doesn't *have* to be considered (you said it 'must' be considered). That's misleading and not fair. I also was into spiritual stuff for quite awhile and did a lot of chakra work. Science and logic work for some, chakras work for others, but no one 'has' to consider one or the other option. If anything you are being dismissive.

Áine Tubridy's book is quite good, but it's not grounded in proper CBT and I'd suggest CBT books if anyone is to pick up anything. There is a book called 'The Panic Workbook' that's supposed to be pretty good.

LegacyUser

Hi all, well my husband finished up with the CBT, the therapist said they'd gone as far as they can go with his treatment there. He seems a little better, a lot of the mental symptoms have lessened but he still gets some of the physical symptoms eg heart racing and dizziness but not the actual full on panic attack. The CBT therapist asked him if he would consider trying an antidepressant but we don't really want to go down that route in case he experiences adverse side effects. One of my friends advised us to get st johns wort up the north as it is herbal but I don't know how that would go, does anyone have any experience with it?
I have now read the Aine Tubridy book cover to cover twice and as a partner of someone who suffers through this I can say it has helped me understand a lot, and given me some tips and advice to help my husband.
Anyone else out there with panic attacks, I have another question. Since all this happened my husband has developed an irrational fear of death. Not necessarily his own, but rather mine or our respective extended families and has told me he often thinks things that he considers 'crazy' eg what if a plane fell and landed on our house and we were killed. Is this an offshoot of the panic attacks or is this something different?
Thanks for all your comments guys and sam34 thanks for the thread merge, the more people this may help, the better

SL10

worriedwife wrote: »

Anyone else out there with panic attacks, I have another question. Since all this happened my husband has developed an irrational fear of death. Not necessarily his own, but rather mine or our respective extended families and has told me he often thinks things that he considers 'crazy' eg what if a plane fell and landed on our house and we were killed. Is this an offshoot of the panic attacks or is this something different?
Thanks for all your comments guys and sam34 thanks for the thread merge, the more people this may help, the better

Hey worriedwife, I think that is an offshoot from the panic. It is something that I suffer from too since I started getting panic attacks (the irrational fear of death). I worry every time I do something that I am going to die (even doing little things like going to the bathroom!). Though it is improving at the moment. For me its kind of a hypochrondria thing.

I'm not too sure about the worrying about other people. But I have had that thought about the airplane before! I think its a worry about things taht we have no way of controling.

Anyways I hope that helps

LegacyUser

Possibly an offshoot of panic attacks. My anxiety is mainly concerned with the fear of losing my OH....I mean, I can actually go from (when he's out), not really thinking too much to picturing his funeral because I've convinced he's crashed the car, within about 2 seconds (and the accompanying tears/fears/anxiety etc).If it's not that, I worry that I'll end up leaving him (though I've no idea why, and it's never him leaving me.....?) and freak about how that would work. (Yes I'm mad!).

Completely and wholly irrational thoughts. There's another thread here that I posted a link in that you might find helpful...it's an extremely good site and very much worth a look.

www.anxietynomore.co.uk.

I also use the book "Stop Thinking, Start living" by Richard Carlson, which I find to be extremely helpful.Maybe you or your husband (or both) could try that too.it's very much a one day at a time thing, but it is something a lot of people suffer from; he's not alone.

LegacyUser

Thanks SL10 and Panic Central for your replies and thanks for the link to that website, I'll definitely give it to him. I think he may already have the book (we have so many books!!). I think from my perspective its the feeling helpless. When my husband is feeling so terrible all I can really do is be there for him and listen to what he has to say. I don't have any answers for him and there's no tablet I can give him that will make things go away. He's often said himself that can be hard for him too as he knows thats how I must feel and he would feel the same if the situation was reversed.
As for the irrational fear of dying thing, I think he's always had a slightly pessimistic/negative thought pattern but it was held pretty much at bay before this. Last night we were in bed and I was asking him about some of the things he would think and they can be as common as 'what if I'm going down the road and a car hits me' to 'what if we were on a train and it derailed in the middle of nowhere and we couldn't be rescued'. We have had to leave shops, shopping centres, busy streets, grocery shopping in Tesco and even come home early from holidays twice because of how he's been feeling and always afterwards he apologises to me as if it was his fault or he felt this way deliberately. Its awful to see him going through it

cltt97

Worriedwife, you are a fantastic partner, supporting your husband so much and being so understanding. I've had these physical sensations as well, in my case they were brought on as side effect to thyroid medication - so at least once I found that out it all stopped and I never actually experienced the anxiety itself that usually comes with/before/after it, but I do know what it feels like to have your heart racing and your headpressure building up and all that jazz, and it is highly unpleasant and it is distressing because you don't know why this is happening, so having someone so supportive and understanding is wonderful. I think what your other half might need now is something to help him feel safe again, and maybe something like yoga and meditation might help.

GlennGeo

@Worriedwife guest .. I done the same thing basically, I was in karate and had an accident which resulted in me breaking my wrist and elbow. I also blacked out when this occured. Ever since the accident I have not been the same at all. I get real uneasy when I have to wait around for someone or something for awhile .. I also feel uneasy sometimes when I am walking home . I have never actually gone to see a doctor about this problem but I have recently been thinking of it.. I 100% no what your husband is going through and its an awfull thing.

LegacyUser

cltt97 wrote:

Worriedwife, you are a fantastic partner, supporting your husband so much and being so understanding.

Thank you so much for saying that, I feel so useless at times watching him. Its heartbreaking

GlennGeo wrote: »

I have never actually gone to see a doctor about this problem but I have recently been thinking of it.. I 100% no what your husband is going through and its an awfull thing.

Glenn, go and see a doctor, if there's one piece of advice i can give you thats it. Its so awful to go through this, and if I can help anyone else avoid it thats a good thing. The doctor might send you to a physio or give you exercises to do, and will be able to give you some advice on the feelings you've been having.

We've been talking to a few people lately also who have said its worth investigating other possible causes of his symptoms eg nerve disorders or additional back problems so maybe that may help a bit too

GlennGeo

I got physio when i fist broke my wrist off the physio nurse in the hospital but that was all.. I do m best to control the problem when i feel one coming over.

cltt97

Worriedwife, the fact that you are so understanding, supporting and doing all this research trying to help, and reading books together, etc, - definitely not useless. There is nothing worse than having to face this kind of stuff by yourself, it helps tremendously having someone there that does not think you're crazy, a hypochondriac, that it's all in your head, etc, etc... but someone who does care, who does support you every step of the way and who actively tries everything possible to help and who still loves you despite all the weirdness that is going on. I would say that you're a big big help on his way to recovery!

LegacyUser

cltt97 wrote: »

Worriedwife, the fact that you are so understanding, supporting and doing all this research trying to help, and reading books together, etc, - definitely not useless. There is nothing worse than having to face this kind of stuff by yourself, it helps tremendously having someone there that does not think you're crazy, a hypochondriac, that it's all in your head, etc, etc... but someone who does care, who does support you every step of the way and who actively tries everything possible to help and who still loves you despite all the weirdness that is going on. I would say that you're a big big help on his way to recovery!

I'd like to think I am helping in some way. Its just naturally it does put a strain on the relationship and it can be very hard to think of the future when everything is so stuck in the here and now and trying to deal with current issues. It makes planning for the future very hard

cltt97

One day at a time. The trick is not to give up. don't look at it as being stuck, because this will make you feel rigid. You must take care of yourself, too. Get a bit of me time - go out with some girlfriends or get a massage, so you don't forget living your life while you're exclusively stressing yourself about your partner's life.
the thing is, what works for one person doesn't for the next, so you just have to keep going and try different things. Your partner has done physio, has done CBT is reading all the relevant literature, and he has already improved as you say. The fear of death, etc, maybe he would benefit from going to a counsellor to talk about that kind of stuff, I am no expert whatsoever, but it sounds like he has lost all sense of being safe in this world. So he might need to re-establish that feeling. It may help to talk to someone about that. And physical excercise would definitely be a good idea also. That's why I thought something like yoga might be beneficial - especially hatha yoga, which focuses a lot on breathing and relaxation. or maybe he needs the exact opposite like kick-boxing. If the body feels good, the mind feels better, too.
What I'm really trying to say here is, don't give up, and don't worry about making the right/wrong decisions or finding THE solution. It's all trial and error and maybe something didn't work as expected, so don't let that get you down, just tick it off and move on. You'll get there - and the future... if actually any of the plans I ever had had materialised, I would not be sitting where I am right now, so don't worry about that, for the time being, go with the flow and don't worry about something that may or may not be.

mdan

Hi Im just wondering how your husband is doing now? as a sufferer of panic, anxiety, the death and health fears - I have three small kids and Ive had this for almost 3 years now and its hell every day xx

LegacyUser

Hi all, well my husband is a lot better these past few months. He did some psychotherapy after his CBT and combined with reading some panic attack books and chatting about it together, things have gotten better. Its most definitely an unbelievably difficult thing to deal with, and even now he says himself that he isnt fully cured by any means, but he's a lot better than he has been in a long while. To anyone out there who is suffering from panic disorder I would 100% recommend finding yourself an understanding GP. Your normal GP may not be the man/woman for the job. We have been to a lot of doctors in our time and have only recently found a great doctor who is totally behind us in helping my husband come through this. The other thing I would say would be to try out as many alternatives as possible eg herbal therapies, massage, CBT or psychotherapy, chiropractor, chinese medicine, books, yoga, meditation. I don;t think my husband will ever be fully cured but the fact that its now been over 6 weeks since he had a panic attack is amazing and we never thought it could happen. To any people who are the husband/wife/etc of a panic attack sufferer, try and be as understanding as possible, but don't forget to take care of yourself too, it can be hard to stay intact through it all. Panic disorder is a 'selfish' disease in that it robs the sufferer of their feeling of self control, and it robs the person watching of that sufferer too. All I can say is to be patient, to never say no to any potential idea as it may be the very thing that can help you. A panic attack will not kill you (even though it feels like it might at the time), but it can make life feel like hell. I feel terrible for you mdan, it must be so hard to suffer through this, and with a young family. It can be so hard to manage everything so I truly feel for you, just try and keep the chin up and never give up xxx

Elizabethc

Hi all what have you found to be the best treatment or help for panic/anxiety.
I know people take different approaches and am looking for concrete advice as money is very tight at the moment and is part of the reason for my panic.
I have just been put on lexapro and started with a pschyotherapist but would like to look at other options.
What has worked for you?

I also have read Aine tubridys book and think it is excellent, I know my panic and anxiety will not kill me... But I still have it... It's more anxiety but is constant at for two weeks now I have been shaking constantly and cannot drive or work... I need to get over this and get on with my life.

Is hypnotherapy good or accupuncture?
Thanks

rustopher

Johnny Bitte wrote: »

Hi mate,
I've had panic attacks and anxiety for 10 years now myself.

I m not sure who you talked to about the meds and side effects but I ve taken various meds over the years and the relief for the pain was life changing.
I ve only ever experienced side effects when coming off them to see how I could cope.
Currently on Lyrica which dulls the nervous system so the anxiety is dulled down. Works a treat.

I have had hypnotherapy which was an amazing short term fix but because the under lying problem was still there they came back.

The worst thing is 10 years ago my GP suggested therapy and I just ignored him. After a year of therapy I have to say it was worth it. Hopefully with a bit more time i ll be able to cope a lot better. I suffer from Cleithrophobia (fear of being trapped) which cause the panic attacks. If you dont find the cause you'll just be treating the symptoms.

Whatever you do, get help. I ignored it every time the pressure eased and went from not being able to take buses to barely being able to leave the house.

hi johnny
This sounds like the reason i dont take long flights, buses or car journeys. As a result i feel trapped in another sense. Did u feel the same way and do you still feel this way or can you now travel freely only as a result of the treatment?

eh i dunno

Just had a good read through this thread. Always suffered with social anxiety myself but last year it got out of hand when suddenly when out walking I felt off balance and in a daze. It escalated when in shops and I could barely walk. On Lexapro now about 10 months and was doing fine but the last few weeks i've noticed it returning. Debating hypnosis or the Bateson clinic. Has anyone tried these for anxiety? Due to get married next year(which could be causing the anxiety) and want to feel normal again. Have read Aine Tubridy's book and meditate to help me.

ulinbac

Hi eid,

I used VICO services (Dun Laoighre) after coming out of hospital (the therapist was one of the members of my medical team). Therapy was brilliant, but expensive at €160 p/m. But those underlying issues need to addressed.

I also went to Recovery Inc. for a while aswell. They were brilliant and related to me more than Aware but thats a personal preference. They all do amazing work!!

Are you still doing the meditation? I have found Transcendental Meditation very good. I notice an increase in my anxiety if I don't do it for a few days.

My psych has told me about QiGong aswell but don't know if its available in Dublin. Its not widely known but very good. I got lucky as my Personal Trainer studied it which I didn't know until I asked him did he know of anywhere in London do it.

From looking at it when I was bad, hypnotherapy seemed hit and miss but anything is worth a try.

Good luck with the wedding