Panic Attacks Help??
Question: Help my husband has panic attacks we have lost just about everything we have tried doctors, counselors, hypnotheripist, and self help books. I am goin crazy. I do so much by myself or with my 2 yr old. anyone have any suggestions for me
Answers: *Causes:
Panic disorder has been found to run in families, and this may mean that inheritance plays a strong role in determining who will get it. However, many people who have no family history of the disorder develop it.
Heredity, other biological factors, stressful life events, and thinking in a way that exaggerates relatively normal bodily reactions are all believed to play a role in the onset of panic disorder. Often the first attacks are triggered by physical illnesses, a major life stress, or certain medications. Some people who tend to take on excessive responsibilities may develop a tendency to suffer panic attacks. PTSD patients also show a much higher rate of Panic Disorder than the general population. The exact cause or causes of panic disorder are unknown and are the subject of intense scientific investigation.
Studies in animals and humans have focused on pinpointing the specific brain areas involved in anxiety disorders such as panic disorder. Fear, an emotion that evolved to deal with danger, causes an automatic, rapid protective response that occurs without the need for conscious thought. It has been found that the body's fear response is coordinated by a small but complicated structure deep inside the brain called the amygdala.
Hypoglycemia may also cause panic attacks. In this condition the receptors for insulin do not respond properly to insulin, interfering with the transport of glucose across the membranes of cells. The brain depends on a steady supply of glucose — its only source of energy. When there is a sudden fall in blood sugar levels the brain sends a hormonal signal to the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline. This hormone functions to raise blood sugar levels by converting glycogen into glucose, thus preventing brain starvation, but it is also a panic hormone that is responsible for attacks of fear. The non-drug treatment for this is the adoption of the hypoglycemic diet. [3]
*Treatment:
Panic disorder is real and potentially disabling, but it can be controlled with specific treatments. Because of the disturbing symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for heart disease or some other life-threatening medical illness. This misconception often aggravates or triggers future attacks in the uninformed. People frequently go to hospital emergency rooms when they are having a panic attack, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out these other conditions.
Treatment for panic disorder includes medications and a type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches people about the nature of panic attacks, the cycles of negative thoughts, and demonstrated ways to interrupt the panic process.
Medications can be used to break the psychological connection between a specific phobia and panic attacks, reducing future panic attacks. Medications can include antidepressants (SSRI's, MAOI's, etc.) taken every day, or anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines, e.g. -- Valium, Ativan, Xanax, etc.) during or in anticipation of panic attacks. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack (due to medication) can often break the phobia-panic pattern, allowing people to function around their phobia without the help of medications. However, for minor phobias that develop as a result of the panic attack, with early detection these can be eliminated without medication through monitored cognitive-behavioral therapy or simply by reinserting oneself into the phobic activity. The decision to participate in this therapy personally or through a registered practitioner should always be left to a medical professional.
Often, a combination of psychotherapy and medications produces good results. Some improvement may be noticed in a fairly short period of time--about 6 to 8 weeks. Thus appropriate treatment by an experienced professional can prevent panic attacks or at least substantially reduce their severity and frequency--bringing significant relief to 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. [2] Relapses may occur, but they can often be effectively treated just like the initial episode.
In addition, people with panic disorder may need treatment for other emotional problems. Clinical depression has often been associated with panic disorder, as have alcoholism and drug addiction. About 30% of people with panic disorder use alcohol and 17% use drugs such as cocaine or marijuana to alleviate the anguish and distress caused by their condition. Research has also suggested that suicide attempts are more frequent in people with panic disorder, although this research remains controversial.
As with many disorders, having a support structure of family and friends who understand the condition can help increase the rate of recovery. During an attack, it is not uncommon for the sufferer to develop irrational, immediate fear, which can often be dispelled by a supporter who is familiar with the condition. For more serious or active treatment, there are support groups for anxiety sufferers which can help people understand and deal with the disorder.
Other forms of treatment include journalling, in which a patient records their day-to-day activities and emotions in a log to find and deal with their personal stresses, and breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing. Stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help ameliorate the causes of panic disorder. Many physicians will recommend stress-management, time-management, and emotion-balancing classes and seminars to help patients avoid anxiety in the future.
*Extra Tips:
Feeling panic or having panic attacks can be very frightening. You might experience your heart racing, have difficulty catching your breath & feel pains in your chest. You might hyperventilate, perspire, feel dizzy or nauseous & tremble. Not surprisingly, people sometimes think that they are dying.
There are different ways to deal with & even avoid panic attacks. It can help to recognize the signs of panic as early as possible, because sometimes you can prevent a full-blown panic attack by finding ways to calm yourself in the initial stages. Here are a few suggestions:
When you're not in a panicked state, make a list of the things that you’re afraid will happen. Then write out calming things that tell you the opposite of your fears, that you can repeat to yourself when the panic starts to come.
Prepare a list of things to do in case of panicked feelings, & it will be ready for you when you need it. Fill it with lots of soothing messages & ideas of calming things to do.
Slow your breathing down. Breathing more slowly & deeply has a calming effect. One good way to do this is to let all the air out of your lungs. This forces your lungs to reach for a deeper breath next time. Continue to focus on your out-breath, letting all the air out of your lungs & soon you'll find your breathing is deeper & you feel calmer.
Press your feet, one at a time, into the ground. Feel how connected & rooted they are to the ground. An even better way is to lie down with your bottom near a wall. Place your feet against the wall (your knees are bent) & press your feet one at a time into the wall. If you can breathe in as you press your foot against the wall & breathe out as you release it, it will be more effective. Alternate between your feet. Do this for 10 - 15 minutes.
Take Bach's Rescue Remedy (Flower Remedy). This can help to take the edge off a crisis or panic attack. You can take a few drops under your tongue or drink a glass of water with a few drops in it. If you need to, you can take Rescue Remedy every 15 minutes.
Put a little bit of lavender essence oil on your body, or inhale it. Lavender oil has a calming, soothing effect. Try putting a few drops of lavender essence oil into some oil (olive or grapeseed oil will do) & rub on your body. Keep a prepared mixture in a dark glass bottle for when you need it. You can even prepare several bottles, with a small one to carry with you.
You can also put a few drops of pure essential oil on your pillow or clothes, or on a lightbulb ring (especially for essential oils & fragrance). Or place a few drops of lavender oil in a small amount of water in a spray bottle & spray your room with it.
Other essential oils known to help panic & panic attacks are helichrysum, frankincense & majoram. Smell each of them & use what smells best to you, or a combination of your favourite oils mixed in olive or grapeseed oil.
Breathe into a brown paper bag. If you have lavender essence oil, put in one or two drops for added calming. It might sound silly, but it actually helps you to breathe more fully & to feel calmer.
Use all of your senses to take full notice of what you see, hear, feel & smell in your environment. This will help you to remain present. Panic is generally associated with remembering upsetting events from the past or anticipating something upsetting in the future. Anything that helps keep you focussed in the present will be calming. Here are some suggestions for doing that: holding a pet; looking around your room & noticing the colours, textures & shapes; listening closely to the sounds you hear; calling a friend; and smelling the smells that are near you.
Panic can be a very scary thing to go through, especially if you're alone. Preparing for when the panic comes can really help reduce the panic & even sometimes help to prevent it.
Hi Tammy. I wish you and your husband the best. I suffer from panic attacks too so I know what you and he are going through. It was so difficult for me for so long as well. The doctors did not listen, they only pushed drugs after drugs after drugs. It was terrible. I remember part of that time being so out of it all the time from the drugs.
I tried the therapists too and never really got any real help. I read a ton about it on the internet, but the suggestions I was reading for how to handle it on the net was not what I was getting when I went to the docs.
I went through such a horrible time, I almost got to the point where I couldn't leave the house. I remember having panic attacks at the mall and at restaurants and having to bolt outside. I remember having attacks in meetings at work and that was worse because I didn't want work to know what was going on.
I think it is so hard to let go of the initial panic. Everyone always tells you to relax, but they don't tell you how. And that was so hard for me, learning to relax. Really relax.
I ended getting so fed up with the doctors and the drugs that I quit everything and decided to handle it on my own. And I did for four years. I did manage to get it more under control to where I wasn't so paniky all the time. But I did live with it every single day. After that period of time I reluctently decided to try a new medication and it has helped me a ton. I know I was on it initially after the first and subsiquent attacks but it didn't help enough because I was still so paniky so bad. The med I am on is called Alprazolam. And it is a cheap medication too, so that always helps.
I did find a doctor who referred me to a company called Health Journeys. I now have what I call sleepy music which is just soft music along with guided imagery to help you relax and cope. I have a couple different CDs and I play them every night when I go to bed. Just real soft and they are very relaxing. Their website is www.healthjourneys.com, their phone is 1-800-800-8661. I am in no way affilated with them, I am just passing on something that has worked for me. They have CDs on Releiving Stress, Sleeping Better, Letting Go of Stress, Reduce Stress and Anxiety. All kinds of topics. I use CDs from them for sleep too since I have sleep apnea. I also bought a couple CDs for my sister who is in college and has trouble with taking tests.
I guess even with some of it, you have to take it in baby steps. That helped me. I was 'safe' at home. Then I had to learn how to be 'safe' in the car. Then at work. Then at a restaurant, etc.
I really wish you and your husband the best. I know how bad it is so I hope you find the help you need.
Take care!
I've had themm all my life although a lot less now. Got fed up with meds though. Keep having him try a natural remedy. On my webpage there is also an E-BOOK that you might be interested in. Good Luck.
Answers: *Causes:
Panic disorder has been found to run in families, and this may mean that inheritance plays a strong role in determining who will get it. However, many people who have no family history of the disorder develop it.
Heredity, other biological factors, stressful life events, and thinking in a way that exaggerates relatively normal bodily reactions are all believed to play a role in the onset of panic disorder. Often the first attacks are triggered by physical illnesses, a major life stress, or certain medications. Some people who tend to take on excessive responsibilities may develop a tendency to suffer panic attacks. PTSD patients also show a much higher rate of Panic Disorder than the general population. The exact cause or causes of panic disorder are unknown and are the subject of intense scientific investigation.
Studies in animals and humans have focused on pinpointing the specific brain areas involved in anxiety disorders such as panic disorder. Fear, an emotion that evolved to deal with danger, causes an automatic, rapid protective response that occurs without the need for conscious thought. It has been found that the body's fear response is coordinated by a small but complicated structure deep inside the brain called the amygdala.
Hypoglycemia may also cause panic attacks. In this condition the receptors for insulin do not respond properly to insulin, interfering with the transport of glucose across the membranes of cells. The brain depends on a steady supply of glucose — its only source of energy. When there is a sudden fall in blood sugar levels the brain sends a hormonal signal to the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline. This hormone functions to raise blood sugar levels by converting glycogen into glucose, thus preventing brain starvation, but it is also a panic hormone that is responsible for attacks of fear. The non-drug treatment for this is the adoption of the hypoglycemic diet. [3]
*Treatment:
Panic disorder is real and potentially disabling, but it can be controlled with specific treatments. Because of the disturbing symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for heart disease or some other life-threatening medical illness. This misconception often aggravates or triggers future attacks in the uninformed. People frequently go to hospital emergency rooms when they are having a panic attack, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out these other conditions.
Treatment for panic disorder includes medications and a type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches people about the nature of panic attacks, the cycles of negative thoughts, and demonstrated ways to interrupt the panic process.
Medications can be used to break the psychological connection between a specific phobia and panic attacks, reducing future panic attacks. Medications can include antidepressants (SSRI's, MAOI's, etc.) taken every day, or anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines, e.g. -- Valium, Ativan, Xanax, etc.) during or in anticipation of panic attacks. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack (due to medication) can often break the phobia-panic pattern, allowing people to function around their phobia without the help of medications. However, for minor phobias that develop as a result of the panic attack, with early detection these can be eliminated without medication through monitored cognitive-behavioral therapy or simply by reinserting oneself into the phobic activity. The decision to participate in this therapy personally or through a registered practitioner should always be left to a medical professional.
Often, a combination of psychotherapy and medications produces good results. Some improvement may be noticed in a fairly short period of time--about 6 to 8 weeks. Thus appropriate treatment by an experienced professional can prevent panic attacks or at least substantially reduce their severity and frequency--bringing significant relief to 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. [2] Relapses may occur, but they can often be effectively treated just like the initial episode.
In addition, people with panic disorder may need treatment for other emotional problems. Clinical depression has often been associated with panic disorder, as have alcoholism and drug addiction. About 30% of people with panic disorder use alcohol and 17% use drugs such as cocaine or marijuana to alleviate the anguish and distress caused by their condition. Research has also suggested that suicide attempts are more frequent in people with panic disorder, although this research remains controversial.
As with many disorders, having a support structure of family and friends who understand the condition can help increase the rate of recovery. During an attack, it is not uncommon for the sufferer to develop irrational, immediate fear, which can often be dispelled by a supporter who is familiar with the condition. For more serious or active treatment, there are support groups for anxiety sufferers which can help people understand and deal with the disorder.
Other forms of treatment include journalling, in which a patient records their day-to-day activities and emotions in a log to find and deal with their personal stresses, and breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing. Stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help ameliorate the causes of panic disorder. Many physicians will recommend stress-management, time-management, and emotion-balancing classes and seminars to help patients avoid anxiety in the future.
*Extra Tips:
Feeling panic or having panic attacks can be very frightening. You might experience your heart racing, have difficulty catching your breath & feel pains in your chest. You might hyperventilate, perspire, feel dizzy or nauseous & tremble. Not surprisingly, people sometimes think that they are dying.
There are different ways to deal with & even avoid panic attacks. It can help to recognize the signs of panic as early as possible, because sometimes you can prevent a full-blown panic attack by finding ways to calm yourself in the initial stages. Here are a few suggestions:
When you're not in a panicked state, make a list of the things that you’re afraid will happen. Then write out calming things that tell you the opposite of your fears, that you can repeat to yourself when the panic starts to come.
Prepare a list of things to do in case of panicked feelings, & it will be ready for you when you need it. Fill it with lots of soothing messages & ideas of calming things to do.
Slow your breathing down. Breathing more slowly & deeply has a calming effect. One good way to do this is to let all the air out of your lungs. This forces your lungs to reach for a deeper breath next time. Continue to focus on your out-breath, letting all the air out of your lungs & soon you'll find your breathing is deeper & you feel calmer.
Press your feet, one at a time, into the ground. Feel how connected & rooted they are to the ground. An even better way is to lie down with your bottom near a wall. Place your feet against the wall (your knees are bent) & press your feet one at a time into the wall. If you can breathe in as you press your foot against the wall & breathe out as you release it, it will be more effective. Alternate between your feet. Do this for 10 - 15 minutes.
Take Bach's Rescue Remedy (Flower Remedy). This can help to take the edge off a crisis or panic attack. You can take a few drops under your tongue or drink a glass of water with a few drops in it. If you need to, you can take Rescue Remedy every 15 minutes.
Put a little bit of lavender essence oil on your body, or inhale it. Lavender oil has a calming, soothing effect. Try putting a few drops of lavender essence oil into some oil (olive or grapeseed oil will do) & rub on your body. Keep a prepared mixture in a dark glass bottle for when you need it. You can even prepare several bottles, with a small one to carry with you.
You can also put a few drops of pure essential oil on your pillow or clothes, or on a lightbulb ring (especially for essential oils & fragrance). Or place a few drops of lavender oil in a small amount of water in a spray bottle & spray your room with it.
Other essential oils known to help panic & panic attacks are helichrysum, frankincense & majoram. Smell each of them & use what smells best to you, or a combination of your favourite oils mixed in olive or grapeseed oil.
Breathe into a brown paper bag. If you have lavender essence oil, put in one or two drops for added calming. It might sound silly, but it actually helps you to breathe more fully & to feel calmer.
Use all of your senses to take full notice of what you see, hear, feel & smell in your environment. This will help you to remain present. Panic is generally associated with remembering upsetting events from the past or anticipating something upsetting in the future. Anything that helps keep you focussed in the present will be calming. Here are some suggestions for doing that: holding a pet; looking around your room & noticing the colours, textures & shapes; listening closely to the sounds you hear; calling a friend; and smelling the smells that are near you.
Panic can be a very scary thing to go through, especially if you're alone. Preparing for when the panic comes can really help reduce the panic & even sometimes help to prevent it.
Hi Tammy. I wish you and your husband the best. I suffer from panic attacks too so I know what you and he are going through. It was so difficult for me for so long as well. The doctors did not listen, they only pushed drugs after drugs after drugs. It was terrible. I remember part of that time being so out of it all the time from the drugs.
I tried the therapists too and never really got any real help. I read a ton about it on the internet, but the suggestions I was reading for how to handle it on the net was not what I was getting when I went to the docs.
I went through such a horrible time, I almost got to the point where I couldn't leave the house. I remember having panic attacks at the mall and at restaurants and having to bolt outside. I remember having attacks in meetings at work and that was worse because I didn't want work to know what was going on.
I think it is so hard to let go of the initial panic. Everyone always tells you to relax, but they don't tell you how. And that was so hard for me, learning to relax. Really relax.
I ended getting so fed up with the doctors and the drugs that I quit everything and decided to handle it on my own. And I did for four years. I did manage to get it more under control to where I wasn't so paniky all the time. But I did live with it every single day. After that period of time I reluctently decided to try a new medication and it has helped me a ton. I know I was on it initially after the first and subsiquent attacks but it didn't help enough because I was still so paniky so bad. The med I am on is called Alprazolam. And it is a cheap medication too, so that always helps.
I did find a doctor who referred me to a company called Health Journeys. I now have what I call sleepy music which is just soft music along with guided imagery to help you relax and cope. I have a couple different CDs and I play them every night when I go to bed. Just real soft and they are very relaxing. Their website is www.healthjourneys.com, their phone is 1-800-800-8661. I am in no way affilated with them, I am just passing on something that has worked for me. They have CDs on Releiving Stress, Sleeping Better, Letting Go of Stress, Reduce Stress and Anxiety. All kinds of topics. I use CDs from them for sleep too since I have sleep apnea. I also bought a couple CDs for my sister who is in college and has trouble with taking tests.
I guess even with some of it, you have to take it in baby steps. That helped me. I was 'safe' at home. Then I had to learn how to be 'safe' in the car. Then at work. Then at a restaurant, etc.
I really wish you and your husband the best. I know how bad it is so I hope you find the help you need.
Take care!
I've had themm all my life although a lot less now. Got fed up with meds though. Keep having him try a natural remedy. On my webpage there is also an E-BOOK that you might be interested in. Good Luck.
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