panic attacks

[keldaw]

hi all , does any body on this forum have panic attacks , and if so what tablets do you take to control them ??  please ..   ,, kel ,

[robbiegal]

have a read of this stuff Kel
not instant relief but a start in the right direction

I used to work with this bloke and he did some absolutely brilliant work with my patients
http://www.dodgydigital.com/Frank_McDonald/Anxiety___Panic___Worry.html
there are a few PDF's on panic attacks anxiety etc

if you open up Panic Attacks there is a whole worksheet on breathing etc

valium and anti-depressants do work but they don't get to the cause

[keldaw]

thanks Robbie , just a mess at the moment ..
read what stuff please rg ?

[Goldseeker]

Rather go off half cocked as I quite often do, may I suggest that you get professional advise first.

It may be something that is not "panic attacks".

[robbiegal]

get to your GP and talk about it
sometimes, something to settle the symptoms in the first instance and then work on the cause

usual meds are the valium, Librium - fast acting but it only takes a few weeks for a type of physical dependence sets in
i.e. pill wears off - person gets anxiety but it Is actually a withdrawal symptoms form the medication

they are very debilitating Kel and talking about it can help to reduce the fear of attacks re-occurring
if you live somewhere where there are private or public social workers, psychologists then you can get some talking therapy happening
a mental health treatment plan gets you private psyche or social work for bulk billing rates
your community health centre will have either professionals
older folk can sometimes get into older persons mental health services and they provide the same with doctors who are specialised in older person's health & they do great work here where I am. you have to be careful with medications for older patients, so a specialist who can fully assess you and the the problem is worth seeing  
xx I assure you that I do understand

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Anxiety_treatment_options

thanks Robbie , just a mess at the moment ..

read what stuff please rg ?

oops forgot the link - added it back up there in my other post too!!

http://www.dodgydigital.com/Frank_McDonald/Anxiety___Panic___Worry.html

open up the panic attacks PDF
and have a read

Rather go off half cocked as I quite often do, may I suggest that you get professional advise first.

It may be something that is not "panic attacks".

very good advice Goldie
anxiety type symptoms can be caused by a multitude of conditions - physical and psychological, even medications can upset the apple cart
so yes, get checked out - when did you last have a check-up?

[keldaw]

thanks bruce ,  I am already having treatment for my problems and that is 300 of efexor  per day 150 in the morning and 150 plus I carmer at night has been working ok but lately  seems not enough for my seritones levels in the brain . I was just wondering if any body else had the same trouble and using the same capsules as me .. last 3 or 4 times I have gone to the hospital , they just report me to the mental health department and they send a guy up to the hospital to interview me but by then , it is all over till next time .

[ausjack]

Oh Kel I'll get up there as soon asI can mate :friends:

RG is right and very helpful with these things, another sweetheart here :give_rose:

[robbiegal]

sorry Kel
I go straight into assessment mode
 
sounds to me like you need a medication review by someone who knows and understands that medication
Effexor is said to be good but  like any medication - regular review is important

I might be a bit sus of your calming med and if you are getting annoying withdrawal symptoms as it wears off, when you take them longer term it can have that side effect

happy for PM Kel
I do work in the field,  so I have some knowledge about it,  not an expert mind you

[keldaw]

my main problem with breathing is I have C.O.A.D.  and that is a lot of my problem , I worry a lot about every thing going wrong in my life and when I think of something going wrong then I panic .

 I then hope and pray for a massive heart attack to take me straight away .but it just wont happen , and as I say I only live for my family
 after 30 years of driving buses in Brisbane , i  just feel my life has been worthless .

[robbiegal]

oi!!!!
I have a 1964 bus routes book that I bought off ebay
routes goes through Holland park and all around the place
you guys did a great job!!
how on earth did kids like me get from one side of brizzy to the other without you guys??
the trains didn't go to all suburbs as you'd know

sounds like you have depression and the COAD is probably the cause

have read through frank's pdf's on anxiety and relaxation - you might pick up some tips
the old black dog can make life a misery and chronic illness does as well
after all of my years working in health I don't believe that any person's life has been worthless (except for the criminal types - that is different)

you probably have a million great stories about your life on the buses
you have a great family and a wife who loves you to bits
but when you're feeling miserable you just can't feel or see the sunshine
no matter how many people tell you that the sun IS shining bright today

looks like the old ticker is working well and I am pleased that it hasn't let you down to date
I have a few inklings about your condition but one step at a time

when was the last time you had a relaxing massage?
when was the last time you let you body relax?
muscle relaxation is your best weapon because as the tension bundles up then the adrenalin stores itself up - just waiting for you set it free during a panic attack
then you let it all out, get exhausted, relax and

then it starts all over again and so on

without realising it a sort of cycle develops
 
and you can get help to re-wire that conditioning and reduce some of the problems that these vicious cycles can create

why not? much more fun to take some of your suffering out of daily life - life gets easier without this fear I assure you

[Fulvio]

i  just feel my life has been worthless .

Mate, there's no such thing as a worthless life! Well, except for crims, as RG says... and you're not one of those scum, are you?

And anyway, worth is a relative concept. Would you say a rich man, a politician, a king or a celebrity has a worthwhile life? Worthwhile to whom, exactly? You? Me? The world at large? Surely any life only needs to be worthwhile to the person living it?

Every day is a gift you know. And isn't the best part of any gift giving or receiving it? How lucky are we to wake up each day, and get the chance to bask in the sun, walk in the rain, gaze at our coins, chat with friends, or any of the myriad things that we may enjoy? Sure there are bad times. We all have them, but why would you ever let them overwhelm you and crowd out the joy of living?

All the chemistry in the world, helpful as it may be short term, doesn't hold a candle to a positive attitude. And attitudes can be adjusted in many ways. Even something as simple as a walk in the park really can make a difference.

[Robster]

:agreed:

[Unicorn]

That was really well put Fulvio.

Kel, I can't begin to imagine what panic attacks are like combined with C.O.A.D.

That must scare the daylights out of you.

I think RG and Goldie have given good advice here.

I suffer from severe anxiety with panic and depression. I'm pretty heavily medicated (3 different daily medications + valium when I need it), but I still get panic attacks, usually from proximity to others, (even my own kids .... which is bad), or when more than one thing occupies my mind, or when something is not going to plan. To go out in public usually requires me to take a valium, which as RG has indicated is highly addictive. Hence I don't get out much, so as to avoid a dependence forming and so they'll work when I need them.

When I get panic attacks at home I'll leave the room straight away and go lay down and try to relax as much as possible. If I'm out, I head for the car and sit down and try to relax until it settles.

Try to pinpoint what triggers the attack, or try to pick up any early warning signs before it happens. Hopefully that way you might be able to avoid it happening, or get it settled before it turns into a full blown attack.

I really hope things improve for you soon.

[robbiegal]

wow UNi
thanks for sharing that

suggestion: the next time you lie down when having a panic attack
Lie down on your front on say an exercise mat on the floor
when you are face down you can't not do diaphragmatic breathing
and that is the breathing technique that you need to be doing to get the blood sats corrected  

you can even practice that technique before hand

[Fulvio]

when you are face down you can't not do diaphragmatic breathing

Well, live and learn. Thanks for that RG, its worthwhile knowing.