I think I'm starting to suffer from Panic Attacks and it's rather worrying! I'm nearly 20 so I've heard it's prety common for this kind of age group. Some of my symptoms are things like; Dizziness, increased heart rates and worrying that something is seriosuly wrong with me when I know it's not. Sometimes I even worry that something like this could kill me but I know it can't. I often find myself making excuses for not going to social occasions for fear of not being able to get out of them. Is this normal? Can any one help me?
Answer:
its normal
try taking stress pills
it will help
Go see a doctor, they can give you meds or offer therapy or something for your panic attacks - Don't let it get outta hand, I get severe panic attacks, but my situation is more complicated than yours - I've let it get outta hand and now I don't even answer my own front door anymore - it's bad so go see your doctor before it gets worse Good luck!
Here are the list of symptoms of a panic attack:
As described above, the symptoms of a panic attack appear suddenly, without any apparent cause. They may include:
Racing or pounding heartbeat
Chest pains
Stomach upset
Dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea
Difficulty breathing, a sense of feeling smothered
Tingling or numbness in the hands
Flushes or chills
Dreamlike sensations or perceptual distortions
Terror: a sense that something unimaginably horrible is about to occur and one is powerless to prevent it
Fear of losing control and doing something embarrassing
Fear of dying
A panic attack typically lasts for several minutes and is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience. Most who have one attack will have others. When someone has repeated attacks, or feels severe anxiety about having another attack, he or she is said to have panic disorder.
Panic attacks may be symptoms of an anxiety disorder. These attacks are a serious health problem in this country. At least 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people, will have panic attacks at some time in their lives. The symptom is strikingly different from other types of anxiety in that panic attacks are so very sudden and often unexpected, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling.
Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack generally peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer.
There are a variety of treatments available.psychotherapy, anti-depressants, or anxiety medications.
Anyone at any age can suffer from panic attacks. I would recommend that you see a doctor right away. Once I found out that I had anxiety, I would avoid certain situations. I didn't want to take my medication because I didn't want to seem drunk to everyone. I have learned that it's ok for me to take my medication, and I only take it on an "as-needed" basis. I still avoid being around certain people, but it's more for personal reasons that anxiety. My condition has improved since I started seeing my doctor and taking the medication.
You should seek professional help. Perhaps a doctor can prescribe you medicine or enroll you in therapy where you can better manage your panic attacks.
It's good that you are aware of your episodes, and that you know that even though you're experiencing panic attacks, you know that it really is just that - a panic attack and nothing more.
Perhaps you have social phobia, wherein you find it hard interacting with big groups of people for fear of being rejected, of for fear of making a fool out of yourself, or fear of saying the rights words when it comes to socializing?
I suffer from the same problem, and I know it's not very fun to go through. Sometimes there seems to be an obstacle in our lives that keeps us from doing the things we use to love to do. I think the best advice would be to really break through your anxiety no matter how difficult it may seem, nothing is more important then living life how you would want to live it.
Being social is a crucial part of life, you;d be surprised how many situations aren't as terrible as we make them out to be. I use to listen to cassete tapes about facing your fears, and one of the key points was to, everyday, repeat an affirmation ( a positive message for yourself) to boost your confidence. Just say it when you feel an attack coming on. Or what I do is, think of a time, place or event where you felt or feel totally comfortable and go through every detail of it. That always calms me down when I feel nervous about something. I hope I've been helpful. :)
i had a bad stretch about 3 years ago. i was having panic attacks so bad i could not sleep, i would go to work for my 10 hour shifts and come home and if i was lucky i might sleep 3 hours in 2 days.i went to a speacilist (pychiatrist) sorry about the spelling, it took about a year and a half to recover so i could sleep good 8-10 hours. see a pyhc it will really help. good luck you have my best wishings
Oh sweetie, you are so young, and yes..you are correct when you heard it is very much more common nowadays for younger people to experience what you are going through. I know excatly the feeling of panic/anxiety attacks. I have suffered with them for about 5 years now. I have panic disorder. Believe when I say I have tried so many meds. The majority of the ones my doc prescribed were for depression. I wasn't unhappy, or didn't want to live life...it was just I would find myself not wanting to drive at night.not wanting to drive to places I didn't know...and then it came down to the point, I stopped ( like yourself) going and hanging out with my friends in fear I would have an attack in public. I have changed doctors so many times it is not even funny. For some reason I would encounter doctors who would tell me it was in my head.I knew it wasn't. They would tell me when I got a bad one to breathe in a bag...didn't work. Then came times when all I would do is jump in the car and drive to the ER...thinking I was going to have a freaking heart-attack. but I came to realize I wasn't going to die. What I had and have could be controlled with medication. The anti-depressants didn't work..I felt so high...heck if I wanted to drive somewhere, I couldn't.I felt like a zombie, and for some reason those meds brought out the anxiety even more. Which I have heard is normal until your body adjusts. All I wanted was that miracle pill...and it doesn't exsist. One doctor prescribed xanax..highly addicitive..BUT WHAT ISN'T! but it worked. I take (as prescribed) half of 1 mg in the am and the other half (totalling 1 mg a day). You know something.I rarely have panic attacks. But the one thing i cannot stand, is that I go places now, and do all the things I use too...which is a GOD SEND. But I cannot go anywhere without my pills. They have become my security blanket. So I understand what you are going through. Last week my son who is 26 called me and told me his doctor started him as well on anti-depressants only because he started having anxiety..he began having them as young as you, with college and all the stress we go through these days. Now his fiancee has started taking them too, after a yealy check-up. I think doctors get alot of kick back from prescribing something like Prozac, Zoloft...Effexor...those didn't work for me at all..just made matters worse. All I can say is you are not alone.best thing is go to your doctor.there is help out there. You just have to reach out.
Yeah, it sounds like Panic Disorder. I've had it since age 16 and I'm 39 now. The problem with PD is that it can progress to agoraphobia (when you don't go out at all) if not treated. I recommend seeing a real psychiatrist (not just a doctor) about it. You'll probably be given Xanax plus an SSRI (like Lexapro). If you happen to live near Little Rock, Arkansas, send me an e-mail and I'll recommend a good shrink.
Check out this site:
http://www.cureanxietydisorder.com...
It has helped many people that have had panic/anxiety attacks.
Hope this helps...
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