Every individual has different symptoms some may have all of them and some may have only one. The symptoms include and are not limited to; nausea, dizziness, palpitations, numbness in arms or legs, shaking, hyperventilation, chest feeling heavy, trouble breathing, unable to sleep, headache, trouble swallowing, feeling of loss of control, feeling like you are dying etc.
For me over the years I have had just one of the symptoms and other times it might be close to all of them. The symptoms are very scary and many people end up in the emergency room for fear of a heart attack. Other people might be at a function at work or in the car heading somewhere and feel the need to go to a "safe place". The desire to run from whatever situation you are in is so overwhelmingly strong. First of all you may feel like everyone knows there is something wrong with you. The truth is very few if any ever notice that someone is having a panic attack. The adrenaline released in your body has set off the survival mechanism. It not only gives you the symptoms of panic but urges you to get away from the purposed problem your body thinks is a life or death situation. Once you start to experience panic attacks you have had stress in your life for awhile and your body gets overloaded and the panic comes. Stress as we all know can throw our bodies off. The first panic attack you have may seem to come out the blue. However if you really think about it they are never out of the blue. Many people just live there lives and loose sight of the bodies ability to pick up on even the tiniest things. It is amazing how many people hyperventilate all day by improper breathing. This for sure causes stress on the body and over time hyperventilating can cause the dizziness and numbness and heart palpitations as well as headaches. Feeling those symptoms alone can push you to have a panic attack. Breathing is something I will touch on in a later entry.
Panic attacks are very real and vary scary things. There is hope and you don't have to be afraid. Once you understand it is a false alarm it will be a little easier to float with the feelings of fear and instability. Doesn't mean it is a comfortable ride. You will have to learn to deal with some discomfort as you face the fear. Over time the discomfort will be less and less. You will teach your body that there is no emergency and there is nothing wrong with you. Your body is actually very healthy and is working the way it should. It is your job to tell yourself it is a false alarm there is no danger and to float with the feelings.
Let me tell you from experience it is not easy. It involves much courage and perseverance. It can be done! It takes patience and understanding. It can get overwhelming and there are days it seems no matter what you do you feel defeated. You must keep pressing on. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I still get panic attacks and I am not fully recovered. This for me is the hardest obstacle. I do know that it is possible and as long as it is possible I will keep pressing on.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Taking Medication
To me this is a very personal decision..you alone are the one who knows weather or not medication is the right step for you. Me personally I have tried both ways...and have settled in the middle. I spot treat with Xanax and have used Ativan too. I only use it when I am having a bad panic attack to regain control much faster until I learn all I need to learn and can get along without. However I take the meds very rarely.
That aside I do believe you can tackle panic attacks and anxiety without them but again that is just such a personal decision and varies greatly from person to person. You are not a failure if you need meds to get back up on your feet. Look at it as a little jump start to recovery. There are many side effects with the antidepressants. Some may even exasperate your anxiety at first until your body gets used to it. You may even have to try several different kinds before you find the one that works for you. The benzodiazepines like Xanax and Ativan are highly addictive and should be used with care. They are very effective however in the treatment of panic and generalized anxiety disorder. If you use a therapist and are engaging in exposure therapy they are a great help. As you expose yourself to newer and more challenging situations they are great at helping you regain your feeling of control until you learn how to do it on your own. For every individual your journey is your own and you should do your research and ask your doctor questions on what to expect and how long they think you will be on the meds. Don't assume just because they are a doctor they know what is best for you. That is most certainly not the case and they are not God.
For me personally I feel that the antidepressants are putting a band aid on the problem. I feel and have experienced there effect. I did use Prozac and the side effects for about the first month were horrible but it did work for me and I went about 8-10 years with no more panic. It did return though and it seemed even more ruthless. So for me this time around no antidepressants just exercise, healthy diet, meditation with biofeedback and a good therapist and most important support from friends and family. It is definitely no fast track...but aren't good things worth waiting for and worth a little more effort. There is no timeline for learning and the suffering is up to me and how I view this obstacle. We all have obstacles no one is exempt but they add to our character and our compassion for others.
That aside I do believe you can tackle panic attacks and anxiety without them but again that is just such a personal decision and varies greatly from person to person. You are not a failure if you need meds to get back up on your feet. Look at it as a little jump start to recovery. There are many side effects with the antidepressants. Some may even exasperate your anxiety at first until your body gets used to it. You may even have to try several different kinds before you find the one that works for you. The benzodiazepines like Xanax and Ativan are highly addictive and should be used with care. They are very effective however in the treatment of panic and generalized anxiety disorder. If you use a therapist and are engaging in exposure therapy they are a great help. As you expose yourself to newer and more challenging situations they are great at helping you regain your feeling of control until you learn how to do it on your own. For every individual your journey is your own and you should do your research and ask your doctor questions on what to expect and how long they think you will be on the meds. Don't assume just because they are a doctor they know what is best for you. That is most certainly not the case and they are not God.
For me personally I feel that the antidepressants are putting a band aid on the problem. I feel and have experienced there effect. I did use Prozac and the side effects for about the first month were horrible but it did work for me and I went about 8-10 years with no more panic. It did return though and it seemed even more ruthless. So for me this time around no antidepressants just exercise, healthy diet, meditation with biofeedback and a good therapist and most important support from friends and family. It is definitely no fast track...but aren't good things worth waiting for and worth a little more effort. There is no timeline for learning and the suffering is up to me and how I view this obstacle. We all have obstacles no one is exempt but they add to our character and our compassion for others.
Exercise
I have found Exercise to be of huge benefit in dealing and living day to day with anxiety and panic. I started slowly just by walking 3 days a week for 30 minutes on the treadmill. I then got stronger and less afraid of the intensity. I would walk and then run as long as I could then walk again until eventually I ran for the full 30 minutes or more on some days. As I progressed I changed it up with 15 minutes of warm up and strength training then running then jump rope and cool down for 5 minutes. It helps to change up the routine so you don't get stuck and bored and your body continues to get the most benefit. I have been working out now 3-5 days a week for a year and a half.
I can't stress to you enough how exercise is so beneficial to people struggling with anxiety and panic. With these issues it is very easy to fall into depression and by working out it keeps your brain chemistry in check. The endorphins you release while working out keep you balanced. It is like your weekly medicine. The only side effect is feeling great and warding off depression. I have anxiety and panic but have been free of depression and depression like moods for a long time due to my lifestyle change.
When you work out you kick in your body's ability to loosen the tension you keep and get rid of the effects of stress that are put on your body due to anxiety and panic. The tension, the adrenaline, negativity, and the restlessness. They are alleviated by working out consistently. It is though you are reversing the effects of the whole days worth of stress. The key is consistency though. You have to do it a minimum of 3 times a week to feel full benefits. It is well worth the effort.
Many people who suffer with panic attacks may have a fear of working out due to the similar feelings of an actual panic attack ie heart pounding, sweating, heavy breathing, etc. That is why I encourage you to take baby steps as I did. Getting a physical and letting your doctor know you are wanting to start a workout program is great too. Once you are done with the checkup and everything is fine you will feel much better. You can start your program with no worries. Then take those baby steps and as time goes on you will feel so much better you won't ever want to stop working out due to all the great benefits you will experience.
Give it time and true effort. There will be plenty of days you might want to forgo the workout but think of it as the medicine you need weekly. You have a choice to put the control of your life in your hands and take responsibility for how you feel. I still have days I would rather not work out but I just remember it is my medicine. I don't want to feel bad and it is not only good at helping me cope with anxiety it is good for my heart and body as a whole.
Don't be so hard on yourself there will be days you just don't feel up to a hard core workout and just walking is fine. The important thing is to get that extra energy out, alleviate tension in the body and bring those great endorphins out so you feel good. No one is asking for perfection just a way to feel a little better and cope more effectively.
I can't stress to you enough how exercise is so beneficial to people struggling with anxiety and panic. With these issues it is very easy to fall into depression and by working out it keeps your brain chemistry in check. The endorphins you release while working out keep you balanced. It is like your weekly medicine. The only side effect is feeling great and warding off depression. I have anxiety and panic but have been free of depression and depression like moods for a long time due to my lifestyle change.
When you work out you kick in your body's ability to loosen the tension you keep and get rid of the effects of stress that are put on your body due to anxiety and panic. The tension, the adrenaline, negativity, and the restlessness. They are alleviated by working out consistently. It is though you are reversing the effects of the whole days worth of stress. The key is consistency though. You have to do it a minimum of 3 times a week to feel full benefits. It is well worth the effort.
Many people who suffer with panic attacks may have a fear of working out due to the similar feelings of an actual panic attack ie heart pounding, sweating, heavy breathing, etc. That is why I encourage you to take baby steps as I did. Getting a physical and letting your doctor know you are wanting to start a workout program is great too. Once you are done with the checkup and everything is fine you will feel much better. You can start your program with no worries. Then take those baby steps and as time goes on you will feel so much better you won't ever want to stop working out due to all the great benefits you will experience.
Give it time and true effort. There will be plenty of days you might want to forgo the workout but think of it as the medicine you need weekly. You have a choice to put the control of your life in your hands and take responsibility for how you feel. I still have days I would rather not work out but I just remember it is my medicine. I don't want to feel bad and it is not only good at helping me cope with anxiety it is good for my heart and body as a whole.
Don't be so hard on yourself there will be days you just don't feel up to a hard core workout and just walking is fine. The important thing is to get that extra energy out, alleviate tension in the body and bring those great endorphins out so you feel good. No one is asking for perfection just a way to feel a little better and cope more effectively.
Anxiety's Hardship
Anxiety is no stranger to all of us at different points in our lives. I am sure not one human being on this great big planet has NEVER had some form of anxiety in there life. The thing is some of us have a predisposition, for whatever reason to be way more sensitive to it. It may start in childhood or creep up on you in what seems like out of the blue. It may start simply and over time get more and more overwhelming until one day the monster in the closet has come out and is taking up the whole house known as your world. Science hasn't really given us any solid reasons as to why...They only speculate at it. The reasons could be environmental, genetic, parental or situational. The brain is so intricate and that just isn't an area that we know much about. Anxiety is so very complex and for each individual so specialized.
As I myself have dealt with anxiety in its many forms I have come to realize as desperately as I wanted an answer to why; it just isn't that important. I have read many books and seen programs and therapist as well as tried meds. I feel I have a very real insight into the workings of this debilitating situation. I do not speak purely from books or what I have heard. I speak from the true knowledge that only experience can teach. I am starting this blog not only to help others but to use it as a tool for myself to brainstorm, learn and break free from its grips.
It is just amazing how many people have experienced anxiety and chances are you know of someone or there is someone whom you know but don't know they deal with such issues. For some reason if something makes you appear weak to the outside world we try and hide it. It makes since but then again our weakness and vulnerability are things that can help us all connect on a much deeper level. As I have learned connecting to each other is so fundamental in the human race. Connecting not only to people but to the world around us. So it is in the hopes of just that, that I have launched this new blog.
As I myself have dealt with anxiety in its many forms I have come to realize as desperately as I wanted an answer to why; it just isn't that important. I have read many books and seen programs and therapist as well as tried meds. I feel I have a very real insight into the workings of this debilitating situation. I do not speak purely from books or what I have heard. I speak from the true knowledge that only experience can teach. I am starting this blog not only to help others but to use it as a tool for myself to brainstorm, learn and break free from its grips.
It is just amazing how many people have experienced anxiety and chances are you know of someone or there is someone whom you know but don't know they deal with such issues. For some reason if something makes you appear weak to the outside world we try and hide it. It makes since but then again our weakness and vulnerability are things that can help us all connect on a much deeper level. As I have learned connecting to each other is so fundamental in the human race. Connecting not only to people but to the world around us. So it is in the hopes of just that, that I have launched this new blog.
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