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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Anxiety Disorders
/ Panic Attacks Support Group

warning re therapists

harry3333
harry3333
some panic attack sufferers manage to recover using books or courses and or meds but some need a personal therapist

IMO psychiatrists are best avoided as they want to probe your subconscious mind and regard the panic attacks as not being important or worth discussing, also they usually give little or no advice on how to cope.

psychologists can help but from my experience, many who specialise in panic attacks originally had them and this lead them to studying psychology and making a career of it. This is good but only if they managed to recover completely themselves. I know of some who didnt, they claim to specialise in treating panic attacks, agoraphobia, etc but have failed to cure themselves.
deleted_user
deleted_user
When i was going to therapy,i told them i was there to get help controling my panic attacks,she pulled out a list and told me to pick two things on the list,i told her i did not need help with any of the things on the list.She told me i HAD to pick two things from the list,so i did.The list had things like money problems ,drug abuse,anger management,and so on,none of them were me.Every time i went for my apointment,she would want to work on the things i picked,i told her i want help with my panic attacks!She told me ,"i hate to burst your bubble but you aint ever going to get rid of your panic attacks.So i spent a LOT of money to have her work with me on things that were not even wrong with me.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Therapists are like anti-depression or anxiety meds...you may not find the right one first time around, but there are some excellent people out there who can help. Things like CBT is helpful and a good therapist will always first of all explain what happens psyically with a panic attack and then look at ways of changing your natural emotion response to the situation that causes the panic.

Keep searching until you find the right one and remember that it is a two-way agreement between you and the therapist, so if you are not happy with the way things are going, you have the right to politely ask for a referral to a colleague.

Any therapist that says "i hate to burst your bubble but you aint ever going to get rid of your panic attacks". is in the wrong profession...either that or you found completely the wrong type of therapist.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I agree with stum, they are there to help you not to say you won't get over them. i have a really good therapist who explained exactly what happens to you body and what to do when you have a panic attack.Even though i know all tnis I still have them but sometimes I can get through them easier than other times.But hopefully they will go someday.
shea
shea
I AGREE WITH STUM,THERE ARE SOME GOOD THERAPISTS OUT THERE.YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT ONE.I ALSO AGREE IF THE THERAPIST TELLS YOU YOUR NOT NEVER GOING TO GET OVER YOUR PANIC ATTACKS,THEY NEED A NEW JOB! I AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND A VERY GOOD DOCTOR WHO TREATS MINE AND I AM SO MUCH BETTER.MY DOCTOR DOES HELP ME,IN TELLING ME WAYS TO AVOID THEM AND TO GET RID OF THEM.AS FAR AS MY DOCTOR EVER HAVING A PANIC ATTACK,NO WAY,BUT THEY DID AND DO SPECALISE IN THEM AND TEACH IT ALSO.I MUST HAVE LUCK UP ON ONE OF THE BETTER ONES,WOULD NOT TRADE MINE FOR ANYONE ELSE.MINE TELLS ME LIKE IT IS,AND I AN DEAL WITH THAT.I HAVE COME A LONG WAY WITH MINE.KEEP LOOKING,YOU ARE BOUND TO FIND A GOOD ONE.GOOD LUCK.