Let's help each other.... Please advise us HOW YOU OVERCAME this PANIC DISORDER !!!

Surviving101

There is one book that was insrumental in helping me fight Panic and agoraphobia it's called "Panic to Power" by Lucinda Basset. I bought it at Barnes and Noble for like 10.00. Also When you feel panci coming on say to yourself.."This cannot hurt me." Inhale and hold for five second and then exhale and repeat. also Stretching your arms and tensing your toes and hands and holding and then releasing also helps, it makes you more relaxed.

Massaging the inside of your hand (the meaty part below your thumb) is so helpful. I use to have panic attacks in my care but I notice that when I started having them, if you take the cold bottle and place it on your wrists or the back of your neck, it works, at least for me it does.

Another helpful hint is when you feel the panic coming on start concentrating on something else such as the details ex: How many tiles are in this floor, wonder where that lady got that coat...etc. It sound silly, but no one knows your doing it, and it has helped me to the point where the symptoms subside because I am not concentrating on them.

Hope this helps!

ali_moran

I am in week 2 of a 15 week self help program. It is called Attacking Anxiety and Depression with Lucinda Basset. I am already doing so much better!! I have been using the breathing technique described above also and it really really works. This program is making such a difference in my life! I had no idea there were things out there to help with anxiety other than meds and I have done the meds, and I hate the side effects! I feel like such a different person already!! I feel strong, courageous and ready for anything!! I have learned so much about myself!! I knew I was a negative thinker, but I didn't realize how often my thoughts are negative!! I am changing my ways totally!!!

The website for more info on this program is stresscenter.com

~Ali

AznMax

I don't think not many wants to share their valuable information with other people.
They probably think that they are wasting their money (buying the book) and effort (time spent reading their book) by sharing the information.

If I find a cure, I will let you know for free. I don't want anyone else to suffer like we do.

OhIO 901

One of the things that helped me tremendously, was breathing techniques. But just breathing in the nose, holding, and blowing out the mouth did nothing! I had to use a visual image. I had to picture a calm scene, and I had to breathe in the cool, clean air from that scene. As I breathed in, I had to feel the air circulate in my abdomen, and imagine it encircling my brain. I hold that for a few seconds, and, with my eyes shut, I blow out brain smog. The calm scene I imagine is me standing by a waterfall, where the air IS cool and clean, and God, the way I percieve him, is present. This technique helps me so much, that I would like to find about 10 more personally relaxing things to incorporate into a daily morning ritual. This is a wonderful topic, and I hope to see everyones Ideas.

__________________
We are all full of weakness and errors, let us mutually pardon each other for our follies(Voltaire)

fm5

Hi Specialahs! I am one of those people who have completely recovered from panic attacks and write on this Board to help you guys out of them.

Most of my topics are now on pages 7 and 8. (Look for fm5 as "topic starter") The most helpful one I put in, I think, is is "distracting techniques". Here is part of some of the things I mentioned:

In my opinion, the key to getting better and breaking the cycle of panic which is: That you have the symptoms because you panic, and you panic because you have the symptoms, is to force your mind to concentrate on something else besides your physical symptoms. I thought it might be good to share any techniques you have. You will find that by distracting your mind, it brings your physical symptoms down.
Mine are:

Doing "Find a Word Puzzles" - these are great things for distraction - not crossword puzzles, but "find a word puzzles".

Concentrating on the shapes of things - their colors, the shadows, etc.

I mentioned this before - making categories like different foods, and then thinking of words of them beginning with a, b, etc.

Doing mathematical equations - make sure they are long.

I believe that most panic attackers get stuck in their state because they still believe that it is something physically wrong with them. (This is, of course, after they have had a full check up from their doctor saying they were fine.) They stay in their state, again, because they still believe it is physical, when in actuality, their panic is what is bringing on their symptoms - not anything physical. One can reach that exact state of panic physically by simply running around a track 5 times.

You have got to get to the point that you believe that "I have suffered the worst symptoms many times before from my panic attacks - if I were to have a heart attack or faint - it would have already happened by now."

The distracting techniques work in "breaking the cycle of panic" by bringing down your physical symptoms down so you are not in that high state of panic.

When you gain confidence from going out and doing those things you are afraid of OVER AND OVER (even if you do have a panic attack - as I did for months), you gain confidence in yourself and the panic wears out and you begin to have less and less of them. It takes time (for me many months) and patience.


[This message has been edited by fm5 (edited 10-05-2003).]