The point of exit methodology is a thought process that I’ve been perfecting for over twenty years now. The point of exit in the context of the following methodology is the point in which you finish a full blown anxiety attack. Click here to see graph – Click here for video explanation What Is The [...]
-
‹ Home
Contents
-
Categories
- Addictions Help
- Advice in General
- Anti-Anxiety Programs
- Anti-Anxiety Tip
- Anxiety Blogs & Web Sites
- Anxiety Disorder Falsehoods
- Anxiety Help
- Anxiety Terms
- Anxiety Visuals
- Comment to Readers
- Diet & Stress
- Enlightenment
- Entertainment
- Herbal Remedies
- Hope!
- Medications
- Meditation
- Money Worries
- Mothers
- Panic Attacks
- Q&A
- Relaxation Techniques
- Social Anxiety
- Stress Humorists
- Stress Management
- Thank You
- The Mind – Thinking
- Tip of The Hat
- Uncategorized
- Updates
- Using Paxil
-
Tags
adulthood anxiety anti-anxiety anti-depressants anti anxiety medication anxiety anxiety cloud Anxiety Help anxiety reduction Anxiety Visuals brain swooshes controlling anxiety depression drugs eckhart tolle ego fighting anxiety funny goji berries graphs Hope! humorists jacob markusson lucinda bassett medication Medications methodolgy midwest center Panic Attacks paxil picture poem system point of exit point of exit methodology quitting quitting smoking Relaxation Techniques sane advice sleep Social Anxiety starting stress Stress Management terms tips zrii
-
Archives
Blogroll
-
RSS Feeds
-
Meta
August 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Jacob, finally someone who really knows what is going on.. and how to help. I just stumbled onto this site and reading all the responses you give has already made me feel much better. Thank you for helping so many people including myself. And with such sincerity, I can see it in the words you write.
August 17th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
jacob-
i happened to find your site while looking up “panic attacks” on wikipedia.
i have had panic attacks since college here and there, at the time not knowing what they were. after leaving my abusive husband, they came on so strong that i felt like i was going crazy.
now, four years later, they are back. i have primary custody of my daughter, i am in a new, healthy loving relationship–but the ex is still around due to his court ordered visitation with our daughter. this means i have to see him often at drop-offs, and deal with his ongoing verbally abusive behavior.
all of this leads to panic attacks frequently; feeling horrible physical symptoms, as well as mental and emotional. i can usually get out of them without meds, but they are so frequent now that its frustrating!
i will try your method. im a firm believer in taking control of my life and these panic attacks. its been long enough!
i also like the idea of writing the stressors down and getting them out of my head. i will try this as well.
thank you~
August 12th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Jacob,
thank you for helping me. I am so greatful for your website. I am so desperate for coping and healing from my panic attack. I tried Lexapro for 2 days and hated it and just a few hours ago I wished to die..I didn’t think I could take this any longer. I felt so alone. Thank you for your poem system. I will try it. I used to be so healthy…Oh God! ….I just want to we well again.
God bless you, and all of us who are suffering.
Beáta
August 11th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Thanks for all your input everyone. These genuine accounts help countless others. This one page alone is getting over 300 visitors a day looking for help.
Lista’s story reminds me how physical discomfort, pain, or a change in our bodies can trigger anxiety. I’ve found this to be true in my own experiences (which I’ve mentioned above). I have a few more comments I want to make regarding the physical part of it.
(By the way Lista, I have experienced the dizziness problem before. The dizziness was from some bad food poisoning and not from the stress. Like you said, the dizziness came first and felt scary enough to put myself into the same anxiety trip. I passed out 3 times during that episode, but the doctor said it was from dehydration, and not the panic attacks. Sometimes it’s hard to find out what came first – chicken or the egg right?)
When I have some physical discomfort, or pain, I quickly start telling myself the truth. The truth is that our bodies will deal with what is causing the pain or discomfort. All we can do is help our bodies along. This is really all that doctors do – they help our bodies along in the right direction, and allow our miraculous bodies to what they do best…..heal.
It’s wonderful thing when we can learn to stop worrying about our health and let our natural bodies take over the healing process.
It’s a wonderful thing when we can stop worrying…
August 9th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hi Jacob,
I’m very thankful for having accidentally found this site. I have read that many here are young sufferers, I’m a lot older, I’m 52 menopaused woman. I know I have this anxiety, fear, panic disorder since I was younger but this time is the worst one. Been one month since I felt this dizziness thing, I went to an ENT doc. by my own thinking that this is a balance disorder since it runs in the family, the doc said I have positional vertigo. This dizziness is trigerring my anxiety and panic, I think I cannot cope with it. I do experience what others say here of tingling, dizziness, a little numbing here and there, and I felt I will faint in a market place making me scared to go to places where there are a lot of people. I’m used to be a very independent person, I go wherever I want to, do whatever I want to do, but now, I got scared most of the times, feeling that I will passed out. This dizziness is triggering my panic and anxiety. My life changed a lot. I can’t accept I am now a different person from how I used to be. This anxiety thing is hampering my normal life and I feel so depressed about it. But anyways, the journals that I had read in your site is really an eye-opening to me…I know now that I am not alone here, that there are people who are coping and coped. I’ts already a month and I don’t like to take mediccations, it’s psychological I know and I have to work on it. Thanks for this site Jacob, I am enlightened in a way. I know it’s not easy to get out of it but your site is really an enlightenment. Please pray for me because I’m really sufering a lot. Sometimes I think that I can’t handle it.
Lista
August 9th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hi to all readers,
Luckily there was only about 15 minutes of the work day to go so I struggled through without telling anyone. Interestingly not one of my workmates noticed anything was wrong that day which now years later is easy for me to understand because often it’s not obvious someone is feeling panic at all. Anyway, I slowly drove the 30min trip home down back streets so I wouldn’t hurt anyone if I passed out at the wheel but of course I didn’t pass out and arrived home safely. I told my parents something felt wrong with me but that I was OK and not to worry and I was going to lay on my bed for awhile. The feeling of anxiety and panic increased and lasted all that night in varying ‘waves’ of severity. My parents had worked out my problem was more serious by this stage and were very supportive. I knew I couldn’t return to work so I rang up the next morning and took sick leave. It didn’t get much better over the first week. Instead of sleeping at night I’d be sitting on my bed with a racing mind and having strange mini-dreams. Lots of sweating, shaking, tingles all over my body and just feeling really scared but not knowing exactly what I was scared of. Watching TV was unbearable and I’d have to turn it off but then the silence would be unbearable too. I was staying up for 36 hours or more before exhaustion would force me to sleep for a few hours and then it started again. The panic didn’t ever seem to wear off completely and it was difficult to even fake a smile for my family. It was very, very hard. After a week I finally had to tell someone other than my parents so I went to the doctor. He gave me Diazapam for the panic which gave me some relief and booked me an appointment with a Psychiatrist specialising in anxiety and panic disorders. I tried a few medications at the start but was so scared and mixed up that I couldn’t make myself take them. I have since met an old friend that is was taking Zoloft and he claimed the improvement in his life when using it was quite fast and problem free. Even my Pharmacist happily told me he takes one every morning for anxiety relief and feels great! I wish I’d given the medications a fair chance at the start but it’s not worth worrying about now. Luckily my job had income insurance and I was able to take two months off work but eventually had to try to return. After 2 weeks back I wasn’t coping well and quit in frustration which was silly. That was three years ago and I’m now much better but haven’t conquered it fully. I have faith I will eventually because there’s been massive improvement even without meds and I feel more confident that it’s just an unexpected and challenging part of my life that needs to be dealt with before moving on to bigger and better things. My panic attacks are much milder now and I have them much less frequently. The constant strong anxiety I felt has eased and I have days of feeling pretty good again. I’m sure I’d be even further along now if I’d exercised more often too. I truly believe exercise is an important key to reducing panic and anxiety and gaining confidence in your body again. Life is starting to look up. I’m seeing the beauty around me again. So will you. If you’re struggling try to remember there’s a lot of people who know the feeling out here. Chances are someone you already know has, does or will feel the same at some stage. I know it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with but it’s something. You will get better over time. You’re NOT permanently ‘damaged’ like I used to think in the dark times. Find a good doctor that you like and who understands anxiety and panic. Tell your loved ones how you feel. They WILL understand and support you if you let them. The world is basically good and I’ve seen and heard some amazing stories over the past 3 years. I’ve had tough guy friends admit they’ve walked or are walking similar paths to mine. I believe in 2008 that I’m a much nicer, more considerate person than I was in 2004. It’s been a huge reality check for me and this whole thing may yet have a silver lining. All the best everyone.
Would like to thank Jacob for providing this resource and also to the many brave people sharing their stories here. I also have an anxiety and panic disorder and haven’t quite conquered it yet but am improving all the time. My story begins during 2003-4 when I slowly developed a nagging feeling of being very uncomfortable in my body and also feeling quite emotionless and cynical about life. I had never been a person that let others get too close to me and never, ever shared personal feelings with anyone. At the time I was far too ‘tough’ and proud to tell family or see a doctor and explain the way I felt. I really wish now I’d told someone and fixed the situation early! Anyway, one day I had a big panic attack at work. When it hit me I didn’t know anything about panic attacks so I just thought something terrible had happened and I was going to die. Of course I didn’t.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Hey Jacob,
I’ve been dealing with panic attacks for the last four years of my life but this year has been the worst. Lately I’ve been having them about three days a week and at least two to three times a day, ranging from minute long to what seems like hours. When I’m not having a full blown attack there is a constant state of anxiety looming over me, waiting for me to fall into another one. After four years I finally decided to see what I could find to help myself, because they obviously aren’t going away. I was in the midst of one while I was searching desperately online for something when I found your site. Just reading how you described them and being able to connect with the description, knowing I wasn’t the only one feeling that way helped. Reading this POEM technique got me excited and hopeful that something might be able to put a stop to these. I can’t imagine a going through life like this so I’m very hopeful that this POEM system will work, although I know it will take some time. Thank you so much for what you’re doing.. it’s wonderful and it’s helping so many people!
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 am
Hello all,
I’m new to this anxiety/ panic/ scary attack thing myself. I’m 24 and have been dealing with this for 6 months months now. I had about one each month that i felt like i had no control over. Its nice to know that I’m not alone. Well God Bless and I hope to read good news from you all.
Much <3,
Mike
July 31st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
(This is a bit long…)
Jacob, and all,
I would like to start off by thanking everyone. It was one thing to find the POEM System that Jacob has discovered, but another thing completely to see all of the Responses from other people out there like me. I thank you all sincerely.
I have suffered from Depression, Stress Management Issues, and Panic Attacks, for a little while now. Early on, it was resentment towards my Parents that caused Stress. This was mostly childhood Stresses, but in Adolescence there developed new Resentments towards them. They didn’t do anything to intentionally harm me or anything. I resented them for Uprooting my family and moving to a New Country. 5 Years Later, another relocation, and I have had a hard time with coming to terms with what happened.
The last move was 10 years ago, and I am finally learning to deal with those Emotions, and to Forgive my Parents.
Unfortunately, during the last 10 years, my resentments towards my Parents, my Peers, and Society as a whole have taken over. I let my Depression and Fear take over me. I started doing things I would never have done before, like Smoking, Experimenting with Drugs, Shoplifting, Driving Erratically… These things all contributed to a decline in my overall well-being.
My Depression hit an all time Low a few years ago. I was on a Week-Long Vacation to England with my then Girlfriend. We fought, which was caused by my own Stress. When we got to the Airport at the end of the week, she abandonned me. I was left alone in a Foreign Country, I had no Idea what had happened. Everything felt Surreal. I couldn’t stop crying. It took me a while to figure out how to continue my journey home. The only thing that held me together was reading a Book. I read “the Catcher in the Rye” at the Airport and on the Plane. I read the whole Book that day. I felt like I was Cheating myself by taking my mind off of what I thought was a very important subject for me, which was the loss of Love, but ultimately I have discovered that taking your mind off of the Pain is the best way to treat it.
I was single for about 2 years after that experience. I suffered from some pretty severe Depression, which I tried to treat through Group Therapy and light Medication. The Medicine only made me feel light-headed, and disconnected from myself, but the Group Therapy helped. Unfortunately, it was expensive, and my Parents were footing the bill. This caused Guilt, which combined with the earlier Guilt I had developed as a reaction to the Resenment I had felt towards them.
I left Therapy, and stopped taking the Medicine. I actually felt better having experienced these things and making the Decision to move on without them. I was starting to really feel Happy with myself again.
After a while, I met an Incredible Woman. She is now my Fiancee.
We have been together for 4 Years now. Most of that time was fantastic, but Stress began to creep back into my Life and take control over it. This happened when we started to both Work and Live together. Also, there is Stress in her Life caused by having a very sick Mother and an Estranged Father, and those things only Compounded my initial Stress.
In the Past, the Stress and Anxiety was really a part of my Depression. Now, it is something even more. In the last couple of years, I have started having more Panic Attacks that lead me to Act Out. I have been Verbally and Emotionally Abusive to my Fiancee, as well as other undeserving people, and I don’t understand how I get to that point. My Fiancee and I always seem to work things out, but at this point we are fighting weekly and the Anxiety and Panic Attacks have become causes of Stress themselves.
I can always seem to find myself after the Attack, and rationalize it. I just have a difficult time getting there. Unfortunately, last night my Fiancee Moved out of our Apartment. We have spoken, and we are trying to continue to work this out, but it is the Stress Management Issues, and the Panic Attacks, that have driven her out. It would be easy enough to say “forget about her, plenty of fish in the sea” and whatnot, but the reality is that we have a very strong Relationship as long as I can keep my Anxiety from popping up. As long as I can keep myself from doing and saying those Hurtful things that happen when Blinded by my Emotions.
I don’t want to be like this. I want to be Happy, like I was before all of this. I want to grow into a Stronger Man. I have Quit Smoking Cigarettes, haven’t had one in a year and a half. I also haven’t taken any psychedelic substances in over a year. Just yesterday I Quit Smoking Marijuana.
That last one will be the hardest. Sometimes, after fighting all day, my Fiancee and I could return home and Smoke a little Marijuana, and it would calm us both down enough to talk about things rationally. The problem I was having was that I was smoking about 5 or more times a day, for almost 10 Years now, and it was affecting my Base Mood.
I also got fired from my Job this morning for having a Panic Attack while at work yesterday, which ended up as a Fight between my Fiancee and I. Getting Fired caused another Panic Attack, even though the Job was Terrible. I was afraid of the Loss of my Fiancee, the Loss of my Job, of our Apartment, of so many things. I know now that there is nothing to be afraid of. I have been having small Attacks all day long, and it was a huge relief to find this site. I now have some Support from people who understand, and I have a Plan for Future Attacks.
I am going to do whatever it takes to become who I believe I can be, not the person I convince myself I am destined to be whenever I am Anxious.
I can not go on any longer feeling so miserable, uncontrollable, and vulnerable. I can not continue to feed my Anger and Depression with Suicidal Thoughts. I WILL become a Better Person.
If anyone has any additional insight to help me deal with my Emotions, to help me to prevent myself from acting out, please let me know.
Thanks to everyone for sharing,
–JM
July 28th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Hi Jacob,
Thanks for posting, and thank you for the responses to the comments. They are uplifting and helpful. I don’t suffer frequently from panic attacks, nor do I have prolonged ones, usually about 15 minutes and after I cry off the panic, I am suddenly Ok. I think it makes much sense to concentrate on that time after I cry. That usually feels very good, knowing the worst is over.
Thanks and please continue helping people.
Candy
July 28th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Hi Jacob.
I am so glad to have read about the POEM method. I have a feeling its going to help me out alot. I’m 20 years old, and ive been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks since i was about 12 years old! I never talked to anyone about it until just a few years ago, because i was afraid that there was something wrong with me or that i was different and no one understood how i felt. I usually suffer from existential anxiety, where i feel like i dont exist or that im about to die…my heart starts racing, i feel like i cant breathe, i feel like im going crazy, my body will feel numb, i start shaking, and sometimes its so overwhelming i begin to cry. i get at least a few of those symptoms every time, and it usually happens during night time or when im driving. i find myself asking “why me? why do i have to go through this?” after i started talking about it, i found out my mom, my aunt and a few cousins have it as well. it helps to talk to other people who go through it.
When i have panic attacks, it helps me to eat or drink something really sweet. i usually have a cup of water with lots of sugar, i think the sweetness makes me snap back into reality somehow, and it aids my blood sugar.
also i have found that smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee increase my anxiety.
I also tried smoking marijuana one time, and it made me experience one of the scariest panic attacks ever.
I’m really glad i stumbled upon your site. Thank you for being so helpful! i’ll be sure to come back and let you know how your method worked for me.
- Tina
July 25th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I am now 38
I suffered with panic attacks at 21 years, I believed at the time I was going mad, I truly believed I was schizophrenic, I was seriously depressed and on a bunch of medicines (from memory, largactil, melleril, seroxat, valium, diazepan, prozac, (not all at once though))
I am a Builder with 10 guys working for me, very successful (at times inordinatley stressful)
I have a few insights that helped me a great deal
1 Do not fuse with all your thoughts, they are just thoughts and they change and change and change
2 You cant really control what comes into your mind, you can only control what you pay attention to
3 Try and develop a teflon mind, let the thoughts come and go
(there maybe a little voice saying I cant I cant let that go too, and that, and that, and that, and that, eventually your mind becomes quit when you stop getting in the way of yourself.
4 learn a systematic relaxation method to help all the above
5 Thinking of ways to stop yourself thinking doesnt seem to work, you cant exterminate a part of yourself, nor should you, it has evolved to protect you and should get some airtime now and then.
I hope this helps in some small way, and remember, it does come to an end, it isnt actually anything other than a bunch of thoughts that you happen to be tuned into. YOU ARE NOT ALONE did you get that NOT ALONE
Love to you all
B
July 21st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’d just like to come back here and give an update.
My panic attacks have completely subsided and my stress is at an all time low – I feel more normal now than I have in 7 months and it’s great.
It wasn’t immediate, but the first and foremost thing was getting off the beta blockers and reducing my stress as much as possible.
I wasn’t able to utilize the POEM system and I’ll explain why – once a panic attack or anxiety is triggered, your body is flooded with chemicals and neurotransmitters like epiphrenine and adrenaline, and no amount of rationalizing, logic or discipline can completely erase what you’re going to feel as a result of these chemicals surging through you.
I will share the two things I have used:
1) Caffeine therapy. I read about a doctor who used caffeine in controlled doses as a form of therapy. Basically, you start off having a sip of a soda once a day, as your body (and mind adjusts) to the effects of this, you gradually increase the amount (such as a single can of soda for a week or two, then two, then a cup of coffee, etc.)
The important thing is to control the amount strictly so that you adjust to a certain amount without going over the amount and tripping your internal alarm system which will reset your progress.
2) Desensitization therapy. I noticed that simply looking up anything related to the heart on wikipedia would fill me with an uncomfortable anxiety – just a picture of a heart was making me feel anxious about my own heart.
So I decided that the best way to attack my own mind and solve my problem was in the basic language that the mind speaks in.
I developed my own little regiment of looking up things like “heart attacks”, “cardiac arrest”, “heart pumping” which would evoke feelings of anxiety for anywhere between 30 seconds and 1 minute and then stopping three times a day.
This helped tremendously because it helped to desensitize myself to the whole thing – desensitization being one of the other little facets of our subconcious that can in this case be used to our advantage
I feel this is kind of therapy is absolutely necessary to effectively treating a panic attack condition because self-talk and relaxation excercises tend to either work at a higher level than where the problem resides or they only combat the symptoms.
Lastly, get a prescription for Xanax to use ONLY in the case of an attack, simply having the pills available will reduce your anxiety because you know that you can effectively respond to a panic attack if one arises.
And as always, identify your stressors and see where you can eliminate some – don’t be afraid to take time to yourself and withdraw your own energy and sense of identity back within yourself.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:23 am
I am thankful to have found your article. It is very helpful. At this point I believe I am suffering from panic attacks. I’ve been a frequent smoker of marijuana for the past four years and only started to cut down maybe six months ago. About a month ago I started to experience chest pains. After having my symptoms checked by my local physician, it was discovered that my heart and surrounding areas were in perfect conditioning. Still the pain continues. Everytime I smoke even the smallest ammount of marijuana it seems to strike. I’ve all but quit smoking. I know it’s bad for my health, but I can’t say that there is anything I’d like to do more on a Sunday evening than turn on a nice jazz album and settle down with a book and my pipe. I’ve accepted that smoking marijuana full time is a thing of the past. Still, I am curious as to how these effect future smoke sessions. Will I ever be able to smoke and not feel these terrible sensations again?
July 6th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hi all,
I hope you have had a stress free day. I have been enjoying “lack of thought” lately and been concentrating on “toiling”.
Working with our hands is beneficial, as it turns off our brain as we work on our projects.
Been reading and traveling allot lately as well so that is another form of turning off the noise.
I have noticed that some of the people posting in the last few posts are all new comers to their disorder. I was 21 when it changed my life for the bad. It’s very frightening when you first have panic attacks and depression.
My advice to the new comers is to consider your connection to God source, and begin changing their thought process from one of dread to one of glory.
You are young, healthy, and glorious. Universal love is flowing in your veins and in your body. Your mind is simply out of sync with the truth. The truth is beauty, love, and acceptance. The falsehoods are fear, dread, and anxiety.
Everything will be OK. You will be OK. You will live a long time. Begin to realize that you are learning something that some people never learn. You are learning compassion, love and glory. This dark valley is a portal to this glory.
To walk on the mountain tops, and discover the glory of universal love, one MUST go through the dark portal and face their greatest fears. When you come out the other side you will find you are a better person than you ever thought you were. You will find out that you are stronger than you ever thought you were.
Love Jacob
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
To those of you have posted here, I too have had all of the symptoms, driving alone, etc, actually I have found driving my dad’s truck, a different environment helps. My cause seems to be chronic pain that causes my anxiety. Unfortunately I turned to alcohol to relieve that but when I have a good day, I embrace the hell out of it and enjoy as much as possible. I don’t get them very often but like Edward, my first hour in bed is great waking up but as the day goes on my mind messes with me. I too don’t want the drugs but hang in there and embrace the good days and sometimes I have found that I can make a bad day good by just waking up telling myself that I am going to have a good day and not think about everything. I appreciate this site Jacob, thank you!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Hi Jacob ( and everyone else here)
I want to share my story, 4 years ago I suffered depression and suddenly started with panic attacks (mostly when I was driving by myself in Mexico City’s traffic jams). The attacks and anxiety lasted for almost 2 years, the more panic attacks I had, the more frightened and depressed I became. My personality changed completely, I was a lider with a magnetic carisma ( or so I was told), and it all disappeared.. friends, social life, self confidence, faith… al vbeacuse of this.
Once I met a Reiki teacher, she told me about the universe and the energy, I also learned The “so-called” Secret, so I tried and visualized myself as I was 2 years before it all began… a healthy, intelligent, fun and beautiful girl… and stopped taking the medication ( which I hated)…
It worked, I cannot explain how but it has been 2 years since I made the decision and haven’t had a panic attack… I have felt the symptoms several times, but I guess I have been using the POEM even without knowing about it…
I came accross this post… and I was about to cry, because I did not know any other person with the same problem. I felt so alone, nobody understood. I even left my parents house to stop causing them pain, they did not know what happened to their daughter… neither did I.
But I am back home now, I have a good job and even when I am not close to the brave, confident and popular person I was not so far in the past, I think I am getting closer to what I want to be and I don’t want to be afraid anymore.
I want to thank you Jacob for your genuine concern and wise advice.
June 30th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Dear jacob
I am 20 yrs old and have been suffering from panic attacks for 4 to 5 yrs now. I believe i suffer from them due to my mother, whom i am very close to. she is very sick and in & out of hospital. I have just came accross the POEM system, and kin to give it ago. I already enjoy walking my dogs on a daily basis.Anything else you can tell me to help me will be great. I feel i have lost control of my life and need to get it back. help!
from deano
June 30th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Hi,
My name is Emily. I have had panic disorder for the past three years now. My feelings are very similar to Edward’s as he described in his previous comment. I am 20 years old and in college. I live in Ireland and I’m finding it very difficult to get any help. Does anyone have any information that would help me out?
I have been to see a therapist, and found this very helpful. But the panic attacks still didn’t stop. I don’t want to resort to medication, I would prefer to do this on my own. It’s hard to know where to start with getting help. I’ve been researching about panic since it started, but I found that I became a bit obsessed and was getting very stressed. So now I just document the attacks as I hope that my experience could help others in the future.
It’s so great to find a site that has real people talking about their experiences. A common question that I seem to be asking my boy friend now is ‘Is this really happening? Am I really here?’. He’s getting a bit freaked out! I don’t blame him but I could do with talking to people who understand what panic feels like so I don’t feel so crazy!
I’ve started Kundalini yoga which does a lot of breathing work. I find this very helpful.
Thanks for reading.
Emily
June 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Hi Edward,
You will NOT have this problem the rest of your life. With or without medication, these days of fear and anxiety will pass.
This hyper-sensitivity is very normal after someone has had their first panic attack.
Please update us here as your anxiety begins to pass. After a week or two you should start to see your symptoms begin to back down. BUT, this will only happen if you begin taking action and changing your life course.
Something is causing you to have great stress, and your doctor is right (sort of), you are like me and the others on this page, in that you are hyper-sensitive. That’s OK though. If you start looking a the future without dread, and looking to the past without guilt, you can pull out of this.
It’s usually in our early or mid twenties that we begin to experience these symptoms. Rest assured that how you feel right now is NOT how you will feel your whole life.
You nailed it on the head when you said that with or without medication it comes down to what is in your head and how you are looking at things.
Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. That means exams, advancements, etc. What is the most important thing is your personal connection to source energy. Your connection with universal love is the key thing. All of the aspirations of life and our present form are not worth stressing about. Don’t worry about what OTHER people want you to do either.
Jacob