When I was first diagnosed with panic disorder and was seeing a therapist she introduced me to yoga and meditating. At first I thought it was strange but after doing it and experiencing the calming effects, I was amazed at how relaxed I was. I don't do yoga anymore but every night before I go to sleep, I put on relaxing music and I focus on my breathing and clear my mind. My therapist taught me that when you breath out, you should breath out heavily and push out all of your anxiety.
I also find that during the day at work or in life when I am beginning to become stressed, I clear my mind and focus on my breathing (doing it as discreetly as possible). Also I try to find time to enjoy the simple things in life. At work I always make sure to go outside for at least 15 minutes and just let the sun shine on me. My mom always told me that you have to remember that as bad as you think you have it, there is always someone out in the world whose situation is worse than yours!
I have been told my panic disorder is due to a chemical imbalance. I was wondering if anyone knew what causes the chemical imbalance and if there will ever be a cure for it?
My exposure work is coming along, slowly but surely. One of the most difficult things for me is taking the train because that is where most of my attacks occur and I can't escape when I'm on the train. So far the hardest part is not distracting myself when I am having a panic attack. It was always my thought to think of something else so that my mind shys away from the panic and I can become better faster. Actually sitting and letting my body go through the symptoms of panic is so hard and so scary. That is something I really need to learn how to do better!
I have a friend that I ride the train with but I have not revealed to him about my panic attacks so when I have a panic attack and he is talking to me, it is very hard to focus and I begin to focus on escaping. I'm really working on improving my reactions when I have a panic attack but it is hard. The whole disorder is very hard.
I have been taking Paxil for the last ten years or so. I have tried before to ween myself off of it but my panic attacks come right back. I also went through therapy when I was first diagnosed and my therapist used relaxation. meditation, and deep breathing to help me cope and reduce my panic attacks. Unfortunately I think I need my medication to greatly reduce my medication. My doctor and I have talked about trying one more time to stop the medication, however he thinks I would need a couple of months to determine if I can stop taking them for good and I don't know if I can do it for that long.
I have had a great success on my medication and made great progress of the ten years I have been on it. I am on a low dosage so maybe I could do without it. I just know that since I have a chemical imbalance, there is no rhythm or reason as when or why I get my attacks. That is the most scary part!
I am very happy because this morning on the train I had a panic attack, but worked through it because of all the help from the panic center. My usual routine would be to either think about getting off the train or thinking negative thoughts such as, "this is the worst panic attack ever or "people will notice I am having a panic attack and think I'm weird." However I kept my thoughts positive and worked my way through the panic. As a result, my panic attack was less than a minute and I made the duration of the train ride without having another one. It is a baby step, however it felt good!
Having this feeling has definitely made me feel that although I can't avoid having panic attacks, I know have the tools and the confidence to work through future attacks. I feel great for the first time in a long time!
I haven't logged on in a while and I know I should do so more often. It seems that we only think about our panic when it veers its ugly head. I know for myself that lately I have been under a lot of pressure and feeling physically and mentally drained. This in turn has caused my panic to be at its worst. I have also developed new symptoms when I am having a panic attack. Normally I know when I am having a panic attack because I am familar with my symptoms. Lately however new symptoms such as vertigo have occured. I've dealt with panic my whole life and not many people understand it. I know this will pass, but getting there is the hard part.
I have considered going to the doctor because I have never had it before and it was a scary symptom. However in my paniced state I was too scared to go to the doctor for fear she would tell me the worst. I apprciate everyone's advice because I have been feeling really terrible and my panic has been at its worst. It helps to talk to people who can relate.
I have noticed that when I am awoken in the middle of the night by a panic attack, they are worse than if I were to have a panic attack during the day. I wish that I could give you advice on how to cope but this is something I myself struggle with. Most of the times when I am having a panic attack at night, I feel completely out of control. I wish you all the best and if you find any things that work, please pass on!
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