No more panic attacks, Just a generlized state of anxiety all day?

[Dwet]

Hi everyone, this may seem a little weird.  When I get a panic attack anymore its not what i used to get.  I used to get the racing heart, great fear, trouble breathing, all the good stuff haha.  when i get a "panic attack" now, its very short, but then the symptoms of depersonalization, dreaminess, racing thoughts, constantly monitoring myself, (heart rate, Breathing, visual things, ect.).  This last all day and nite and the next day and so on.  It wont stop unless i take some sort of medication like ativan, then im fine. As soon as the ativan wears of the symptoms slowly creep back, cause a full blown panic attack and then im right back where i was in the first place.  Its hard trying to function like that, and im losing hope fast because i know i cant take ativan forever.  Any suggestions?

[sgately11]

Wow you hit the nail on the head. In my teens to mid twenties it used to be text book buzzing head, racing heart, adrenaline dump, disassociation, and then shakiness and back to normal. Now that I am nearing my mid thirties my heart barely races, but I get hit with wave after wave of disassociation and derealization and obsessive thoughts about health that literally attack me and dont let go. along with a more generalized anxiety.

Also i dont know if you guys experience this but it seems like this disorder has its own intelligence, possibly our subconscious, but it would seem that once I could care less about a symptom it changes and morphs into something that will make me anxious, like hitting me with severe derealization in the middle of a business conversation, brain zaps, or mild dizziness. All non distinct and not severe just enough to worry about.

I came of Klonopin last January and had an episode of Tachycardia at the gym that lasted 15 minutes, and I swear it still bothers me because at that point my OCD mind took off and did not stop worrying about anything and everything heart related for 6 months. A Dr. friend of mine finally had to ask me to throw away my pulse monitor because I became obsessed with my heart rate, so yes I know exactly what you are talking about.

[087drrgh]

Hey, im going through the same thing myself as dwet, last night i had a few alcoholic drinks and it went away, i was so delighted and then i woke up today and it creeped up on me after an hour or so, but being coming onto this forum and reading posts like this always makes me feel better, just knowing that i'm not the only one suffering. im not on any medication as i would rather try and get over it myself naturally, hope it works for me.. :)

[andrewm88]

everything you have posted on here since you joined has been eerily parallel to my story! lol not that thats a bad thing! well i can tell you this is exactly how it progressed with me. the panic attacks started dying down and if they did occur they were very short, even when i do get them they are very short lived, however the symptoms you described are pretty much my everyday. depersonalization, dreaminess and constantly monitoring myself with the slightest irregularity in my physical function obviously means i have some HORRIBLE illness. sigh. what i can tell you is that the feelings will die down after a while, i cant promise they will go away but they will fluctuate at a level where u can deal with them, and some days u wont even notice! its all how anxiety works! but if ur panic attacks are going away thats means the zoloft is working, now my doctor did tell me for the first few weeks ur on an antidepressant it can make u feel spaced, dreamy and depersonalized so this may be ur case? just know that the feeling will pass! when your feeling depersonalized DONT start to ***** how you percieve everything, i tend to do this all the time and it makes it worse! just let it be and go on with what your doing, although i know easier said than done, i think depersonalization is one of the worst things that comes with anxiety :( i would also suggest you start taking vitamin b complex 100mg and omega 3 fishoils daily, they really help!