Panic Attacks Support Group
A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...
Hi Everyone --
I am attending my first live NFL football game on Monday night and I'm feeling a little anxious about getting to the game as well as the location of our seats.
I am also taking a bus home Tuesday morning - alone. I was originally planning to travel by train to and from Brooklyn with my wife - arriving in Brooklyn Sunday, spending Sun/Mon at a friends (who I'm going to the game with) and then returning Tuesday morning.
However, my wife's work scheduled changed so she is going in with me but we are now traveling by car and then she is staying the the NYC area until Friday for work, meaning I have to return home solo.
Its a bust trip I made 100's of times while in college - pre-anxiety - and I have people who will be available to call and of course I'll have meds, but I'm still feeling very very anxious about being alone on the bus.
I wanted to share this all with you in the hopes that I could get some advice on things to do to keep myself busy, etc.
I also wondered if this website had a chat room where I might go while on the bus to chat with people for support during the trip.
Thanks
Rich
I am attending my first live NFL football game on Monday night and I'm feeling a little anxious about getting to the game as well as the location of our seats.
I am also taking a bus home Tuesday morning - alone. I was originally planning to travel by train to and from Brooklyn with my wife - arriving in Brooklyn Sunday, spending Sun/Mon at a friends (who I'm going to the game with) and then returning Tuesday morning.
However, my wife's work scheduled changed so she is going in with me but we are now traveling by car and then she is staying the the NYC area until Friday for work, meaning I have to return home solo.
Its a bust trip I made 100's of times while in college - pre-anxiety - and I have people who will be available to call and of course I'll have meds, but I'm still feeling very very anxious about being alone on the bus.
I wanted to share this all with you in the hopes that I could get some advice on things to do to keep myself busy, etc.
I also wondered if this website had a chat room where I might go while on the bus to chat with people for support during the trip.
Thanks
Rich
called anxiety attacks are a false triggering of the fight or flight
response, google fight or flight response for all the possible effects of
it. panic attacks often are inherited. they cant harm anyone so should not
be feared. when feeling stressed or panicky simply relax and breathe deep
and slow. dont tense up or fight back against it. do disolve any mid range
valium type pill under tongue for fastest help, google sublingually.
agoraphobia is avoiding or fearing places or situations likely to cause a
panic attack. Ive found that the best advice in overcoming both is in
cheap self help books from internet bookstores, order a few to be
delivered to you by mail. therapists, especially psychiatrists often give
little advice and consider the panic attacks as unimportant. they waste
time and are often expensive, also their advice is hard to remember as
most patients are very nervous. valium type meds are still the best for
reducing or stopping a panic attack, if taken to hospital, the usual
treatment is an injection of valium. antidepressant meds help some a lot
but sufferers can have severe early side effects so start at much less than
the min dose range and slowly work dose up, google the antidepressant dose
range for guidance. valium reduces early side effects. antidepressants
take from 2 to 6 weeks to start working and occasionally never help. the
prozac or SSRI type are popular but other types also help and so can be
tried. older sedating antihistamines calm some. valium type must be used
sensibly but its been my long experience that few sufferers have addictive
type personalitys,t he main problem being to get them to take a large
enough dose rather than stopping them from taking too high a dose the
fight or flight response can become a strong addiction, people activate it
with dangerous sports, downhill skiing, bungee jumping, parachute jumping,
etc so some panic attack sufferers refuse to make any attempt to recover
or to take helpful meds. panic attack and agoraphobia sufferers dont
usually lead very stressfull lives. they become expert at seeming calm and
relaxed whan actually panicky I had panic attacks and severe agoraphobia
for 20 years before diagnosing myself and am now completely recovered
I'm excited to say that I made the trip to the football game as well as the bus ride home without an issues! Thank goodness for Xanax!
My friend and I had originally planned to take public transportation to the game but after a failed attempt to get on a NYC subway earlier in the day I told him I'd be more comfortable driving.
Our seats were great and of course my friend and I chatted the whole way to the game so the time went quickly.
The bus trip was another thing I was nervous about but I decided to take a cab by myself to the bus rather than having my wife go with me. I figured getting on my own earlier in the process was a good idea.
I took a Xanax about 1/2 hour before I left and then took another one on the bus (which was about 1.5 hours later) and I felt good. I read a book for a while and then slept and then we were almost home.
Rich
loss of confidence is a big problem with agoraphobia and panic attacks