The worst of 3 evils!!!

[TwitchGreenMachine]

I'm in a scary situation for myself, I have to choose one of the following options for my severe panic attacks.

1. Take medication (this makes me nervous, I keep hearing bad things about them)

2.Go Natural ( this is hard,but i've done it before, I just fear not being able to do it again, because the attacks are scary)

3. Try to cure it naturally, but take ativan when I need it

What should I do?

:cry:

[Razz]

I just gave in after 20 years of total medication free and took one for 2 days. It put me into total hell and now 7 days later I am 1000 times worse.

I cant sleep, cnt eat and crawling out of my skin - my wife has to be with me 24/7

[jusroc]

There are a number of treatments for panic attacks.

Some people have success with CBT.

Some people have success with Exposure Therapy.

Some people have success with relaxation therapy.

Some people have success with meditation.

Although, many of the different treatments will only work after the long term. For example, meditation may not work as an effective treatment for anxiety and panic attacks until the practitioner has been practising meditation for a number of years!

Again, diet and lifestyle will all have an effect.
I guess it all depends on what causes you panic attacks, if it is because of a specific phobia or if it is because of your generalized anxious condition.

If it is because of your generalized condition then you really should try and research:
meditation, relaxation, medication, diet, supplements, exercise, environment, CBT, lifestyle etc.

And implement as much treatment as possible before giving up. as some things as simple as removing caffeine from your diet canimprove your condition a great deal and may be enough to get rid of your panic attacks.

[jusroc]

I just gave in after 20 years of total medication free and took one for 2 days. It put me into total hell and now 7 days later I am 1000 times worse.

I cant sleep, cnt eat and crawling out of my skin - my wife has to be with me 24/7

Medication is often trial and error.
Due to the experimental nature of most psychiatric medications, you may encounter adverse effects when taking some of them.

It isn't uncommon for patients to encounter adverse side effects when first taking some medications. However, do not be put off by your experiences, as not all medications have the same effects and just because one has made your condition worse, this does not mean that the others will so there is likely other medications that can help you.

If one doesn't work, then get your doc to prescribe you another.

A number of years a go, I was once prescribed prozac for depression.
After taking prozac for a couple of days, i became increasingly aggitatied and aggressive, to the extent that I wanted to punch any body that walking in my way. (which isn't how I am normally).

I immediately stopped and after a few days of recovery, and after being given a different med, I was fine and functioning normally.
Much happier. :-)

[Robbed]

Medication is DEFINITELTY trial and error. And the fact of the matter is that the medication that 'works best' for you is likely going to simply be the one that makes you feel better than others, and with fewer side effects. In other words, you probably can't expect to find a medication that completely makes you feel like your dandy self with no side effects.

Furthermore, finding the best medication for you is likely to put you through a real wringer for quite some time. Start-up side effects can be downright hideous, and you will probably have to go through this several times before finding a good match - time during which you could make signifcant progress or maybe even complete recovery if you dealt with it by other means. And all of this says nothing of what you might have to go through if/when you decide that you no longer want to take medication.

Finally, alot of the time, even if you DO find a good med (for you), it will stop working after a time. For this reason, medication is really only a short-term solution. The bottom line here is that medications are an imperfect solution to the problem, and won't cure ANYTHING. Pitfalls and adverse effects can be serious. And in the long term, you are not really going to be better off. Because of all these things, I would consider medications (especially longer term medications like SSRIs) to be something to consider only when other options are exhausted.

[Charmbracelet81]

I have generalized anxiety and panic disorder and I have been in CBT for a year-never taken meds. It has been a God-send. While I still have attacks, some worse than others and harder to control, I have learned so much from it and have techniques to use in everyday life as well as during an attack. Exposure therapy is hand-in-hand with the CBT. This means I expose myself to high anxiety situtations and instead of fleeing, or just not going at all, I go, and sit with my anxiety, panic if I need to, but stay there, and over time this proves to your brain that it isn't a scary situation. I refused to go on my annual family trip this year, 5 hours flight away, because I was too scared. Well, in 3 weeks my therapist and I are going on the longest Tram in the world here in town (albuquerque) and I am super nervous to be trapped in there, but it is to help me be ready for the airplane so I don't miss next years family trip. I know how hard it is to try to live like nothing is "wrong" with you. I always say I rarely see a fellow CBT person on here, but I do reccommend it.

[Robbed]

Well, in 3 weeks my therapist and I are going on the longest Tram in the world here in town (albuquerque) and I am super nervous to be trapped in there, but it is to help me be ready for the airplane so I don't miss next years family trip.

Your therapist is going on a tram ride with you? I can't imagine ANY of the therapists I had when I tried therapy a few years ago caring enough about me to accompany me in a situation where I would feel nervous (such as a social situation in my case). Your therapist literally sounds like one in a million.

[Charmbracelet81]

Thanks, Robbed. Yes, she is awesome. We have already gone out to a grocery store for exposure therapy. I always say I could be on one of those true life anxiety shows because my CBT experience is just like what you see on TV LOL! :D

[TwitchGreenMachine]

Thanks for all the replies, It actually made me feel a little bit better... I'll just tell you a little bit about my situation...maybe some can relate.

About 10 years ago I began to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks,Instead of small attacks it felt like one long anxiety attack that lasted weeks, maybe longer...I couldn't eat,sleep,etc. I was just suffering.But I refused to take meds. Well one day I went to play hockey with my brother, and when I got home, I felt good, for the first time in a long time. I didn't feel the anxiety.So after that, I did anything physical, because it made me feel better. I eventually beat it. All I had to do was stay physically active. Ive been doing that for the last ten years until now.

Recently, I took a energy shot drink...And I had a panic attack...After that I noticed, I kept getting panic attacks during exercise...and then finally after I finished a routine jog, I had a major panic attack...I went to the hospital they gave me ativan...

And now I feel I'm back at square 1

Only this time, my secret cure " exercise" is no longer available.Because It gives me anxiety, instead of making it go away

I know Ive been under alot of stress also...

I dont know what to do, all I know is that i'm suffering again, and I need to find another way to beat it, again.

Fast. :(

[Robbed]

Only this time, my secret cure " exercise" is no longer available.Because It gives me anxiety, instead of making it go away

Oftentimes, milder exercise is better for people with anxiety disorder than all-out vigorous exercise.

[TwitchGreenMachine]

Only this time, my secret cure " exercise" is no longer available.Because It gives me anxiety, instead of making it go away

Oftentimes, milder exercise is better for people with anxiety disorder than all-out vigorous exercise.

I'm thinking of trying Yoga... yesterday I phoned a nearby yoga instructor and he said that he helps people with similar problems all the time, I hope it helps. I gonna try maybe next week....I'm gonna do whatever it takes to cure this. And i'm going to try anything and everything. (besides meds,thats last resort)

I just hope it's mild enough, and I don't get anxiety from it.

[Amelia]

Good luck with the yoga, hopefully it works for you. i've been itching to try it but i'm too scared to go. I've also tried other exercise but due to the anxiety it always makes me feel worse... like i'm going to have a heart attack! I'm not overweight but i am very unfit... and a smoker! I do want to get in better shape as i hope it might make me feel better. How do i get over the initial anxiety of starting to exercise?!

[TwitchGreenMachine]

Good luck with the yoga, hopefully it works for you. i've been itching to try it but i'm too scared to go. I've also tried other exercise but due to the anxiety it always makes me feel worse... like i'm going to have a heart attack! I'm not overweight but i am very unfit... and a smoker! I do want to get in better shape as i hope it might make me feel better. How do i get over the initial anxiety of starting to exercise?!

I get anxiety during exercise too now, I'm also nervous about working out again...But I feel I have no choice, in order to beat this anxiety thing, I have to continue to try new things, and yoga could be the answer, or not... then I'll just try something else..like I did before....Somethings gotta give...I refuse to be like this forever.

But if I were to give you advice about how to approach exercise, It would be either start with something you like or are familiar with, maybe a sport or activity you did as a kid and start slow....get back the groove and ride the momentum until your where you want to be...or Take up a martial art, before I developed anxiety, I found the best release was martial arts, It's a well rounded activity that builds you up on all levels.


Hope this help...and I hope things work out for you too.