Panic disorder?

[TwitchGreenMachine]

Is there anyone on here that has this?

I am now pretty sure I have this, or it's a medical condition. Either way, im suffering, so i was wondering if there is anyone on here that can relate.

Is there hope for this condition without meds?

Its wierd for me, there are times in the day when I feel kinda good, and I feel I can beat this, and then all of a sudden I feel shakey, dizzy and then panic sets in. Then I feel down, and I lose a bit of hope, and this feeling can last hours. I go through this every day. It started last week, I haven't been the same since.

Im a dad, I can't afford to stay like this.

Please help.

:(

[Charmbracelet81]

Twitch, I understand. I am in CBT (as you know) and while it has helped me so much, I still get days (with or without a panic attack) where I will feel like I will NEVER get better! Some days I feel ok, but then that makes me more cautious. Then I have days where I am very anxious and have panic attacks and wish I weren't so overly-cautious to where I worry so darn much. This brings me down and gives me the thought that I will bever get better. I have realized that it is only a thought and I have tol recognize how far I have come and that I am getting better.

[TwitchGreenMachine]

Twitch, I understand. I am in CBT (as you know) and while it has helped me so much, I still get days (with or without a panic attack) where I will feel like I will NEVER get better! Some days I feel ok, but then that makes me more cautious. Then I have days where I am very anxious and have panic attacks and wish I weren't so overly-cautious to where I worry so darn much. This brings me down and gives me the thought that I will bever get better. I have realized that it is only a thought and I have tol recognize how far I have come and that I am getting better.

I'm the same way...I think I'm my own worst enemy sometimes.....

I was wondering....What is CBT all about? Does it help? Is it affordable?
Cause I'm going to try anything and everything until I get rid of this Panic disorder...and if CBT could be the answer,I wouldn't mind trying it.

[Charmbracelet81]

Well cognitive behaviroal therapy restructures your thinking and behaviors. You should read up on it. For people with only panic, or only anxiety, or only OCD, ect. it can be successful in just a few months. For people with more than one issue (like me) it takes longer, but still works. Doc's even say it has the same success rate as people on meds. I love it because I don't have to be on meds...meds would just freak me out and make me think up more symptoms. So in short, for example, I have avoided long road trips or flights, just trips in general, this past year. My family actually went without me in May on vacation because I "couldn't" go. Fast forward to now, with more exposures and therapy sessions under my belt, and I am going to San Diego next month. Flying. Something I lterally thought I would never be able to do again, I am doing. Now that I am understanding and accepting, yes accepting, the anxiety and panic day to day life is easier. I realize I can do things, and anxiety can come along, but it won't control me.

I have mental health insurance so I have a co-payment of $50 every time I go. I went every week for 10 months and just recently cut back to every other week. Eventually I will go once a month, and so on. Here, without the insurance, it is $125 a session. It is expensive, but even if you can only go once a month, it will help.

[TwitchGreenMachine]

Well cognitive behaviroal therapy restructures your thinking and behaviors. You should read up on it. For people with only panic, or only anxiety, or only OCD, ect. it can be successful in just a few months. For people with more than one issue (like me) it takes longer, but still works. Doc's even say it has the same success rate as people on meds. I love it because I don't have to be on meds...meds would just freak me out and make me think up more symptoms. So in short, for example, I have avoided long road trips or flights, just trips in general, this past year. My family actually went without me in May on vacation because I "couldn't" go. Fast forward to now, with more exposures and therapy sessions under my belt, and I am going to San Diego next month. Flying. Something I lterally thought I would never be able to do again, I am doing. Now that I am understanding and accepting, yes accepting, the anxiety and panic day to day life is easier. I realize I can do things, and anxiety can come along, but it won't control me.



I have mental health insurance so I have a co-payment of $50 every time I go. I went every week for 10 months and just recently cut back to every other week. Eventually I will go once a month, and so on. Here, without the insurance, it is $125 a session. It is expensive, but even if you can only go once a month, it will help.

Thanks..That's good information. Im definitely going to look more into it. :)

[nervousbutterflies]

I have panic disorder. I had my first panic attack when i was around 14 and then i had them for a week straight and they went away. Unfortunately exactly one year ago when i turned 18 they mysteriously came back and i have been worrying about them ever since. I was put on paxil for about 2 months and i felt like it kind of worked but i didnt like the sexual side effects so i got put on wellbutrin. THe wellbutrin doesnt work one bit and at the moment i feel really sick to my stomach like i am going to throw up and panic! I think it would be better if you tried to handle it as best as you could without medication because medication is scary and i heard going through withdrawl from it is hard. I think you are better off dealing with them unless they get to the point where you cant go anywhere. And i am still hoping there is hope that all of this goes away so i could move on and have a normal life:(

[TwitchGreenMachine]

I have panic disorder. I had my first panic attack when i was around 14 and then i had them for a week straight and they went away. Unfortunately exactly one year ago when i turned 18 they mysteriously came back and i have been worrying about them ever since. I was put on paxil for about 2 months and i felt like it kind of worked but i didnt like the sexual side effects so i got put on wellbutrin. THe wellbutrin doesnt work one bit and at the moment i feel really sick to my stomach like i am going to throw up and panic! I think it would be better if you tried to handle it as best as you could without medication because medication is scary and i heard going through withdrawl from it is hard. I think you are better off dealing with them unless they get to the point where you cant go anywhere. And i am still hoping there is hope that all of this goes away so i could move on and have a normal life:(

I'm going to try to get rid of this without meds...but it's really hard right now....because I have alot of stressful things in my life at the moment...And everytime I think I'm making progress, something negative happens and I feel right back at square 1.

Also on the days I feel somewhat normal, I still feel down and not quite the same. I hate this.

I've been down this road before 10 years ago, and I beat it through exercise. But now, that doesn't work. I get anxiety/Panic during exercise.So now what do i do.

My biggest fears are:

-being like this forever

-Taking meds and then have to be on meds for life

-going crazy.

-Taking medication and having it make everything worse

If I somehow knew, that these things wouldn't happen, that would at least calm me down enough for me to find another way to beat it.

What kills me the most, is that I have kids, and to them I'm superdad, and I'm scared of either being "Zombie dad" on medication or "strung out dad" from here on out.....I just want to be a good dad.

I pray I get better, and everybody else on here does too.

Thanks for the reply, it always makes me feel a little better everytime.