Panic Attacks Support Group

So my husband finally told his mom that I suffer from Panic Disorder and she sends me a text saying its all in your head get over it. It hurt that he 1) told his mom without talking to me first and 2) that his mom had the nerve to say this! Its bad enough that when I am around her all she wants to talk about is her husband who recently passed, which sends me into a panic b/c i start thinking about death. I just wish my husband and his mom would understand its not that easy for me going through this. Some days are getting better but I still have an attack daily. I am trying to cope the best way possible but they make it very difficult being around them when i have an attack and coping. Usually I just want to run but I dont want to scare my kids.

Does anyone have any advice on how to explain to my mother in law that my panic attacks are not a joking manner but something very serious.

I don't know. I can only suggest things. If your mother in law would be open to understanding the phases of grief she is going through, she might become more aware that there are other issues that she does not understand. You husband is understandably supportive of his mother right now. He has to understand he can help both of you if he learns some things about grief and panic attacks instead of assuming he already knows. I don't know if his telling his mother about you was anything more than a lapse in judgement. Many of us guys especially have trouble learning that when we get married, out relationship with our mothers has to change. Combine that with her grief and your panic attacks and you have a volatile situation. Get him some reading material or get him to go with you to your doctor so the doc can explain it to him. Your mother in law is probably not in the right frame of mind right now. Maybe in the future. I know it makes matters doubly hard for you, but you can get through this.

Thank you Kildare..i honestly did not think about her being in a grieving period i just felt like she was making light of what I am going through. I can understand my husband trying to be their for both of us and it may seem selfish, i need him more right now as his mom stays with his sister and she is there. I will ask him to go to the doctor with me tomorrow as this is my first Saturday appt and neither of us will have to work. I did find a link on here about helping from PhilPhil and sent the link to him to read.

You are so welcome sassy. Phil is brilliant and I'm sure you can work this all out.h Just don't expect miracles. These things do take time. Look at how hard it was for you to understand what was happening and then remember your husband has been lucky enough to not even have that experience to relate to. Now that I've said all that, if he doesn't try hard enough to understand, tell me and I'll rough him up for you! j/k

Sassy,

You did the best thing by printing out information for her.

I agree with Kildare, she is grieving and not able at this time to support you.

Happy to hear your husband will be going with you to the Dr. Maybe speaking with him, he will understand the seriousness and how disabilitating and frightening panic attacks can be.

Sassy these two here have given you some really great advice already so not much more I can say other than I hope your husband does decide to go with you to your Dr.s appointment and can somehow get a better understanding of what you are going through. And as for your mother in law in time she will come around hopefully.