Panic Disorder/Panic Attacks

Anyone here suffer from Panic Disorder or Panic Attacks?

I had my first panic attack when I was 24, (I'm 47 now).
I must say, it was scary!
I really thought I was going to die from a heart attack.
It was in the evening and I didn't rush to the ER-
but I did visit my Dr. the next day.
Back then, they didn't know a lot about panic disorder,
(they didn't even call it Panic Disorder), they thought I was
having an anxiety attack or that my blood pressure was too high.
They put me on blood pressure medication, (of which I found
out later, I didn't need).

Over the years I have had a a major problem with Panic Disorder,
but have chosen to not take medication for it.
Instead I fall back on Yoga, breathing techniques and other
mental diversions that I have learned.
They work quite well for me.

Many times, Panic Disorder does go hand in hand with Anxiety Disorder, but in my case- no.
I can have a panic attack at any time-
my emotional state has little to do with it.
As a matter of fact, when I am under duress or feeling a lot stress, that is when I don't have a panic attack.
Seems like they hit me when I am feeling real good, (emotionally).

I have come to call my "triggers" as my "Little Monsters"-
as they remind of when someone jumps out at you from behind a door or whatnot. It's like, you know they are there-
you just never know when they will pop out at you.
It can be maddening.

I have also found that panic attacks flare up more for me right before my menstrual cycle too.

I can go a long time with no attacks and then out of the blue-
they will start up.
This is the case now- and it is hitting me while I drive,
(of which I detest that the most).

I was just wondering if anyone else here at Ageless suffers
from this disorder and maybe we can discuss it a bit.
I feel the need to connect to others that have the misfortune of being a victim of this.

It's real hard for people that have never had a panic attack to understand them.
My ex thought I was really whacked because I had these
and saw it as some kind of weakness in me.
It got to where I would never tell him about my attacks as
he always pooh-poohed them and even ridiculed me over them.

Looking forward to reading from those of you that are in the same boat as me.

Thanks!
Sage~

What is the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack? What are the symptoms of each?

Originally posted by Patricia
What is the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack? What are the symptoms of each?

With anxiety attacks they stem more from emotional strain and upset and are usually triggered by such.
An anxiety attack can have the same symptoms of a
panic attack, but usually comes with behaviors such as
uncontrollable crying or sobbing, (but not all the time).

They both give the person having the attack a sense of
being out of control and their breathing is all out of whack,
(which causes the heart to race).
An anxiety attack can cause the person to feel as though
they are losing their mind as the mental anguish is so severe.

A panic attack is quite similar, but doesn't get triggered
by overt emotional upset.
They just happen.

The best way to describe a panic attack to someone that
has never had one is to say:
Imagine you are driving along a quiet road and all is
clear and easy sailing, then suddenly a small child jumps out in
front of your car and you swerve just in time to miss them.
Your heart is racing and you have just had the scare
of a lifetime!

Well, that is how a panic attack comes on a person-
BAM! And many times for no apparent reason.
The main thing that scares the person having the attack
is their heart racing, (pounding)- many people end
up in the ER thinking they are having a heart attack
because of this one symptom.
A person can also feel dizzy, breathless, over heated, sweaty, get the shakes, have their vision
become blurred, feel like the room is moving and their arms
and legs might feel "funny" or even become numb.

Many people are diagnosed with Panic/Anxiety Disorder.
For me, it is just the panic without the anxiety.
Although I am claustrophobic and my fear of closed in
spaces can bring on a panic attack quite quickly.
It is very common for the people that suffer from claustrophobia to have panic attacks.

For instance:
I get terrible panic attacks when I am caught in
gridlocked traffic- especially on hot days.
Now I can fly 100 miles an hour down the freeway
and not feel any panic at all.
But to get clogged up in traffic at rush hour-
I have a real hard time with that.

The best thing a person can do at the onset of
a panic attack is to get their breathing under control,
(slowed down). The best way to do that is to breathe in
through the nose very long and slow, hold it for a moment
and then release the air through your mouth, also very long and slow, (repeating this over and over).
This slows the heart that starts racing and beating so hard.
I don't know a panic attack sufferer yet, that this does
not give them the control they need to stop the
attack from escalating.

The hardest thing about panic attacks are the "triggers".
These little triggers get filed away in our minds and
we can keep having attacks over and over when these
triggers pop up.
For instance;
Let's say you are driving to work and have your first
panic attack at an intersection that you have traveled
though a million times before-
well, your mind will file that little trigger away and
every time from then on, when you reach that same
intersection on your way to work, you'll be hit with another
panic attack.

A lot of panic attack sufferers have a trigger that is one of
when they are breathless- as many "feel" breathless
during an attack and so whenever they do something in
their daily routine that causes them to be a bit breathless,
(climbing stairs quickly for instance), that trigger will
go off and the person is hit with an attack.

It is quite nerve wracking for many people, (including myself).
I also know of people that awaken from a dead sleep in
a full-fledged panic attack.
This has never happened to me-
but I can get a panic attack right when I go to bed and
the room is dark, (and no, I have never been a person that
is afraid of the dark).

Many panic attack sufferers feel the need to sleep with
windows open and the curtain open a little,
Many have to have a bottle of water with them at all time,
(I am like that) and many are prone to attacks when
the weather is hot, (as I am).

It's a strange condition to have and I really hate it.
I had a terrible panic attack in traffic, (waiting for a light),
just the other day and it was a big one.
It has been a long time since I have had a "big" one-
and it was quite distressing.
Oftentimes I will have one and then get hit with them
on and off for a few weeks.

The breathing helped me that day and also mind diversion
is very good too, (I do math in my head if I am driving or at home, I sit and add up a bunch of figures)-
it takes my mind off the attack and it goes away quickly.
Counting backwards from 100 by 3's is also an effective mental diversion.

Many people take drugs for Panic Disorder-
but after talking to people who have taken these drugs
and hearing of the terrible side effects-
I decided to deal with them my own way.
So far so good.




Sage~

Wow, thanks Sage, for the great descriptions. I haven't had those attacks myself, but I know a couple of people who have had both kinds, according to your descriptions.

Okay, I don't have long to write because I have to pick up the baby at the sitter in a few minutes.

I have/had panic attacks, at least that is what my doctor told me. From your description though, I wonder if it wasn't anxiety attacks. :(

I remember the first one I had, I was in the grocery store with my children. Not particularly stressed, although my whole life was stressful at the time. I had a full blown, feel like you are going to pass out/have a heart attack/sweating/heart pounding attack waiting in the grocery line. The next time I went to the store...same thing. From then on, every time I would go to the grocery store I would think...Lord, please don't let that happen to me again in the store, and of course it would. I don't know if I was willing it to happen or what.

I didn't go to the doctor. I let it go on....and eventually of course it started happening other places, at the most unbearable of times, like speaking at a seminar for work. It got to where I didn't want to leave my home for fear it would happen. It did sometimes happen at home, but I could deal with it better there than out in public. I got to the point where I was having several a day....

And then, my stress/anxiety began to manifest itself in other ways....I really thought I was losing my mind, as I still had no idea what was wrong. I went to work one afternoon, and at lunch discovered I could not open my mouth. My jaw would not open wide enough to get the spoon in. Another time at work, I could hear the sound of people's voices, but could not hear what they were saying. I am SURE this all sounds ridiculous, but its true. I specifically remember thinking things to myself like "So, this is what it feels like to lose your mind" or looking at people thinking "I wonder what it is like to feel normal like that"....

I did finally go to the doctor when my hair started falling out. They diagnosed me with an anxiety disorder and panic attacks...Reading your description I am thinking that was probably correct, because my life was generally anxiety-ridden, but it didn't take a particular anxiety to start an attack. I originally went to the doctor thinking I had a thyroid disorder (lol) and I remember crying when they told me that my thyroid was fine because I KNEW I could not go on living like this.

So, yes, they diagnosed me, and they put me on a medication called Serzone. I had some one really annoying side effect from that medication, which was that my arms tingled all the time like they were asleep. Very strange feeling. I took the medication somewhere between six months and a year, and during that time I tried very hard to reduce stress in my life. My doctor had told me I was literally killing myself with stress, and that I had to do whatever it took to reduce it. Over that period of time, I got separated, moved to another community, made a lot of changes....which also in my case went to the extreme of even not watching television in my house because the news stressed me out. lol

After getting off the medication, going to counseling and making the changes I needed to make in my particular case, I have not had another full blown attack since. However, every once in a great while, I will feel it coming on. I do some deep breathing exercises, meditation...In the car, I will pull over somewhere and take a walk...whatever I have to do.

I hope you made it through this long long post, and it made some sort of sense to you. I typed it in a hurry.

Jo, you sound just like me!
I have not lost any physical functions,
like you described with not being able to open your mouth,
but these disorders can do some strange things.
And I too, have sat there thinking the same thing-
that this is how it feels to finally go "over the edge"!

I too, get hit with attacks in the line at the grovery store -
always the same store and it is such a terrible feeling.]

I pull my car over too and just walk around.
When I panic driving I feel like I cannot trust myself to
drive correctly.
This particular trigger causes me to avoid the freeway a lot.

The triggers annoy me the most.
That is why I call them my "Little Monsters".
Sometimes I even talk to them - LOL
Now, if that doesn't sound whacky, I don't know what does!
Of course I only do this when I am alone.

Singing out loud works for me too-
it takes my mind off the physical part of the attack.

The thing is once you have Panic Disorder-
you always have it.
I have noticed mine can become dormant for awhile-
which I love.
The trick is learning how to defuse the attacks and
I have gotten real good at that.

Thanks for sharing your experience-
and no, it was not hard to understand your post at all.

Feels so good to know I am not alone with
this awful condition!!
:p

Hey Sage and jo sorry to hear you are afflicted. I have only ever had one panic attack and I was soo stressed in my life at the time, so am wondering if it wasn't situational and a one off. My daughter is 17 and was diagnosed last yr with obsessive compulsive disorder. Its the kind where everything has to be even or she can't move on in her mind, thinks about it until she can fix it, which most times she can't. Little things like the trees on both sides of the road aren't even, or the car windscreen wipers haven't cleared the raindrops off in the same way on both sides of the screen - I could go on but it debillitated her for five months. During her acute illness she was having up to 20 panic attacks every day - at age 15-16 - hard to imagine what it was like in her head. Medication was SSRI's which are now contraindicated in under 18y. olds - they gave her auditory hallucinations like hearing the internet dial up all night when she knew no-one was on it. great for a yng person already under so much internal stress, hard for her mumma who thought it was early psychosis not side effects.
Sage we decided to attack it from a different angle too, I think you just find whatever works for you and keeps you engaged in life and living. I work in adolescent mental health so knew what could happen, and I had to make major changes to my life, like a $20000 salary cut to change jobs and be close to her when she was in crisis, and we really embraced meditation and "talking things down" to a manageable level for her, a bit like yr walking round the car. There are so many triggers for her I can't keep track but she is doing well at senior school and has lots of friends (most don't know - her choice) great teachers, strong family connections and lots of love.
As she describes it she just spends a lot of time at the extreme end of normal!!! You have to love the resilience of young people. I also don't belive in mental health that you can underestimate the benefits of lots of love and support, so often issues are so internal that it appears people are deliberately isolating themselves, when like you both said it was sometimes easier to stay home and deal with things rather than attempt to appear everythingwas OK. Massage is an amazing therapy too and we got our massage lady to show Talia pressure points etc she is able to use when things start to escalate. Also she does aromatherapy massage which has even number of strokes on both sides of the body, so Talia is very happy with that. If only she'd got the type of OCD related to obsessive cleanliness - her room is the major source of my distress (I found seven wet towels in there trying to track what the smell was!!!) Love chez

for sharing your story about your daughter.
I commend you for all the efforts that you have
made in finding her the treatment that works best.
My heart goes out to you too,
as it must be very hard to watch your daughter suffer
with these attacks.
I imagine at times you feel quite helpless.
You have done wonderful by your daughter and
I hope you she finds a comfortable method to deal
with her disorders.

It must be very difficult for a teen to endure these.
It is such a confusing and emotional time as it is-
but to be prone to panic disorder too,
it must be very frightening.
I wonder too, how much of the teen hormonal ups and downs
might contribute to her disorders being even more complex.

I have read that Panic Disorder is quite hereditary.
Both my daughters have had attacks-
my oldest daughter, 22, having more than my younger daughter.
(I think my youngest daughter, 17, has only had 1 or 2).
My sons have not had them, (that I know of).

Medications is such a hard path for some.
I have always been one of those type people that
meds always effect me almost opposite of how they should,
and I steer away from being medicated as much
as possible.
The only drug that seems to work for me is vicodin for
my teeth pain and even then, I can only take half a tab,
(a whole one really whacks me out).
But if the pain is severe, I will take a whole one.

I had forgotten how helpful massage is!!
Thank you for bringing that up!
My ex husband was not very compassionate when it
came to my attacks and it got so I never mentioned them
to him, as he would get so frustrated.
But if I asked him to rub my neck and shoulders,
he knew I was having an attack.
My neck and shoulders are the points of massage
that work best for me.
My ex suggested a "head rub" one time when I was having
an attack- but that didn't help.
As a matter of fact, it seemed to make it more paramount.
(I have no idea why....)
But if he just rubbed my neck and across my shoulders-
it soothed the attack to nothing.
He was good at giving me the massages-
so I can't say he was totally without compassion.

There was a time that we were coming home from
a camping trip and it was a record breaking hot day.
We had AC in our vehicle, but it was a long ride home
and with my luck, there was some work being done on
the freeway and they narrowed a long stretch down to one
lane - cars were backed up and moving at a snails pace
for what felt like hours.
By the time we were free of that, I was not doing very well.
We hit the Seattle city limits and went under an overpass-
well, for some reason, it was too much for me.
I wigged out, (began crying very hard).
I just wanted out of that van and I wanted out now!.
Of course that was not an option being on the freeway,
so he found the nearest exit and got onto a road that he
was able to pull over. I was out of that van in a flash!
I think he viewed my attacks as a terrible weakness-
he just could not understand it.
There were about 2 other times this same thing happened
to me while he and I were on the freeway, (always when
he was driving), and each time, it annoyed him greatly.
It's very hard to explain these attacks to some people.
Until you have one, you never fully understand.

Your daughter is so very fortunate to have you
and I know with your support in this, it has to be a
huge comfort to her.

Thanks again for taking the time to post here.
Please keep us updated on how your daughter, (and you),
are doing in the future.

It might help those that are reading this thread
to have some information on the medications, if you have
that kind of information to share.
I have discussed meds with many who have used them-
but don't recall what many of them are called.
I have chosen to not use meds, but everyone is different
and information about them might be very useful
to someone reading here.

Sage~

Sage, Jo, and Freespirit,
My heart goes out to you because I know how difficult these illnesses are.

I have suffered from both anxiety and panic attacks for as long as I can remember. I remember going to my mother at maybe 11 or 12 yo (I could be a little off on the age thing) attempting to describe to her the pain I was having in my chest. Each time, she would brush it off by telling me that I was probably hungry. At this point I think it was just the panic attacks. I think as a child, especially with no one believing you, all there is to do is somehow learn to control it. That is exactly what I did.

I stopped talking about it, not because I was ashamed, but because I thought they were just a part of life (in fact, it wasn't until I was about 18 that I realized not everyone gets these). I learned that meditation (probably more like dissociation) was the key for me, breathing was secondary. During an attack, I went somewhere else until all was calm again. Finally, when I was 14 or 15 I had a great young doctor (what a difference this makes to teenage girl) and I took it upon myself to ask her about it. She explained anxiety/panic attacks to me in lamens terms, and how breathing is helpful.

I still get panic attacks, but they are not awful because I am so used to them and I am able to function during an attack. You are right, they can happen anywhere at work, at the grocery store, at school at the park, in the shower, you name it, panic does not discriminate! I will never forget my doctors explanation of what triggers the random attacks. She told me that it is the subconscious remembering things we have choosen not to. So a sound, for example, that means nothing to our conscious being, can trigger an attack based on what is stored in our subconscious. This DOES NOT mean that we all have suppressed some horrible trauma. It could be as small as having seen a dead fly. If this upset you at some point in your life and your subconscious associated a sound with the dead fly, then hearing the sound (even years later) can trigger an attack.

I have never taken meds for panic attacks alone, then again, I don't take medication for anything. However, I am definitely not against medication because sometimes it really is needed.

The only time I have not been able to function during a panic attack is when it was paired with an anxiety attack. The anxiety part didn't start happening until I was maybe 17 (as far as I can remember). I, fortunately, have not experienced the crying spells that Sage mentioned.
Anxiety for me can be horrible. Of course, everything is on a continuum, so there are varying degrees of both panic and anxiety attacks. During a really bad anxiety attack, I am completely disoriented. I can't hear or see normally. My breathing and heart beat is irregular (that's the panic part of it), I feel like I am drenched in sweat...I can't really describe too much more because I am not really sure of all of the symptoms I experience. These attacks usually have triggers that I can pinpoint. Social situations do it big time for me! Emotional upset...airplanes and sometimes just talking about it is a trigger. If the attack is on the lower end of then continuum (which it usually is) I appear to function just fine and I can carry on with whatever activity is happening (mostly because of routine), but the feelings are pretty much the same. Did that make sense?

I have taken medication only a small handful of times. I won't board a plane without having taken something and I sure as heck took it when my father found out about my OM/YW relationship. My drug of choice is ATIVAN. It never makes me incoherent (unless you take too much...oops), but it sure does make things nice again!!!

As far as social settings go, I just avoid them which isn't exactly healthy either.

The thing is, I say I don't take meds, but in reality I (along with MANY people) self-medicated from the time I was 13. By then I was smoking cigarettes regularly, drinking, and even smoking marijuana. I quit smoking cigarettes almost a year and a half ago (quit everything else a long time ago), and it was then that I realized how much I was self-medicating with those little buggers.


It is pretty common for stress and anxiety to manifest physically.
On of the strangest manifestations I experienced was called 'lump in throat.' It was the awful sensation that I had something (ie, a piece of food) stuck in my throat. I desparately tried to locate and remove it with no success for about a week. Finally I talked to a doctor who told me that this is actually a documented manifestation of stress or anxiety. The cure: knowledge. Once the sufferer knows of this, the "lump" disappears. Sure enough, the next morning I woke with a clear throat!!

At that, I will say goodbye. I will be back though, to happily offer any advice or info I can. With all of the personal experience I have had with psychology (especially "abnormal"), I feel like I could start my own practice!!

I had a few anxiety attacks in the first year after I lost my husband. Ended up at the emergency room one night with a wildly elevated heart rate.

I did end up using Xanax epsiodically (I took a pill once or twice a month when I felt anxious) for pretty much the next year.

It was a lovely day when I realized it had been many months without using a pill and pitched them :>

They were incredibly scary and debilitating and I am enormously happy that I no longer experience them ....

I have panic attacks sometimes, but I mostly suffer from anxiety attacks. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and have been prescribed anti-depressants (see my Anti-Depressants thread) for situational depression, but nothing for the anxiety. I think I'm learning coping skills that make each passing year just a bit more tolerable for me. So in my case, medication isn't necessary for the GAD, but it is necessary for some people.

Sage, good thread! Thanks, everyone, for sharing your story!

I suffered from Anxiety attacks since age 12. Didn't even know there was a name for it. Never took medicine.

This year I had a full-blown Panic attack - all the physical symptoms, even went to the E/R - was sure I was dying of a heart attack.

I luckily have a therapist friend who when I mentioned it, she brought me in for EMDR which is used for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have not had an attack since (about 4 months) and have ano anxiety about having attacks in the future.

Look it up on the internet, it is very interesting and for me has really helped incredibley.

Good luck! besitos!

By the way, it is a special therapy with a light machine that you watch, not a medicine and it is not a light machine as in Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I am so glad that I found this. I have been having really bad anxiety attacks resently, and they have gotten progressively worse. When I was 16 I lost my best friend in a car accident. My boyfriend at the time was driving, and he almost died as well. Actually he should have, they still don't know how he survived. I had this fear with him, but now more than ever with T. When my ex wouldn't come home, I would think that he died in a car accident. Well Sunday, T went out with some friends, and was at a bar and I couldn't get in touch with him. Now, don't think that I was upset about him being at a bar without me. I trust him whole heartedly (something that I never thought that I could feel). But I convinced myself that he was dead. I actually was mourning him. I don't know what to do. This happens all the time. When he says that he will be leaving work in 10 mins, and he isn't home in 20 I start to panic. I already have heart problems, so when I get like this, I have to use an inhaler to breathe, and this also helps calm down the palpitations in my heart. As my love for T has grown, these attacks have gotten worse. I just don't want to be this way when we have children. I know that I am going to have anxiety over my children anyway, I don't need anymore.

Also, I come from a family of very natural people. Both of my parents are vegans, and I don't really believe in taking medication. Especially Anti-Depressants. So I need to find someway to get me through these times. Does anyone have any advice?

Okay, I do still do this some with my children. I used to have a full blown phobia that something would happen to my children, to the point where anytime they walked too close to the edge of something I was deathly afraid of them falling off, falling into water..what have you.

Now that my children are older, I do it when my son doesn't come home on time big time. I have actually gotten into the car and gone down the 9-mile road to my house to make sure he had not driven into a ditch. *sigh*

I had friends who had horrible things happen to them over the years...and somewhere in my mind I convinced myself that I was so blessed and things were so good for me and my family, that it couldn't continue that way and that odds indicated something BAD was going to happen.

I did take medication, and I have had counseling for this. I did do still worry about my son, who is old enough to drive...so finally, I had to find a way to calm myself, and I bought my kids cell phones. I know it sounds silly, but it was how I reassured myself. If they were running late, I could call.

I know how how uncomfortable it can be, and I sure feel for you. If you don't believe in taking medications, I would definitely check into some counseling...They can teach you methods to change directon when you feel the anxious feeling coming on. Relaxation techniques and meditation help. But going to counseling may help you resolve the issues that are actually at the core of the issue....and to identify triggers that set it off.

Originally posted by bhberrie
I am so glad that I found this. I have been having really bad anxiety attacks resently, and they have gotten progressively worse. When I was 16 I lost my best friend in a car accident. My boyfriend at the time was driving, and he almost died as well. Actually he should have, they still don't know how he survived. I had this fear with him, but now more than ever with T. When my ex wouldn't come home, I would think that he died in a car accident. Well Sunday, T went out with some friends, and was at a bar and I couldn't get in touch with him. Now, don't think that I was upset about him being at a bar without me. I trust him whole heartedly (something that I never thought that I could feel). But I convinced myself that he was dead. I actually was mourning him. I don't know what to do. This happens all the time. When he says that he will be leaving work in 10 mins, and he isn't home in 20 I start to panic.

WOW! I could have written that VERBATIM - except that I was 21 when my best friend was killed in a car accident. I worry all the time about my husband. He works out of town, and he calls me twice a day religiously. HOWEVER, every once in a while, he is in a meeting and can't get away from it and calls late -- I have more than once exploded in tears because I had already mourned him, when he finally called.

I am thinking of going to a counselor. My mother has had severe anxiety/anxiety attacks all her life, though she wasn't diagnosed until she was in her late 40's. She has been on medication for about 15 years now -- it has definitely made a difference for her. But I am hoping to deal with it without medication.

I did recently go off caffeine, which I think has helped somewhat. And I am exercising more, which they also say helps.

I have a "thing" though -- I somehow believe that my worrying prevents bad things from happening, so I feel I HAVE to worry in order for people to be alright. I didn't worry about my friend who was killed - therefore, I could have prevented it. I didn't worry about airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center, which is why that happened. Now, obviously, when I think about it rationally and calmly, I know this is not true. But in the midst of that thought (Oh - I have not worried about hubby yet -- I had better do it before he gets on the airplane tomorrow), it is really hard to realize that it isn't true.

Very informative thread. When my Dad was first diagnosed with terminal cancer, I went home and spent a month making sure he was comfortable, saving him from a jackass surgeon that wanted to do stupid things to him that wouldn't prolong his life and would make him more uncomfortable, buying comfortable recliners, bed pads, making sure all his affairs were in order, etc. Then, one of my sisters took over and I went home. After my second sister's rotation, I was going to go back. However, by that time, he was very near death, in horrible pain, and required injections of narcotics. I knew it was too much for me to deal with, but I dutifully packed my suitcase and threw it into the pick-up truck and began the 15 hour drive home, I had barely driven out of the driveway when I had what I thought was a heart-attack, what the doctor in the emergency called a panic attack, and what I just learned from this thread was actually an anxiety attack.

I wrote all that out because I was told that, after you have had one panic attack, it is almost certain that you will continue to have them which really scared me - even though I haven't had another one in 20 years, I thought they were just lurking around the corner - but now I know that a situation-induced anxiety attack is not likely to recur.

What I'm hearing in these posts is that there are at least three distinct problems being talked about: panic attacks which have no basis in reality, situational-induced anxiety attacks, and then another type of anxiety attack which is worrying gone wild. I make this observation because the treatment for these things may be different. For instance, there are some non-life-threatening heart conditions that can cause anxiety attacks. As for panic attacks, it is my understanding that there is no medical cure but a combination of medication and counseling can (forgive me if I sound glib) take the panic out of panic attacks.

And a note about out-of-control worrying. I don't have it, but my mother does, so I know how horrible it is. If I'm in the shower for more than 20 minutes she has to come to the door to ask if I'm alright. If I sleep late, she comes in periodically, sure that I have died in my sleep until she sees me breathing. Same thing if I take a nap. I don't know how the poor thing stands it when I leave the house: all the time I am gone, she is sure that something has happened and I have died. I am so sympathetic to all you worryers - it is a terrible way to live. Worrying that permeates your life comes from a very deep-seated fear which counseling might help. On the other hand, uncontrollable fear might be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and might require medication.

Whatever the diagnosis, and within your framework, I urge each of you, don't settle for living in hell (or fear of hellish feelings), and don't belittle yourself for not being able to fix it. Believe that there is something out there that will help you and keep trying to find it.

I am sending peace and hugs to each of you and requesting that an angel wrap you in a comforting embrace.