I Had My First Anxiety Attack Last Night!

never had one, thankfully...

rest up and get better soon

Back in 2001 I had some terrible health problems, I was basically was so sick I couldnt move or do anything, the doctors couldnt figure out what was wrong with me, ended up I had pnemonia, but it wasnt from a bacterial infection like most cases, mine ended up being a fungal infection, bascially I had a 103-104 temp for a month straight and it took me a good 4 months to fully recover, by the time I was better I had lost everything I had worked for on my business, but I still had all these bills and toys that were costing me loads of money.

I had panic attack after panic attack worrying about my financial situation, my attacks got so bad that I had the shakes 24-7, I couldnt sit still without my whole arm trembleing, sometimes it would get so bad I would almost be to the point of convulsing. Not to mention depression that was so deep and dark I wished to die every waking moment, combine that with my panic attacks and I was in a real bad way.

What you have to do is isolate what is causing your attacks, seems you have already done a pretty good job of that. Then you have to take action to get get rid of the source of these attacks. My action was finally just giving up on trying to live a certain lifestyle, file bankruptcy, got rid of everything except my house, and the absolute bare neccessities (I now drive a 84' Oldsmobile I got for 400$ and a 82' F150 I got for 1600$ instead of a new Jeep and Trans Am), and start fresh and new. Also made the promise to myself never ever to get myself back into that same situation again, so from now on no matter how well I am doing I am keeping the simple life with the bare necessities.

I wouldnt say I am 100% over this even to this day, but I am no longer suffering from the attacks and my depression may hit sometimes everyonce in a while during a bad spell, but i can get over it quickly by making myself examine what is good in my life (like my wife, daughter, and yes my dog). I feel I have 99% beaten my problems, all without medication.

Mental health is a very serious issue, and my belief is that you cannot cure your mental health problems with drugs, all the drugs do is dull your senses and mask the real problems, you have to deal with your issues one on one and beat them on your own.

I take Cipramil for panic attacks and depression, once you realise you have a problem - go and get some help, whatever works for you, but GET THE HELP- a really good trick I use is when I'm NOT panicky I imagine my ideal place (for me it's in a bedroom looking over the night sea during a thunderstorm), every time I'm feeling really, really good I take a minute out to picture this scene, then when I get a bad attack I try and think of this scenario, it really helps.

Good luck and if I can help in anyway please let me know

I just got back from the doctor and he prescribed me .50mg Xanax and told me to take half. He was an absolute DICK! He asked me why I was there and when I told him he rolled his eyes, shook his and and said (vertabim), "You're here for Xanax, aren't you?". What a fucking asshole!!!

I don't care who you are, noone deserves to be treated like a drug addict when they seek medical help! I told him about Paxil and tried to ask him about the side effects and in mid sentence, he said, "Have a nice day." and left his office!

Can I complain to someone about this prick? That was the last thing I needed!

Sorry to hear about the panic attacks....and even sorrier to hear about your doctor's reaction. If I were you I'd find another doctor to deal with entirely. Depression & anxiety are serious conditions and shouldn't be treated with that kind of lack of concern.

You need to tell them exactly what's been going on in your personal/professional life and describe the lack of energy, isolation, etc... You may not need to be on Xanax, but rather an SSRI like Zolaft or Celexa -- and, at the very least, he should have discussed some non-medical anxiety reducing techniques.

Deep breathing techniques can do wonders -- yoga, tai chi, qi quong are all based on that. Best of luck getting this under control....

my anxiety motivates me

HighOnAcid it's a problem, but be strong and you'll solve it

About three fourths of Panic Disorder patients are women. Panic Disorder begins most often when people are 20-30 years old. It begins less often in teenagers or persons in their forties. It is uncommon for the disorder to appear in the elderly for the first time.

You got to drink a little and wind down

i had my first panic attack last year. definitely one of the worst things i've ever experienced. apparently it's fairly common in the adult webmaster community.

i was prescribed xanax, but never filled the prescription. i did, however, change my lifestyle. started hiking everyday, eased off on work a bit, and started drinking less often. also started eating more healthy. it's definitely worked for me. after my first attack, i had several others, but they've become less and less frequent. i still have moments when i can feel one coming on, but like battus said, call someone (this works very well for me), or just do something to take it off your mind, and they *can* be avoided. i was really worried i'd be stuck with this shit for life, and that's part of the problem. i think you have decide you can get beyond them, before you will get beyond them. good luck

Well now that I was reported to the FBI by someone from CNN with a news van 10 miles from my location, my anxiety levels just sky-rocketed.

:insert sarcasm:

I took the half Xanax the doctor prescribed and I can honestly say I feel a lot better. I'm flowing a lot better and don't think about it nearly as much as I did.

WOW, Sounds like me. I been in the emergency room about 10 times so far for panic attacks. I litterally thought I was going to die. In a nut shell Klonopin, 1mg a day will do the trick. I havent had a panic attack since I started taking it.
You probally wont beat it without meds...
Meditataion works too, so does b-12 injections. See a therapist too. That will help.
Basically I have your symptoms to a T. I just take klonopin, it works amazing. No more anxiety symptoms and im not a zombie. Look into it. Or, if you want, try effexor, but that will totally kill your sex drive.
Hope this helps
DS

If your thyroid is screwed up it could cause you to have anxiety.. get to a doctor and have them do a TSH, T3 and T4 on ya.. if its a thyroid problem it can be controlled so you wont have any more anxiety issues or if its just stress , you need to convince yourself that you are in control. do not let it take over your life.. or it can win. Try yoga or just avoiding whatever it is that is getting you stressed out.
Hope this helps~

Melania

Anxiety attacks started 3 years ago for me, when I was a victim of a random gang shooting. I kept on asking the question as to why my life did not end that night, and after the shooting I started to have palpitations and I had a fear of my heart stopping. The only way to cope with it is to tell yourself it is all mental. Once you can accept it and then it goes away. I hate to say it once in a while it does come back, I had not had one for about 1 year and I had one last week, but I quickly took over it and did not let it take control of me.

check webmd

I have had that shit for 10 years Acid... Its easy to get WORSE but also easy to get BETTER. Post you icq if you want to talk about it!

Im glad to hear your feeling better
Sorry about having to deal with an asshole doc, thats really unprofessional of him

Now... don´t want to be the wiseguy here, but read my lips - WEED IS THE TRIGGER (well, contributing factor at least)
Smoke if you want to but if you have AD you better stay with the beers!

I remember a few years back I had one aswell, I started shaking, and sweating like crazy.

My anxiety attacks usually happend at the supermarket, after
drying out from a weeks drinking binge.
I would walk around and fill my basket and go to the checkout.
Then while I was waiting in the line, I would start to panuic.
I just wanted to pay for my groceries, and fuck off, but there was always an old biddy exchanching her tokens.
I fellt like just dropping my basket, and running out of the door.
I dont get anxiety attacks anymore now.Either because I'm pissed
when I do my shopping, or because I know whats happening to
my body.

Hope you find peace.

Thanks for the offer, Chupa! I will certainly get with you if things get worse!

Thanks for all the advice and support, you all have been great! I was ashamed of it for the longest time because I thought it was a symptom of a weak mind and only weak minded people suffered from it. I would have never imagined so many people suffered from this life-altering malady.

To all the people that contacted me via IM, email, or posted advice in this thread, thanks so much. Your information and support is priceless and very much appreciated.

Much to all of you!

It's funny you mentioned that because that is where I first experienced my "sickness" a couple months back. I didn't know what it was so I just passed it off as a head rush.

I walked into a grocery store and my knees got weak and I felt like I was going to pass out. My vision got real bright and it was almost like I was in an altered state of mind although I hadn't done a single drug all day.

I'm glad you conquered it.

Right on Battus:

"The only way to deal with it is knowing and saying to yourself its in your brain. Youre not gonna die, youre not gonna have a heart attack, you just think you will. Try to ignore it, go do something like a game. Call someone, anything to get your mind off it."

I used to get them now and then and the 1st one was the worst. I called a pal and he told me what it was which mellowed me out substantially.

Here's my cure and it worked for me:

1. Think of it as an adrenaline rush and your body is sending you more fuel even though you are sitting on the couch and not playing in an overtime hockey game. Your body is just a bit confused.

2. Drink a big glass of orange juice and get your body sugar up.

3. Get in the shower and let the shower hit all over your body, (hits all your nerve endings and gives your body other things to think about), and imagine that all your troubles are being washed down the drain. This works best if you have a tub that you can lie down in and let the shower flow over you.

4. Do NOT smoke pot. Pot was ok even up to the late 70's but for many has become way too powerful and to many people it induces paranoia.

Good luck and next time it happens, use your own mind to convince yourself that it's a good thing but you don't need it right now and it will go away.

P.S.

I never went to the doctor and never got any prescriptions and I haven't had one for at least 10 years.

Like Battus said, use your mind to control IT and don't let IT control you.

Panic attacks truely suck. The best advice I can give is to learn what your triggers are know what calms you down. Don't be afraid that you'll have one because it's generally the fear or uncertainty that helps it along (as someone earlier said, you end up talking yourself into it.)

My triggers are typically illness related. I get sick or don't feel well or have a new pain and my mind starts to take off. The heart skip is a nice trigger because it wants to make you think your are having heart problems and the panic sets in. I went to the doctor to have my eyes checked. When they numbed my eyes to do a pressure test it was a new sensation and my body started to go into panic mode. As my vision was fading I calmly told the optomitrist what was happening and that I needed to lay down with a cool compress for a few minutes. I knew I wasn't ill but my body and mind took over. It was funny in a way, I would calm down and get my vision back then get back into the chair long enough for her to do a few more tests before having to lay down again. It took about six attempts but I did finally get my eye test done!

As I learn my triggers my attacks from that trigger become less and less severe, mostly because I know what to expect and how I'll deal with it. Now when I go to the doctor, before they do anything, I explain my panic situation to them so they know what to expect and we go from there.

Hope you can get it under control!

Having read this entire thread, yes, you can report the doctor to the American Medical Association. Don't expect much in the way of results, because doctors tend to take care of their own.

You did mention something, High on Acid, about this slide beginning after a break up, which is a traumatic event in your life. Add to that all the stresses we webmasters are subjected to and that which we subject ourselves, it's not uncommon for us to have anxiety attacks and/or panic attacks.

I think you've been given excellent advice, especially those who suggested walking or some form of increased exercise, dietary changes and awareness of the symptoms.

There are studies which are starting to show that Paxil and Prozac are related to an increase in suicides. I believe that to be true, as they are prescribed for many reasons, not the least of which is because insurance will pay for drugs, but not talk therapy as needed. They were only meant to be bandaids to allow the client the ability to deal with the problems and move a distance away from the frozen position when one is right in the middle of a chaotic or traumatic environment or event.

I advise against such bandaids, since they are meant for the short term, not long term usage and does not uncover the situation which brought on the symptoms in the first place.

It's unfortunate your doctor was such an ass; but, you sound like an intelligent person, with strong resolve. Try to go back to the time before you began to feel less than, which contributed to your slide and reason why this happened to you. Confronting the situation often leads to resolution. Perhaps a little talk therapy wouldn't hurt, either.

I wish you well.

That´s a good advice. I usually try to keep calm, "act normally", and play a game - CounterStrike or something that needs 100% attention.

´

You´re welcome to do so anytime!

I totally lost it and had a melt down about 4 years ago. Totally paniced and depressed. I couldn't even leave my yard for two weeks except to go to the emergency room and my doctor.

I felt guilty about everything I had ever done wrong in my entire life. I thought I was totally loosing my mind. I feared that I would not ever be able to return to my job and support my family. I thought I would loose everything. I got to the point of wanting to kill myself, because at least my family would be supported by my insurance.

I was prescribed paxil 20mg per day and lorazipam 1mg 4 times per day. The paxil initially seemed to make the anxiety worse, but the lorazipam helped get me through until the paxil finally kicked in and did the trick. I am still on the paxil, but I only take the lorazipam 1/2 tablet occasionally if I feel the anxiety comming on. I just keep it in my pocket at all times. I think just having it available helps even if I don't take it.

I did return to work after 2 weeks and I still have my job. The job still sucks though.

What I learned is this:

1. I don't need to feel embarassed or ashamed of my condition. I have found that there are tons of us out there.

2. I can't control evrything myself especially this.

3. If I have a problem, I admit it right away and seek help.

4. Tomorrow is another day.

I hope you are able to get this under control.

A very well spoken response, Raven. As far as the doctor is concerned it is water under the bridge and I choose to move forward rather than fester in my ill treatment. The more I pursue this issue, the more It will serve as a constant reminder of my anxiety. Moving on and chalking it down as a bad experience is the best for me at this point in time.

My break up ended with no closesure and the anxiety started very shortly after. It wasn't a "you're an asshole, haul ass"-type of break up. It was more of a "I love you more than anything in the world and we'll be together eventually but..."-type of break up. She moved on. I didn't. Rather than going out and trying to forget, I simply stayed home and hoped for an early reunion. About a month after the break up is when I started feeling "different", like something was wrong with my mental chemistry. My hands would go numb and I dropped many glasses by losing my grip. My vision would also become very keen. Not in the sense that I could see better but in the sense that everything looked brighter and not in a normal way.

I honestly think and deep down feel that this is the catalyst of my anxiety problems. The only problem is, we spent 3 years together and I honestly can't remember what it was like before her. It's almost like my brain is supressing all other memories except the ones I had with her. Even my dreams are canvassed with slideshows of us getting back together. I can't think of a single dream I've had without her in it.

I have received advice that looks great on paper but when I try to practice it in real life, I stumble. I try to relax and just distract myself from the attacks but it feels more physical than mental at this point. I can feel my heart beating and when the cadence is off, I know it. I can feel it. Feeling it makes it real and I just can't trick my brain into thinking it's nothing but a figment of my imagination. Mind over matter is much harder advice to follow than it is to give.

The .25mgs of Xanax seem to be working great for me. I am still functional and productive but somehow it allows me to supress my constant concentration of anxiety and work on the important things in life.

oh shit
why I'm clicked on the thread ?
so you call to that thing an Anxiety Attack , fuck man.
I'm expirienced this shit for over last four years , once in half yeard period or something like that , I didn't knew it's was some kind of atack , I thought it's some flashback from my junior age.
so i didn't even paid too much attention on it. now you fuckers made my day

For one thing, all those drugs you brag about taking don't help, I stopped smoking pot about 2 months ago and my anxiety virtually dissappearead. I haven't done any other drugs in at least a decade, just drink a little beer now and then.

Most likely these prescription pills will make things worse, I would try something else, like a therapist to find the source of the anxiety.

Unfortunately it is almost certainly because of your prior drug use. Do in depth research on the long term effects of acid and you will see. If people really understood what can happen to the brain 10 or even 15 years after just a single hit of acid, they would never get within a million miles of the stuff. Every anxiety situation is different, but if I had to guess, based on your prior acid use... i'd say get used to the anxiety and look for a long term treatment plan because I doubt its going to go away any time this decade.

Its all in your head... I've done my fair share of drugs (old school raver here) and I feel an anxiety attack from time to time.... If you know how LSD can open in your mind, you must harness the power to overcome your anxiety.. its possible.. good luck.. you know you are above your inner, invoulantary fears.

I AM NOT HIGH ON ACID as in High On LSD! My Screenname is a play on words for my company (ACIDFLYERS.COM) - I'm High on ACIDFLYERS. So Everyone that assumes my Screenname has drug connotations, that's not the case at all and I don't recall ever bragging about doing a lot of drugs. I smoked pot on a occasion and did acid maybe 3 times during my college years.

ive had panic disorder since i was 19 (for 13 years now) ... what happened to you sounds like textbook panic attack.

not all pills work for everyone. the doctors started me on zoloft, and it gave me terrible headaches. then paxil kept me straight for like 8 years. when i was getting lots of excercise and not buried at the computer, i was taking very low doses, and had extremely infrequent attacks.

fast forward to sitting on my ass behind the pc all day - upping the dosage of paxil, and adding xanax for attacks. recently my doctor tried to switch me to effexor, then to lexapro (so that i could stop taking xanax). neither agreed with me.

so i have decided to get the fuck away from the computer (i have one last project keeping me chained to it, once thats sold, ill be out in the sunshine) ... excercise is the best thing you can do other than medication. If cutting back on your computer time and excercise doesnt eliminate the attacks, then an ssri should solve the problem, you dont need benzo's like xanax unless youre really fucked - they are just backups in the rare event that the ssri is lazy one day. stay the fuck away from xanax that shit is addictive and will make you stupid, im living proof. the proper ssri for your body (takes weeks/months to determine) should regulate your seratonin and stop the attacks.

youll get a lot of advice, and listen to it all ... lots of people have learned to manage their thoughts and realize when an attack comes, that it is just in their head. I havent been able to achieve that yet so im still on the meds. I applaud those who get by without meds and i look forward to being there myself.

Everyone is different though. Best of luck to you, mb at 219inc dot com if I can help with anything.

i didn't read all the answers, but there is only one real solution to those things, it happened to me 3 months ago...


1- rest, sleep day and night, but rest
2- get some holidays, far from everything, but rest first, or you will fear leaving your home