Panic attack/ havent been the same

[Robertnb]

my names Robert and about two months ago I had my first panic attack of my life. It was extremely scary and intense, all the classic symptoms. It came out of no where as I was siting up late one night watching TV. The 3 or 4 days right after I couldn't eat or sleep, was having chills and hot/cold sweats and dry heaving. I feel like I haven't been the same since, I have a constant level of heightened anxiety that seems to be more prominent at night, especially right before sleep. Luckily those initial physical symptoms have dissipated since te first few days after the attack. What concerns me is that It has been about two months and I continue to have what I call mini panic attacks as I try and sleep every 3 or 4 days. Also my heart rate spikes at random times during the day, especially after I first wake up and towards the evening. I'm 23 and was a heavy cannabis user up untill my initial panic attack. Also I am in therapy now and they have me on low dose alprazolam ( it helps only alittle). I am new to all of this and am seeking advise or just comments from people who have had similar experiences. Thank you very much for reading!

[vic]

I'm 32 now and I've had anxiety since i was 13 ther have been many years wer it's not been controlling me and I've got on with my life it's still always been ther but almost two yrs ago I went through 15 months of stress a long story in what happend but my anxiety was badly triggered and it's set depression off to worse I've known so my advice would be to you while this is new to you is to start cbt or some other form of therapy as anxiety is a habit that we get stuck in I wish I would av got help when it first became a problem because the sooner the habit is changed the better ;) so try not to dwell on it and get the right help and then u can get in wiv ur life as u shld ;)

[JLBnole68]

Hi Robert, I'm Jeff. Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. I think you've found the right place as most of the people here can empathize with how you're feeling. We've gone through it as well. It's great that you're getting professional help. That's a good start to getting your anxiety under control. If your meds aren't working well, I'd suggest speaking up to your doctor and asking about other options. I take Lexapro and it has helped me tremendously. I had to try several medications before I found one that worked. The important thing is to try and not let your anxiety take control of your life and behavior. Exercise is very beneficial, even if you just go out for a walk each day. Getting the right amount of sleep goes a long way, too. If you aren't sleeping well, your body tends to stay in an anxious state and you're less able to deal with stress. If you look around this site, you'll find lots of great suggestions and healing strategies. Welcome to the forum and I hope things get back on track for you soon. Take comfort in knowing you aren't alone. Lots of people battle anxiety attacks, but they can be kept under control or kicked to the curb.