Where did it come from?

[luvmirage]

i have never had problems with anxiety before. sure i would get nervous and get the red heat rash that came with it but that was all. a couple of months ago i had a panic attack in a restuarant and it seems that ever since i have been having these "mini" anxiety attacks. i can be sitting here at work and all the sudden feel a little different, maybe flushed, maybe a fast pulse and i over analyze it and it gets worse until the point where i feel that i might either throw up or pass out. my heart is beating incredibly fast and i need to get away from my desk and the only escape is to go to the bathroom. I have had to leave my desk multiple times, the lunchroom and a office meeting due to this. what is going on?? and should i be taking anxiety meds?? i know that nothing serious will happen from it and once i can talk some sense into myself they seem to go away.

[danstelter]

Great work on "talking sense into yourself" and working your panic attacks down to a more manageable level! To answer your question about medication, medication really only reduces the effects of symptoms, but does not cure the condition itself. So, you probably will still face this panic attacks, but they may not be as intense.

The best thing to do is to learn different ways of managing anxiety, and there are literally hundreds of them. A good starting point is to talk to someone who has recovered from anxiety and can help you along the route (counseling is a GREAT option - I did it and found it VERY beneficial) to recovery. Over the months and years (don't mean to scare you but this is the reality) your panic attacks will become less frequent and less intense, possibly to the point where you no longer get them anymore. Keep asking questions, keep talking to people, and keep working away at your panic and you will some day find that your anxiety level is so much less than it was!