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, I'm new to the support group here. Just thought I'd post a little bio about myself. I'm a 34 year old female, I have two children 14 and 10, happily married for almost four years now to my best friend. I spent most of my 20s agoraphobic. In 2009 I recovered due to religious conversion, (attribute that however you wish, placebo effect, miracle, etc), I was back to "normal" for about four years, I got married, moved to a new town away from everyone I knew, was driving by myself, spending weeks home alone when my husband went out of town for work life was good, and I was calm.
In 2013 I began noticing weird symptoms on the right side of my body, buzzy weird, weak feelings that I assumed were anxiety caused so I ignored them for months. I ended up in the ER one night because they had gotten so bad 'I could barely walk and when my husband called the doctor to make an appointment, we were ordered to the ER for a stroke assessment. After almost four days in the Stroke ward, I was sent home with a diagnosis of a severe B2 deficiency. My GP was not happy with that assessment and sent me to a neurologist. Long story short, sixx months and about a million MRIs, EKGs and blood tests later, they discovered I had neuroinvasive West Nile Virus which had destroyed my nerves on my right side and was causing poliomyelitis type flaccid paralysis in my right arm, leg and face.
This brought my panic disorder back. It started slow, but as things in my life kept escalating, (I had to stop driving, my husband lost his job we lost our insurance and ultimately had to move in with my family and are still here), my anxiety and panic got worse and worse. Plus through all this, I was trying to finish up my Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Now I'm agoraphobic again, victim to multiple panic attacks daily and of course the GAD and OCD are back full force as well. I feel like I can no longer trust myself to decide what's actually a viable symptom of a medical issue and what's just anxiety.
Anyway, sorry so long-winded, I look forward to getting to know all of you and hopefully we can help support each other.
In 2013 I began noticing weird symptoms on the right side of my body, buzzy weird, weak feelings that I assumed were anxiety caused so I ignored them for months. I ended up in the ER one night because they had gotten so bad 'I could barely walk and when my husband called the doctor to make an appointment, we were ordered to the ER for a stroke assessment. After almost four days in the Stroke ward, I was sent home with a diagnosis of a severe B2 deficiency. My GP was not happy with that assessment and sent me to a neurologist. Long story short, sixx months and about a million MRIs, EKGs and blood tests later, they discovered I had neuroinvasive West Nile Virus which had destroyed my nerves on my right side and was causing poliomyelitis type flaccid paralysis in my right arm, leg and face.
This brought my panic disorder back. It started slow, but as things in my life kept escalating, (I had to stop driving, my husband lost his job we lost our insurance and ultimately had to move in with my family and are still here), my anxiety and panic got worse and worse. Plus through all this, I was trying to finish up my Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Now I'm agoraphobic again, victim to multiple panic attacks daily and of course the GAD and OCD are back full force as well. I feel like I can no longer trust myself to decide what's actually a viable symptom of a medical issue and what's just anxiety.
Anyway, sorry so long-winded, I look forward to getting to know all of you and hopefully we can help support each other.
It is scary, you just never know. Hopefully once some of this stress goes away, your panic will leave with it. But you should already know with the agoraphobia you have to force yourself to leave the house. The more you expose yourself to the outside, the less panic will occur each time.
Years ago I was working two jobs, going to college at night and raising a family not to mention all the volunteer work I did. One day I went into severe panic and went to the ER. Life has never been the same since. Sometimes I get mad at myself for not being that very strong woman I once was. I can't even call people on the phone without going into panic. My therapist assigned me a social worker just to help me handle my life better.
It can be so frustrating when you just want to lead a normal healthy life and your body does not want to cooperate. I hope with you faith and the support of your family things will get better again for you. If you even find the secret, hey... please share :)