This board is great,it helps out alot of ppl.Ive been reading some of the posts and it kinda makes me mad when someone ask if they have had a panic attack or not and everyone automatically tells them to go and get meds to "fix" the problem.First of all,gettin yourself meds is just going to amplify the fears that you have that somethings wrong with you and secondly,meds can be really addictive.Im really not meaning to be rude and I know that meds do help alot of ppl and Im happy for them, but lets first of all tell the person to take a deep breath,do diaphramic breathing for at least 20 minutes,dont think about anything,just listen to your breathing,let it hypnotize you,forget about everything and JUST BREATHE.If this doesnt work(although Im sure it will) call a friend and just chat about everything,get your mind off of things.Another rhing that helps is to go talk to a counsellor,just vent to them,its really good to talk to someone who doesnt know you and just tell them everything.panic can be caused by stress and if you get rid of all the things inside,the stress will lessen itself.I had the worst anxiety and panic for about ten days and i didnt have a clue why.I was so afraid,I was terrified and i didnt even know why,it was the worst feeling ever.Id start crying for no reason and Id feel like I was in dream,I couldnt sleep and I couldnt eat.I really started thinking that I would be like this forever and that life was just worthless and I was worthless.Then I got to thinking and I realized I was just really really really stressed out cuz I was thinking alot about when I will be moving out in june after graduation and the thought of leaving my mom just terrified me.Im not a baby or anything but my dad died in june of 2001 and im scared that she will be alone and that i will miss her too much and that i could never live anywhere unless she was right there.I realised that I needed to talk to my mom about this and i did and i felt a million times better.
Talking about things really helps,I dont mean for this to be offensive,its just what I think.
I personally,think meds help you in the short term,but they dont solve your problems,one little pill isnt going to make the pain go away,it will just bury it.
Yea , all those tranq's are no good for you . They are only addictive as any drug. I have been suffer from panic attacks for about year now , ever since a incident with drugs i didnt Od it was justa trip to hospital that enstiled me with fear of death. Ever since then i been suffering with panic attacks . I have a been taking only one medication hich is Celexa , non habit forming such as xanax and clonapin and that other crap . Now i hadle them pretty well with breathing techniques and such its just every once in while , i get bad chest pains as if my heart is tightening and my breath get shallow alot better than before though. I use to get dizzy and rapid heart beats and such . I still think about death alot which is somthin i dont like to loom on . Brings back bad memories . So far ibeen coping wiht it somewhat
but it still get get chest pains and headaches every so often sometimes they catch me off guard and scare me a lil , but i think i can make it .
I too am not big on meds either,,, I drove myself to the hospital a couple months ago,thinking I too was having a heart attack...EKG showed nothing abnormal was diagnosed "slight sinus tachycardia" given an avitan and sent home..two days later I still felt weird and went back,again blood work ekg showed nothing..the ER physician asked a ton of mental heath questions and determined that it was anxiety and gave me Zoloft..I wasn't seriously depressed or anything just a bit stressed,well I started taking it and it made me feel horrible..insomnia,restlessness,confusio n,constant nervousness.So I got off of them myself,I was only on them two days and it made me feel horrible to the point that I actually thought of suicide..thank god the thought of my neice and friends kept me alive and the help of a person I know who went through the same experience.I had a few bouts with it afterwards and I just basically calmed myself..If some one wants to try the meds,it is their choice,but I would find out all the facts about the drugs before taking them..everyone's chemistry is different and the drugs can react in a positve and negative way.I really feel that a trained specialist in mental illness should determine to give you meds or not.As for thinking you have a heart problem,,if everything shows up fine,,you shouldnt worry about it.If you obssess too much..chances are you can become hypochondric and that is a totally horrifying experience.One thing you should avoid is caffiene,or cigs if you smoke...caffiene can really mess you up..I switched to decaf sodas and am slowing down my 5 year smoking habit to the point where I will totally stop.Our minds are stronger than we think..I get tired of people and the medical profession thinking depression is a moral sin,it's a part of life.It just takes time,effort and a shoulder to lean on..I know it worked for me
Hi Rachel,
Its great you dealt with Panic and Anxiety without meds,however you must realize not everyone handles situations the same as you,and not everyone will get addicted to these meds.
I took Xanax(a very addictive Tranqulizer for 4 1/2 years and never abused it).In fact I have taken many different meds in the past 8 years never becoming addicted.
Also understand people that have Panic Attacks are different.A person may have a PA and never have another,have a few that waxes and wanes,have a PA and it disrupt their life to the point of not functioning,or have Agoraphobia without having PA's.
Deep breathing,calling a friend and the others you listed are all great and wonderful coping skills.We should practice these things on a regular basis regardless of Panic-Anxiety.
When I was in counseling,one of the things I learned was Meds dont make it go away,most of my healing would come from within myself.I still would prefer taking a med to help along with my coping skills.
Everyone is different and should do what they along with what their doctor feels best in their given situation.
I agree Jasmine. I was given ativan for my anxiety attacks to take on an as needed basis. I used to get attacks everynight. I would feel one coming and take a half of an Ativan and call my mother and talk for like 20 mins till it passed. I havent had an attack in over 3 months now and I havent taken an Ativan in 3 months either.
Some docs prescribe it as daily matienence for anxiety to prevent the attacks but I told him I didnt want to take them that way because what if I didnt get one that day? So I took as needed rather than everyday because if I didnt I would have been taking them the last 3 months for nothing right? I think we all cope in our own ways and we deal with the anxiety the best way we can the way thats right for us. I have never taken anti depressants before or do I plan to for my anxiety which I hope is gone but others need to take both antidepressants and something like Ativan or Xanax. I just hope everyone gets well in whatever way they have to do it health and well being is the main thing not how we achieve it.
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Cheers...Autumn
Female...42
TMJD...12 years
Anxiety/Panic Attacks (cured I hope)
Total Abdominal Hysterectomy due to endometrial bleeding after miscarriage (2002)
Hernia Repair(1998)
Apendectomy (infected) 1988
21 year old daughter born with Mullerian Aplasia
18 year old daughter bulimia survivor.
If I can help ANYONE with anything from a papercut to a life threatening illness, I will do my best just to be a friend. " A friend is someone who knows all your faults and loves you anyway".
dont go straight to the meds 
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