What to Do When a Panic Attack Strikes | Newsweek Voices - Her Body

Posted By: nthieret @ 08/14/2008 11:24:08 AM

Comment: I am a 54 year old female. Had attacks ever since exploring a salt-water cave in the Bahamas. Had attacks in airplanes, cars, elevators, hallways, and theaters. Those people who say "just live throug it" obviously have never felt what I feel. I take xanax now before flying, and avoid theaters. The attacks have reduced in intensity over the years. As far a behavioral therapy, hogwash. I was put in a group of screwed-up people who did not know how t get over their problems--much less try and help me.

Posted By: gobbledegook @ 08/14/2008 3:19:12 AM

Comment: The panic button is spelled 911

Posted By: Lancers427 @ 08/05/2008 12:52:54 PM

Comment: Im a 22 Year old Male. I started developing panic attacks when I was 20. The Panic attacks became increasingly worse and I started to become depressed. I finally went to a doctor and was prescribed Effexor XR. Other than the nasty side effects when weening off this drug, its works great for me. I've been on it for 2 years now and have experienced no panic attacks. My anxiety is much more controllable. Im a much happier and back to my normal self.

Posted By: SamiAlise @ 07/16/2008 1:28:18 AM

Comment: ive had depression and anxiety since i was a small child, and ive always had panic attacks often.

Posted By: banaban @ 07/14/2008 6:11:24 PM

Comment: My son is 21 yrs old and he just started to have panic attacks. he is a very quite person, so any kind of change is very hard for him. He has gone to several doctors and they all just tell him tha its an attack. What can I do to help him cope with this situation.

Posted By: Apollonian @ 07/12/2008 1:44:23 PM

Comment: I suffered from panic attacks for approx 2 years. The biggest thing that helped me was when I was diagnosed by a competent doctor. Knowing what the heck was going on helped me understand that I wasn't having a heart attack and that what I was experiencing was a lot more common than I would have ever thought.
Make no mistake about it - having a panic attack, especially when you don't know what it is, is a terrifying thing. People that haven't had one have a hard time imagining just how traumatic it really is.

Do people ever "outgrow" them? Maybe some do. I don't suffer from them any more, but I think that is because I changed my surroundings and no longer have the same kind of stress building inside me that has no outlet until it is forced to go off like a BOOM in the form of an attack. Again, knowing what they are and how I felt when they first set on helped me a ton. I think sometimes they would set in, and it was like a line of dominoes falling over - not knowing what was happening caused the mind to panic, which made the body go into panic mode even further until a full-fledged attack came on.

Posted By: Apollonian @ 07/12/2008 1:43:38 PM

Comment: I suffered from panic attacks for approx 2 years. The biggest thing that helped me was when I was diagnosed by a competent doctor. Knowing what the heck was going on helped me understand that I wasn't having a heart attack and that what I was experiencing was a lot more common than I would have ever thought.
Make no mistake about it - having a panic attack, especially when you don't know what it is, is a terrifying thing. People that haven't had one have a hard time imagining just how traumatic it really is.

Do people ever "outgrow" them? Maybe some do. I don't suffer from them any more, but I think that is because I changed my surroundings and no longer have the same kind of stress building inside me that has no outlet until it is forced to go off like a BOOM in the form of an attack. Again, knowing what they are and how I felt when they first set on helped me a ton. I think sometimes they would set in, and it was like a line of dominoes falling over - not knowing what was happening caused the mind to panic, which made the body go into panic mode even further until a full-fledged attack came on.

Posted By: teaohem @ 07/12/2008 1:18:40 PM

Comment: I suffered from "Panic Attacks" For years with no help. Then, I met a Person who told me the Key to relief from "Panic Attacks" was to understand them for what they are. Once I did understand them,I learned to control them & I 've never had another one to this day. Here is my solution.
1) When you feel one coming on,and you know you do! Recognize it for what it is.
2) Tell yourself you are not going to Die or, stop breathing and that it will go away(important!) because they ALWAYS DO GO AWAY! You don't die!
3) You also have to undertand that when a Panic Attack comes on,your body shoots a large dose of adreniline (triggering the fight or flight feeling) into our system. Understanding this,you can gradually relax yourself by doing some deep breathing until the adreniline runs it's course and you can feel the "Panic Attack" subsiding!
4) Knowing that the "Panic Attack" will go away as they always do. I decided that I was going to make them go away as soon as they started. Understanding the two main things,(They go away & handle the Adrediline rush) I found that I could control them. I learned to do this to the point where I just would'nt let them start and, they jst stopped completely!
5) I don't know what happens for our minds to trigger these things, mabey some king of chemical imbalance.But, I do know that our minds can lso relieve them

Good luck & Screw "Panic Attacks"

Tom Lemieux

Posted By: sadwithhope @ 07/11/2008 3:32:08 PM

Comment: I have suffered from "panic attacks" since childhood. The doctors would prescribe "relaxers" because I would also hyperventilate. I've tried numerous Rx's and the only ones that really work are the benzodiazapens (sp?) like xanax, ativan, valium and a few others. Unfortunately these drugs are addictive, BUT I don't have an alternative... I have been awakened by them and it is a terrible feeling!! I am currently taking ativan 1mg four times daily. It has decreased the the attacks to about one per week. That's good for me, I live with it and do not let it control me. I've tried meditation, relaxation tapes, exercise, lots of psy visits... but you cannot beat the relief the meds give you. I pray for everyone that live with the "fear" of a panic attack.

Posted By: Fort Begay @ 07/10/2008 10:53:11 PM

Comment: I'd like to know if sufferers of panic attack ever "grow out of it." If hormones are related to this fearful reactions in the body, are people destined to have these for the rest of their lives? I'm curious.

Posted By: lollymom1 @ 07/03/2008 9:32:21 PM

Comment: I have had all the symptoms and problems described in the article and worse. I has become a part of my life that I have finally stopped fighting. I take meds, and have a 2-3 step relaxation routine to go through when an attack comes, and it's hard because they are not predictable. In addition to taking the meds prophylactically, I think the best recipe for success is to accept the condition and live with it and not at the mercy of it.

Posted By: kanandivecha @ 07/02/2008 8:29:06 AM

Comment: In India, a popular remedy to many of the ailments is cured by alternative medicine like homoeopathy. Even perimenopause, the much-dreaded period in every woman's life, has relief in homoeopathy. Of course the practitioner must know his/her onions and get to the root of the disease/ailment. Having got there, it is only a matter of time before the patient is rid of his/her malady. Kanan Divecha, Mumbai. India

Posted By: Micky Marsh @ 06/26/2008 11:30:41 AM

Comment: Read PSALM 92 and believe evrey word in it and you'll be ok; BELIEVE IN GOD.

Posted By: nesreen @ 06/26/2008 7:15:04 AM

Comment: I think that cognitive therapy is less helpful than analasys thereapy. My panic attacks stopped after my therapist and I dug way into the past to discover the ROOT causes of my anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy only helps momentarily, but the problem persists.