Stupid Panic Attacks - Why?

[JenniferInOhio]

Are we more susceptible or something? My panic attacks have increased from maybe 1-2 per year over the course of 10 years to now once per month. It is usually triggered by a "symptom," like my left arm hurts or chest pain or a weird feeling in my head. I know it is health anxiety. My health anxiety turns into panic. I'm smarter than this. I know I'm okay, but, what I can't figure out is why I can't make them stop.

For instance, last night I was in bed and my chest was hurting, although not bad, and my left arm felt funny. Well, this happens to me A LOT, and I tried to tell myself, "Okay, you are fine. You've had these feelings a lot and you are always fine." I knew I was fine, but, my body goes ahead and leaps in front of me and starts to panic. I am willing myself, pleading with myself to calm down, but it is like my body and my mind won't come together and cooperate. Once I start, it doesn't stop. I took a xanax and it took me an hour to calm down, shaking all the while. I hate the shakes. I feel so weak. Such a weak, pitiful person. Most people think I'm so tough and strong (I put on a good front). But, I'm really just this horribly weak individual who can't get a grip on myself.

I don't know what I expect in replies. I just had to get this off my chest. I need to do yoga or something, but I don't even know where to begin to help myself.

[sandy]

Hi Jennifer, Sometimes it helps to just come to the forum and vent. It helps to have support and understanding from others. I can sympathize with you. I have been plagued by anxiety all my life. Then it got worse once I started getting palpatations when I turned 19. I was suffering with panic attacks on a daily basis. Could not stop them no matter what I did. Now at 35 I have a handle on them, but also with the help of meds. It has not been easy, but I try to always think positive. Hope you get relief soon...........

[Angelika_23]

Jennifer,

First, do you really know that it is anxiety, and not your POTS revving up? For 5 years I was diagnosed with panic disorder, only to find out this past year all those "spells" I was having were actually POTS. I am betting that anxiety does kick in when my POTS gets going, but now I know there is a reason for how I feel, a real physical reason. (Even though I have yet to get a concrete diagnosis).

I truly understand how you feel, and I wish I could take it from you. It is a horrible thing, to feel so scared and alone. I read books when I start feeling so shaky and tachy. I do anything I can to try to get my mind off it. I pray a lot too. I am trying to learn how to let go of my fear and let God handle it. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm working on it.

I have always been "the strong one" and "the good one" in my family. It was very hard for me when this condition put me in the hospital, and now to the point of probably losing my job soon. We have to learn that we do need other people, and we can't always be the strong ones. I know that sounds trite, but it's true. I kept my husband from becoming the man he was supposed to be because I had to be the strong one, be in charge of kids, grocery shopping, checkbook, car repairs, etc. Now that I cannot do that, now that I have to depend on him, he is growing in such a wonderful way. He still has his bad moments (Like yesterday, when he spent $100 filling my prescriptions) but he's a much stronger, more vital man.

I hope any of this helps you,

Take care,

Angela

[JenniferInOhio]

Angelika,

I'm pretty sure it is anxiety and not POTS. But, POTS has to be acclerating it in some way. This is ridiculous. After yesterday's big cry-fest, I seem to be somewhat better today.

[dezyrae2]

Hi Jennifer

I too have been suffering with panic attacks lately. Also depression is setting in, it always does this time of the year with this time change. Yuck!! I wish there was a magic cure or could write something to make it all go away for you and myself as well but I cant. All I can tell you is that you are not the only one going through this and if you ever need to talk fell free to pm me any time. Maybe we could help eachother. Just keep smiling and good luck

Desiree

[pearsjon]

the only thing that helps me is to stay on the xanax. one @ a.m. and one @ p.m. it leaves a constant flow for me, i am pretty small so doesn't take much. although i have had to take more than that in a day, especiallly if anything major is going on.

i have just learned to adjust for me. like it use to be real bad riding ina car with people than it got bad enough that even with family. i have gotten so much better now about it, but i still don't ride with anyone other than family. i had a pots "dump" episode happen in public which i think is what lead to the anxiety about it. that was b4 i even knew what dys was. i had a couple more over the years and now know that i just can't eat and travel. if i do it's short distances. and b/f know's when i say i gotta go, I GOTTA GO. i carry a towel in the car at all times, even when i ride with family. i don;t know why it helps but it does. i have never spoke of this b4 now. but i thought it might help u, i hope it does.

coping in our own way is i think the cure for this disease. it doesn;t have to make sense to anybody but you. but if it works then it's worth it.

if you really look back b4 your dx u will see how much u did COPE with things u didn't even know were part of the problem. i know i have begun looking back and realizing i have had this alot longer than i even thought. i had just developed my own coping skills for things that were going on with my body, never realizing one day it would come to a point where i would have to seek medical support for it.(u know new symps all the time). much less get a dx. but here i am, and it's not easy to find the right management for your issues, but they can be done.

i started getting worse about 10yrs ago now. somehow i knew that it was going to get to a point where i could no longer to my job.(there now) but i started planning then for the career move. i am finally at the start of it. my b/f the jeweler had to startworking to build inventory for years to get where we are today.(opening jan 1st). it's a nice store, but could be better and i am planning for that too. this is my way of coping-planning. yours could be totally different. of course the latter is long term, where as the former is short term.

i hope you have better days ahead. and if music, reading, standking on your head, curling up in a ball, screaming at lyour neighbor, whatever it is DO IT. and let the world laugh. joy comes from making others laugh, even if it is at our own cost.

love ya guys.

[pat57]

I suggest you" practice objectivity", that is journal symptoms time- duration, thoughts . Write every detail down. It may reduce the subjective fears and produce

several things for you.

It would be ongoing practice for controlling your thoughts and impulses. When you can do this you break the cycle and stop the snowball effect.

It would be a record of what you survived and how many times you survived it ,which will strengthen the idea (with each occurrence)that its not dangerous.

It would be something to show your Dr.

By all means approach this with humor and refrain from disparaging yourself, that will not help.

I have to say because of the nature of your discomfort, you need to run this by a Dr. first.

good luck!

[Miriam Poorman-Knox]

I understand how totally frustratin these are. I would suggest that perhaps along with this you might eat something maybe protein. Our bodies are wierd and with adrenalin flowing etc. Miriam

[Maxine]

I try to practice what Pat57 posted.

However sometimes something can set off an anxiety spell.

Anxiety can be a symptom of POTS though, and it can be hard to tell if your just having a panic attack caused by anxiety, or your POTs symptoms acting up. Heck, trying to figure this out causes anxiety---LOL----but sometimes not so funny---

My POTs doc said anxiety is part of POTS, and three different neurosurgeon said my upper spine has a lot of pressure on it causing my sympathetic nervous system to be irritated. Most of the time I feel wired, and have been anxious since I can remember. For months at a time I have spells when I don't ever feel FULLY relaxed. I feel so much anxiety I don't want anyone to touch me. I get to a point where a hug will not calm me down, and if someone tries, I'll shoo them away. Nothing personal. I just get to a point where I feel so overstimulated, I feel electric. My spells seem to come in waves. Lately they come on with over exertion, and it won't go away until I lie down-------------sometimes taking hours to get to a calmer place.

I'm sorry your dealing with this, as I feel this is one of the more crippling symptoms----and it's something that needs to be done away with----period. I find that anti-seizure drugs help----I take klonopin, but I take tiny doses, and for shorter periods of time.

Maxine :0)

[JenniferInOhio]

Thanks for all the info. After running the Celexa by my cardio, I am going to try to start taking a small dose everyday. Wish me luck. I am also going to add exercise or some sort of yoga to my day.

[pat57]

Good Luck!

[Rachel]

I hope the meds and exercise help. Here's to better health!

Rachel

[DSM3KIDZ]

Let me know how the med works. I deal with alot of anxiety and it's one of my worse sx next to migraines. I never had a panic attack but always feel wired on the inside. I think mine has alot to do with POTS because my Cymbalta is just not taking the edge off the anxiety...it really ***** and I hope you can find some relief soon.

Dayna

[Suzanne]

I am sure the meds help, although in my case it hasn;t. But the one thing I learned recently when I was in hospital for depression was the "grounding the 5 senses" principle. As I get my anxiety attacks when I am driving, it is vital that I deal with it as I go. Basically you tune in to each of your 5 senses ie smell, touch, sight, hearing and I can't remember the last one! So I lift my feet up and down, I smell what i can in the car, I touch the wheel and with each focus, you consciously acknowledge the sense. By the time I have done all this, along with breathing, my focus has been off the attack and on something that is safe. I start to calm down and believe that I will get through it and not have an accident. Not sure if this makes any sense, but it a new style of treatment that is being promoted. Sometimes CBT doesn't help. Where you say I know that I will be ok, but continue to feel anxious.

Hope this helps and the meds too.

[pat57]

grounding the 5 senses is also, practicing objectivity. It is a way of bringing your thoughts to a none threatening place. Which break the cycle and stop the snowball effect.

sensation- causes fear - causes "insecure" thought - causes fear-----etc...

if a thought like, I'm going out of control- multiplies the fear

you can see that a thought like - I can hear a dog barking - will not.

I have heard that controlled breathing helps alot too.

[Mrs. Burschman]

"if a thought like, I'm going out of control- multiplies the fear

you can see that a thought like - I can hear a dog barking - will not."

Unless you're terrified of dogs, that is!

Amy

[pat57]

LOL

[JenniferInOhio]

LOL.

[mvdula]

JenniferinOhio - I could have written your post!

[calypso]

Jennifer,

This is my life story. If I had a good answer for preventing the panic, I wouldn't get the attacks any more. Oddly enough, sometimes I can be under an extreme amount of stress (like the last seven months, having just had a baby), and I haven't gotten any panic attacks. At other times they come on when I'm feeling like a actually have a grip on my life.

Wish I had more ideas for you. I do know that the only thing that has ever helped my attacks not evolve is to get up, walk, move. I also have done a crossword puzzle to distract myself. I think that if you are fixated on something complicated, you can trick yourself out of the panic attack. If you decide to go for a walk or get up, try counting backwards from 100, or something hard to do that takes a lot of focus.

Take care,

Amy

[pastordari]

I echo what everyone has said.

Anxiety is a tricky symptom for me.

Yesterday was just awlful for me.

I finally left work around 2:30 pm sobbing.

I don't know why some days are so bad and then I'm fine for weeks or months on end.

I feel so stupid and out of control when this happens.

I cannot stop myself from saying mean things to people - or at least they sound mean with my tone. The reality is I get so overstimulated or somthing that I can not stand being talked to. It is grating on my nerves or something and I just want to ask the person to stop talking. This is not at all good at my work. But, I can't seem to nip this in the bud.

I think some of it is POTS and some is anxiety. I hoewever, don't know how to determine what it what and what I need to do for it when it is happening. I can be so reckless and I just don't care about anything when this occurs. All I can do is cry and get myself somewhere that I can be alone. This is probably not the best idea as I'm desiring help, but I do not feel fit to be with "man nor beast!"

[JenniferInOhio]

Mvdula, Calypso (Amy), & Dari,

Thanks so much for your responses. It helps to know that others know what I am going through.

Calypso - I am much the same way in that sometimes when I think that it would be a *perfect* time for a panic attack when I am extra-stressed - it doesn't happen. Yet, when I'm perfectly calm, they come out of nowhere.