Comment from: Leslie, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: October 07
I have had panic disorder for 16 years. I have found that I cause my panic attacks by the way I am thinking (negatively). It took a long time to come to this conclusion. I was prescribed Xanax initially, along with therapy. The therapy has been the most helpful (talking, journaling, etc.). When I feel overwhelmed, the anti-anxiety meds help. I watch what I think and what I say. I have taken words like "worst," "horrible," etc., out of my vocabulary so that I can talk myself down. For example, "This may not feel very good, but it will go away." My panic attacks now last a few seconds at most. I grew up in an abusive home and discovered that the little girl in me needs to be loved and accepted. I try to make time for me every day: taking a bath, journaling, walking, working out, etc. These things help immensely with my self-esteem.
I am still working on my agoraphobia now. I keep pushing the edge because I want to be totally free. The last thing I have to conquer is flying and driving alone. It's hard, but it feels so liberating when I succeed!
Comment from: lindaann1960, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: October 15
I am a 48-year-old female. I remember my first panic attack at age 14 when my 15-month-old brother died. I was in school at the time. I never wanted to go back. My mom gave me a tiny bit of her Valium, and I kept it in my back pocket, just in case. My mom really didn't know what was going on with me, even though she suffered from the same thing. I guess I didn't explain it well. I started having them again at age 25. I didn't want to leave the house. I had to have a couple of beers to get the courage. My family doctor finally sent me to a psychiatrist. He diagnosed me with depression and panic disorder. He tried several anxiety medications (Xanax made me spacey) and several antidepressants. Finally, I found clonazepam and imipramine. The two doses together have helped me tremendously. I still get depressed, but it's not as bad as it was. I still get sudden feelings of panic, but I take a clonazepam, and that helps. It is hereditary in my family with my grandmother, mom and brothers. I hope this helps. Plus, I have read many books about panic. People just don't understand it until it happens to them.
Comment from: 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: October 13
I am 38 year old RN student and I developed a panic disorder when my mom, then sister died at age 25. The world feels unsafe and I terrorize myself with "what if's" that never happen. I too have panic attacks that come on suddenly with no correlation to what's going on in my life at the time. The first symptom I get is light-headedness, then I get very hot, racing heart, tingling finger and toes, shortness of breath. I then have a dire need to escape so as not to embarrass myself in public. I have even passed out for about 2 minutes at a nightclub before. That was embarrassing. They thought I was drunk, but I had just gotten there and had only had 1 bottle of water! What calms me down is a cool shower with the lights off and a couple candles. The extra oxygen from the water seems to help a lot. When that doesn't work, I take Klonopin 1mg tablets. They work great. I also take Zoloft daily and Ambien as needed. I go to therapy every two weeks too. So far, so good.
Comment from: keeling, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: October 13
I love that I just found this site. You are all going through the same exact thing as I am and I thought I was so alone. I have had depression now for 20 years. It hit me after my first child and I was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward at methodist hospital in Indianapolis for 4 months I have seen my son once. I did ok then had my daughter 2 years later and did ok and then my son 4 years later and the past 5 years have been panic/anxiety, but the last 2 years have been a living hell since November. I have now had 9 count them 9 EKGS I am so embarrassed, broke, ashamed, I've lost my husband and my kids want nothing to do with me right now. I am seeking therapy and have for over 7yrs. and I have switched doctors during this time also. I can't keep a job I am on medication Zoloft and Xanax and nothing seems to be working, I am a good person and have so much to offer and I have a heart of gold, but no one wants to hear the OMG I'm dying. It was bad my family doctor sent me to a cardiologist and he did an EKG laughed and said call me in 50 years when you need a heart doctor no wait I'll be dead call one of my associates. I had a sleep study the other night so I am waiting to hear from it, I don't drink or smoke, I am very over weight, but have lost 34 pounds since July 9th so I'm working on that. I feel as if there is no end to my misery.
Comment from: Dave, 65-74 MalePublished: October 09
I am a 68-year-old man. I began having panic attacks about 15 years ago. At first, they occurred only one night every couple of months. At that time, I had problems getting a diagnosis. The attacks have become more common but usually not as strong. They now vary from about twice a month to several times a week. Intensity varies from just icy-cold hands to pounding and rapid pulse, chest pains, and finally violent tremors of my arms and chest muscles. I have taken several medications with little improvement until I tried Xanax or the generic equivalent. I can take half a 25 mg tablet and get relief in 15 to 30 minutes. The attacks can come with no apparent cause or be triggered by even mildly stressful situations.
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Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Palpitations are unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. Palpitations can be relieved in many patients by stress reduction, stopping cigarettes, and reduction of caffeine and alcohol.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary
artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack can cause chest pain, heart failure, and electrical
instability of the heart.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Vertigo is a feeling of spinning movement, and at times accompanied by nausea and vomiting occur. Vertigo is most often associated with an inner ear problem. The treatment for vertigo can be lifestyle changes and medication if necessary.
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is also also known as "click murmur syndrome" and "Barlow's syndrome." Mitral valve prolapse is the most common heart valve abnormality. Signs and symptoms of mitral valve prolapse include: fatigue, palpitations, chest pain, anxiety, and migraine headaches. Echocardiography is the most useful test for mitral valve prolapse. Most patients do not need any treatment, however, patients with severe prolapse may need treatment.
Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a mental illness characterized by depression, mania, and severe mood swings. Treatment may incorporate mood stabilizer medications, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.
Cushing's syndrome, sometimes referred to as hypercortisolism, is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Symptoms may include obesity, thinning arms and legs, a rounded face, and increased fat around the neck. Some causes of Cushing's syndrome is from taking glucocorticoid hormones such as prednisone for inflammatory diseases. Treatment for Cushing's syndrome depends on the cause.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer, is not improved by bed rest, and may be worsened by physical or mental activity.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to suffer repeated obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms include irresistible impulses despite a person's realization that the thoughts are irrational, excessive hand washing, skin picking, lock checking, or repeatedly rearranging items. People with OCD are more likely to develop trichotillomania, muscle or vocal tics, or an eating disorder. Treatment for OCD includes psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication.
Agoraphobia is a fear of being outside or of being in a situation from which escape would be impossible. Symptoms include anxiety, fear, disorientation, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, or dizziness. Treatment may incorporate psychotherapy, self-exposure to the anxiety-causing situation, and medications such as SSRIs, benzodiazepines, and beta blockers.
Phobias are unrelenting fears of activities (social phobias), situations (agoraphobia), and specific items (arachnophobia). There is thought to be a hereditary component to phobias, though there may be a cultural influence or they may be triggered by life events. Symptoms and signs of phobias include having a panic attack, shaking, breathing troubles, rapid heart beat, and a strong desire to escape the situation. Treatment of phobias typically involves desensitization, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and beta blockers.
Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest and that may be a factor in disease causation. An important goal for those under stress is the management of stress in our lives. Elimination of stress is unrealistic, since stress is a part of normal life. We can however, learn to manage stress through techniques such as exercise, relaxation, meditation, time management, and support systems so that we have control over our stress and its effects on our physical and mental health.
ICU psychosis is a disorder (also a form of delirium or acute brain failure) in which patients in an intensive care unit or a similar setting experience a cluster of serious psychiatric symptoms. These symptoms include anxiety, reastlessness, hearing voices, hallucinations, nightmares, paranoia and more. Causes of ICU psychosis are generally from a combination of environmental and medical conditions.
Sleepwalking is a condition in which an individual walks or does other activities while asleep. Factors associated with sleepwalking include genetic, environmental, and physiological. Episodes of sleepwalking may include quiet walking to agitated running. Conditions that may have similar symptoms of sleepwalking, but are not include night terrors, confusional arousals, and nocturnal seizures. Treatment of sleepwalking generally include preventative measures. Medication may be prescribed if necessary.
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that occurs within a year after delivery. It is thought that rapid hormone changes after childbirth may lead to depression. Symptoms of postpartum depression include crying a lot, headaches, chest pains, eating too little or too much, sleeping too little or too much, withdrawal from friends and family, and feeling irritable, sad, hopeless, worthless, guilty, and overwhelmed. Treatment typically involves talk therapy and medication.
Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of disease. Regular exercise can also reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. There are fitness programs that fit any age or lifestyle.
Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is a mental illness that is characterized by severe mood swings, repeated episodes of depression, and at least one episode of mania. Bipolar disorder is one kind of mood disorder that afflicts more than
1% of adults in the United States, up to as many as 4 million people. Here are
some additional statistics about bipolar disorder:
Bipolar disorder is the fifth leading cause of disability worldwide.
Bipolar disorder is the ninth leading cause of years lost to death or disability worldwide.
The number of individuals with bipolar disorder who commit suicide is 60 times higher than that of the general population.
People who have bipolar disorder are at a higher risk of also suffering from substance abuse and other mental health problems.
Males may develop bipolar disorder earlier in life compared to females.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
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I have had panic disorder for 16 years. I have found that I cause my panic attacks by the way I am thinking (negatively). It took a long time to come to this conclusion. I was prescribed Xanax initially, along with therapy. The therapy has been the most helpful (talking, journaling, etc.). When I feel overwhelmed, the anti-anxiety meds help. I watch what I think and what I say. I have taken words like "worst," "horrible," etc., out of my vocabulary so that I can talk myself down. For example, "This may not feel very good, but it will go away." My panic attacks now last a few seconds at most. I grew up in an abusive home and discovered that the little girl in me needs to be loved and accepted. I try to make time for me every day: taking a bath, journaling, walking, working out, etc. These things help immensely with my self-esteem. I am still working on my agoraphobia now. I keep pushing the edge because I want to be totally free. The last thing I have to conquer is flying and driving alone. It's hard, but it feels so liberating when I succeed!
Related Reading: panic attacks | anxiety | agoraphobia