Lycaon55
11-25-2016, 08:05 PM
Yes, I had the panic attacks and the fear of having an attack would turn my life into hell. I had panic attacks every time I woke up. Could not have a decent sleep so I woke up like 3 to 4 times every night.
Spent daytime in fear...would stop all the activities I loved doing. I cried a lot, thinking the good life was over...even thought of suicide. My wife supported me and talking to her gave me the strength to
try to beat this thing.
I read all and any information I could get about panic attacks and I started to get a better understand of what it is really. Once you know the enemy, your fear of it lessens and it greatly helped me.
I also learned that exercising was vital when you have panic disorder. IT IS TRUE, without my one hour of brisk walking every day I would not be where I am today.
that reduces your level of anxiety.
I went to see the doctor who gave me benzodiazepine pills and an antidepressant. As anti-depressant typically take 2 to 4 weeks to fully be effective, the benzodiazepine treatment is there
to help you cope with the attacks in the meantime and it makes you sleep. This benzo treatment lasted slightly over 15 days and yes I felt great and had no attacks.
Benzo treament MUST not last more than 2 weeks...I went slightly over. Benzos are dangerously addictive and scary side effects ( like loss of short term memory)...stop it as soon as you can.
I was taking only 0.75mg per day before bedtime and for a short period of time, so my doctor said it was ok to stop
it cold turkey. (Those who take a benzo for a longer period of time must imperatively tap it off under medical supervision).
So probally because I took my benzo (klonopin/rivotril) for more that 15 days, I experienced 3 phases of withdrawal symptoms and it was not as scary as I though it would be.
Initial phase (lasts one week) you get panic attacks which go away quite fast...got even some diarrhea and light anxiety.
- Withdrawal symptoms were mild because my dose was only .75 mg (if you take more and for a longer time = more symptoms and more severe).
- Symptoms were also mild because I was taking Zoloft and believe me it really helped.
Acute Phase (lasts one week). Symptoms comes normally with more intensity but in my case it was just mild.
- Again the fact that I was taking Zoloft and worked out daily, really helped me through. All symptoms were really manageable. It is also important to say
that I had no fear of the panic attacks anymore...I knew what was going to happend, I knew it would go away....no fear...just controlled the breathing
it went away fast.
Third phase does not happen to all of us...but you many experience some panic attacks or anxiety but thanks to the anti depressant its all extremely mild.
you start to live normally again.
After that things really get better. One pill of anti-depressant every morning and you have no panic attacks anymore ...none.....anxiety yes...mild nothing much.
At that stage I could calmly think of what I could do to get better and I discovered the benefits of yoga and meditation. Meditation helped me to figure out that the root of my
problem was the way I was leading my life and my vision of it. Always overthinking...seeing potentials problems and how to solve them....being wary of the future...living in constant
stress and never giving myself a moment I could enjoy fully.. Financial problem was my biggest source of stress. I learned how to change all that by being positive. Being positive was easy
as I thought "I was worrying about everything in the past, trying to anticipate any potential problem and look where this got me!!!" This was definitely not working for me so it was time to move
away from that. I still have problems like we all do but now I feel better, I sleep well and not attacks.
I tapped of my antidepressant VERY slowly by reducing the dose (zoloft 50 mg) by half every month.
Now I take no medication...I still have attacks from time to time but they are so mild that sometimes I realize they were attacks when they are gone. When I feel one coming...I have not fear
I want it to come to test myself but it always goes away after a few seconds...just a rapid heartbeat....no other symptoms...makes me smile....I won.
The key thing to remember is that it feeds on your fear. Learn all you can about it, know exactly what happens when you have a panic attack...once it becomes predictable its not scary anymore.
Start to see life in a positive way. Try to meet people as soon as you can that helps a lot too.
Once you get to that point you will have less and less panic attacks and they will be hardly noticeable.
Spent daytime in fear...would stop all the activities I loved doing. I cried a lot, thinking the good life was over...even thought of suicide. My wife supported me and talking to her gave me the strength to
try to beat this thing.
I read all and any information I could get about panic attacks and I started to get a better understand of what it is really. Once you know the enemy, your fear of it lessens and it greatly helped me.
I also learned that exercising was vital when you have panic disorder. IT IS TRUE, without my one hour of brisk walking every day I would not be where I am today.
that reduces your level of anxiety.
I went to see the doctor who gave me benzodiazepine pills and an antidepressant. As anti-depressant typically take 2 to 4 weeks to fully be effective, the benzodiazepine treatment is there
to help you cope with the attacks in the meantime and it makes you sleep. This benzo treatment lasted slightly over 15 days and yes I felt great and had no attacks.
Benzo treament MUST not last more than 2 weeks...I went slightly over. Benzos are dangerously addictive and scary side effects ( like loss of short term memory)...stop it as soon as you can.
I was taking only 0.75mg per day before bedtime and for a short period of time, so my doctor said it was ok to stop
it cold turkey. (Those who take a benzo for a longer period of time must imperatively tap it off under medical supervision).
So probally because I took my benzo (klonopin/rivotril) for more that 15 days, I experienced 3 phases of withdrawal symptoms and it was not as scary as I though it would be.
Initial phase (lasts one week) you get panic attacks which go away quite fast...got even some diarrhea and light anxiety.
- Withdrawal symptoms were mild because my dose was only .75 mg (if you take more and for a longer time = more symptoms and more severe).
- Symptoms were also mild because I was taking Zoloft and believe me it really helped.
Acute Phase (lasts one week). Symptoms comes normally with more intensity but in my case it was just mild.
- Again the fact that I was taking Zoloft and worked out daily, really helped me through. All symptoms were really manageable. It is also important to say
that I had no fear of the panic attacks anymore...I knew what was going to happend, I knew it would go away....no fear...just controlled the breathing
it went away fast.
Third phase does not happen to all of us...but you many experience some panic attacks or anxiety but thanks to the anti depressant its all extremely mild.
you start to live normally again.
After that things really get better. One pill of anti-depressant every morning and you have no panic attacks anymore ...none.....anxiety yes...mild nothing much.
At that stage I could calmly think of what I could do to get better and I discovered the benefits of yoga and meditation. Meditation helped me to figure out that the root of my
problem was the way I was leading my life and my vision of it. Always overthinking...seeing potentials problems and how to solve them....being wary of the future...living in constant
stress and never giving myself a moment I could enjoy fully.. Financial problem was my biggest source of stress. I learned how to change all that by being positive. Being positive was easy
as I thought "I was worrying about everything in the past, trying to anticipate any potential problem and look where this got me!!!" This was definitely not working for me so it was time to move
away from that. I still have problems like we all do but now I feel better, I sleep well and not attacks.
I tapped of my antidepressant VERY slowly by reducing the dose (zoloft 50 mg) by half every month.
Now I take no medication...I still have attacks from time to time but they are so mild that sometimes I realize they were attacks when they are gone. When I feel one coming...I have not fear
I want it to come to test myself but it always goes away after a few seconds...just a rapid heartbeat....no other symptoms...makes me smile....I won.
The key thing to remember is that it feeds on your fear. Learn all you can about it, know exactly what happens when you have a panic attack...once it becomes predictable its not scary anymore.
Start to see life in a positive way. Try to meet people as soon as you can that helps a lot too.
Once you get to that point you will have less and less panic attacks and they will be hardly noticeable.