How long do your attacks last?

[prouddad]

I feel normal for days at a time sometimes as long as 2 weeks. Then I feel it coming on for several hours to a few days. My shoulders get tight, chest pain, sinuses clog, breathing labored until im in a full blown panic attack. It usually is only severe for a few minutes to an hour then the severity will ebb and flow for a few hours to a few days, then the after anxiety until I am able to convince myself all is good again. Its rare that I can pinpoint a trigger to attacks, Im always trying to find something that I have eaten like alcohol or to many simple carbs, dairy etc... I am taking amino and magnesium. After the first 2 weeks it seemed to make a huge difference for about a month. Now I think its lost its effectiveness.
How do your attacks onset and how frequently and for how long?

[Im-Suffering]

I feel normal for days at a time sometimes as long as 2 weeks. Then I feel it coming on for several hours to a few days. My shoulders get tight, chest pain, sinuses clog, breathing labored until im in a full blown panic attack. It usually is only severe for a few minutes to an hour then the severity will ebb and flow for a few hours to a few days, then the after anxiety until I am able to convince myself all is good again. Its rare that I can pinpoint a trigger to attacks, Im always trying to find something that I have eaten like alcohol or to many simple carbs, dairy etc... I am taking amino and magnesium. After the first 2 weeks it seemed to make a huge difference for about a month. Now I think its lost its effectiveness.
How do your attacks onset and how frequently and for how long?

The better question is:

"What unresolvable lingering problems in my life are causing the nervous sensitization leading to consistant panic attacks (intermittently), and/or what problem(s) are hidden so I have not been able to face them?"

This is the cause 'prouddad', take the focus off (temporarily) how you feel physically, and examine the contents of your mind. Your personal issues are conscious however, and you do know about them. Until now, they may have been (viewed as) unresolvable (thus the chronic brooding, so to speak and despondency in relation to failure to resolve) and this is the cause of the anxiety. No exceptions. There may have been childhood trauma as far as conditioning, in which eventually you will have to face, but for the most part you can lift much of the nervous condition, in your now, you see, by not fearing the fear (how you feel), and finding these issues which weigh on your mind and lifting or looking at them in a different light.

To see difficult problems in a different light, you need the help of another, who can help you discover a new viewpoint. This is essential since your views are colored by your present conditions and beliefs. You must get help in this discovery (whomever you confide in), seeing the new view just as valid, you see, as the present distorted viewpoint. Even if the problem is long standing and thus far unresolvable.

One may be facing, divorce, bankruptcy, financial issues, relationship, etc that extend oftentimes months or years essentially destroying the balance of the nervous system, sensitizing the body to a fearful continuous state that is symbolic of the mental unresolved tension/stress/anxiety.

Armed with this knowledge, one would solve the problems, face the problems, if unsolvable get help in establishing a new way to look at them, (viewpoint less disturbing), once accomplished (brooding ends), one begins the work to desensitize the overly frightened physical body.

Only once the mental conditions are resolved. The body does not act independent of the mind no matter the disease it reflects. A car cannot drive itself, period.

Take note today, of this post, for everyones sake in your life. Now all readers would benefit from your query, and the answers here, so thank you Prouddad, and while your at it, be proud of yourself. You are doing just fine.

And lastly, for good measure, if anyone answers your original query :

"How do your attacks onset and how frequently and for how long?"

Know that is a fearful question, appealing to fear based responses in others (faulty self diagnosis), and not only that, but they are all looking in the wrong place. True information, true edification comes in posts such as this. If you find yourself attracted more to the fear responses (Oh! I suffer once a week, lasting for days, OMG what if..whats wrong with us?), you will find yourself still in the same boat in years time.

Now, you have a journey to take you see, and work to do.

[prouddad]

Thank you im-suffering for the insightful answer. I no doubt have unresolved issues in my life. However IMO most people do. In my case it happens to be financial issues with the burden of a small family business. I know the answer and how to fix it, however the anxiety makes it much harder to function at or above the level of my peers. Which is what it takes for a small business to be successful. I think that over time this will sort itself out (wife is working on PHD and not making much income) but it has been years. I dont have the financial ability to use professional help because my insurance requires my to pay out the first $5k OoP, thank you ACA. My fears and issues are reel. I just need to find a way to deel with them that isnt debilitating.

[Im-Suffering]

I just need to find a way to deel with them that isnt debilitating.

Yes. Reread the post above in regards to a new viewpoint. Since yours is colored by your beliefs, one needs outside help and discussions. (friends, family, etc). You need to accept their viewpoints as valid, and have continuous discussions until the view sticks, you see. Once the perspective changes the outlook and the psyche changes, and thus you could move forward less stressed, and work on restoring the body. So there are 2 issues :

1) The problems themselves, requiring a new way to 'see' them
2) The fear that you feel when the body reacts, you essentially have fear compounding fear (fear on top of fear = more adrenal secretion)

One would try to understand ones situation and physical sensations as normal under the given circumstances, thus not compounding anxiety with a second fear. (OMG whats happening ! etc.). It is that bewilderment, you see (to what your feeling), that sends people off the edge and into the ER or extensive therapy.

Now you can make the connections, the link...

And lastly, in regards to the comment: (which most people can relate to) -

"I no doubt have unresolved issues in my life. However IMO most people do."

Now, do not make light of, in a flippant way, your own unique situation, somewhere along the line someone said, "hey, your not unique, what makes you so special, we all feel these things?" (abusive behavior/conditioning) because you are special.

Negating your own identity and self-hood is never constructive, period. And is not noble to suggest, so to speak. Honor who you are, honor what you feel, good or bad. Validate yourself as a unique individual.

Most people do have problems, however not all brood you see, for a lengthy time, over the unresolved issues which in those cases adversely effects the body, sensitizing it to a high degree toward anxiety as a disorder.

Self worth, esteem, and honoring the self is paramount, because that changes the world view regardless of the trauma. In all cases however, one needs to examine his/her beliefs in relation to all of it. The world, the self, family etc.

That is all.

[Ryker]

Something that's helped me over the past 25 years in business have been business partners whom I trust completely.

There have been plenty of times when I've relied on others to come in and run and manage things for me if I've not felt able. Or just there for a second opinion if I doubted myself. These people have saved me many times over and I return the favour whenever it's needed.

I know how hard it is but if you can find someone to work with the outcome can be very good.

[prouddad]

Something that's helped me over the past 25 years in business have been business partners whom I trust completely.

There have been plenty of times when I've relied on others to come in and run and manage things for me if I've not felt able. Or just there for a second opinion if I doubted myself. These people have saved me many times over and I return the favour whenever it's needed.

I know how hard it is but if you can find someone to work with the outcome can be very good.

My business is a 50y/o family business that my father started with a trusted partner who later royally screwed us over. When I came into the business I had my father as a partner for 17 years until he passed. I no doubt had depression and anxiety from that but it was manageable and I feel I had conquered it. About 2-1/2 years after my fathers passing is when this all really started crushing me. Many big life changing events have happened in the last 5 years and only in the last year have I begun to put them back together. Having just wrote that I would say that a large part of my underlying issue and anxiety is probably over keeping what I have put together and making sure that it continues to get better.

[Ryker]

My business is a 50y/o family business that my father started with a trusted partner who later royally screwed us over. When I came into the business I had my father as a partner for 17 years until he passed. I no doubt had depression and anxiety from that but it was manageable and I feel I had conquered it. About 2-1/2 years after my fathers passing is when this all really started crushing me. Many big life changing events have happened in the last 5 years and only in the last year have I begun to put them back together. Having just wrote that I would say that a large part of my underlying issue and anxiety is probably over keeping what I have put together and making sure that it continues to get better.

Change is a bitch. I feel for you and it's going to cause you problems. I don't know many people who can do it easily. (And they're generally really nasty folk to be honest who do it by bullying and threatening, and handing the stress on to other people around them.)

Delegate. Outsource. Seek out a good mentor to work with, and if absolutely necessary close the factory gates and become a postman. The graveyards are full of indispensable people, don't add yourself to the list.

I've been there through sales, acquisitions, liquidations, mergers and splits with a partner so I'm more than happy to provide a sounding board if you want it. It'll help. I'll DM you an email address.