panic attacks

[nowdenlid]

anyone here suffer with them as i had a very bad attack last week ,i thought i was going to die and had no controll over it i was takein to a&e because my heart was beat was 190 it was the by far the worst experince of my life

[Renesis]

I get them anytime I am in a classroom and have had little to no sleep and it is hot. Takes a bit to set me off, but goddamnit do I really believe I will die. I usually get up and just splash myself repeatedly with cold water.

[goodcents]

Something about going to blockbuster gives them to me I guess the "in your face" of it with alot of selection and usually I'm in a hurry. My chest gets tight and I feel like I'm going to faint. Maybe it's the closed in ness that messes with me and they always have it too warm in there for the chics and bean pole guys that always think they are going to freeze to death if it's under 80 degrees

[DDDNTZ]

Used to get them REALLY bad when I was 17-19 yrs. What sucked was it went misdiagnosed for nearly a month, so I basically had a month-long panic attack. Every day I thought I was going to die. The doc had me on inhalers because I couldnt breathe. What an asshole. LONG story short I went to a shrink he put me on xanax and luvox for about two yrs before weening me off, and I've been fine every since. I've been in combat, had shit blow up in my face and still had no problems with any anxiety.

[FREAK]

I"ve only had 1 and that was enough!

[nowdenlid]

I"ve only had 1 and that was enough!

ya i hope it will be my last ,doc gave be some deta blockers

[xero]

Yes they are really nasty, If you haven't had one it is difficult to explain the terror that you feel for no good reason.

I get them from time to time and I feel like I am going to suffocate and die. I hate it. No amount of self reasoning can control my mind from thinking I am suffocating. I do the cold water thing and that sometimes works.

Anybody got any sure fire ways of controlling/focusing your mind when this happens?

[Renesis]

I try to get outside or somewhere wide open because for me it usually occurs in an enclosed area so I try to go to the opposite of what caused it.

[J-Dogg]

Really wierd that this post was made because I was about to post one as well.

I'm experincing them for the first time in my life these past few weeks. Going though relationship problems and how it effects my life. I think mine have been brought on by stress because I have to change my life plans, career and relationship.

I've talked to friends that have sought help and there are different methods. Music seems to help some, it is helping me. I also just tell myself "I DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THIS" over and over. I breath deep, and concentrate on my breathing and that seems to help.

It really sucks though. I've been to jail, almost went to prision, lost people and I've never had panic but I get it from this relationship I'm trying to work on now.

[J-Dogg]

btw, I also think I might be "manic" because some days I honestly feel just 100% invincable like I can do anything, and nothing can hurt me. Then some days I just feel like a complete tool and *****.

I feel like a girl some times thinking it, but some days I just think I'm ugly, think I'm out of shape, think I'm broke and not smart. Then I look around and realize how hard I am on myself, I'm in the best shape of my life, when I go out I'm generally one of the best looking guys out and I'm smart enough to sustain a conversation with about any one and confident enough to approach any girl. When I think like this, I never get panic.

[Renesis]

J-dogg thats not a panic attack... sounds more like depression. A panic attack is when you feel as though you can't do anything at all physically. Everything seems to just close in on you and you can't breathe, you can't stay still but you can't really move either, you feel as if you are literally about to die at that very moment.

[Bojangles69]

Actually I was diagnosed with panic disorder about 6 years ago and its been a battle ever since. Sometimes it goes into remission but last time it resurfaced they were so bad I wound up in a mental institution for 10 days.
I've studied psychology, biology, gone through blood tests and intense psychoanalysis but all I've gathered over the years is my own speculation - which is not to be taken as professional advice.

A panic attack (I believe) is a direct result of one of 2 things. Overly sensitive adrenal glands or an above average mass of adrenal receptors in your body. Science still is yet to prove to what extent these receptors exist in your body. And what I mean by that is some scientists say they are localized while others say they are globally dispersed among your entire body. (I haven't read the most updated research so some of these theories may have been disproved by now).

W/e the case. That is the biological aspect of panic attacks. People with more receptors have more exaggerated responses to adrenaline while people with sensitive adrenal glands simply expel too much adrenaline into their blood stream.
This is why amphetamines provoke intense states of panic and paranoia, they are working corely on your norepinephrine system (adrenal). And of course the dopamine system as well.
For the record, amphetamines are legally prescribed so this is not a reference to recreational drug use, just an example.
The psychological aspect is our instinct to survive being triggered in logically defined non-threatening situations.
HOWEVER, this is when the debate gets really interesting.
Something you have to realize is how outdated our bodies are. Panic, terror, and the feeling like you are about to die use to serve as a very affective survival mechanism thousands of years ago.
A panic attack (despite what exactly is triggering them) is in fact a natural inbred and OLD survival mechanism being agitated out of dormancy, a dormancy that thousands of years of evolution has been working to suppress.
The human species is NOT perfect.
Our instincts, fears, biologies and thoughts are rarely 100% under our logical minds control. That means you can't really THINK your way out of, nor prevent a panic attack by stupid breathing techniques or other bullshit relaxation methods.
If you CAN, you're not suffering from true panic attacks.

There are meds/drugs that can't stop them, but its often temporary. The most powerful being those in the opiate family. Weaker ones being benzos, ssri's and beta-blockers.

One medication I highly recommend for people with panic disorder is inderal. Its a powerful beta (adrenaline) blocker and although it doesn't give you complete control it helps heaps in controlling or preventing them from happening.
The benzo route is affective for some, may even many, but you're using a medication thats not truly affecting the biological defects that are leading to your panic attacks. They'll work on your gaba system and by secondary (not primary) result (cause its not directly affecting the core cause of panic attacks. (adrenaline imbalance and response control). The benzos will help affect your response control but its still not a guaranteed solution.
Also DO NOT forget MANY medications meant to stop panic attacks also have the side affect of inducing them, so be VERY careful and VERY aware of your body when on any med.
Whats the solution?
Well if I had one I'd prob be a millionaire, but my recommendation is the last thing any panic attack sufferer would want to hear.
Some people have true and severe chemical imbalances. But you have to understand this group of people comprises a VERY small % of people who suffer panic attacks. That means you have much in your favor to lead you to a panic free future.

I've tried and done everything, seminars, meds, dr's, groups, research and the one thing which was the last thing I wanted to try was systematic desensitization.
This is NOT an easy effort for people with panic disorder.
But MANY suffers know what provokes their attacks. And its often environmentally related (due to historic survival logistics).

Is it simple, no. Anyone who has had or has many panic attacks knows they have little to no control over their thought process or bodily functions DURING an attack.
Thats why you must induce the attacks yourself but be PREPARED before they happen.

The preparation is not preparation per say. All you have to do is go through the attack or provoke it yourself. It can help to get a book and blood pressure wrist band and measure your heartrate/bp the second the attack begins to wear off.
Write down all your vitals.
Than reexpose yourself again, take your vitals.
Repeat as often as necessary till your vitals are in normal range (at which point the trigger will be reassociated by your body and mind as a completely non-threatening situation.. as 99% of the time it is).
What will happen is your brain and biology will make a permanent new response system. I've reversed triggers in at little as 2 exposures.
Its the WORST feeling in the world but you have to understand how much you're really helping yourself.
I use to have intense panic attacks during public speaking and it wasn't rare for me to run into the hallway, sit down sweating and regain my composure.
If wasn't until I VOLUNTEERED to put myself in these situations situations till the panic attacks stopped. If you are forced by someone else it will do very little to desensitize you, and it can actually reinforce all the anchors causing the panic response.

It has to be self motivated. All you have to do is live through it. Than do it again. The one thing that will come to relief to you is how quickly this desensitization process actually works, you just need to do it the right way. I still have triggers I'm working on but settling the public speaking one was a HUGE shift in my paradigm. I was so happy I felt like I just fvcked Angelina Jolie.

You can sum up all this crap by saying "face your fears". And thats what it is, but you're not being a hero, you're using courage to defeat fear. Drugs may fog or weaken a fear but they rarely just make them vanish like a magical pill.

And remember this is all just my speculation..

[DSM4Life]

anyone here suffer with them as i had a very bad attack last week ,i thought i was going to die and had no controll over it i was takein to a&e because my heart was beat was 190 it was the by far the worst experince of my life

Man the f#$% up

[qualityclrk1]

not tryin to hijack this thread, but i'm pretty sure what happened to me was a panic attack.....i never felt like i was going to die.....i'll try not to make this real lengthy, but i was datnig a girl for 2 years, we recently broke up...there was some legal trouble my dad was giong through (some serious legal shit, it had been slammed all over the front newspapers and matter of fact you guys coulda caught it on national news)..my dad is still in jail because we can't afford his bond, and we know he's innocent, we've got the proof, it just takes time for the court dates and trial proceedings and all that, so its like he's sitting in there over christmas rotting away for nothign!!! then i had my own legal shit, i'm a 20 year old student who works a full time job....i work from 11pm till 7 am, then go to class from 8 till around noonish....and i still try to be the most laid back easy going dude that my friends love....but one day it was like i was no longer able to handle all the bull shit, i've always been a mentally strong person, but it was just like i hadn't come to reality with what was actually going on in my life and how serious things were changing...it hit me like a ton of bricks- i was fine, then the next minute i was calling that girl up crying like a little bitch, got off the phone with her quickly then i laid in bed and just sweat and cried and cried and cried, and my whole body was shaking and sweating...this lasted abuot 15-20 minutes..while i was laying there in bed suddenly it ust stopped, idk if i was able to just catch my grip or wtf, but i got out of bed, and i continued on like nothing happened lol it wasn't like i forgot i just did that, but it was just sorta as if i realized i was being a p*ssy and needed to act str8 lol..i continued my day as if it never happend....it was seriously one of the weirdest things in my life.....does that sound like a panic attack to you? or sound more bipolar? it's only happened one time, and i'm pretty sure it was only because i was stressed the f*ck out....

[qualityclrk1]

^ and that little crazy episode i had, is exactly the reason i've stayed away from juice...i want all this stress out of my life before i start this, because after that i don't know if i can handle the mood swings..idk how my mind will react....

[qualityclrk1]

I try to get outside or somewhere wide open because for me it usually occurs in an enclosed area so I try to go to the opposite of what caused it.

you ever thought maybe you were claustaphobic?......(idk if thats spelled correctly)

[nowdenlid]

some good posts here ,panic attacks can be caused by all sorts off thing so i have been reading and i have now come to belive that mine was caused by a number of things and i belive that the last year 2007 was the worst one of my life so here is my 2007

split with mrs feb 07

best freind killed by bus infront of me march 07

lost home may 07

lost job september 07

back with mrs oct 07

and all the stress of xmas with no job has just built up to a massive amout of stress and depresion ,keep in mind that i done a cycle of test at the start of 07 @ 1g ew and no pct so i was shut down big time.i have just started training agine this week and hope things are on the up .i realy think all of this has caused me to have a panic attack and i stil dont feel 100%

what a shit hole of a year lol

[im83931]

btw, I also think I might be "manic" because some days I honestly feel just 100% invincable like I can do anything, and nothing can hurt me. Then some days I just feel like a complete tool and *****.
.

J-Dogg what you are describing is a bipolar disorder. If that is it, then it has to do with brain chemicals.

[Renesis]

you ever thought maybe you were claustaphobic?......(idk if thats spelled correctly)

I know I have a very slight bit of claustrophobia. The thing is I have the panic attacks in areas that aren't enclosed not just enclosed, so it isn't that. My panic attacks happen in college classrooms, those aren't confined or have any tight feeling to them. So no it isn't that.

[Bojangles69]

some good posts here ,panic attacks can be caused by all sorts off thing so i have been reading and i have now come to belive that mine was caused by a number of things and i belive that the last year 2007 was the worst one of my life so here is my 2007

split with mrs feb 07

best freind killed by bus infront of me march 07

lost home may 07

lost job september 07

back with mrs oct 07

and all the stress of xmas with no job has just built up to a massive amout of stress and depresion ,keep in mind that i done a cycle of test at the start of 07 @ 1g ew and no pct so i was shut down big time.i have just started training agine this week and hope things are on the up .i realy think all of this has caused me to have a panic attack and i stil dont feel 100%

what a shit hole of a year lol

damn! i don't mean to sound like an ass but it kinda makes me happy to read all the shit thas happened to you, makes me feel more normal.

I could start literally from when I was 11 and the list would prob be about 10 pages long. But all my traumatic events have usually been spaced by a decent amount of time. You have a lot in short amount of time which can cause all kinda of negative snowball affects in your head.

Keep your head up dude. Be strong, **** the world, **** people, and live for yourself. Thats been my motto lately.

[Bojangles69]

My panic attacks happen in college classrooms

Dude I want to speak to you on aim about this sentence you wrote. This is one of a few triggers I haven't been able to rid from my life and I wanna talk some serious shit with you. I'll pm you my aim.

[Spooky]

Same here and i'm planning a cycle. I only follow therapie but i'm not sure to go oncycle. I have the rappid heartbeat , but also the feeling of trowing up the most. I always feel that the food is in the back of my throat all day.

Some of you share this feeling?

[Schmidty]

I dont get tthem allo that often but i have had a few. Back in high school i had a extremey bad few days of psychodelics and couldnt really find my way out of it. Ever since then, when i get into a small room were its lound and a lota people i freak the fvck out and kinda go back to that experience. My gf get them relly bad to and is on a ton of meds for it. She has panic attacks almoste everyday and it has only gotten a little better since she started her meds and i came home from the army. Try sum 5HTP it works wonders really...

[shifty_git]

anyone here suffer with them as i had a very bad attack last week ,i thought i was going to die and had no controll over it i was takein to a&e because my heart was beat was 190 it was the by far the worst experince of my life

edit

[damiongage]

Yes they are really nasty, If you haven't had one it is difficult to explain the terror that you feel for no good reason.

I get them from time to time and I feel like I am going to suffocate and die. I hate it. No amount of self reasoning can control my mind from thinking I am suffocating. I do the cold water thing and that sometimes works.

Anybody got any sure fire ways of controlling/focusing your mind when this happens?

I walk (fast).....and it seems to help....Outside is better than on a treadmill. I guess an elevated heart rate isn't so scarry if you are exercising...at least in my mind.

[Schmidty]

why is he a scammer???

[damiongage]

why is he a scammer???

no morals?


seriously...I was wondering the same thing

[Schmidty]

no morals?


seriously...I was wondering the same thing

I wonder WTF we missed out on???

[ChuckLee]

I want more clarity on this

[shifty_git]

have edited my post on the ground admin and the parties involved will sort it out.

[firmechicano831]

I've never had one. Hopefully you get better and don't get another one at all.