Joseph wrote:I've tried exercise. I've been seeing a psychologist for three weeks. I am trying to make new friends and actually leave my house once in a while. It's not helping much. I have been debating the possibility of getting medicated for weeks now and, after last night, the debate is over. I'm going for it. Fuck it. I'd rather be a zombie than spend my nights fantasizing about how great it would be to kill myself just to spite some girl who cheated on me and doesn't even care if I live or die.

The panic attacks have subsided, but only after she left. I still get a little teary eyed once in a while, but it's all under control.
Really, I kind of regret my rant now that I realize it was off-topic and certainly not the place to just put all that shit up. Sorry if I semi-hijacked this thread.
Therapy might be the way to go, but I've found that there's no better therapy than picking up a six pack, plugging in the guitar, and just getting all the bad shit out of my brain. My panic attacks consist of hyperventillation, nausea, and racing pulse. A little bit like the first two minutes of playing a show, except, yeah, I'm nauseated instead of experiencing little knee-quakes.
I'm against taking pills for this kind of thing (but I'll have a beer, trading one chemical for the other, so there goes my logic, huh?) but a friend of mine said he had to go to therapy for a few weeks until he got his shit together. That surprised me, he didn't seem like the type to go to therapy, but then I'm not the best judge of character.

Shotgun-Charlie wrote:

Joseph wrote:I've tried exercise. I've been seeing a psychologist for three weeks. I am trying to make new friends and actually leave my house once in a while. It's not helping much. I have been debating the possibility of getting medicated for weeks now and, after last night, the debate is over. I'm going for it. Fuck it. I'd rather be a zombie than spend my nights fantasizing about how great it would be to kill myself just to spite some girl who cheated on me and doesn't even care if I live or die.

The panic attacks have subsided, but only after she left. I still get a little teary eyed once in a while, but it's all under control.
Really, I kind of regret my rant now that I realize it was off-topic and certainly not the place to just put all that shit up. Sorry if I semi-hijacked this thread.
Therapy might be the way to go, but I've found that there's no better therapy than picking up a six pack, plugging in the guitar, and just getting all the bad shit out of my brain. My panic attacks consist of hyperventillation, nausea, and racing pulse. A little bit like the first two minutes of playing a show, except, yeah, I'm nauseated instead of experiencing little knee-quakes.
I'm against taking pills for this kind of thing (but I'll have a beer, trading one chemical for the other, so there goes my logic, huh?) but a friend of mine said he had to go to therapy for a few weeks until he got his shit together. That surprised me, he didn't seem like the type to go to therapy, but then I'm not the best judge of character.

Be careful about thinking you are out of the water. The worst part about panic attacks is that you never know when it will strike again. I never experienced mine when I was under stress; it was always a couple of weeks after a stressful period of time or at random moments, either in clusters over a short period of time or more often years apart.

But, I agree that keeping yourself productive is a good measure of prevention. Although, I'm quite leery about using alcohol as a form of treatment. You don't want to completely avoid the issues that could cause another attack; you just need to be better equiped to cope by practicing techniques that will keep your mind from racing.

I've had panic attacks ever since I was a kid. I called it "the funny feeling" I'd get when I went to my sister's soccer games. I'd make my parents park an ass-load distance away because I'd freak out at the idea of a soccer ball hitting the windshield.

It's continued throughout my life. The idea of things breaking is what triggers it. Completely fucking irrational. The idea of getting a dog in a house, the idea of a big friend coming over for a party, the idea of loading in for a show or if I hear my amp rattling in the van (which is my newest lovely addition to the list of stupid-reasons-to-have-a-panic-attack).

They last for about ten minutes and then they're over. Distraction, breathing, telling myself to shut the fuck up is how I deal with it. I feel them coming on, and I can divert my attention to something else so not to morph into full-fledged crazy lady.

Taking a Xanax wouldn't work, because they'd be over by the time I took it. But they are frustrating and embarrassing. I turn in to Rain Man.

My most favorite freak out was when we wanted to pick up a muffler from the side of the road and put it in our car for a comedy bit. Sitting in the driver's seat all I could do was stop breathing, clench my fists, and repeat "NO NO NO NO NO! YOU CAN'T BRING THAT MUFFLER INTO THIS CAR!! IT'S TOO BIG!!" As if we were going to find a smaller muffler just down the road that would be fine.

Ah... stupid.

Someone mentioned ginseng; is St. John's Wart any good, or are those herbal supplements just placebos and an excuse to go stare at cute people at Whole Foods?

Folks who get panic/anxiety attacks might wanna look into John Sarno and his mind-body theories. He claims these attacks, plus depression and most chronic pain conditions (back pain, fibromyalgia, RSI) are the result of your brain preventing your conscious mind from feeling built-up rage, narcissism, and resentment in your subconsciousness. You get distracted by the physical to avoid going through the emotional. Just accepting this "blows the cover" and lessens or removes the mallady.

Sometimes I wonder if panic attacks/depression is related to having been raised in a Christian household.

I'm not implying anything or trying to start a flame war.

Just thinking out loud....

lux wrote:I

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Someone mentioned ginseng; is St. John's Wart any good, or are those herbal supplements just placebos and an excuse to go stare at cute people at Whole Foods?

Apparently Ginseng works as an adaptogen, helping the body to recover from and deal with stress, I don't think it is very useful for calming acute attacks though. I believe St. Johns Wort is used primarily to treat depression.

My girlfriend was prescribed a tincture consisting of Kava and some other herbs by her naturopath to help her quit smoking. Held under the tongue it would calm her right down, and she hasn't smoked for 3 years or so. Whole foods should have some Kava.

Plantweed wrote:Folks who get panic/anxiety attacks might wanna look into John Sarno and his mind-body theories. He claims these attacks, plus depression and most chronic pain conditions (back pain, fibromyalgia, RSI) are the result of your brain preventing your conscious mind from feeling built-up rage, narcissism, and resentment in your subconsciousness. You get distracted by the physical to avoid going through the emotional. Just accepting this "blows the cover" and lessens or removes the mallady.

I agree with this theory. Again, it goes back to my earlier analogy of being like a tea kettle with pressure building up until it finally blows. Although, for me, I don't think it was an avoidance of feeling anger or rage but rather having difficulty learning how to express it. My guess is that most people who suffer from this problem have trouble feeling "out of control," which is what makes panic attacks so frightening; they are the ultimate "out of control" experience.

Sometimes I wonder if panic attacks/depression is related to having been raised in a Christian household.

I, myself, was not raised in a strict Christian household. However, I could see this being more of a problem for people raised in strict Christian households due to the repression of certain feelings that seem to be common with this type of upbringing.