18 years old with panic attacks and anxiety..Please help I'm desperate?
Posted by admin - May 23, 2011 Panic/Anxiety Disorders 6 0 Views : 22 Receive Updates For This Category
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May 23, 2011
I’m miserable. I used to get panic attacks infrequently, but now I can’t go a day without one unless I stay at home. It started over the summer, driving home down the highway at night. It was the same highway I took to school every single day my senior year and never had any problems.
That was my first one.
About a month later I got another panic attack on that same road.
Then a few days later on another stretch of highway.
I realized that taking back roads prevented them, but was not always possible so I had to have someone ride with me which also prevented them. Not anymore! I get them even if I’m with my boyfriend, mom, sister, whatever.
I’ve got them driving, at the mall, in stores, at work, and at my boyfriends house and even in tanning beds.
The other night I had an asthma attack which turned into a panic attack which then got me a 2k ambulance ride and a 3k hospital bill. They gave me a new alburetol inhaler and sent me on my way. Now, for the past week, I’ve gotten AT LEAST ONE EVERY SINGLE DAY. I know they can’t kill me, I tell myself that. I keep my inhaler with me at all times. The counting thing is a bunch of crap and I’m so sick of this.
Its to the point where I don’t want to leave my house. I force myself to because I work and have a wonderful social life. I have about a million paper bags everywhere..including in my purse.
I’m generally a very happy person with a good job, family, boyfriend and friends. They all make me happy.
I know these are panic/anxiety attacks although they have only been diagnosed by me and the very nice paramedis who took me to the hospital a drugged me up so I would chill out. I have the usual symptoms: (all brought on by nothing apparent to me) breathing difficulties, numbness in my hands, feet and face, feeling of panic like I’m going to die even though I know I won’t, increased heartrate, diziness, light-headedness, sweating, and shakiness.
This is taking over my life. I can’t handle it anymore. I don’t want to be medicated because of the affects it has on your body, how it can take away your sex drive, and how it keeps you at neutral always. I like feeling excited and happy and sometimes even sad. I like having emotions. But at this point, its too much for me to handle.
My dad is on Paccel (sp?) for generalized anxiety disorder and my mom is on some sort of super-strenght anti-depressant. Is this kind of thing hereditary?
I’ve tried everything and feel hopeless. I want my life back. Its so frustrating and at this point even being medicated just so I can live my life normally again is looking pretty good. I’m healthy besides this, asthma and allergies, I don’t do ANY drugs, I do party on occaision..but lately I can’t because I feel too anxious and am now the standing DD, I do chew tobacco, but have done so for 3+ years (no comments please) and have a great life.
Should I go visit a doctor? If so would it be my regular doctor or some psychologist?
What are medications that I would be put on and what would they do to me?
Why son’t regular "calm yourself down methods" work for me?
Why do the happen so often?
What causes these because I can’t figure it out.
Why me?
Why now?
I feel especially bad for my boyfriend. He gets the ass end of all of this. It sucks even more because this not only effects me, but everyone else around me. We’ve been together over a year and I’m not the same girl he fell in love with and that KILLS ME!
HELP?
And if you really read all of my sob story..thank you.
I don’t smoke pot..I’ve tried it before, but once again..panic sets in.
"Mom I’m freaking out can ouy come get me?"
Tags: ambulance ride, asthma, asthma attack, back roads, boyfriends, breathing difficulties, crap, few days, good job, inhaler, mom, numbness, panic anxiety attacks, panic attack, panic attacks, Panic/Anxiety Disorders, paper bags, purse, senior year, single day, tanning beds
formerly_bob
May 23, 2011
It sounds like you are at the point where you need to do something. I was able to work my way out of this on my own. Here’s what i came to realize: panic attacks can’t actually hurt you. Even though you feel like are going to die during a panic attack, all the feelings are a normal reaction to adrenalin which gets released when a person is anxious, scared, or worried. A normal reaction that you can’t stop once adrenalin is released into the blood stream – it has to run its course, which takes at least 3-5 minutes, sometimes longer. So you cannot calm down until the adrenalin is gone- its impossible. Half of my problem was coming from the fact that i couldn’t make myself calm down, which created more anxiety, so i tried harder to calm down, which created more anxiety when it failed . . . on and on.
I know what situations are likely to cause me to feel anxiety, and when i see it coming, i remind myself that a panic attack is just teh feelings caused by adrenalin: I learned to think to myself "Oh S*** i am starting to feel anxious which means i am going to start feeling the effects of adrenalin, so i am going to take the next few minutes and let the adrenalin do its thing, and i know that it really isn’t going to harm me no matter how uncomfortable i am or how much it scares me."
When the adrenalin sets in, i just start breathing slowly and deeply, and keep my thoughts from causing the feelings to escalate. I still feel anxious sometimes, but it doesn’t get to the point where its disruptive anymore.
I practiced this following the instructions at the link:
shonovskjaa and adams
May 23, 2011
Buddhism, meditation and counseling with a social worker will help you. You must confront your fears. Try using art to relax. Stay away from pot.
LadyMady
May 23, 2011
too much caffeine, allergies, junk food. Diet is of the utmost importance. You do not have a great life and you need to stop using tobacco. Besides the fact that it is ugly, it also causes gum and tongue cancer and mess up the lining of your stomach and esophagus. It also changes the digestive fluids that can cause ulcers.The nicotine could very well be causing the panic attacks. Get the cure, where a patch, chew some gum. You are not okay and need counseling if nothing else.
SAVE TEH KIWI BIRDS
May 23, 2011
I know exactly how you feel. I have a Panic/anxiety disorder to, but its been getting better. And I had the very same symptoms. They were very scary but you have to keep telling yourself you will be fine. There are some medications you can get to help calm down.
MIP
May 23, 2011
Gosh I know exactly how you feel. It’s like you have no hope but know that someday you will get better and you want to feel better NOW.
I really think you should go see a doctor to see and talk about which medication will be right for you. Medications do work ,well for me they did. Just express your feelings to your doctor about some medication symptoms and he/she will actually try to recommend something right for you…..I hope. You can also try cognitive behavioral therapy which can also help. I haven’t tried it myself but heard that it can help.
Well, I also think that it is hereditary which from what I’ve researched so far. Just try to hang in there and I hope you get better.
st8ballin87
May 23, 2011
Dang…It looks like your overdue for some help. This article helped me out a bit. It pointed me in the right direction at least.