Anxiety and Panic Attacks

For the past 6 months now, I have had a hard time dealing with this crap. Started out in June one day when I started feeling really lightheaded, felt like I was going to faint, my heart was just pounding, my breath was really short, nausea, tingling everywhere. I thought for sure I was having a heart attack. I called 911 and went to the ER. Ran a bunch of tests, everything is fine. Happens again 3 days later and I go back to a different ER. Same thing, everything is fine. Even MRI of my brain, multiple EKG tests, and extensive blood tests. I am healthy.

I've now seen 4 different doctors and I was determined that something was physically wrong with me. I started thinking I had some sort of cancer, or another terminal illness. I started researching and my symptoms kept coming up with anxiety and panic attacks. I just brushed it off because I always felt that anxiety is nonsense, and its just a weakness, not a real medical condition. Let me tell you, it is real and it is awful.

I am at my wit's end with this stuff. Doctors have prescribed these SSRI pills, but I am scared to take them to be honest. I have been drinking a lot more now, because that is the only thing that works. Has anyone else experienced this before?

is medical marijuana in your state

I had an anxiety attack once 2.5 years ago. Whole bunch of shit hit at once.

Took some Lexapro for a month to lower the "edge" then tossed them in the trash.

I wouldn't attempt to drink your way out of it.

Ask around for a good psychologist and find out the root cause. It may take some time to find a good one. I agree with not wanting to take meds for it. The mind is a tricky thing. I have had close friends deal with this. They went for testing (heart, blood flow etc.) and it all came back good. Then they were told it was possibly anxiety and they refused at first. They both eventually came to terms with it and found a some help. One of them ended up getting a divorce and has never had a problem since. They are both doing good now after a lot of counseling. Best of luck to you. Be careful researching online it can make it worse. Your research would be better spent finding a good treatment provider.


Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com

I have panic attacks when I drive in snow or ice. Last time I tried to go to work with ice on the road I started dry heaving, I turned around, went home and called in sick. When I talked to a therapist about it, she gave me techniques to work on it, no meds. The techniques do not work for me, but maybe they would for you. It's the normal stuff, taking deep breathes, counting, believing you'll be fine, etc.

Several people I know suffer from anxiety disorder. Google it. There are many ways to help. I read the other day to rub your forearms up and down. Breathing techniques. Like women who are in labor, they tell you to pick a focal point and focus on your breathing. Others swear by CBD oil. It gives you a feeling of well being.

My son's girlfriend has it. We were stopped on top of the harbor bridge because of an accident, and she was starting to freak. We talked to her. "You can do this," etc. She made it through, then down the bridge. We praised her a lot. "See, you made it. You did it!"

Try different techniques, then hit on one that works. Good luck to you.

I had a bout with this about 8 years ago. I would wake up from a crazy dream in full panic mode. The brain can trigger a number of physical abnormalities that we seemingly have no control over. It got to the point that in my dream, I convinced myself that this time, it was really true and not just a dream. Crazy shit, I know. This was usually about a pet or family member passing away or one of my cars getting stolen. I would actually have to confirm that what I was dreaming was not true, to calm myself down, which usually took a few hours. Since then, I have learned that things are never as bad as they seem and there is always a way out. Focus on things that give you pleasure and stoke your interest. Everyone is different, you can find your cure and move on. Good luck

I know what you're going through, I hope you can find some peace with it but drinking is certainly not the answer. I had my first anxiety attacks when I was about 28, I'm 30 now. I used to think anxiety was nonsense as well but it is certainly real. I started dating this girl that I'd known forever and she had 2 kids from a previous marriage. Turns out she had a ton of issues herself that she really needs to address before she can be with anyone. But I didn't figure that out until we'd gotten married and bought a house. It had been getting worse all along, but eventually, all we did was either fight or ignore each other 97% of the time. I got down in a deep, very dark depression, started drinking to take the edge off, gained a ton of weight and started having anxiety attacks. I considered suicide for a while, it got that bad.

I went to the ER the first couple times it happened and other than being a little over weight, they said I was fine. I finally went to one of those doc-in-the-box places that I'd been to before. The lady there knew exactly what it was and told me if I don't get things in control or make a change, I was going to have a heart attack between the stress, drinking and anxiety. I worked on it internally for a couple more months and talked to a few people. Eventually, I ended up getting a divorce, selling the house and have been so much better ever since. Everyone around me could tell a HUGE difference almost immediately. I've since joined a gym, lost all that weight and am healthy/happier and at peace more so than I've ever been.

The main thing is, you've got to figure out what your stressers are. What in your life is causing the anxiety? Start trying to watch for the triggers, paying attention to the intensity of the attacks and talk to your doctors at length about it. Anti-anxiety medicine can help a ton, but if you can do it without the medicine, that's even better. I honestly would try the medicine, maybe on a weekend when you can just hang out in your house. Let someone know what you're doing just in case, but you should be ok. But try not to turn to the alcohol, that doesn't help anything long term. Try joining a gym, that helped me get anger out, helped me start my day with more energy (I work out from 6:30-8am every day), and just generally made me feel better about myself as well as helping me drop all that weight. Now it's a routine and I can't go without it.

Best wishes dude, I hope you can figure this out sooner than later.

CBD or 420. Preferably the latter.

Exercise

Every time you go to sleep, you recharge your battery. If you don't use every single ounce of energy in that battery, that energy goes to your head and it's usually not a good thing.

Exercise will deplete your battery so the energy doesnt go to your head, make you physically healthier, and boost your self esteem too

*edit*
No one found long term, healthy answers at the bottom of a bottle.


Sent from my SM-N975U using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Anxiety, depression, panic attacks.....they're no joke. I've been through the depression and anxiety parts. All I can tell you is drinking is NOT the answer.

I wouldn't recommend medicine, or therapy to be honest. I tried both, and neither helped me at all. The only thing that helped is realizing things aren't ever as bad or as good as they seem, and focusing on what I can control.

Good luck.

Try working out?

Right there with you. Anxiety makes me a super introvert. I can not be sound a large number of people in a small area. I choose carefully when i venture out in public. I hate crowds. Ill go see movies at 9am Sunday. Will not go out to eat near 1230 on sundays or any evening between 5 and 8. I avoid grocery shopping between 530 and 7. I avoid traffic between 7 and 8am, 5 and 6pm and 11 and 1pm. Several times the anxiety flips to panic attack. Those are no joke.

Cant go near the wifes family during holidays. They are all very loud, love being in your personall space and they show affection by wrestling with one another. A family holiday at the wifes family is sheer chaos wwe event. Both my panic attacks happened at her family holiday get togethers.

20+ people all having 32 conversations very loud, while wresling on you and each one wants their conversation to have all the attention.

Sent from my LG V30 ThinQ using the svtperformance.com mobile app

I used to have this stuff about 20 years ago, because I had a stressful job, working 60+ hours a week. Like most, I initially thought it was physical, went to ER a few times. Then, finally, a neurologist suggested it was anxiety and I was quite shocked.

Anyway, I dealt with it for a number of years with Xanax & Clonopin as needed (legally prescribed). I ended up quitting the job and that helped immensely, but the anxiety was always right there waiting to rear its ugly head.

Maybe 6 years ago I found a great 'counselor'. He was a rare find, kind of like a Zen master and spiritual teacher. Very smart guy. He taught me to meditate. After a few months, no more meds needed. I started living in the now, rather than worrying about past or future.

So, my advice... ditch the drugs... ditch the booze (well, a little is OK, LOL)... and go find yourself a good teacher. Be careful about using a regular doctor, they will just prescribe some toxic drugs. You wanna stay away from that stuff. Also, clean up your diet and get some sweaty exercise.... walk in the woods...stop and smell the roses... and all that stuff.

Good luck. It's beatable!

Get yourself into therapy. Seriously. Nothing wrong with asking for help. It doesn't make you less of a man or any of that bullshit. And know that when you're starting, it might take a while to find the right person. You don't have to like the first person you meet. It's incredibly important to find someone you feel like you can trust.

To be clear, I'm not talking about someone who's just going to push heavy doses of some medication. Medicine has it's place. But it doesn't solve problems. A good therapist can help you work through whatever you're going through. If you're ready to make some changes and see things from a different perspective.

By the way, if anyone you know gives you shit about seeking some help, tell them to **** off. They're not a good friend and you don't need those kind of people in your life. We all need help sometimes. Good luck dude. I'm speaking from my own personal experiences with real anxiety and depression. It's not easy and it's as real as anything else in life. Get treatment.

Faith in God

I was having those same symptoms a few years ago when I was driving. I would go days or weeks without one but once it happened, I would not be able to drive for the rest of the day.

Then after one episode, I started looking at the back medicine I was taking and a side effect of the anti inflammatory was dizziness among other things. I threw that crap in the trash and haven't had an episode since.

If you are taking meds, check the possible side effects.

BLOWN9646 said:

Faith in God

Click to expand...

This
Talk to God and have faith.

I suffer from depression & have anxiety attacks. The key for me, ("ME") is recognize when I am falling into a depression and do what ever I can to not let myself get too deep.
The same with anxiety attacks. When I feel one coming on I switch gears in whatever I'm doing. I'll change the radio station or go get a coffee or anything to distract myself so it doesn't creep in too far.
I won't lie I do self medicate at times but I never let it be a go to solution.

And like someone said above try exercise. For me I read a book for and hour before I go to bed to exercise my brain. It helps me sleep through the night and not wake up as much worrying about things I can not anything about.

Thanks for the responses guys. I don't exercise regularly anymore, I'm sure that would help. Honestly, hearing responses from you guys that have dealt with it help me alot.