Panic attacks

[dktekno]

My fear of v* has now developed to such a high stage that I get panic attacks.

Or else I've just developed them and then when I've got them the first
times I thought I was physically sick and then associated it with my
fear of v*.



But it really seems like these panic attacks have nothing to do with my fear of v*.

I do fear that I might v* when I get these panic attacks, but I don't
get the panic attacks because I fear I would v*, because they come at
all strange times in the day, and I can be completely calm and so on,
and then they suddenly come.



I have learnt myself to control them so they don't make me as nauseaus
as before, but every time I get them, I fear that they might cause me
to v*.



I do have several people working on this problem. They've contacted a
psychiatrist, but I don't know how long to wait. Maybe a week. Maybe 2
weeks. I don't know.



I suppose there are others in here that suffer from/has suffered from
panic attacks. so therefore I would like to get some good advide to
what can help me against these panic attacks until I get some prober
medicine against it.



As said before, these panic attacks come without me thinking about
things I don't like. I can be completely calm and so on, so I really
don't think that this is a psychological problem. I fear that there is
actually something physically wrong in my brain that causes this. Is it
cancer? Or something? How can my boddy just begin to shake, getting dry
mouth, feeling nauseous?



Before I only had depression and fear of v*.

Now I have both depression, fear of v* and panic attacks that worsens my fear of v*.



WHAT CAN I DO???

[dmbchic05]

Hey i know exactly how you feel. I've been deeling with this whole thing for awhile now. I now associate my fear with throwing up with panic disorder because teh fealing i get when i start to have one. IT has now come instead of being afriad that i;m gonna get sick, i have a fear that i will have a panic attack and the feeling of being light headed and such makes me scared that i will cause a panic attack can bring on getting sick....but if you ever need to talk i'm here for you. good luck and god bless

[shiva]

The key is relaxation and deep breathing. I swear by this stuff. We need to condition our minds to relax. I have to work on this about 8 times a day whether I am feeling panicky or not. I get myself into my relaxation mode so that my body gets used to it. After time once you feel anxiety coming on, you have to train your body to go straight in to relaxation. I swear it works. However, if you will sit here and read this and think.. "That crap doesn't work", then of course it never will. But, giving it an honest chance and seriously months and months of practice has helped me tremendously. I should also add that I do take medication as well, just to be fair

[juliet]

I'm dealing withthe dreadfulemetophobia/panic disorder combination myself, as are plenty of other people on these boards. I'm also a hypochondriac--I lost abit of weight a few months ago and spent the next several weekscertain I had cancer and would be dead within the next few months. But a few months have passed, and I'm alive and well. But back in Decembermycondition peaked to the point where Ihad a severe panic attack at least every other night, and where my fear of vomiting controlled me throughout the day, causing me to skip classes just to sit in the bathroom and cry it off.


You might want to consider taking antidepressants. I started Lexapro about two months ago, and I can count the panic attacks I've had since then on one hand. I'm not rid of my emetophobia, but it no longer controls my life--the medicine helps me control the anxiety I get when I think about vomiting, and generally balances my mood.

[r311dude]

"Just don't think about the stuff that makes you panic" ugh, if I had a dollar everytime someone told me that. My best techniques (non-medicinal) are just really really deep breathing. Talk to yourself and tell yourself that you are ok. Say things like , "if I were at home (or wherever your safe point is at), would I feel the same way?" Things like that. G'luck with everything.

[shiva]

"Just don't think about the stuff that makes you panic"


Isn't that a funny one... Like that never occured to us. My family tells me that s**t all the time. I get so mad. I feel like they are underestimating my intelligence or something. I try to explain to them that there isn't much logic to the way my mind is working when it pertains to this particular subject, but I don't think that people who are lucky enough to not have this problem get it.


Seriously... Relaxation, deep breathing, positive self talk. Make those things habits and eventually you will see a difference.

[sage]

tekno,


there is some good info on panic attacks at the top of the treatments thread.


basically, panic attacks are another symptom of people with phobia. you don't have cancer! when anxiety goes high enough in a person or family, especially with phobic people, the panic can just come randomly. it's best to tell yourself at that time that "it's only a body response"...it's nothing dangerous. it will not make you vomit - emets DON'T vomit when they get afraid. in fact, vomiting is not listed anywhere as a symptom of panic attacks...something in the brain shuts down the vomit response during extreme panic. but panic feels horrible...i know, and i've been there loads of times.


just remember that it's not "serious", and indeed with slow breathing and self-soothing words your panic attack will quickly reach a peak, then start to dissipate.


the help of a good therapist goes a long way in reducing anxiety in general


good luck!