BTDT. I managed to get past the panic attacks and seldom have them anymore with the help of psychotherapy and anti-anxiety medications. But not everyone has psychiatric problems.

I have one suggestion that a psychiatric nurse taught me. Sit down and make an effort to feel your butt on the chair. It grounds you, probably by giving you something to focus on and helps you calm down.

Your suggestions are excellent. Especially the paper bag trick. Hyperventilating is the pits.

B

It occurs to me that currently, we are being attacked (maybe bombarded is a better word) by a panicky world. If one is prone to panic attacks, as someone close to me happens to be, it may be best to tune out a lot of media about India, the economy, and other things of that nature. I don’t mean to stick head in sand, but at least limit exposure.

what i always do is calling my friands…. good article here…

One thing that helped me through some hard times is to hold onto something small but solid that fits in the palm of your hand like to an anchor. (I used to hold on to a wooden snail figurine I got from a friend.)
Like a lot of suggestions here it’s about getting back in touch with reality as it is and not as it is exagerated or perceived by ones mind.
Sometimes you can’t focus on your breath (especially when you’re hyperventilating) or your body, but holding something tiny, something valuable in the palm of your hand is a good start. If you use something that has a meaning to you – like maybe a small gift from a friend – it’s even better, because you remember that you’re not alone.

Hi,

I had panik attacks for three years and suffered a lot from. What I learned is not to drink coffee or only without caffeine (this does not mean that you have to refrain from it your whole life). It helps to do sport on a regular basis.

What helped me most, was to understand the signals of my body: if I felt dizzy it did not mean that a panik attack is coming but that e. g. i have to eat something. (I know this sounds utterly silly but I had lost the ability to do interpret those signals).

Apart from this, talk about your problem with others. I was really surprised that I am not alone. Some of my friends had those attacks as well.

Great blog, good information.

“People who accept again abrupt agitation attacks and anguish about the attacks are said to accept a agitation disorder.” Thanks all.

I just started getting panic attacks on tuesday, and nothing I do seems to calm them down. I’ve had them every day since tuesday, and they really freak me out. Here’s the thing though – I’m a teen, so I can’t afford to allow anything to get in the way of what I’m doing, namely school, athletics, and my friends. I’ll remember these tips though, next time I have one. The only thing that seemed to calm me down a bit was to just squeeze into as tight a space as I could. That seemed to help a little, though not much.

I found your site in google when I was looking up blogs. I realy like what you have done and just wanted to leave a comment saying so. Cheers

Nice post. Thank you for the info. Keep it up.

Hi,
I have been having panic attacks for 12 years now, living with the fear of them every day, making sure I had tablets on me and always needing to know there was someone around to support me. I was doing ok but still very afraid of them and any stress set me off with a spate of panic attacks. I have now decided that enough is enough and I am going to sort this out once and for all. I know how irrational it is and I am not going to run anymore. I am going to face my fears. I have decided that I am going to desensitize myself to the symptoms of panic. Apparently it has an 87% chance of success and 2 years later the results were the same for the people who did this. I now truly belive masking the fear does not help at all. The fear has to be met and I have to see it for what it is, unpleasant but not harmful. I saw my first panic attack without medication through last night. I just let the waves of panic wash over me and even tried to get a buzz off the adrenalin. It only lasted 2 mins if that but I didn’t sleep all night after it and I’m still uptight today and worried about tonight, but hopefully this is the beginning of the end now.

I have been having panic attacks almost daliy now since December 23. Been to urgent care twice, er once, and urgent mental health once. They have prescribed at one point Xanax, and now clozapham (I think that is what it’s called) I can’t work, I’m terrified of being alone, and I always feel like I am one step away from a full fledged panic attack. I tried the breathing techniques and made the attack worse and the medication doesn’t seem to be helping. Any idea’s anyone?

I have been having panic attacks since October, two where I was taken to the hospital because I was on the verge of passing out.. The feeling is the scariest thing in the world, those who have experienced them can agree with me.. I have yet to figure out what is causing mine.. I live a very happy life and have the best family and friends I could ask for… Therefore it drives me absolutely crazy that I am having these stupid attacks all the time! One thing i have noticed is that They always start when I’m driving.. And I always feel like I have to burp but it won’t come… Ugh.. I actually had an attack today which led me to this article… Trying to figure out ways to do it on my own, I was prescribed to xanex about 3 weeks ago and I have yet to take them because I really don’t want to get addicted.. So hopefully the next one I have I can overcome it with these suggestions.. Thank you very much!

Well I hate to say it but I think I am just about cured of panic attacks now as I am genuinely not afraid of them anymore. THAT is the key. Taking tablets will only prolong the problem if you don’t face the fear itself. Tablets make you believe that panic attacks really are something to be afraid of and that will go on for years unless you break that cycle. I have had panic attacks for 12 long years being afraid of them the whole time, till I started with CBT. It is so logical. It is a phobia of panic attacks. I had a panic attack last night and it scared the life out of me and I couldn’t for the first time in 12 years find my tablets! I was terrified. But as my CBT therapist says I have to face the fear and just see what happens, I thought about this in my panic state and thought well I’ll just try it. The attack lasted about 5 minutes and then I calmed down. 12 years of worrying about something which really isn’t all that bad. The fear is worse than the reality by a long long way! I’m not afraid anymore. I’m cured. Please, please, please don’t put yourselves through it for so long. Learn as much as you can about it and then face the fear by going through panic attacks and seeing they may not feel nice but they are not to be scared of. Everyone here can be cured but you need to go through the panic to find the peace. IT IS THERE but don’t hide behind the tablets. You are persuading yourself you need them if you do and you do not.

Hello,
im currently in high school and have constant panic attacks. it’s horrible when the teacher calls on you and you cant read because youre out of breathe and your voice goes into a nervous tizzy. I just think of somthing sad which helps me through about 5 words. aha. so im going to the doctor to fix this. it’s probly just an nervous disorder. MANY people have it so don’t feel bad.

What a fantastic post! Panic attacks are one of the most awful things to go through. I used to suffer a great deal with panic attacks and use to use some of the above mentioned tricks to help me get through them

One of the most beneficial things i did how ever was pin point what was causing my attacks. Once I did this I new when I was going in to a situation which normally resulted in a panic attack to prepare my self first. I could also avoid certain triggers.

I am over the terrible fear of panic now. The trick is facing the fear. It’s like a phobia. Face it and go through it and use NOTHING as a crutch and your fear will go away. It is only adrenaline. Don’t catastrophise the panic and it will go away. Face it and don’t hide from it. Everything else, drugs, etc. will only make it worse as you think there is something to fear by doing that. You are telling yourself there is something to fear. There isn’t. Face the the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain as someone once said.

I just started getting panick attacks on Sunday, May 31, 2009. I really have no clue what caused it because I was sitting down just eating with friends. Oh, I’m 14 by the way. And my dad had rushed me to the hospital. They said I was healthy, and completely fine. Except for the fact that I had anxiety, which is just a feeling of discomfort, so they said. They prescribed me to some pills called lepozum? something like that. And I was just wondering if things like meditation, hyperventilating, and other physical methods work better than pills.

Also, my mother just died September 5, 2008. I think this is when I just started getting hints of them (hard to explain.) But I had to yawn, and take in this really deep breath, when i felt my chest was tight. Or my chest would get more tight, and my heart would race.

Sometimes, I have problems with going out with my friends. I feel as if maybe I’ll have one in public. The only place I feel safe is home, and that’s when a parent is with me. If no one is home, I freak out. I can’t sleep. I’ve lost interest in the things i do. And school is starting again pretty soon, and I really don’t want to have to go through that without having a more peaceful way of calming down instead of taking pills every time i have one. I don’t want to live life without an easier way.

Next time, I’ll try these tips. But as of now, I’m still curious if pills work better than these techniques.

I am not usually in tune with eastern ideas and find it hard to follow some of these routines. however, i totally support your points about finding natural solutions to panic attacks. there seems to be an unhealthy obsession with medicine (it seems most doctors prescribe it out of instinct sometimes) and yet the real cause might be way deeper than just chemical imbalance.

Hi Hayley,

My deepest condolences for the passing away of your mother. As far as your panic attacks are concerned these are something your can get through and fight. I don;t believe in tacking medication as this can worsten the problem and have other side effect. These side effects include loss of motor skills and energy. I was always scared of becoming a Zombie and pills effecting my quality of life. Medication is addictive and you do not want to rely on it.

Once of the biggest issues you need to do is face your fears. Do not let them rule your life or that will be the end of you. It took me a long time to be able to control my attacks, but now I have I can not be happier.

You seem to know what your triggers are, been left alone at home with out an Adult. Now you need to come up with methods to tackle this fear so you can deal with it when this situation arises.

To start with tell your friends about your condition…they will be understanding, you can also advise them on what to do when you are suffering an attack. Remember these attacks last 20minutes at the most and then they reside. This way you are able to ask your friends to be with you when there are no parents in the house. This is a stepping stone.

Establish a steady breathing pattern, recite a reassuring sentence to yourself that your friend can recite with you. Distract yourself by playing your favorite song or doing a silly dance.

There are many things you can have in preparation for when you are going to experience a situation which normally triggers a panic attack. Talk to your doctor about these alternative methods prior to relying on your medication. You are still very young and have a lot to live on, you really do not want to be relying on medication for the rest of your life.

Good luck and I am sure with the belief in yourself and support from your family and friends you will be able to get your panic attacks under control.

Lastly remember that these attacks do not last forever, it is a temporary feeling that will subside.

I am a 25 year old mother to 2. I have a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter. I’m a stay at home Mom and the days are really busy with them 2 here in the house. So during the day I usually don’t have panic attacks unless it’s just a really bad day. But at night when I sit in peace and left to my thoughts I have such bad panic attacks. I always think I’m having a heart attack and that I’m dieing. While having them I always for some reason convince myself that I’m not having a panic attack that infact its something else and I’m dieing. I start freaking in my head praying that I won’t die that my kids need me and such. I don’t know how to get the thought of death out of my mind while having a panic attack. I can calm my breahing and focus but the thought of dieing never leaves my head. Does this happen to anyone else?

Hi,i just recently suffered my 1st Panic attack when i was at work,i start to feel dizzy then all the sudden i felt breathless..i tried to breath faster than it became worse..my fist could not open..cramp due to hyperventilation,i was rushed into the Emergency room,and was given a paper bag to breathe in,the doctor told me to control my breathing..breathe in slowly n out,it helps within minutes,all those cramp i felt earlier are gone,for a moment i tought i was having heartproblems,the doctor then check my blood,blood pressure even sent me to a chest xray..then she told your allright..u just had a panic attack,i was shocked.
I think the key point to avoid another attack is TO NOT THINK ABOUT THAT YOUR GOING TO GET THE NEXT ATTACK,that really helps,try to clam urself down really helps.
Its just a mind game..we got to get back the control of our mind then we will be fine again.
I hope my little tips to help u guys outhere

I have panic attacks everyday.. and its so bad that even going to the hospital doesnt calm me down..when i get them my whole body gets numb, i feel dizzy, feel like nothing is real and i just so nuts cuz im so freak out so then it gets worse so i get really bad panic attacks.. and im miserable everyday.. im starting to take pills now.. i took one today but i still had one.. im so sick of this.. to hard to deal with

nothing triggers mine… i just get them all the time cuz i have a panic disorder.. well sometimes when my heart flutters i have one cuz i freak out about my heart fluttering cuz i think there is something wrong.. i told the doctors about it but they didnt do anything so if anything bad happends to me im gonna make sure my fam sues… cus that b.s

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the encouragement you’ve provided. I’ve been suffering from panic attacks since 1.5 years, and it’s probably the worst phase anyone can go through. It’s a real illness, and yet it’s all in the mind. I wish I can go back to my life again, because for some reason, I can’t find a way out of these panic attacks. My problem is hyperventilating which brings these panic symptoms, and then the whole cycle repeats.

Please help me, I want to live a normal life again. How can a person become strong minded with all these pathetic feelings during panic attcks ? It just makes me a weak person thinking of the next day, when this will all repeat again. I was such a lively and happy person. I still don’t get why I am going through all this ?

I tried what you provided, but I keep fearing these symptoms. Everyday there is a new symptom emerging, and I keep thinking about them, and then there is another panic attack. I need to ask u some Q’s. My hands feel so numb b/c of these panic attacks happening over and over. Is this in my mind or what? They feel so weak, I am scared they will stop working some day or something. Are these feelings temporary or forever ?

I need someone to guide me through this. I’ll appreciate it, if u can get me out of this please. Life seems so dull and I am only 18. I want to enjoy my life but how do I. Show me a natural cure of this plz.

Thanks a lot for the encouragement you’ve provided. I’ve been suffering from panic attacks since 1.5 years, and it’s probably the worst phase anyone can go through. It’s a real illness, and yet it’s all in the mind. I wish I can go back to my life again, because for some reason, I can’t find a way out of these panic attacks. My problem is hyperventilating which brings these panic symptoms, and then the whole cycle repeats.

Please help me, I want to live a normal life again. How can a person become strong minded with all these pathetic feelings during panic attcks ? It just makes me a weak person thinking of the next day, when this will all repeat again. I was such a lively and happy person. I still don’t get why I am going through all this ?

I tried what you provided, but I keep fearing these symptoms. Everyday there is a new symptom emerging, and I keep thinking about them, and then there is another panic attack. I need to ask u some Q’s. My hands feel so numb b/c of these panic attacks happening over and over. Is this in my mind or what? They feel so weak, I am scared they will stop working some day or something. Are these feelings temporary or forever ?

I need someone to guide me through this. I’ll appreciate it, if u can get me out of this please. Life seems so dull and I am only 18. I want to enjoy my life but how do I. Show me a natural cure of this plz.

I had my first panic attack when i was in the 7th grade, i had one before that but i was at karate ( i am a very active kid) and i just thought i was tired but when i had one at school, i freaked out. I started crying and i didn’t even know what a panic attack was at that point and time in my life i thought it was asthma. I didn’t have anymore till i was in 8th grade in the middle of a prep rally i was a cheerleader, and i was tumbling and i felt dizzy before i tumbled and i blacked out and messed up my collar bone and from the dizzy-ness was the only symtom and i blacked out many times after that…. And i still wasn’t sure about what was going on with me.. Till my freshman yr in high school. I had just moved in with my mom and abusive step dad(he never hit me but her) i started out with becoming majorly depressed… then it came out of now where. My chest which it is alway over my heart where it hurts. It felt like a knife was being stabbed into my chest over and over again like it did the day in 7th grade and when i couldn’t get it to go away thats when i couldn’t breath and i started to cry. Only causing my panic attack to get worse… and along with my black outs…. Which i had panic attacks ever other day just about when i lived with my mom went to the er 2 times in one week because the pain wouldn’t go away… they said nothing was wrong with my heart… and they would sent me away the first time the second time they said my acid reflux caused it… wrong the meds they gave me didn’t even help me… i continued to happen.i missed half my freshman yr due to panic attacks i would leave early and ect… until i moved out of my moms’ house .Now i have had only 5 in the past two yrs since i moved out and back in with my grandparent(meaning i’m a jr in highschool*) the only i had a panic attack was when i talked to my mom also when someone yells and continues to be upset with me and now with my bestfriend because she has alot of problems in her life.. and i put presser on my self to fix them for her which i know i can’t …and school.. i freak myself out. But the only thing i have found to help them settle down some is to take a HOT shower.. or to tell my self it will be okay and to breath slowly.

But I’M SCARED I’LL HAVE A PANIC ATTACK AT SCHOOL AND WONT BE ABLE TO CALM DOWN SO WHAT SHOULD I DO??????????????????

but i’m sorry for those who also have these .. It sucks, but you wont die, jst stay strong read about your condition and try out new things and if it’s someone that causes you to have panic attacks move away from them or drop all contact with them. that has also seemed to help me… Thank you for your blog.. it has given me new ideas to think about when i have an attack.

Usually when i start panicing, i stand up, or “take a break” take a few deep breaths and say to myself that everything is ok. Then i try to calm mysely down, and usually thinking of something funny helps me.
Fresh air really helps, too.

So, I had a about 4 panic attacks in 2008. 3 of them I fainted and the other just about had me had my boyfriend not found me a place to sit. But I hadn’t had one in at least 6 months. Until last Saturday. I was doing some fashion show and i was really hungry and there all day long and the show wasn’t until like 1 in the morning. At about 10:30 or 11, it was a full fledged panic attack. I was shivering, didn’t think I could walk, felt like I was gonna throw up, the whole shebang. But then my ex boyfriend text me and happened to ask if i was ok. I told him I wasn’t and he was there in 15 minutes. We waited until the show and immediately left afterward and i went to sleep. We’ll the next day he took me out to eat dinner, and I started having a panic attack in the restaurant so we had to leave. And today! I was sitting at the bus stop when all of a sudden it was on me. I couldn’t breathe, wanted to puke, tried to walk away but the bus was there. So I got on and was immediately wigged out. I kept thinking i was going to puke on the bus or i was going to faint and someone would have to call and ambulance and i don’t have money for the doctor and it went on and on. I made it to the metro station to wait for my train and it was just so bad man. And i tried and tried to keep calm, but i must have looked like a junkie or something, wigging out. By the time i got on the train, i was so close to collapsing that its not even funny. Thankfully some guy asked me if i was alright and i said i wasn’t and asked him if he would help me get downstairs when i got to my station so i could get to my friends car. I asked him to just make sure i didn’t fall down the stairs or fall and hit my head if i fainted. He helped me all the way downstairs and to my friends car. I told him he was so going to heaven for it.

So yeah…. that sucked, sorry i wrote so much. i just needed to get it out. Im only 20 man, and i am soooooo over these attacks…. BUT i did note what that one person said about eating when they start to feel dizzy. No lie, i should probably be keeping an eye on that too.

I don’t really have anything else to say, but thanks for letting me have a place to say it..

you need to do hyperventilation therapy. It worked for me. They help you to learn how to hyperventilate so that you loose the fear of it. It’s scary but so worth it. Do it! Believe me it will cure you

Hi everyone, I have been dealing with some pretty scary panic attacks lately and wanted to check out this site.
I dont even know what started them really. but i feel like im having a heaert attack,short of breath,dizzy and so scared. I had one while driving today and my kids were in the car (age 2 and4)
I just dont know how to deal with this, im so afraid its gonna take over my life. I dont want to loose my job etc… I need to be able to drive and live life. Liz

Very helpful tips and advice when it comes to curing panic attacks…

Great guide for anxiety sufferers to follow…

My Mother Heidi Patricia was of Finish descent, while my father, Haim Reuben Hachain, was Israeli. My Father died in Israel when my twin sister, Liberty, and I were just 4 and ½ months old. My Mother got a letter from him before he died from Leukemia, at age 50. My mother other was only 30, grieving, and taking care of 6 children, including newborn twins!

My oldest sister is named Ravin, then my oldest brother is Will, next is my sister Rhyme, then brother Aidan, and last “the girls”. Inside the letter that my dad sent my mother, there was a list of names that he would like us to have if we were boys or girls, and my mother chose the first two girl names for our middle names. Shiloh Rebecca and Liberty Rahel. He also requested that she would give us the necklaces he gave her to us for our bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah; at age 13, depending if we were girls or boys.

The necklaces were silver stars of David, because my dad was Jewish. I lived a life in Hemel Hempstead, England. I attended Boxmoore Primary School until I turned 8 years old. When my mother was having obvious financial problems because she was a stay at home mother, with 6 children. My Grandpa, William C. Penttilä (Who worked with discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska), lived in Houston, Texas, and came to visit us.

He saw the problems she was facing, a few months later he offered to pay for all of us to move to Houston. He paid for our 4-bedroom apartment, to fit all of us. I remember my mum crying because we had a dishwasher. I started going to school in America, where no one could really understand my accent. A little while later in the year, we moved to a trailer complex.

Ravin stayed in the other area because she was 15, had a job, a life, and a boyfriend, which she refused to leave AGAIN. My Grandpa died soon after, and we met my Uncle Paul and Aunt Michelle when we had the memorial service. We were living in motels and hotels for a while as well. My mother decided to get away from Texas and move where her brother Paul (who she hadn’t seen in 9 years) lives. [My mother traveled a lot as a child as well, and used to live in Alaska.]

We got an apartment in the same building as my Uncle and Aunt and my Cousin, Silas. We lived right next to the schools, so we would just walk there every morning.

My mother suffered from her first heart attack when my twin and I were10, in 5th grade. We had to stay at the lodge with my uncle and aunt for a couple of weeks until she could come out of the ICU. My mum had blood clots, and heart conditions, but still made time to help out the community.

We lived a peaceful, and cold life in Soldotna, Alaska from 2001 until 2005. We went to the Christ Lutheran Church. Since the age of 12, I have been also dealing with my own health issues. I have agoraphobia (which is the opposite of claustrophobia) it is a type of anxiety disorder where I get panic attacks that affect my daily life to an extent where I can barely manage to do normal things. I can’t go to many places with tall ceilings, lots of people, loud noise, and highways. My hands will start sweating and get all clammy. I can’t hold still, concentrate, or even breathe unless I leave the area. It has affected me dramatically throughout the years. I am still struggling with this daily.

2005 was the year when my mother told me she met a man online. She asked us to guess where he lived. Who would have guessed? China. So in January my mother went there to visit him, and married him officially. I was so happy to see her when she got back.

April of that year we left Will, Rhyme, and Aidan to the apartment we had been living in while Liberty, Mum, and I went on a 13-hour plane ride to China. It was an odd but good experience. It was like nothing I could have ever imagined. We had to ride a 17-hour night bus to get to Quinzou City.

Everyone stared at us like we were aliens. I was 13, going on 14 at the time. Months past and this took a toll on my self-image, confidence, both good and bad. Piles of papers were filled out, but just because we were Americans, it kept taking forever for Wu Xiongdi (My stepfather) to allow him to get his Visa so he could travel to and enter the United States.

Liberty and I were getting restless from being at home all day, getting stared at, and wanting to go to school, so we begged mum to let us go back to Alaska. We talked on the Internet to some connections to the family and we eventually went to my Aunt Cindy’s house. (My Uncle Paul’s ex-wife; mother of my cousins.) She let us live there, but it was getting hard for her because she had to keep track of three 14 year olds; Liberty, Silas, and I, and my brother Aidan eventually, at age 17. Cindy worked all the time so she had a hard time with us. We lived there for our whole freshman year but when summer came, Aunt Cindy had no clue what to do with us.

Ravin, my oldest sister had called right on time. We came to the conclusion after consulting with mum on the Internet that we could go to Dallas Texas to live with her until mum could make it back to the U.S. We had to wait until our 15th birthday to go on plane unaccompanied. We got there on June 11th. And finally started to settle.

Exactly one month to the day that we got to Texas my mother died from another heart attack on July 11th, 2006. Ravin came to Alaska for her first time for the memorial service. After mum died, Liberty absolutely did not want to go back to Texas, she had her best friends in Alaska and she wanted to be with more family. She was forced by our family to come back with us.

It was hard to start a brand new school with different rules than what we were used to. We also worked at Subway with Ravin, who was the manager. We lived in a 1 bedroom with Ravin, Will, a snake, spider, and two puppies. Rhyme came up with the lovely idea to help out Ravin. So she could help her take care of us. They were just 19 and 22, and within their grieving, having a fun time together, they would leave to clubs and not come home until the next day, even days later. They turned off their phones so Liberty and I could not get a hold of them. We had no idea what they thought they were doing at all. Eventually we found out what they were doing. This would keep me up at night. It was hard to look up to these sisters of mine. Now there was one other person added to the 1 bedroom apartment.

I went off, I did my own things for a while. It sucked a lot for a few months until we found a much better place to live down the road. Eventually, Rhyme’s Boyfriend Chris came to live with us until he and Rhyme could get themselves their own place. Rhyme wanted to stop doing all the bad things with Ravin, but Chris continued; resulting in Rhyme packing up all her stuff and move over to the neighbors house. Chris stayed with Ravin, and they were seeing each other. Rhyme and Ravin weren’t talking because of this, and then Rhyme keyed Ravin’s brand new car, so ’till this day, they still have not spoken to each other.

Around my 16th birthday, after Rhyme moved out because Ravin was mad about her idea of quitting drinking and everything else, Ravin wanted to continue, and apparently Chris as well. The night before my “Sweet 16″ Ravin kicked him out. So Rhyme and Chris got together again after Rhyme went to jail on my birthday for breaking an entering and assaulting a minor, who was my best friend Marcie. She was there for 5 weeks. She got out and soon went to Seattle after reporting Ravin’s habits.

Enough of drugs and Chris Rhyme moved back to Alaska to straighten out her life. Meanwhile, Ravin was working the night shift for Texas Instruments and doing everything she could for Liberty and I. This was a really hard time for all of us. We were forced to move into a strange neighborhood because the other apartment complex said we had domestic violence, and could not live there anymore.

We moved abruptly into our apartment in July, but then Child Protective Services found Ravin, because her drug test was positive at the other apartment. Somehow CPS found us in days and told us to go live with someone until school started. Ravin quit drugs and did everything in her power to get us back. Luckily, Ravin has a best friend named Kym who offered to take us for the summer. She lived in Houston; where we lived after England. I stayed there for a while but eventually they dropped our case and I came back to Dallas with Ravin, but Liberty stayed in Houston with Kym. We were separated for a year! It was crazy but I was finding myself.

In November 2007 we finally got CPS off of our case, with Ravin clean. Finally. It was just Ravin and I for a while after that. We worked, cleaned and loved each other. She would take me to school in the mornings after getting off her night shift. At her job she met the man of her dreams, Sheldon. Ravin’s best friend, Jesse Jordan age 31 had her lease ending in May 2008 so she ended up staying with us for a while. She didn’t have a job and she has many medical conditions. She was my mentor when Ravin was either at work or sleeping. She gave me advice about God, guys, and life in general. I started to believe in God for the 1st time.

I was still really stressed and needed medical care for my panic attacks. They were getting much worse for me. I couldn’t look up in hallways or even go to school. I hated going out, I felt pressure on my chest and everything just seemed so bad no matter what I did. I really just wanted to spend my senior year with my twin, so I kept thinking about moving back to Alaska, off and on. Liberty was extremely depressed at Kym’s and ended up coming back to Alaska in June 2008, and I came up in late August staying at Rhyme’s place. Liberty was staying with my aunt Cindy again.

I started my senior year in the same little school was totally different from what I remember about the one I went to in Texas. I was overwhelmed and still desperate for medical attention to my anxiety. Rhyme’s place wasn’t working out for me, so I ended up going back to Cindy’s. We waited so long for my health insurance. I would have to leave school; my anxiety was so bad that it scared my life away! I finally saw Doctor McIntosh (our family doctor) I asked her about my mother because I missed her and Dr. Mac loved my mum. She was a patient and, was a member of the Cottonwood Health Center board. I wanted to hear what Dr. Mac had to say about her because I miss her so much. She told me my mum had a big heart. This meant bad, because it was oversized and damaged, yet good at the same time, because she was so wonderful.

I am kept up my grades, I got 2 scholarships, one for 2000$ and one for 250$. I graduated after a long year!

I finally went back to Dallas to live with my sister Ravin and she is now pregnant and we got a house, but I am still not treated right. I have to fend for myself in everything I do. Thank god I have a job at a saw & tool company as a receptionist. I got the job offer from my brother, Will. If it wasn’t for him I don’t know where I would be right now. Ravin’s boyfriend Sheldon hates me so I couch hop most of the weeks and weekends. He freaks out on me over the littlest things and accuses me of things I don’t do just so he can give Ravin a reason to kick me out. I need help!

I would love to be the first one in my family to go somewhere, be free, worry less, be successful, and happy. I don’t want to worry about my future. I’ll have to let it happen, but I hope I can shape it in a productive and positive way. I have always wanted to be a Model. That was my dream, my mum wanted me to be one as well, and I know I can do well. I have had people call me for interviews, but had no transportation so I am just saving and struggling with my money so I can get a car, and eventually an apartment. I don’t even know how to drive! No one will teach me!

Now I have panic attacks, not just in big areas. It is everywhere.EVEN AT HOME Not to mention all over my body! I am at work right now and my back is so tense, along with my chest and i just CANT GET OVER THIS @#%$^&!!! It’s so ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST GO AWAY ALREADY I AM TRYING TO BE AN ADULT!

If you could help me in any way shape or form It would be so much appreciated. Thank you so much if you are even reading this all the way through

Listen guys
From the bottom of my heard I’m sending you a part of my wisdom I benefitted from having panic attacks for seven years now. It started after my mother’s death and being a very emotional person this has been a long ride for me. But as TMD said, every hardship makes us grow, and I’ve grooown, I can tell you that.
I found that panic attacks were a way of my body saying to my mind that it cannot go on like that. So again,these attacks proved to be one of the greatest and best things that ever happenes to me. They are a way of improving your life-and a fact is , we don’t listen nor react when sth good happens. Life just has to smack us with a saucepan for us to start listening. Embrace them,go through situations which dread you,you will see the pride in you when you do the impossible. I wish you all the best.
Maja

Comment by Rachel K
2009-02-06 23:22:42
Instead of calling a friend, for me, I prefer to either text message or talk on chat.

When I talk on the phone, the conversation will ultimately shift to how I feel like I am going to die in the next two seconds, since my panics are related directly to death. For me, talking about why my panics are legitimate does not help subside them.

Yet, when I am texting/typing the conversation progresses slower and it allows me to focus on creating a perfect message via keyboard, rather than just saying the first thing that comes to mind. (I hope this makes sense).

Additionally, using my hand/eye coordination as well as my sense of thought, allows me to preoccupy myself more thoroughly, causing the panic to subside.

MY REPLY:

ok, wooooow.. it is EEERY how similar we are. i too panic about death only, and since our overall situation
is being human, mortal… then that situation will obv never change and if you percieve that as bad, which’
dying is usually percieved as, then everytime your brain realizes the world its in, its going to start
panicking, and if that situation is never going to change, you can see the cycle that could develop..

learning to deal with life/death is key, a perfect
way is to use the panic as a challenge to master/control
your mind/self at a higher level.

it is UNCANNY how we do exaaacty the same things to calm down, texting/chatting as a way of comm
because obv. our state would be instantly sensed by anyone else, which could bring more judgement, leading
to more panic etc…

the strangest thing is how you use hand-eye coord to “override” the panic… i thought i was the only one
who did that and i learned it by watching a golf instructional video that taught that practically our whole brain is devoted to hand-eye coord so it makes sense that if my focus is on catching something or whatever, it might get in the way of any emotion.. and it kinda does so,
grab the nearest thing and start tossing it up and catching it, trying to breathe easy and just focusing
on the simple task at hand.

I’ve been having panic attacks off and on since Sept 2008. I’m just now getting over one right now. The things that happen to me when I get an attack is my left arm goes numb and it gets tingly. Then I get cold chills, if I cover up in a blanket then I get too hot. I breathe with my chest and not my stomach and that strains my chest which makes it seem like it’s harder to breathe. For some reason I find my tightening my stomach. The whole left arm thing really freaks me out. I notice I’m very tense.

If anyone has any suggestions or feels the same/similiar feelings, please let me know.

wow reading more comments about this makes my chest tight again. great.

I’ve been having these panic attacks since last month. And it seems like the fear is consuming me. The more I think about it the worst it gets. I really long for the days when I didn’t have this disorder.

Hi KC.

I know it seems bad right now but it doesn’t last. As soon as you feel the panic attack coming on just gently remind yourself that it is just a fleeting event. It has never lasted before and this one won’t last forever. In ten or twenty minutes you will be wondering why you got so worked up about it!

I highly encourage you to use the tips in the post as well as what other people have suggested in the comments. It is a really interesting idea to go outside and throw a ball around because it is said that it distracts your brain from the panic.

Also, I’ll always be here if you need to chat. So don’t worry. Its just a little bit of panic. Its never killed anyone.

Good luck.

TDM

My panic attacks has gotten so bad that I think I developed socialphobia, agoraphobia, and extreme embarrassment over it. Next week I have a couple of interviews and I’m afraid that i’ll have a panic attack then. In fact, I’m pretty sure I will since I have been dwelling over it so much. Are there any tips you can give me. I’m panicing just thinking about it.

Other than the tips in the article, its important to remember that they are just interviews. They are not the end of the world. If you do badly you never have to see those people again. Its no big deal. Remember that you are not alone, thousands of people go for interviews everyday. There is no reason to get panicked.

Thanks TDM. I will put your tips to use and see if my conditions improve. I’m really hoping that it does. Thanks again.

I am only 14 years old and I am having panic/anxiety attacks they are the scariest things ever. They always happen when I am about to go to sleep. Any advice?

I have been suffering from severe panic attacks for a little over a year now. I have 4 small children and fear for them knowing how I cannot control my panic attacks. I usually get them really bad when my husband goes to work at night and I am left alone with my kids. I feel like the panic attacks will continue until he comes home 8 hours later. I have no friends or family to call where I live either, I need help & tips because I feel very unhappy at this stage of my life :*(

Thanks for writing this article, I was in the middle of a panic attack, trying to Google some help to settle down.

Hey everyone. I’ve been dealing with panic attacks for 3 years now. When i was 11 (14 now) i just stood up one day and felt dizzy. which is normal for me becuase i have low blood pressure. but all of a sudden i had a panic attack, i was so scared i didn’t know what was wrong with me. My mom almost took me to the hospital but medical stuff scares me more. So that entire summer was horrible..i couldnt sleep..had them all the time. My condition has gotten a little better. at one point and time they went away for about a month. But not they are getting worse and worse, and i have them in school which is horrible becuase sometimes i have to ask to leave the classroom!!! All my friends dont understand when i try to explain this to them. i tell my mom about them somtimes, and she just tells me to tell myself its all in my head..and somtimes it works..but most the time it dosent.

I just want to live a normal teenage life, i cant be freaking out like this all the time!! Also what tends to trigger my panic the most is talking about blood or medical situations. Just talking about it can set me off :/

Please help! and when you guys say “face your fear” what does that mean exactly? do you put your self in a panic situation?

By the way- i used to get them everywhere..but now its just in school or sometimes when im in the car.
Thank you for the advice written in the article..i will try to use some of these methods i havent used before.