Panic attacks

Status
Not open for further replies.
From the experience of having anxiety and panic attacks pretty much all my life, I can tell you alcohol and other things just make the problem much worse - one of the reasons why I don't drink alcohol anymore or even have caffeine. You need to start cutting out all the junk that is causing you problems and then take it from there. Then if the problem still presents itself to the same extremity you need to see a doctor or preferably psychologist/psychiatrist.
 
I had panic attacks after smoking weed habitually for a few years. I must have been 18 at the time and I lost a lot of weight too. Couple that with an elevated temperament and huge mood swings; it was easily the worst period of my life so far.

I went on SSRI's (Cipralex) for a while after being diagnosed. These things look at controlling the level of serotonin in your head and after the initial increase of intensity with my anxiety (bad times!), I felt a bit more in control of my life.

I never really got rid of the anxiety till I finally moved out of the country though. If I stayed in England, I don't know if I would've been able to get my life back.

It was that feeling of starting afresh that really made everything click back into place.

It's one of those mind over matter things. I found getting rid of all the people and surroundings where I felt anxious was the cure for me. I'm now 26 and perfectly fit and healthy. I weened myself slowly off all meds after a year abroad and I have a structure to my life which helps. I gained all that weight back too, as well as my confidence and now love going out and socializing with lots of people.

It can be done!
 
Kaiju said:
I never really got rid of the anxiety till I finally moved out of the country though. If I stayed in England, I don't know if I would've been able to get my life back.
.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, England is an awful country to live in for mental illnesses, the environment is depressing and anxiogenic, cold, wet, dark, I feel so much better in Portugal.
 
Energize said:
I know what you mean, England is an awful country to live in for mental illnesses, the environment is depressing and anxiogenic, cold, wet, dark, I feel so much better in Portugal.
Click to expand...
I agree. Living in a country with sun most days is a perfect environment to help combat anxiety.
 
For those that have stopped drinking how do you get on with a night out? I don't drink now but if I go out I find it very hard not to have a drink in my hand
 
Go have a chat with your doctor, I ended up on Fluoxetine and getting a psychology referral, I'm on the waiting list for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy now.
 
only ever had one and that was a few months after my heart attack. It was so bad that "i thought" i was having another heart attack, ambulance called and everything.
 
Suffered from night panic / terrors / paralysis for over 5 years. Have been so terrified / panic'd with some of the attacks that I have been physically sick from the release of adrenaline, had trips to the hospital the first few times because I thought I was dying..

not so frequent now I have learnt to recognise the 'signs' which will let you use strategies (developed in CBT) to cope before it gets to bad.. I would certainly suggest you discuss with your doctor and make sure that they understand how its effecting your life..

I have tried not to rely on medication, I take nothing daily now although I do have a supply of Diazepam (Valium) on hand if I have a particularly bad night.. (maybe once every three months I take it).. Best advise is not to suffer in silence.. talk to your doctor
 
Last edited:
MotherMayI said:
I don't touch weed, haven't for years.

Seeing a psychiatrist might well be a good idea, I guess why I haven't ever spoken to a doctor in the past is because I've never been entirely sure what I'm experiencing is even a panic attack. From what others have said though, pretty convinced it now is.
Click to expand...

drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation, cut out smoking.. has made a massive difference for me
 
feel sorry for you, it took a year for the nhs to diagnose i had or was suffering anxiety / panic then they told me to get some books outt the library for stress! eventually i got my work pmi to pay for 20 sessions through a babc therapist which took another two years to get me to a comfortable place where i could deal with it, if i had to do it again i'd pay for it myself, even now i feel it evey day just know how to deal with it
it's all about the fight or flight mechanism, once you understand it, it will get easier, remember simple people don't go mad
 
I used to get mild panic attacks, I have IBS, which meant I was always thinking about where the closest toilet was and the route to get to it. When I used to be stuck somewhere like a lecture theatre, tram, metro train or anywhere where my route to a toilet would be delayed or I'd have to make a scene to leave, used to get my heart racing, give me cold sweats and on occasions I'd start to feel/see my vision tunneling. When I got like this my body's response was a massive desire to poop, which obviously turned the whole thing into a vicious circle.

The doc put me on Prothiaden which is a TCA, from what I have read it has two effects calming me down and slowing the gut-brain axis. I was on that for about 2 years but earlier this year I decided to see how I do without them, well it's been 2 months now and I seem to be ok, I still feel a bit strange when I go to a new place and have the odd bad day but I'm a LOT better than I was. I've also cut out foods that seemed to trigger an episode like green salads. I'm just taking each day as it comes now :)
 
Kaiju said:
I agree. Living in a country with sun most days is a perfect environment to help combat anxiety.
Click to expand...

I have to totally agree. This country is just a vicious circle in terms of weather and lifestyle here. Doesn't help either that there still is a large stigma towards any form of mental illness. I am one of those people who felt pressured into not coming forward and seeking help for years because if I did and people found out they would treat me differently. I guess it also didn't help that when I eventually did I had to deal with that, and the reputation of being a sufferer of mental illness when people found out about me. Totally sucks considering that having this doesn't automatically make me some kind of psycho or some kind of hypochondriac.

Lakeland said:
For those that have stopped drinking how do you get on with a night out? I don't drink now but if I go out I find it very hard not to have a drink in my hand
Click to expand...

Well I think you can do either one of two things; you stop drinking completely and stick to non-alcoholic drinks, or you cut down immensely and don't allow yourself to get hammered. For me I had to stop drinking completely as I couldn't ensure I would not get hammered. It has helped tremendously though. If I continued down the path I was on I would probably be an alcoholic. I just didn't know when to stop. I have an addicted personality and it's because my body is looking for relief of my symptoms this is why I don't smoke either.
 
Secret_Window said:
From the experience of having anxiety and panic attacks pretty much all my life, I can tell you alcohol and other things just make the problem much worse - one of the reasons why I don't drink alcohol anymore or even have caffeine. You need to start cutting out all the junk that is causing you problems and then take it from there. Then if the problem still presents itself to the same extremity you need to see a doctor or preferably psychologist/psychiatrist.
Click to expand...

This… I too suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Cutting out excessive alcohol, although I never was much of a drinker, I still drink once or twice a month to excess, tut tut, and cutting back on fizzy cola did help..

Keeping active was the best thing I did to overcome it. I still suffer, feeling sick in my stomach, sweaty palms and extreme attacks caused for no reason sees me wheezing and breathing very heavily.

Missus calms me down using hugs and gives me sugared water. Or lemonade sometimes works. Not sugar free mind.

Excessive alcohol is a coping mechanism for me. Although last Christmas was feeling really poor, sick all the time, had an argument with my missus, so drank around 14 cans Becks Vier, trouble is I become a little unstable when drunk and fell and knocked myself out. Ended up in hospital having my eye stitched up, thankfully missus hadn’t been drinking and rushed me up to A & E

So yep.. cut back on alcoholic drinks and keep active. If you feel an attack get some sugar in you…. It really can help…
 
maccapacca said:
feel sorry for you, it took a year for the nhs to diagnose i had or was suffering anxiety / panic then they told me to get some books outt the library for stress! eventually i got my work pmi to pay for 20 sessions through a babc therapist which took another two years to get me to a comfortable place where i could deal with it, if i had to do it again i'd pay for it myself, even now i feel it evey day just know how to deal with it
it's all about the fight or flight mechanism, once you understand it, it will get easier, remember simple people don't go mad
Click to expand...

Hmmm... I keep forgetting about this at times... I too went through CBT many years aog, and the fight and flight theory was something I learnt about..

Like I said. Being Active was key for me. I find going for walks or aggressive swimming just does wonders for me, then I can continue and not run away…

I’ve overcome some of my biggest fears in the last few years as well, becoming more able to face commitment and not turn my back and run… I hate change, and changes maybe what triggers it most for me…

All I know is that panic attacks are horrible. I and never seem to remember how it starts, or how long they last. I just sweat, and have a heavy feeling chest and sick to my stomach feeling afterwards, and just go to sleep.. Also, as said, since my missus learned I suffer, she gives me sugar, then I sleep..
 
Hi

I have recently began having extreme anxiety after a drinking too much. This usually lasts a week after the heavy session. I become disconnected, suicidal, cannot eat or be by myself.

I have drank heavily at weekends for a while with some large breaks in between

Unfortunately after all the research i have done I have come to realise that I cannot drink anymore. I would rather just quit totally than go through that again. Its happened 3 times now in the last 3 month. I have been drinking a lot more recently after hanging out with some pretty wild people. I have always been an anxious person but dealt with that pushing through it. This is uncontrollable though. I cannot calm down and its the worse experience ever, a whole week! I will lose my job if it continues as it self inflicted as far as I can see. I work as an artist and I barely can work when like this.

Like you it happens about 24hours after the last drink usually when my hangover has finally disappeared. Studies suggest its something to do with gaba in the brain, alcohol releases it into the brain and then when you sober up you are low and the brain is misfiring, in a panic. There's other theories about serotonin and hypoglycemia. If you google extremely anxious after drinking you will find loads of people with the same problem.

Seriously stop drinking for a while and see how you go and kick the rec drugs. I feel fine after it has passed and wonder why I was so worried but now I have made the link I will not be drinking for a long time.

People bang on about drugs but unfortunately alcohol is an extremely dangerous drug as well and I can now understand how people become alcoholics to rid themselves of these withdrawals. Of course moderation such always be used but if you pre disposed to this reaction drinking is out!

Here is some links (not sure if there allowed but i rarely come here anyway)

http://www.steadyhealth.com/Anxiety_and_depression_for_days_after_binge_drinking_t124769.html

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/Anxiety-panic-attacks-the-day-after-drinking/show/514905

Quite simply if your getting these attacks after drinking, its the drinking! Like some cannot handle weed, its logical that not everyone can handle the drinking binges.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom