Does anyone have anxiety or panic attacks for no reason?

[natasha]

I read a lot of these posts and I see people have health anxiety, or they have anxiety because of outside factors that are going on in their life.. But I have anxiety and panic attacks for no reason at all. Does anyone else have this? When I was 18 I was diagnosed with GAD and would deal with it on and off for years. Id go a couple years with out anxiety or panic attacks and then it would flare up again, and it's just always been like that. Well just recently, about 2-3 months ago, I started getting panic attacks out of no where. I was able to deal with it for a little while but they were just progressively getting worse and worse, it's gotten to where I've had to take a leave from school, I can't drive anymore, I can't go in to stores anymore, I can't bathe my kids unless someone is sitting in the bathroom with me, it's completely taking control of my life. In all the years that I've dealt with it on and off, it's never ever been this extreme before. I just don't understand it. I've had a few mental evaluations and they've diagnosed me with GAD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. But what I don't understand is why? Why all of a sudden out of no where is this happening and why so extreme?! I've been on every anti-depressant there is over the years, they just don't help me. An NP that I just recently saw tried to put me on some new antidepressants that I've never even heard of after I was pretty clear to him that I do not want to be on antidepressants. I'm not depressed, I'm sad! And i Just feel Kinda hopeless. I want to beat this with out having to take antidepressants. And people ate making me feel like thats impossible. I'm sorry for rambling on and making this so long, and honestly there's so much more I could say... But any replies would be appreciated. Thanks!

[natasha]

Oh, and another thing... My panic attacks always start with my vision getting distorted, then the racing heart, dizziness, the feeling that I'm gonna die at any second, uncontrollable sweating, trembling... Does any one else's attacks start with their vision and then boom everything else comes? The fact that it starts with my vision really freaks me out.

[nibbs]

I'm still getting used to talking about my anxiety, but in short my anxiety attacks are often very similar in the fact that they seem to not have a trigger. I feel like my anxiety switches between low and high but that it's always on. I can't speak about the medication piece other than to say that I am on anxiety meds that seem to work well except when they don't :/. Just try and remember that even when we feel like we are alone there are others fighting with anxiety too and there will be people who can be supportive.

[natasha]

What medication do you take? I take Ativan when i feel like I'm going to get a panic attack, but I'm hoping that maybe with therapy and a few months of taking Ativan as needed ill be able to get through this. I'm in the process of trying to find a therapist. I don't have insurance so this is a difficult process to find one that I can afford but also one that I feel comfortable with. Some days I'm very hopeful other days I feel completely hopeless and just cry all day and pray for a way out of this. I seriously feel like I'm losing my mind.

[Chloe]

Hi Natasha

I'm the exact same I'm 22 have been suffering for a year one minute I was one person than a completely different person suffering from this horrible anxiety that I can't shake. I too feel like I'm losing control there just isn't enough help out there for this kind if thing!

[DustingMyselfOff]

Been there, done that, still doing it. Mine started when I was about 16 (40 years ago) and I was keeping them under control with Xanax, but you have to keep taking more and more to get the same affect so I finally gave in to my doctor and started Prozac. That has given me 20 years of pretty much a "normal", panic-free life. Now that my thyroid has gone hyper, all the anxiety and attacks are back.

I've upped my meds and am now seeing a therapist and going to group therapy. I'm determined to get to the bottom of whatever is and has been eating away at me all these years. I know a big part of it is a biochemical imbalance because I was having tics at the age of 6 so most docs agree that I need meds for the rest of my life, but I still think there's more than just that.

Panic attacks "for no reason" is what qualifies it as a panic attack. If someone is panicking or fearful for a good reason, it's not a problem. It's just us people who are doing a normal, daily routine and get struck down with it that have this panic disorder. I went to see one therapist who asked me what was making me nervous when I had a panic attack and I knew right then and there she didn't get it and had no clue what I was dealing with. If we KNEW what was making us anxious we wouldn't be going nuts trying to figure it out!

Good luck - and don't be too deadset against meds. You may need them to remain functional and take care of your kids and yourself.
Sue

[natasha]

Does your anxiety/panic attacks just come out of no where?
I am aware that at this point I am in this state of mind that I am so terrified of having a panic attack that I am bringing them on myself, most of the time. But when this all started it came out of no where. It's never been this extreme or disabling before. I feel like I have completely lost my independence. I'm 27, I have a husband and 2 children, and I have to have people take me places if I need to go somewhere, and if I do go somewhere I have to take Ativan so I don't freak out, most of the time, I'm posted up in my house and I have someone else go to the store for me or do whatever it is I need to do, for me. It makes me sad, I get angry about it, I'm so easily agitated that I agitate myself!!

[frankzito]

I wake up in the middle of the night all hot in the chest area and heart racing. Out of the blue unless maybe a dream causes it. Always think its a heart attack, but its happened too many times, is be dead . So i realize its anxiety, but still get scared when it happens :-/

[DustingMyselfOff]

Yes, they come out of nowhere at the least likely times, and now that we are in the highly-sensitized state, we're bringing them on by fearing them and trying NOT to have one. I've tried telling myself that if I can bring one on then I can get rid of one as soon as I bring it on, too. When it starts I sometimes say "Go ahead, bring it on and give me what you've got - I'm not afraid of you!" Sometimes it works.
Sue

[natasha]

People keep telling me the more I try to fight a panic attack the worse I'm making it. That makes sense but for some reason, I can't let myself "just let it happen" there's something in me that automatically tried to fight it, I feel terrified to say "bring it on" and try to embrace it.

[Chloe]

Yeah my therapist says we fear the fear and that's how it controls us but I would really like to know how to stop it from controlling your life because its so easy to give up when you feel like crap each day and that's me. It's just not fair I would rather anything but this!!

[natasha]

I just bought a book today called The Anxiety and Worry Workbook. It's based on the CBT technique. I'm not very far into it but I'm hopeful that it will help. At this point ill try ANYTHING! I just want my freakin life back!

[marycap]

I have a question for Sue-

You said you were on Prozac for 20 years. During that time did u ever feel like if stopped working? Did u ever need to increase your dosage? I was on it happily for about 5 years. Eventually I felt it stopped working. My therapist at the time did not like Prozac do instead of increasing my dosage, he changed me to Zoloft. That seemed to work but I increased then decreased my dosage. I stopped taking it all together on Feb. my anxiety is back and I started Prozac again yesterday. Just wondering if you maintained the same dosage all of those years.

Thanks!

[NixonRulz]

Oh, and another thing... My panic attacks always start with my vision getting distorted, then the racing heart, dizziness, the feeling that I'm gonna die at any second, uncontrollable sweating, trembling... Does any one else's attacks start with their vision and then boom everything else comes? The fact that it starts with my vision really freaks me out.

This is precisely what would happen to me.

My favorites were times when I would wake up, go blurry, then BANG!

What was positive about that, believe it or not, was that it made me realize I was doing nothing to create this panic.

Unlike everyone else that said I just needed to stop acting like a wuss and take control

Then it got even better!! I would just start having panic attacks EVERY TIME I woke up because it was the first thing I thought of

WOOHOOO!!!!!

Anxiety, I still hate you.

[mkalani]

Yep I am in the same boat. I get attacks for no reason. Most of the time it's a night when I am in bed. I had a very bad run on them about 8 months ago, where,I felt like I was losing my mind. My health insurance had a bunch of classes to help me with the severe panic attacks. I think the classes and understanding what my body is going through and how it works really helped me the most. I understanding the fight or flight response that my body was going through helped a lot. I honestly thought I would never overcome the attacks. But being educated and learning some breathing exercises are working great.

Now when I feel the start of a attack I immediately start breathing exercises and focus my attention on something else. Lately I pull up a sudoku puzzle and my mind gets so focused on the puzzle that my attack goes away.

[natasha]

What kind of breathing exercises do you do?

[Sunny Days]

I've been there, trust me I know it is hard to believe you can get over this...but you can! Look into Buteyko Breathing techniques. Also I'm not sure if you are religious or not, but prayer helped me greatly. I got to the point where I gave in, I told myself over and over again to "let the anxiety/panic wash all over me" and just saying that had a very calming effect. I thought I was dying at first, then after 2 ER visits and being reassured that my heart was healthy (I even wore a 24 hour monitor), I started to switch to thinking something was mentally wrong with me. That's when the depersonalization got worse. These are all just your bodies ways of telling you that you need a break from the stress.

I'm a healthy 31 year old female, in great shape and I exercise regularly. I don't smoke and rarely drink these days. I know my triggers and try to avoid them. For example, my body doesn't do well with chemicals. After my bad attacks in 2010 I took myself off the bc pill, that seemed to help. I don't take any other meds really, never have. However I do believe my attacks were triggered by a high dosage of vitamin d that the doc had me on. I think it lowered my magnesium levels but that's a whole different topic! ;)

[locksey]

I read a lot of these posts and I see people have health anxiety, or they have anxiety because of outside factors that are going on in their life.. But I have anxiety and panic attacks for no reason at all. Does anyone else have this? When I was 18 I was diagnosed with GAD and would deal with it on and off for years. Id go a couple years with out anxiety or panic attacks and then it would flare up again, and it's just always been like that. Well just recently, about 2-3 months ago, I started getting panic attacks out of no where. I was able to deal with it for a little while but they were just progressively getting worse and worse, it's gotten to where I've had to take a leave from school, I can't drive anymore, I can't go in to stores anymore, I can't bathe my kids unless someone is sitting in the bathroom with me, it's completely taking control of my life. In all the years that I've dealt with it on and off, it's never ever been this extreme before. I just don't understand it. I've had a few mental evaluations and they've diagnosed me with GAD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. But what I don't understand is why? Why all of a sudden out of no where is this happening and why so extreme?! I've been on every anti-depressant there is over the years, they just don't help me. An NP that I just recently saw tried to put me on some new antidepressants that I've never even heard of after I was pretty clear to him that I do not want to be on antidepressants. I'm not depressed, I'm sad! And i Just feel Kinda hopeless. I want to beat this with out having to take antidepressants. And people ate making me feel like thats impossible. I'm sorry for rambling on and making this so long, and honestly there's so much more I could say... But any replies would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yes I have them 4 no apparent reason and I to have gone even years " pretty ok " meaning I live but with boundaries / limits .. But then I gone they times where its so bad I'm scared to wake up , go outside etc .. I've had this for over 20yrs

[Judie]

What kind of breathing exercises do you do?

There's a free App ( Iphone) called Relax and Rest, any of them will work. Find one you like, start with any.

[Judie]

People keep telling me the more I try to fight a panic attack the worse I'm making it. That makes sense but for some reason, I can't let myself "just let it happen" there's something in me that automatically tried to fight it, I feel terrified to say "bring it on" and try to embrace it.

You don't have to just let it happen to actively fight it. Anxiety is rooted in the fear of the attack ( negative thought ). Change your thoughts. Immediately when you feel that sense of doom of an attack coming on change those thoughts . Mentally say " STOP" to yourself and hear that door slamming in your head. Go to a place in your head that makes you comfortable, a time when you were self confident, somewhere beautiful and deep breathe in through your nose ( mouth closed slowly inhale deeply through the nose to a count of four, hold for two seconds and then slowly release through the mouth ( slowly don't forcibly blow ) keep repeating for 15 minutes. You have now successfully made it through a Panic Attack and are on your road to recovery :)

[stephanie21]

I'm sorry to hear what your going through! Reading what your going through is EXACTLY what Im going through! I'm 25 have had anxiety for about 7 years an outta nowhere a year ago it hit my hard cant drive anywhere can't go anywhere by myself friends have to take me places.... I can't do anything with my lil boy without his father around because I feel like I'm going to faint or (drop dead) if I'm by myself with him..... Sounds crazy but I literally think I'm going to die at any second when I'm having anxiety. I don't take medication I want to try an overcome it without.. I hear its possible.... Doctors say its not but I believe I can overcome it. Lately exercising an eating healthy has helped a bit but the past couple days it's been back really bad.... I hate that people have to go through this but it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one! I don't feel crazy when I read posts I can relate to... I still myself want to know why this happened to me outta nowhere I don't feel depressed AT ALL.... But maybe I am? I've accepted not being able to drive shop etc by myself..... But I'm still in shock that something like this can happen an I'm not the only one.... I really hope this is something you myself an everyone who goes through this can overcome

[natasha]

Stephanie21- our situations sound the same! I can not accept the fact that I can't drive anywhere or go shopping or do the things that I used to. I'm determined to try to get the life I had back! I refuse to go on ssri's or any of the other crap the doctors try to put me on. I've been on every kind of antidepressant ever made, and they've never helped me.. Most doctors aren't going to tell you it's possible to beat this without meds, because most doctors (in my opinion) really don't understand this disorder, so they're gonna push meds on you cuz that's what they do for everyone else that comes in with these problems. I do however take ativan, when I need it, but the last 4 days I haven't needed any! I do honestly believe a person can beat this with out being on the antidepressants.. Everyone is different, so there are some people who do need to take AD's to help over come this, and that's perfectly ok, but I don't believe I'm one of them. I feel I just needed some anxiety medicine (Ativan, not AD's) to get me over and out of that panicked state that I was in, so then I could start working on it, and that's exactly what I've done, and its working. I'm feeling a little better each day, my anxiety is still there, but its tolerable, it's not so overwhelming, I haven't had a panic attack in days. I now know that I'm not gonna drop dead at any second, if I do start feeling the symptoms of a panic attack coming on, I can be logical about it, and tell myself you know what this is, you're not dying.. Sorry I'm rambling on.. Just know that you CAN overcome this without meds and this will not last forever, you will get through this :)

[half2teach]

Natasha,
Does aerobic activity help you at all? It stops my trembling and weak feeling. I have to do it for awhile though everyday. It burns up the extra adrenaline. I have had every symptom in over two decades. Like you, I missed two weeks of work ; i couldn't go anywhere. I am better now. I found working out helped calm me down. I am on meds though. I am seeing a shrink too. I also have had the sweating episdoes. Feel free to talk with me. I am here for you.,

[natasha]

Thank you :) going on fast pace walks help me a lot, idk if that counts as aerobic exercise tho :) I'm still on a leave from school, I don't go back until the second week of July, I'm hoping by then I will be able to go back! I miss it. I've been waiting to get into see a therapist for a while now, I don't have health insurance so the state sent me to a place where they will pay for me to see a therapist, but there's a waiting list, which they didn't tell me about, but I will just keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully I'll get a call next week to get in to see a therapist :)