hypochondriac1993
01-17-2014, 02:45 PM
Hey everyone! I am going to write this post in the assumption that the person reading knows nothing about anxiety, to write as much helpful information as possible. All of this information is gathered from my personal experience, tons of extensive research, and personal opinion from the two of how to deal with it. Other people may feel differently of the approach to deal with it. I'll tell you a little about me and my anxiety first. I dealt with mild OCD and hypochondria( Health anxiety) for about 3 years. I've probably thought I have had over twenty cancers, tons of different life threatening diseases, and anything else under the sun. I never had any of the things I thought I had. I had tons of weird irrational and some rational fears like having a stroke, heart attack, brain aneurism, and I feared death, so when I was going through a panic attack you can see how those fears escalated the panic. These My first panic attack was about 6 months ago and I am practically over them and most of my anxiety. I felt hopeless, and confused. My family didn't understand, it affected me in every aspect. You CAN get over you're panic attacks! This might be a little long, but you could possibly benefit or learn something new if you read through this.
Have you ever felt like you're life was about to be over? The room spinning, chest pounding, sweating, arms going numb and pins in needles in you're fingers? You know you're about to die any minute, and you are off to the emergency room to find out nothing is wrong with you, and that it is just anxiety? You're probably confused thinking there is no way nothing is wrong with me with everything I went through. "I was feeling fine when it happened, it just came out of the blue!" I've been there and tons of people have been as well. Panic attacks are a very scary experience. Tons of people each year go to the emergency room for having a panic attack. Typically people who have recurrent attacks tends to be possibly inherited, as anxiety and other depression can run in families depending on you're view in the biological aspect. Panic disorder is deliberating. No one understood, and told me to just "get over it! You're a grown man!" Well if it was that easy, there wouldn't be millions of people suffering from it... That is probably one of the hardest parts of anxiety and panic disorder. Anxiety is a very misunderstood condition to the general population. First of, you ARE NOT GOING CRAZY as you might think you are. Anxiety is not a mental illness(not saying there is nothing wrong with people who have any, just for reassurance). You're probably thinking you have a brain tumor, or a heart problem, MS, or whatever you're brain is cooking up! I have been there with all of that. If I had a symptom you can best believe I was on here looking for reassurance. Especially if you had health anxiety like myself! Panic disorder and health anxiety are not a pretty combination. Obviously you should go to you're GP and rule out any unlikely, underlying health condition. Also have you're B-12 levels checked, vitamin D, and thyroid as those can cause problems of there own, especially thyroid. Not only will it be in the best interest of you, it'll also give you some peace of mind. This IS A SUPER IMPORTANT PART!! If you get a clean bill of health, which I am positive you will, accept this diagnosis that you are in good health. Don't go home and start second guessing the medical diagnosis because this can lead to health anxiety. RARELY is panic attacks the cause of some serious medical condition. Also I cannot stress enough to you, even if you are already doing this. DO not, or STOP GOOGLING symptoms!!!!!!!! I cannot stress that enough!!! If you are already doing it, I know it might be a hard habit to break, but it'll only keep the vicious cycle going. Google will convince you every symptom is cancer. NEVER GOOGLE SYMPTOMS!!! If you feel a symptom is bothering you or worrying you enough, make a doctor appointment. Most likely it's benign, or a minor issue to be easily treated, and probably not the sinister thing you're anxious mind cooked up! Panic disorder can be accompanied by other problems and anxiety disorders that need to be taken care of as well. Such as GAD, OCD, health anxiety, depression, and even substance abuse.
Common symptoms of panic attacks
-pounding heart
-chest pain/discomfort
-paresthesia( numbness/pins and needles) in any part of body, more commonly the extremities
-lightheadedness
-dizziness
-Depersonalization(feelings of unreality)
-sweatiness
-fatigue
-impending doom
-sweatiness
-faintness
-trembling
-feeling like you are going crazy
Any of these scary symptoms sound familiar? Probably so. Panic attacks are not subjected to these symptoms. Many people experience tons of different ones, just depends on you're own unique chemical makeup. Anxiety itself can cause TONS of symptoms, and virtually mimic any disease. This is why it is SO important to stay off of Google with you're symptoms, otherwise you'll think you have anything! Check out anxiety centre's anxiety symptoms. You'll be surprised all of the stuff it can cause. What you also need to know is panic attacks WILL AND CANNOT kill you! A panic attack has never killed anybody. Try you're best to remember that when having one. My other biggest fear was that I would pass out during an episode, and I know lots of other people fear this too. I know it may feel like it. Passing out during a panic attack is VERY rare, it happens but it is so rare. Panic attacks is you're bodies fight/flight response system in our brains from our ancient ancestors. It's a false alarm. You're nervous system is divided into two parts, sympthathetic(panic attack symptoms), and parasympathetic(calm). Basically when ruled out any vitamin deficiencies, our nervous system from all of the anxiety is over sensitized. You need to desensitize it. How you need to is by not reacting in fear when the panic attack starts. You start feeling all of these scary symptoms, but do not react in fear. It's gonna take practice I assure you. Go with these symptoms in the calmest manner possible. The symptoms you are feeling are due to adrenaline, nothing more. Like anything, it'll eventually pass and you will be okay! I promise! The more scared, the more adrenaline is secreted, the worse of the severity of symptoms and the longer it'll take to desensitize you're nervous system. Don't be too hard on yourself either. It's gonna take practice. Just think from all of these attacks you have had, have you ever died, or what ever you thought was going to happen? When you start going with this approach, and experiencing it for yourself, you see anxiety's bluff. The attacks will eventually get less severe, and the attacks will become less occurrent. Also in curing yourself from panic. You may have developed situational panic attacks(places you have had one in the past and feel this is the cause of them), or situations that generally make you anxious. Do not avoid those places. Go to them and face it. You are probably going to mess up a few times, but who cares? We've all been there! You have to rewire you're brain and nervous system to show you're body that there is nothing to fear. You may also start to develop comfort zones, or dread leaving you're own home.(agoraphobia). My comfort zones were my home, and if I was at work I would go to the bathroom, step outside, or go sit in my car. When we start doing these, it creates a false sense of safety. Try to get to the point where you do not go to you're comfort zone during one. I always wanted to stay home, call out from work, or avoid all of those places. DO NOT. You got to go out and do those things you are so afraid of, it's gonna be hard, but you can do it!!! I was totally afraid of driving my car, and I was scared of going to work sometimes. I felt vulnerable there. It's all about baby steps. Take it one step at a time, and don't create such big goals. Create a diary/journal. A lot of people will have 7 good days, and then one bad one and the other 7 days did not exist anymore. A journal is a great way to build on you're experience and progress. Don't give up! People can lose heart fast because they are still experiencing the weird and quirky symptoms anxiety causes you, or still suffering from panic attacks, whether they are situational or out of the blue. It's gonna take time. it could be weeks, months of even a year or more to fully get there. Do not get discouraged. Just like a person would want to be a good at playing guitar, or basketball, it's gonna take TIME, PATIENCE, and WILL to get over this thing. Don't get sucked into these dumb websites claiming to have suffered too and have created some technique that will end you're anxiety like calm clinic! There is no magic cure. I stopped having panic attacks, but still experienced symptoms months after. Palpitations, lightheadedness, etc even after my panic attacks stopped. It's gonna take time to get you're nervous system rewired. I hope you have support. I didn't aside from my wife, but there are many great people on here to make you feel better and not isolated that you can talk to with great advice and shared experience.
Have you ever felt like you're life was about to be over? The room spinning, chest pounding, sweating, arms going numb and pins in needles in you're fingers? You know you're about to die any minute, and you are off to the emergency room to find out nothing is wrong with you, and that it is just anxiety? You're probably confused thinking there is no way nothing is wrong with me with everything I went through. "I was feeling fine when it happened, it just came out of the blue!" I've been there and tons of people have been as well. Panic attacks are a very scary experience. Tons of people each year go to the emergency room for having a panic attack. Typically people who have recurrent attacks tends to be possibly inherited, as anxiety and other depression can run in families depending on you're view in the biological aspect. Panic disorder is deliberating. No one understood, and told me to just "get over it! You're a grown man!" Well if it was that easy, there wouldn't be millions of people suffering from it... That is probably one of the hardest parts of anxiety and panic disorder. Anxiety is a very misunderstood condition to the general population. First of, you ARE NOT GOING CRAZY as you might think you are. Anxiety is not a mental illness(not saying there is nothing wrong with people who have any, just for reassurance). You're probably thinking you have a brain tumor, or a heart problem, MS, or whatever you're brain is cooking up! I have been there with all of that. If I had a symptom you can best believe I was on here looking for reassurance. Especially if you had health anxiety like myself! Panic disorder and health anxiety are not a pretty combination. Obviously you should go to you're GP and rule out any unlikely, underlying health condition. Also have you're B-12 levels checked, vitamin D, and thyroid as those can cause problems of there own, especially thyroid. Not only will it be in the best interest of you, it'll also give you some peace of mind. This IS A SUPER IMPORTANT PART!! If you get a clean bill of health, which I am positive you will, accept this diagnosis that you are in good health. Don't go home and start second guessing the medical diagnosis because this can lead to health anxiety. RARELY is panic attacks the cause of some serious medical condition. Also I cannot stress enough to you, even if you are already doing this. DO not, or STOP GOOGLING symptoms!!!!!!!! I cannot stress that enough!!! If you are already doing it, I know it might be a hard habit to break, but it'll only keep the vicious cycle going. Google will convince you every symptom is cancer. NEVER GOOGLE SYMPTOMS!!! If you feel a symptom is bothering you or worrying you enough, make a doctor appointment. Most likely it's benign, or a minor issue to be easily treated, and probably not the sinister thing you're anxious mind cooked up! Panic disorder can be accompanied by other problems and anxiety disorders that need to be taken care of as well. Such as GAD, OCD, health anxiety, depression, and even substance abuse.
Common symptoms of panic attacks
-pounding heart
-chest pain/discomfort
-paresthesia( numbness/pins and needles) in any part of body, more commonly the extremities
-lightheadedness
-dizziness
-Depersonalization(feelings of unreality)
-sweatiness
-fatigue
-impending doom
-sweatiness
-faintness
-trembling
-feeling like you are going crazy
Any of these scary symptoms sound familiar? Probably so. Panic attacks are not subjected to these symptoms. Many people experience tons of different ones, just depends on you're own unique chemical makeup. Anxiety itself can cause TONS of symptoms, and virtually mimic any disease. This is why it is SO important to stay off of Google with you're symptoms, otherwise you'll think you have anything! Check out anxiety centre's anxiety symptoms. You'll be surprised all of the stuff it can cause. What you also need to know is panic attacks WILL AND CANNOT kill you! A panic attack has never killed anybody. Try you're best to remember that when having one. My other biggest fear was that I would pass out during an episode, and I know lots of other people fear this too. I know it may feel like it. Passing out during a panic attack is VERY rare, it happens but it is so rare. Panic attacks is you're bodies fight/flight response system in our brains from our ancient ancestors. It's a false alarm. You're nervous system is divided into two parts, sympthathetic(panic attack symptoms), and parasympathetic(calm). Basically when ruled out any vitamin deficiencies, our nervous system from all of the anxiety is over sensitized. You need to desensitize it. How you need to is by not reacting in fear when the panic attack starts. You start feeling all of these scary symptoms, but do not react in fear. It's gonna take practice I assure you. Go with these symptoms in the calmest manner possible. The symptoms you are feeling are due to adrenaline, nothing more. Like anything, it'll eventually pass and you will be okay! I promise! The more scared, the more adrenaline is secreted, the worse of the severity of symptoms and the longer it'll take to desensitize you're nervous system. Don't be too hard on yourself either. It's gonna take practice. Just think from all of these attacks you have had, have you ever died, or what ever you thought was going to happen? When you start going with this approach, and experiencing it for yourself, you see anxiety's bluff. The attacks will eventually get less severe, and the attacks will become less occurrent. Also in curing yourself from panic. You may have developed situational panic attacks(places you have had one in the past and feel this is the cause of them), or situations that generally make you anxious. Do not avoid those places. Go to them and face it. You are probably going to mess up a few times, but who cares? We've all been there! You have to rewire you're brain and nervous system to show you're body that there is nothing to fear. You may also start to develop comfort zones, or dread leaving you're own home.(agoraphobia). My comfort zones were my home, and if I was at work I would go to the bathroom, step outside, or go sit in my car. When we start doing these, it creates a false sense of safety. Try to get to the point where you do not go to you're comfort zone during one. I always wanted to stay home, call out from work, or avoid all of those places. DO NOT. You got to go out and do those things you are so afraid of, it's gonna be hard, but you can do it!!! I was totally afraid of driving my car, and I was scared of going to work sometimes. I felt vulnerable there. It's all about baby steps. Take it one step at a time, and don't create such big goals. Create a diary/journal. A lot of people will have 7 good days, and then one bad one and the other 7 days did not exist anymore. A journal is a great way to build on you're experience and progress. Don't give up! People can lose heart fast because they are still experiencing the weird and quirky symptoms anxiety causes you, or still suffering from panic attacks, whether they are situational or out of the blue. It's gonna take time. it could be weeks, months of even a year or more to fully get there. Do not get discouraged. Just like a person would want to be a good at playing guitar, or basketball, it's gonna take TIME, PATIENCE, and WILL to get over this thing. Don't get sucked into these dumb websites claiming to have suffered too and have created some technique that will end you're anxiety like calm clinic! There is no magic cure. I stopped having panic attacks, but still experienced symptoms months after. Palpitations, lightheadedness, etc even after my panic attacks stopped. It's gonna take time to get you're nervous system rewired. I hope you have support. I didn't aside from my wife, but there are many great people on here to make you feel better and not isolated that you can talk to with great advice and shared experience.