ANXIETY ATTACK now maybe going crazy

[payton]

hello, this is my first post. i am 26 years old and in medical school. about 2 months ago i was preparing for a round of tests and drinking a ton of coffee and taking adderrall(not on regular basis). sleeping patterns were off(but sufficient)and studying non-stop. this routine went on for about a week and then one sunday me and my girlfreind went to eat lunch. we were sitting on a balcony outside in the sun(very hot and poor air flow) and out of nowhere i thought i was having a heart attack. it was without a doubt the most frightening thing that i had ever experienced. with my education i knew what had happened but still this brought forth no comfort. so to the point.
-now this is the problem that is disturbing to me. i am going on 2 months since the attack, and i have probably 2 maybe 3 days a week and not all day just a period of the day that i feel totally detached from reality. like nothing is real coupled with anxiety. i also have noticed some tracers at night. it is really strange, it almost is enough to think i am going nutts butt i am educated enough to rationalize all the neurochemistry assiciated with the problems. the thing is that at no point in my life have i ever had this sort of problem. i have always been very, very outgoing and almost too social. and since that attack i feel a constant tug or pull on my subconcious. it is wearing me down. also right now i am taking pathology, neuroanatomy,ab-psych, phys-11, and path-microbiology. so learning about all of these disorders and pathological problems plus experienceing them at the same time makes me hypersensative to every little thing.

so here are the questions i have
1)do you think i need med's for this?
2)do you think my neuro chemistry could be experiencing a jolt or shock from that first attack and it will just take a while for this to clear up?
3)or do you see something else all together?
4)could this be post traumatic stress disorder?

-anything will help. i could really use the insight right about now so please tell me what you think.

[XxlDippsxX]

only one that can tell you is a doctor or phsyciatrist good luck

------------------
dipps

[upshutter17]

I agree with Dipps. Professionals can give you an answer. Luck to you.
Upshutter

[spotty]

Your mind and body is playing tricks on you. As long as you fear the attacks they are going to keep getting worse. Worrying about the attack and that its going to happen again turns it into a disorder. (You prob. already know that being in med school). I read a book called Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes and It helped me understand so much. Its a little outdated but It helped me. Whether or not you need meds is a choice only you can make. After almost a year I started taking Propranolol which helps me with the physical symptoms that I had. The depersonalization, hot flashes etc. I tried Zoloft once but it didnt work out at all. But before you are sure its panic attacks you should get checked for thyroid and other disorders. Hope this helps a little. Oh by the way your symptoms sound alot like mine when I had my first one.

[This message has been edited by spotty (edited 07-15-2003).]

[slyJohn]

hi, i am a 20yr old male studying electrical engineering. but i have heard many cases of students in the medical field developing anxiety disorders due to their knowledge in the area. kinda makes you wish sometimes that you werent so smart huh. i am going through the same thing and i still have feel impending doom and that something really is wrong with me.
1.) i suppose antianxiety drugs could be a solution but i my thoughts are so constant that they don't really work for me so i dont take them. it may be the same case for you or maybe they will actually work for you.
2.) i cant give a definite answer but that is the most logical way to think it. but then again, my first attack about a year ago still has not worn off since obviously i am still a very anxious person. what happened was the first symptoms went away and then new symptoms and thoughts cycled through my mind and i began worrying about those.
3.) well you can goto a doctor and have some studies and tests done to assure you and put your mind at peace. for now, the best thing to do is accept that what you had was an anxiety attack and nothing more. you don't want whatever it is to control your life like it has me.
4.) sorry i can't ever be too definite with my answers but ptsd is very possible with the field you are studying. i suppose it is a possibility that i have this also. the more i think about it, i think the jolt from the first attack you are speaking of just set you off if you know what i mean; your nervous system seems to have been disrupted in some way because you don't seem to have symptoms of anything from what you're saying, just a lot of worrying.
i hope you start feeling better and good luck with your studies.