HORRIBLE PANIC ATTACKS/ANXIETY EPISODES. NOWHERE LEFT TO TURN

[gorevette]

I suffer from SEVERE panic attacks and anxiety episodes ranging from being angry and irritable to crying uncontrollably. Every time it feels like my heart is going to jump out of my chest, I can't breathe, I sweat uncontrollably, and my head races. I can't control it at all. It is starting to take a toll on my relationship.  Sometimes it comes out of nowhere but sometimes I get anxious over the silliest things like walking into work and getting fired or sometimes I can't leave my house for fear of when I go outside that people are thinking bad things about me. I can't sleep at night when it happens at all and stay up all night or I wake up from a deep sleep terrified. I've tried everything to take care of it. For instance, at home remedies. I exercise every day and eat good. I have tried yoga and meditation, John Wort's,etc. I've been to many doctors in the past and have been put on Zoloft and Effexor XR but they did NOTHING for the panic attacks. They just keep going worse and I feel like if this continues it's going to seriously kill me or drive me crazy. I even haven't gotten my period FOR 8 MONTHS because my anxiety has gotten so bad and nothing else is wrong. I went to a gynecologist last week about it and it was confirmed it was just my stress and anxiety level and she did NOTHING for me, basically just sympathized with me and let me go. I left in tears. I dont' have insurance anymore and although I've been to some clinics, probably about four in the past year no doctor hears me out and they either don't give me waht I need because they think I'm lying or something to get drugs or don't listen to me at all and seem to think it's not as serious as it is. What do you think I should do?! It's really really really bad.

[Robynn145]

Listen to me, u are fine, absolutely fine. I'm not going to type a very long paragraph but I can tell u I have had panic disorder for over 20 yrs. Things can be a whole lot better for u and u can   recover. PLEASE BELIEVE ME. I KNOW IT CAN BE HARD POSTING ON HERE AND WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO ANSWER. That can make the anxiety worse. I am a mother of 3 and happily married, and I have some sure remedies that can help u feel better NOW, and  no they are not drugs, LOL, But I promise I can help u. If u would like to talk u arme welcome to contact me by phone, and NO, I'm not some kind of weirdo, I just know exactly what u are going through, and when mine first started I had nobody. My #317 215-4430. U may block ur number if u like, I will still answer, My name is Robynn. I'm up till about Midnight so dont hesitate to call if u need to. I can help. Take Care

[gorevette]

You're right, it is good to know I'm not alone. Sometimes I feel like I am because no one around me has this problem. Most of the time when I'm having a panic attack my boyfriend has no idea what to do so he ends up just sitting there not saying a word which just makes it worse so I have to go into a separate room. Or rarely, he'll just tell me to make it stop as if it was that easy. I've been to a therapist but it didn't stop the panic attacks. It's getting worse, like at work i feel like everything is surreal and all i hear is echoes and everything is foggy most of the time, like I'm in a dream. Which is why I don't like going out of the house a lot of the times but I don't want to live my life like that! Plus, I don't have health insurance so a therapist isn't even an option for me. I'm just looking to get prescribed Xanax or Klonopin or something maybe along with Zoloft or whatever that I can take for when those episodes happen. I've had to wait two months to go see a clinic doctor and then get referred to a mental health professional there but hopefully the doctor will just help me. My appointment is sometime in May and hopefully he listens to me, if he doesn't I don't know what I would do cause then I would just have to wait another two months or so for another appointment. I'll keep you posted, thanks for responding, it's good to know someone else knows exactly how I feel and how helpless it is.

[little_blue_jay]

Sorry you're going through such a rough time! Ironic that you mention that anxiety has caused your periods to stop, I actually just posted a thread about that as I too am noticing over the last few months my periods getting shorter & shorter, I really wasn't sure whether anxiety was able to affect a woman's cycle like that! Sorry that your gyno didn't do anything to help you out - I'm assuming she did all of the necessary tests? I know what you mean about some doctors don't hear you out or take you seriously - I have the same problem here in Ontario, I've been using walk-in clinics for years as I just could not find a family doctor till just this week, took me years to find this one, so I didn't have any access to any specialists at all, and you were sent to a gyno who didn't do anything, that is sad. So many allopathic doctors at clinics are like that, they think you're just seeking attention or trying to get drugs, etc. I see a naturopath as he's all I could find, but I still need the clinic to get bloodwork done, and even then they don't hardly want to do the tests, as soon as you say 'my naturopath wants such and such tested' they get stubborn... it is frustrating! Not getting your period for 8 months is a long time! I have the insomnia too, when I know I have to wake up early, I might as well not even go to bed as I know I won't sleep, I've gone in to work on no sleep so many times, which then makes me anxious about the effects of no sleep, it's a vicious cycle, so I really know what you mean! I find that it really does help to know you're not the only one! Has your family doctor referred you to a therapist? I've read good things about cognitive behavioural therapy in this forum (crossing my fingers my new doc sends me to someone who does that!) Sounds like the meds just didn't help, maybe therapy would help you?

Keep us posted on how you're dealing with this, you're not alone.