How I overcome my Panic attacks. My story - Feel free to make this a sticky topic

Sandina · Post by **Sandina** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:41 am

I posted my "triumph" story about 6 months ago. I have been feeling 95% great, like you, for quite awhile now, but yes, every now and then it comes back. I have noticed that when it does, I am more able to handle it and talk myself through it, but sometimes that doesn't just make it go away instantly. It's like I have to walk through it.

I think because of the Christmas holiday and all the stress that comes with it, I've been more on edge. I also acknowledge that I have been eating nothing but bad food- fat and sugar! I haven't exercized in awhile and I've been running around busy every day.

I think for those of us who have come through anxiety to a better place, it is almost worse when it comes back.

Hang in there!

[But like you, every once in a while the thoughts creep back. I would say 2-4 times a year I will have an episode and it totally sucks BUT you are right, you get through it. Actually, I've been battling one for the past week, and it is why I have joined this forum. I find it very therapeutic reading others stories and talking about my own. Again, you couldn't be more right about attaching no importance to the thoughts...because I struggle NOT to, but I usually do. I'm like a hypochondriac when they come on. Will they go away this time? What if I feel like this forever? Anyway, thanks for your post. It helped give me some reassurance and hope that I will be back to my old self some time soon.
God Bless.[/QUOTE]

Helpless7 · Post by **Helpless7** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:55 am

Originally posted by Sandina:
I posted my "triumph" story about 6 months ago. I have been feeling 95% great, like you, for quite awhile now, but yes, every now and then it comes back. I have noticed that when it does, I am more able to handle it and talk myself through it, but sometimes that doesn't just make it go away instantly. It's like I have to walk through it.

I think because of the Christmas holiday and all the stress that comes with it, I've been more on edge. I also acknowledge that I have been eating nothing but bad food- fat and sugar! I haven't exercized in awhile and I've been running around busy every day.

I think for those of us who have come through anxiety to a better place, it is almost worse when it comes back.

Hang in there!

[But like you, every once in a while the thoughts creep back. I would say 2-4 times a year I will have an episode and it totally sucks BUT you are right, you get through it. Actually, I've been battling one for the past week, and it is why I have joined this forum. I find it very therapeutic reading others stories and talking about my own. Again, you couldn't be more right about attaching no importance to the thoughts...because I struggle NOT to, but I usually do. I'm like a hypochondriac when they come on. Will they go away this time? What if I feel like this forever? Anyway, thanks for your post. It helped give me some reassurance and hope that I will be back to my old self some time soon.
God Bless.

[/QUOTE]

That is a great post.

I believe a major mistake people with anxiety make is "trying hard" to get better.

Lets face it anxiety is really painful. The panic attacks seem endless and it feels as though you have to deal with it for the rest of your life. So it only makes sense for people to do whatever they can to drag themselves out of it right? That's exactly where people go wrong.

Our enemies in life are only as big and scary as we want them to be and the more we think about something the more important it becomes. People who want to get rich think about money all the time, people who love food think about fine restaurants and food all the time, people who love cars can always be found at car shows and races. That's because it is important to them. People with panic attacks have involuntarily made stress and panic important to themselves simply by the very act that they try to get rid of them.

Holly J · Post by **Holly J** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:55 am

WOW! I don't even know what to say. That is one of the greatest posts I have ever read. I am so proud of you and I am so grateful you posted this. It helped me so much. When you said "People with panic attacks have involuntarily made stress and panic important to themselves simply by the very act that they try to get rid of them." It kinda woke me up a bit. It is SO true. The more we try and fix it or think about how we have it the more it will stick around. Your story was very touching. I understand how you felt. I have OCD , panic disorder and depression. I do take meds and they have helped but of course not taken it away and I still get my intense moments. i get scary thoughts and always think what if i go crazy or what if i stay depressed forever or never change??!! So me thinking this is kinda like me making a hobbie out of anxiety/depression huh? I never thought of it that way. Thank you SO much for you post. It was a great thing to read right first thing in the morning.

Helpless7 · Post by **Helpless7** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:51 pm

Originally posted by Holly J:
WOW! I don't even know what to say. That is one of the greatest posts I have ever read. I am so proud of you and I am so grateful you posted this. It helped me so much. When you said "People with panic attacks have involuntarily made stress and panic important to themselves simply by the very act that they try to get rid of them." It kinda woke me up a bit. It is SO true. The more we try and fix it or think about how we have it the more it will stick around. Your story was very touching. I understand how you felt. I have OCD , panic disorder and depression. I do take meds and they have helped but of course not taken it away and I still get my intense moments. i get scary thoughts and always think what if i go crazy or what if i stay depressed forever or never change??!! So me thinking this is kinda like me making a hobbie out of anxiety/depression huh? I never thought of it that way. Thank you SO much for you post. It was a great thing to read right first thing in the morning.

I'm glad my post has helped.

Yes you have made anxiety a hobby for yourself. In fact you think feeling this way will "keep you safe" from whatever you are afraid of and in a way it has become a routine or a hobby that goes in a cycle. It is not dangerous, it's just painful to go through it every day.

I would suggest doing things that would keep you busy, get active step by step. Change your lifestyle at a slow pace so your mind doesnt notice a major difference and send you back into the anxiety mode.

Let me know if I can be of further help

LisaLisa · Post by **LisaLisa** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:56 am

Helpless7:
Congratulations and Thank You for your inspirational story. I lived with panic and anxiety for 20 years before I decided to deal with it and not run and hide from it. I found a fantastic therapist in November 2007, she guided me to the StressCenter.com and my life has completely changed. I now know when my OCD and anxiety start to creep in that it is just that - anxiety. I flow with it and it flows right away.

I am happy for you.

LisaLisa

Marie85 · Post by **Marie85** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:14 am

Hello Helpless,
Just a thought. You speak so highly of your therapist but you havent went into detail of how helpful or not the program was for you. I would love to hear how the program worked in your benefit. and so glad to hear that you have overcame this!

Helpless7 · Post by **Helpless7** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:59 pm

Originally posted by Marie85:
Hello Helpless,
Just a thought. You speak so highly of your therapist but you havent went into detail of how helpful or not the program was for you. I would love to hear how the program worked in your benefit. and so glad to hear that you have overcame this!

Hi Marie,

I did try the program but did not go past the first tape or so. That could partly be due to the fact that I am impatient and when I want something I cannot wait for it or that it made me feel abnormal if I tried an exercise or program (please don't ask me to explain this later one)

I know little about the actual program but from what I know it is useful. I guess some methods work differently for different people but Lucinda seems to actually have gone through anxiety and therefore knows how to overcome it. My knowledge of the actual program is limited to that.

Helpless7 · Post by **Helpless7** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:27 pm

Havn't been on here for a while now. How is everyone doing these days?

Camnuck · Post by **Camnuck** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:47 pm

Hi Helpless, I too am in the recruitment industry and live in Sydney !! .
For any Aussie's suffering disorders like depression or Anxiety.. The Australian Government has allowed medicare to cover phycologist sessions (at least a healthy percentage)

Faith_TX · Post by **Faith_TX** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:54 am

Thanks for sharing your story. I can relate to it very much. I am constantly doing what you described. . . finding somem "cure" and feeling better for awhile, and then it "wears off". I also have a counselor that I visit as needed.

I'm experiencing a setback right now and hoping it doesn't last too long. . . but trying not to rush it away.

Two weeks ago I experienced the shaking all over thing which I'd only had one other time. I had myself pretty worked up!! Now I'm trying to be kind to myself as my nerves heal up from that scare. It seems like I make mountains out of molehills and I need to learn not to do that.