Anxiety/Panic Attacks

Just a general question that came up in conversation this weekend:

How many of you have them?

How often?

What do you do to combat them?

My brother used to get them (I thankfully never have). He went to a therapist who taught him breathing exercises when he felt them coming on. The therapist also recommended exercising when you feel nervous, because the forced exertion makes your breathing regulate itself. He started getting them when he was in high school so they were hesitant to put him on any medicine, and now at 28 he says he is glad he learned to combat them without drugs. The therapist also advised him to alleviate the stress in his life (so he is now a lawyer working on a Supreme Court case ).

I have gotten them and only started getting them in the past few years (after 9/11)

I went to see a therapist last year when I had one and couldn't go into the city for work.

She taught me some breathing exercises which work. That was the last time I had one.

i get them about 2-3xs per week...
THey are moderately stressful
They occur in the early hours of the morning. I usually wake up from sleeping at about 2-3 in the morning
I try to not think about what is bothering me, cause there is usually some bigger reason, or my mind will find something to worry about.
I will try to count or play name games to get me to fall back asleep. I will sometimes get up and go on the computer.

I can go months without a anxiety/panic attack, but then they'll hit me in rapid succession and I'll have periods where I am getting them practically daily. Ofteh they occur first thing in the morning or sometimes they will wake me up in the middle of the night.

I was even (at one point) put on medication because they were interfering with my ability to function - I would primarily get them on the train going into work, I still dont know if they were due to 9/11 or not because conciously I was never incredibly hesitant about returning to working in NYC - BUT I do think it did have something to do with it, subconciously

I have recently been having the attacks again A LOT and I know full well the cause of them, but have been just trying to use the techniques my doctor told me about in order to combat them (as some of you have said, deep breathing exercises and the like)

There is no worse feeling than experiencing one of these, for all of us who HAVE we can surely commisserate that they are incredibly frightening. The worst part for me is that after I've had one, I am just left so funky and 'off' for the rest of the day.. its downright draining

I urge those that get these attacks to get some therapy or possibly meds if appropriate. You don't have to live that way, it's not normal and your docs should be able to help.

I've only gotten them a few times....in large crowds (hyperventilating, about to pass out, feel like I'm going to die), thankfully the first time it happened my dad, bro was there & my dad calmed me & had me use a brown paper bag to breathe, it happened a few times on the subway also.

I try to say it is mind over matter, but that isn't the case. I try to take deep breaths and try as much as I can to stay out of those situations (such as 4th of Juyl fireworks in the city).

My dr. put me on medicine for a while....

Like Red, I wake up in the middle of the night with then. My heart races and I absolutely cannot sleep. I used to get them during finals at school or another stressful time and since my dad left, etc, I've been getting them a lot. I basically didn't sleep a full night for months,

ETA: it's totally NOT mind over matter. Anyone who says that has never had them. You can learn strategies to cope with them, but it's nt like you can just be like 'it's ok.' and it'll all end right then and there. When it's really bad, or when I'ms tressed really bad, it can actually give me an asthma attack. People think I'm faking it, or it's psychological. No. My lungs are really contracting.

I started to get them recently. Never had them before until I went into the city around christmas.

It happened only one time after that.

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Posted by Blu-ize

I urge those that get these attacks to get some therapy or possibly meds if appropriate. You don't have to live that way, it's not normal and your docs should be able to help.

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In all honestly i have gone for therapy for it, researched it, even tried taking medication for it....NOTHING as really worked.
It is an everyday battle for some..and although somewhat carthartic, i found therapy not very helpful.

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Posted by marymoon

Like Red, I wake up in the middle of the night with then. My heart races and I absolutely cannot sleep. I used to get them during finals at school or another stressful time and since my dad left, etc, I've been getting them a lot. I basically didn't sleep a full night for months,

ETA: it's totally NOT mind over matter. Anyone who says that has never had them. You can learn strategies to cope with them, but it's nt like you can just be like 'it's ok.' and it'll all end right then and there. When it's really bad, or when I'ms tressed really bad, it can actually give me an asthma attack. People think I'm faking it, or it's psychological. No. My lungs are really contracting.

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it really depends on where the stress is manifested from. Sometimes panic attacks derived from phobias can be mind over matter and/or mind reconditioning.
Mine started like yours in HS, continued throughout college and grad school and manifest to anything i am worried about at the time (job, money, condo, house hunting etc.)

ALthough it probably will never go away, you can train yourself how to deal with it more effectively. In fact i feel that if i had learned some of the techniques i know now, i could have saved myself a lot of sleepless nights!
And then there are the days that NOTHING works...

it is a person to person, situation to situation issue as to treatment

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Posted by FeliciaDA

I can go months without a anxiety/panic attack, but then they'll hit me in rapid succession and I'll have periods where I am getting them practically daily. Ofteh they occur first thing in the morning or sometimes they will wake me up in the middle of the night.


There is no worse feeling than experiencing one of these, for all of us who HAVE we can surely commisserate that they are incredibly frightening. The worst part for me is that after I've had one, I am just left so funky and 'off' for the rest of the day.. its downright draining

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This is me completely.

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Posted by Blu-ize

Have you tried Bio-feedback?

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well i have never been hooked up to amonitor...but i believe breathing techniques, muscle relaxation...but in the end...it doesn't work all the time and definately NOT for people who suffer from severe panic attacks or anxiety

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Posted by RedHead

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Posted by marymoon

Like Red, I wake up in the middle of the night with then. My heart races and I absolutely cannot sleep. I used to get them during finals at school or another stressful time and since my dad left, etc, I've been getting them a lot. I basically didn't sleep a full night for months,

ETA: it's totally NOT mind over matter. Anyone who says that has never had them. You can learn strategies to cope with them, but it's nt like you can just be like 'it's ok.' and it'll all end right then and there. When it's really bad, or when I'ms tressed really bad, it can actually give me an asthma attack. People think I'm faking it, or it's psychological. No. My lungs are really contracting.

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it really depends on where the stress is manifested from. Sometimes panic attacks derived from phobias can be mind over matter and/or mind reconditioning.
Mine started like yours in HS, continued throughout college and grad school and manifest to anything i am worried about at the time (job, money, condo, house hunting etc.)

ALthough it probably will never go away, you can train yourself how to deal with it more effectively. In fact i feel that if i had learned some of the techniques i know now, i could have saved myself a lot of sleepless nights!
And then there are the days that NOTHING works...

it is a person to person, situation to situation issue as to treatment

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i agree with Red- sometimes i can control it, and sometimes i cant. Im not that religious, but when its REALLY bad, i say prayers over and over again... it keeps my mind occupied and eases it a little bit.