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...

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Panic and guilt

giddy12
giddy12

Hello everyone I'm new to this group but not these problems. I have had full on panic attacks since I was 8 years old. I am now 27 and they have become almost unbearable. I have 2 children 3 and 6 and I just feel like the worse mother ever because I have beccome so withdrawn and empty due to my constant state of panic. I recently tried taking zoloft to help and it only made it worse. I ended up in the er two times in one week 100 percent convinced I was having a heart attack. I know its irrational but I'm always thinking about it. Today my left arm has been sore and rationally I know its probably the way I slept but my anxiety tells me its not. Some days its so hard.

spinus
spinus
Hello giddy12. Welcome to the group. please know that you are not alone. I am a 39 year old man with nothing physically wrong with me and still rather fit and there are moments that I cannot walk outside my house because just the change in heart pace will make me believe I am going to faint! For me I found that exposing myself to these exercises and realizing I didn't die helped. do you find that it helps when you go to the ER and they tell you everything is OK? could you feel OK even if you didn't get to the ER? did you talk with your doctor about the zoloft? perhaps he can adjust the medication or start slower... starting a new medication when you have panic attacks is complicated because any change in the way you feel will drive anxiety up and make you have a panic attack. A closer communication with your doctor might help with this.
giddy12
giddy12
Thank you Spinus for your support.
When I go to the ER and they come back and tell me nothing is wrong physically I do feel relived followed by guilt that sets in. How can I do this to my friends and family? Why do I have to be like this, why cant I just be normal?
A lot of times I'm able to talk myself out of going to the doctors but sometimes I become so irrational that there is nothing that will calm me but going.
I told my doctor about the Zoloft originally, she advised me to continue taking it. I don't blame her or anything she really thought it was going to help and wanted me to stick with it for 30 days. Its to bad it didn't. I have never taken medication for anxiety not that I'm against but because I was always to scared. I finally did it thinking it would help and it only made me worse, it was very disappointing.
giddy12
giddy12
And also your statement "starting a new medication when you have panic attacks is complicated because any change in the way you feel will drive anxiety up and make you have a panic attack."
THIS! A lot of people do not understand it and reading you say that is like wow I'm not alone, some people really do get it. thank you again!
JShovel
JShovel
I'm a dad of 2 little girls, 2 and 5. Last week I had my first five alarm panic attack since the eldest was born. I had done well for a few years on celexa and wellbutrin, with some emergency ativan, but because of depression, I started transitioning to new meds. After the attack I was a useless. My wife, as always, was great, but it was hard watching my 5-year-old watch me fall apart. She has her own anxiety issues, and I strained to shield her. After I came down (almost), i had a talk with her. she hugged me so hard. Anyway, I try to tell myself there is nothing I can do to not feel the feelings I'm feeling. i know that if I really had a heart attack i'd be more rational about it than when I'm convinced I'm having one. This feeling is not forever.