hi hun i have them some times it is scary mine come from no where and i feel i cant move, what i do is give my self a little goal when it happens nothing big i have a cuppa then i try to reach my goal i take it slow and if i get to it then great if not i try again then when i have done that goal i give my self another. i am here for you hun if you want to talk you now that, any thime. hugs hun

sam xxxx

Hi Lottie,

I have had panic attacks and agoraphobia for about 9 years. It got worse when I was in hospital for 4 years on off having a lot of brain surgery. Before I got Bryan I hadn't left the house on my own for about 7 years.

It's much more common than you think, if you see your GP ask him what counselling is available. Some people do well with cognitive behavioural therapy, but I think it depends on what has caused the panic attacks.

In my case, person centred counselling worked really well because I had a lot of things to deal with about all the surgery I had to have and other stuff as well.

If you ever want to chat, PM me

yep

horrible things

i think what helps me is being out working and 'doing'

at school i was bullied badly for it never told anyone though

I have social anxiety and panic attacks. I've been a lot better since my very stressful marriage ended eighteen months ago, and when my divorce was finalised last week, I felt a massive weight seemed to be lifted from my chest. I'm prescribed a mild sedative for when I'm having a really bad day, but day to day, it's more a case of taking each day in small chunks and break down tasks that may cause me to panic into smaller bits. I generally try to stay away from crowds, and if I go out anywhere I have to have someone I trust with me. I don't even like to drive in crowds so no bank holiday weekends away unless my OH drives and I can sit quietly in the passenger seat and keep myself occupied with music or a book.

My doctor didn't feel that my "psychological profile" was sufficient to warrent counselling even though I asked for it (I wasn't aware that I'd ever completed any kind of profiling ), so although I have been diagnosed with depression and a borderline personality disorder, they seem happiest shovelling pills at me and telling me that it's all just linked to my physical disability. I do feel that's true on some levels, but there have been a lot of exterior stresses over the years that certainly compound the panic attacks and anxieties, which I felt I could have actually dealt with had I recieved counselling rather than just pills.
Last year, I decided to try online counselling for one of the specific issues that I felt was contributing to my depression, and found an online support group, which ran a Structured Recovery Group, and it took several months to work through each part. At the end of it, I did feel much stronger, and the group gave me some new tools to help me cope with things on a day to day basis.
Although I don't think I'll ever be "cured", I do feel that by chipping away at some of the emotional issues, I am starting to feel that I can imagine a day when I can stop taking anti-depressants and sedatives and that I will find the tools I need to cope.

That's a good example of a GP who doesn't know anything about counselling. Counselling is for anyone who is in emotional distress. It doesn't matter what your psychological profile is, although counselling isn't the best option for those with severe mental health issues.

It's a shame more GPs aren't clued up on taling therapies. It seems like the NHS is shovelling money into CBT when that isn't the only option and isn't even suitable for a lot of people.

Glad to hear things are a bit better for you Sez & Amber x

I used to suffer from panic attacks when I'd eaten or drunk something and I would think I was going to be sick and become very anxious. It was triggered by food poisoning, and I would get clammy and struggle to keep control. I have it sorted now though and I did it with breathing exercises. I learned how to do Chi Kung breathing in Tai Chi and it really worked. I still get panicky in the cinema sometimes (don't know why) but I control my breathing and it passes.

Thats whats started mine too. I was hungover, ate some prawns, got in a car and then felt sick. I now associate travel with sickness.
If i am going anywhere, ie shops i cant eat anything, then i know i cant be sick.
Mad how much our brains screw us up.
I am meant to be going to the cinema tomorrow but iam already getting nervous. If i am on an aisle seat it isnt so bad as i can get out to be sick(even though i'm not going to be). Mad!!

Hi yes i get them too horrid things, i have startedusing E.F.T and having great results..

Hi Lottie!
Panic attacks are more common than you may think. They can be triggered by the most bizarre and usually subconscious things that have happened to us. The problem is that they are so frightening that the individual subsequently avoids the situation that they found themselves in when experienced the first attack. This usually bears no relation to the underlying cause. if you were in a supermarket, or a crowded shopping centre when you experienced your first panic attack it is instinct to avoid that situation again. This is why lots of sufferers become to a degree agoraphobic. Some people are too frightened to leave their homes at all, some have a fear of being alone. All can be helped! If you want to pm me, please do. I am a registered nurse with lots of experience in this field and can offer you help and advice. Please try not to worry and trust yourself!

I am generally a very laid back, relaxed person, but both my husband and my best friend suffer from panic attacks. My husband has been rushed to hospital in an ambulance a few times with even the paramedics convinced he's having a heart attack, only to get there and discover it was a panic attack. His pain and symptoms are very, very real.

My friend cannot go to the shops alone as she will have an attack. She has learnt what triggers hers and avoids being in that situation.


Both of them have been prescribed antidepressants by the doctors. Neither have been offered any form of alternative therapy

My thoughts are with you, but you are not alone xx