My suggestion is therapy. Talking it out over several visits can help with the panic.

thank you for the advice Darksign. Ive been trying to talk everything out w my counselor but I still get scared as soon as I leave her office. Ive stopped watching scary or gory tv/movies b/c i know that theyre trigger me into a panic attack. I duuno Im staying up late b/c i have the house to myself and im too scared to go to sleep.

Do your dogs live in the house with you? If so, they're the best security system you can have! If anyone ever tried to break in, I'm sure they'd let you know right away. My dog used to sleep in my bedroom so I'd feel safe. In our new house, we sleep in the loft, and one dog always sleeps on the landing to the loft. It's a tripping hazard, but worth it! ;-)

Give those dogs a hug from me, and a wet kiss from Wistala (the four-legged pictured as my avatar).

I hope you start to gain confidence and can get your much-needed rest.

Blessings,
Wistala

I have to agree with Wistala. A dog in your bedroom will help, they have a heightened sense of hearing and smell. They may also get protective of you, but be warned sometimes they will also bark at the creaking door. But generally the love and comfort they give helps so much. I call my dogs my little furry angels because they help me so much. A good therapist helps too in the long term. Good luck with it hon.

It also sounds as if the precautions you are now taking are sensible. It might be our right to walk around safely at night but the reality is its not real safe for anyone.

Sounds like PTSD. Definitely have the trauma background that would herald those signs.

Are you on any meds??

Have you seen a Psychiatrist?? Maybe see a new one, try to find one that deals with PTSD.

Dogs are GREAT! They are great protectors...if you get the right kind...not a little tiny dog. I have a Weimaraner, and she is a GREAT Protector, yet good with kids. She is ultra-protective when DH is gone. Men are scared of her b/c of her size and she has a mean bark when she wants to, and BIG Teeth. Look in my photo section for pics of her. She's a Big Baby to me, sleeps with me in my bed, but I wouldn't stay home alone without her here. I feel protected with her here.

You definitely need to calm your anxiety....PTSD is anxiety based.

I am new here, but can feel your anxiety and share your panic as I am working on something similar. I have three little yappy "guard" dogs that have become my "eyes and ears" at nightime. Two of the dogs sleep in my bed, and I can say that I am comforted just knowing they are in my room. I do have an alarm system, also. Meds and therapy have helped me so much, I hope you get some peace soon...

Prayer and meditation not medication!

Lol! That's funny. I was going to saying the dogs in the bed, too. :)

I have TWO service dogs and THEY ROCK! I can only leave the house when I have them both! You could look into making your dogs service dogs.

Also, you should look for a therapist who is *CERTIFIED* in EMDR. (People say it does WONDERS.) Also, propranolol is good for panic attacks. Talking with a psychiatrist who is *TRAINED* and knowledgeable and totally keeps up with PTS is *very* important. There are some meds which are sedatives and can help you sleep. Me? I'm like most of the people here - sometimes I'm up all night from the adrenaline and then my body gets worn out and I crash for a few days and finally get rest.

I *totally* sleep better with the dogs and I know that it is only when my fluffy dog barks that something is going on. Still... hypervigilence is the name of PTS. Antihistamines are helpful. Check out the post "Med Ideas & Why" for some helpful info to take to counseling/doctors.

I dunno... I was definitely not a medication monger (and still am careful about it), but I've got to tell you, "willing" PTS away doesn't send it away - otherwise we'd ALL be fine. I definitely think that meds are part of giving us enough resources to teach our bodies to calm down. Really, "willing" it probably only releases more adrenaline (which is part of the problem).

Anyway, for non-medicine alternatives, Yoga is pretty awesome. Meditation can be good too. With PTS, you probably need the yoga to help your brain get distracted enough to get to meditation. It feels great and can really help. Still, I find it doesn't last long enough anymore - not even an hour. I would still encourage it, though. At the beginning, I'd say the best things are propranolol, Yoga, antihistamines and EMDR. The sooner you can remove triggers and the sooner you can get your body to learn how to go back to "neutral" instead of being over revved with catecholamines (fight-or-flight hormones).

THANK YALL ALL FOR THE REPLIES!!! Unfortuantly, my dogs arent barkers at all and they sleep in cage thingy at night (mom had new carpet put down) but they small (peckingese and a shih tzu) and would probably run off with the badguy, lol.
Ive gone w/o medication for awhile but my moods are noticably different when im not on them. im not some doped out junkie with them, ive stopped using one med when my dc upted it up too much. after the first day i flushed them down the toilet.
ive tried yoga and meditation but i cant really quiet my mind enough for it to really take effect. also im so focused on the pose that its relaxing but yeah thats about it. Prayer works for me but sometimes when i get scared, ill be walking and praying and crying all at the same time and im still scared.
been talking to my counselor but yeah still in the same boat