food for thought

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_attack

I tried paxil it worked great but it castrated me bad. Then I found picamilon and its been like a gift from heaven. http://www.uniquenutrition.net/shop/item.asp?itemid=268

sorry to hear, I hope it doesn't happen again and you get well and go back to fucking 19 year old latina beauties :thumbsup

I had them for years,but when I stopped smoking 4 years ago I never had them again.

I can definitely understand what you're going through. I developed a method of ending them much more quickly and haven't had one in a couple of years now. I'm not sure that it would work for anyone else and I'm not going to post about it here, but if you're interested you can contact me privately.

I can totally relate. I hope you don't think I was calling you a wuss. I was just giving a little insight to how I cope, and it seems to control them pretty quickly.

To those saying it has to do with being overweight, having no lives, etc... I am 5' 11", 26 years old and 158 lbs. I also am pretty close to being a vegetarian (meatwise, I only eat fish for health reasons), I go to the gym 4 times a week, I snowboard and play tennis 3 days a week, I geet 2 massages a week to reduce my stress level, I am surrounded by friends, am happily married, live in Las Vegas, am very close to my family, etc. .... And for those saying it might have to do with Americans turning to drugs too much: I haven't taken a prescription since I was 15 and that was penicillin for an infection.

What seems to get me is an over piling of issues due to this fast paced society that I live in. Sometimes it has to do with friends overloading me with petty issues while preparing taxes and helping my wife with questions she has about running her business. Sometimes it has to do with hearing about health problems that my father has had, mixed with somebody plowing into my car in a parking lot, on top of the home owners association knocking on my door about a stupid issue, sprinkled with a crying baby nephew that is in the living room "visiting" us, while I am trying to work on server issues.

The point is that these conditions are real and are caused by extreme anxiety. It feels very close to what I'd assume a heart attack feels like...unfortunately for me, I may have a heart attack one day and assume it's a panic attack.

Best of luck beating this DF!

I bet most of you drink coffee and smoke and didnt even read what i said. Seriously, for a few of you the solution might be that simple. Just at least try it...not much too lose.

I've suffered from anxiety for about 17 years. I remember my first attack vividly. I was riding my bike home at dusk.. I was 12 years old. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Had particularly bad ones from the ages of 12 - 17.

I've learned alot about the disorder and I am not really affected by them anymore. There is only a couple specific sitations when I can feel them about to come on - but I've become a pro at letting them pass:

a) at the very beginning of a flight that is more than 4 hours, before take-off, as we taxi to the runway. This is the moment that is the longest time before getting off the plane.

b) At a concert / play / musical (specifically the symphony, opera or a really long and boring shakespeare play).

c) Driving alone at night on a dark highway

All three share a common theme - a sense of feeling "trapped" both physically and mentally in a situation. The feelnig is best described as a disconnet from reality - the music or performance ceases to have any meaning, on the airplane it becomes extreme paralyzing analysis.. same with driving, basically, very little input... so the mind focuses on the feeling of anxiety.

But even in those situations now I don't allow the attacks to escalate. I calmly tell myself what is happening and just reconnect with reality - on a plane i will strike up a conversation or read the in-flight magazine. In the car I will change the radio station.. at the concert / play I will read the program or look over at the person im with (usually my gf).. basically just get my mind off the attack.

It works for me, the reality is I've survived every single one and they are all the same.. they ALWAYS pass.. yet when you are in the middle of a really bad one you think "maybe this is the one that WON'T pass". But it ALWAYS does and you just have to focus on that.

Also - yes, any stimulant increases the liklihood of an attack. I never drink coffee or have a coke before a flight. But knowing this, if you have had a coffee.. it's more ammo to just tell yourself "this is being brought on by the caffeine stupid.. get over it"

:)

PS - I 've never taken medication and never will. It will do more harm than good. My brother was on Paxil.. worst thing he ever did.. getting off that shit is a nightmare.. the drugs are BAD NEWS.. they will not cure you.. they will just make you addicted to them and warp your mind.. and getting off them will be worse than any panic attack you've ever had.

I didn't ignore you. I don't smoke or drink coffee. Mine are caused by just pure anxiety and mental overexertion. :(

kk.

BTW what i did was stuff like calling someone...the moment you get a friend on the phone something triggers you to act normal, or at least try to act normal...it takes your mind of the hell you're going through at that moment...at least in my case...but then again i never had it as bad as some of you guys. I think like 25% of what you go through. Then again i had it a lot...almost every day after dinner early in the evening. I think after one point i got it that often just because i expected it. I was waiting for it and that i guess actually made it happen. Was not much fun.

I was about to go to a doctor or whatever but then i read about it online and read how cigs and caffeine are the first things you should try stop using and like i said it did the trick..which im really happy with because if it was something else it wouldve really fucked me up.

Fitty attacks:helpme

I have dealt with panic disorder for over 30 years now. I have had it under control for the last 10 of those 30 years.

Its a real disorder and unless you have experienced it you won't understand.

Over the years I have learned to realize its a panic attack and taught myself to ride it out. It can only last for so long as the body doesn't like to be in that state for to long. It wears down within 30 minutes and the panic usually fades.

The problem is without help (psychological or medical) panic attacks will cascade and become more numerous leading to depression, agoraphobia etc.

Xanax causes rebound panic attacks as it doesn't stay in the system long. Klonopin on the hand is longer lasting and keeps you level if you have to go the drug route.

Just had one of my worst on the drive home..Last time i got one this bad was when i use to smoke tons of pot.Been really stressed lately with work and my ex just left me which this seemed to of start immediately after that. Was happy for 5 months then poof shes gone. Since then iv been in bad shape...just feeling overwhelmed with life i guess....omg this is the worst feeling...I need to figure a way to control it and avoid it..But I did not have one until rescently. This was a great read.....