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polermo
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Hi, I am new to the group and to the panic attacks. At least such severe ones as I am getting now. I feel like I've given up the things I liked most in my life to have to run home when the attack comes on. Sometimes I barely make it home. I would really love to know any advice or anyone who has gone through a treatment program for panic disorder to tell me what they thought about it and how did they find it. Thanks, Monica |
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maxicat
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Try looking in your phone book first under Mental Health Centers and maybe they can get you to the right place from there. Good luck! MAXICAT |
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mommyofsixFriend2U
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Hi Monica, Welcome to the group. I have been in counseling and therapy for my panic attacks. I looked in the phone book and found a place that takes my insurace. That was my first step in dealing with this. I had to find out the underlying cause of my fear. That is how they usually start out and then it becomes a fear of having the attack itself. You might want to check with social services and see if they have a mental health program to help pay for counseling.....I don't know if you have insurance or not. They usually can help with the financial part of getting help. Look online for places close to your home that you can get into. I think a psychiatrist is the best person to get medication from. Regular doctors don't have the experience with mental health problems as they do. I'm glad you joined. You can come here anytime and get support from us. If there is anything I can do, please let me know. Your friend,Chris Post edited by: mommyofsixFriend2U, at: 05/19/2008 23:42 Your Friend, Chris
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polermo
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Thank you so much for your responses. I have started my search to find these resources. I want my life back and know some of the triggers now. I am so afraid of going out in the daytime. The bright light that I am sensitive to that makes me hazy and tired, the business of the world and becoming overstimulated. Then, I know this sounds strange, but busy restaurants with lots of noise all around and fearful that it panic will happen infront of my friends. This happened a few months ago, and I haven't been out to a restaurant with them since. That makes me sad. I don't know if this makes any sense. I know most people like a nice sunny day and going out to eat. I use to. I want these things back. I don't know if I am making any sense? Can anyone tell me some of their fears and how they overcame those specific fears? Thanks, Karen.... |
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mommyofsixFriend2U
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Yes you do make sense!!! I too have been afraid to leave my home and be in places with other people. We get stuck in this cycle of fear. We have an attack for no known reason....just out of the blue! Then the fear becomes one of having another attack or one in front of people!!! Conseling is what helped me. I had to be on medications for awhile. I'm still suffering with them now. I much better than I was though. I hope you can find some answers soon! Your friend,Chris Your Friend, Chris |
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s24sassy
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Yes polermo, the sensitivity to light and noise makes sense to me because when you're in a sensitized state you are more sensitive than normal to bright light, loud noises, strong smells, and the list can go on depending on the individual and how sensitized they are. We become sensitized from the adrenalin that's released when we're in the constant state of nervousness that most of us get into when we're in between panic attacks. The only way to stop this and to desensitize yourself again, to become less sensitive to bright light & loud noises, is to find whatever might work for you, whether it be meds, breating, meditation, exercise, etc..., to get you out of the sensitized cycle & state. I think I've finally found what works for me and I'm noticing a great difference from when I was so highly sensitized. Good luck to you, I hope you find something that will help you soon. I know how it feels to have your life taken away by panic attacks. Sandy |
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polermo
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Hi Sandy, Thanks for your input and support. I'm so glad you understand about the light, noise and sound. This sensitized state is something the doctor explained to me. It's hard for others to understand this. I've tried explaining it. I appreciate so much your understanding and willingness to share. I just wondered, how do you explain it so it won't just look like you are backing out of things, but then mysteriously able to do more in the evening. The ability to plan something in advance has even gotten so sketchy for me. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I didn't care about being a flake or being perceived as one. I do everything off the fly now. Today, I forced myself to letting my brother actually witness one because I didn't want it to look like I didn't want to go to the family outing. You know how hard that is because of the feeling of having to escape people witnessing it. It sounds terrible, but I forced it to be worse on me because he doesn't believe it is really as bad as I say. Do you have any family members like that? Karen
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s24sassy
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My husband understands because he used to have them before I started having them, but other than him I feel like no one in my family understands. There are times I feel like they think I'm a freak, but I've come to the conclusion that I know what I really feel and I started making myself stop caring so much what other people think of me. If they want to think I'm making it up, that's their choice. I have to concentrate on myself and getting better, so I've really tried to stop caring how I look to others and it's helped me a little bit. Out of everything we suffer with when we have our panic attacks, we sure as heck don't need an added stress of worrying about what others think, so maybe try that and see if it helps you like it's helped me. I'm always here to talk! Sandy |
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polermo
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I have relagated myself to living alone for years. Right now I have a roommate and it is kinda unnerving and I find myself hiding a lot. I had a nervous breakdown a few years ago and although it has been a long road to recovery and I needed a lot of rest, I think that not working all this time has made the panics worse. I use to push myself through them before, but then the migraines came and the harder I pushed, the worse it was. I was not use to this kind of thing at all. I use to get regular headaches maybe 2x a year. I have an all new respect for migraine. I have worked since I was 14 and so being out of life and now being so sensitized pushing one further out of life has been hard. I'm so glad someone else has gone through it. Not that I'm happy you have panics. They are trying to find an antipsychotic that doesn't wipe me out or make me gain a million pounds. Have you found one? They said I wouldn't be taking it for psychosis, but rather to calm the sensitized nervouos system. Karen |
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s24sassy
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No, I'm not on any meds regularly, I just have Ativan to take if I ever need to. It took a lot of hard work, but I taught myself how to relax enough so my body could heal and now I'm not sensitized all the time anymore. I still feel like there are times when I'm sensitized a little, but it's WAY better than it was before. I feel like I'm gradually getting my life back and you can do it too, but you have to just keep looking until you find something that works for you. If there's one thing I've learned from this forum it's that different things work for different people, so what worked for me might not work so well for someone else. I'm here to talk if you need to. Sandy |
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