Then it sounds like you need to see a dr and let him put you on meds.

There are a lot of breathing and calming techniques that you could learn in psychotherapy in addition to meds. But when it comes to panic disorder it really is a good idea to try some kind of meds. My panic attacks come less often than when I was younger, but when they do, they are ugly.

My first panic attack happened 45 years ago and the fright still lingers.

I agree with GrlnBeth
Breathing exercises and meditation have helped me a lot with my panic attacks. But once it's panic disorder... mediation is probably best.

How about CBT.

During my first panic attack I thought I was having a heart attack. All I know is that I was burning hot from the center of my chest all the way up to my face. That day was 32 degrees F, and I couldnt feel the cold during that horrible moment. It was awful, never want to go through that again.

Panic attacks are horrible and nobody that has them ever wants to feel that way again. I have learned that when I feel one coming on I just say "bring it on do your best" try and confront it dont fight the panic because it only makes it worse. Breath and say I know this is panic, I am not dying I am not having a heart attack. Stare it in the face and it will go. Best to you. I am always here for you.

One of my first panic attacks happened when we bought our house, we rented the downstairs and they came up with a bug that looked like a termite. I totally freaked out, I was convinced that our entire house was infested and that it was the worst thing that could happen. I started sweating, my heart was pounding, I felt sick to my stomach. When terminex came I was crying out of control, I think that he thought that I was crazy. When he finished he told me that it was just flying ants. I took me the rest of the day to calm down, it took everything out of me.

Hi, Gooch! You may have to remind people until they get to know you that you've lived through many years of anxiety and now what you want to do is to start talking about it. Nice to see you starting to participate on the board. Peace!

My first attack was over 10 years ago.

I was in college and studying for finals. Had been studying for 3 days straight with about 6 hours total sleep and drinking mountain dew by the litre while smoking packs and packs of cigarettes. I had also been working at a mortgage comany and it was month end so I was very stressed out about hitting my quota. I had also recently found out about a traumatic event in my childhood that my family had been lying to me (to protect me) that made me extremely mad.

Needless to say, at about 3 AM I started feeling like my heart is going to jump put of my chest, then I felt like I was about to "fade away", and finally I felt like I was just going to die. I didn't know from what or why but I was convinced death was imminent.

Freaking out isn't even the word. Absolute terror is the closest but doesnt seem to do it justice.

I was still living at home at the time and I ran and woke up my father and just keep repeating, I'm about to die, I'm about to die. He thought I was crazy and I thought I was going crazy.

By the time I finally got both my parents up and convinced them to take me to the hospital, I had calmed down a bit but I was still shaking and felt "disconnected" from reality.

I went to my dr and they diagnosed me with Panic disorder and it turned out that I had been acting this way since I was about 5 yrs old but I didn't remember. My parents revelaed it to me and the dr. They put me on meds and I fought them and refused to take them. But they were the only way i could calm down enough to sleep so I started taking them just to sleep. For months, I lived in absolute terror of another attack hitting and the more I thought about it and fought it, the more attacks I brought on. I finally gave in and took the meds as prescribed and after a few months of getting used to them I finally felt like I could get a hold of the attacks.

I lost 8 months of my life to terror becuase I was stubborn,

DON'T BE LIKE ME!!! Take the meds. BUT learn techniques to calm yourslef once the meds take effect so eventually you can take yourslef off the meds.

Meds do their job but (when your ready) you should try to live without them. I was on them way too long before I finally got off.

Unfortunately, I recently had surgery that sent me back into panic mood so I'm back on the meds. But as soon as I get a handle of things again, I plan to take myself off them again. But till then, I'm DEFINITELY taking the meds because they work!!!

FYI, I'm on lorazepam (aka ativan) which definitely works. But if i dont get better soon, I might go back on the Paxil again as well.

Wish you luck and if you need to talk, I'm here for you!! =)