Panic Attacks: Everybody Has Them?

I suffer from Panic disorder, though not so much anymore.
I am functional for the most part though my brain still tries to tell me I am not.
For 30 years I was a type A personality, then a huge cluster of screwy events happened most of which were not pleasant and quite scary, triggering my panic. Doesn’t really matter so much the “what” happened but more so what is happening now and how I’ve learned to cope.

I was a bit arrogant with my intellect, I did secretly frown upon anyone with a psychological disorder thinking it weak minded. Until it happened to me. I had my first attack in a restaurant and I was convinced it was a blood sugar issue when the ambulance toted me out and checked my vitals.
When it happened while driving my car on the interstate, that was a different entity altogether. I felt as if I were passing out, I felt as if I were dying, I felt as if my heart was going to explode, I was drenched in sweat, I was unable to drive my car and pulled over and went via ambulance to the hospital for further testing. Heart monitors, MRI , ekg, The diagnosis was panic.
By then it turned to clusters of them, I walked in circles around my house afraid to go anywhere or be with anyone lest they bear witness, and worst of all to be alone. I could not drive my car at all. Claustrophobia kicked in as well.

I lay outside with my husband repeating over and over again that I went from fine to “nuts” within 24 hours. It was terrifying. He was my rock.

I was put on zoloft, 50 mgs but that in itself doesn’t take care of it. I had to work. I had to retrain my brain. I had to lean on someone and lower my expectations of my self.

Panic is a real physical response to a subconscious desire to flee. Panic disorder is fear of panic. A disabling strong fear of panic. I’m daily working to overcome it. I no longer take drugs, I drive on the interstate just fine ( as long as I’m not stuck in the left lane). For the most part I have my life back but I am forever changed. I am not the risk taker I was, no more bungee jumps for me. I try to avoid caffeine and other stimulants but I don’t have the time or inclination for the yoga and other exercises.

I rarely talk about it with others as they always respond with “I get them too” which if you really did, you wouldn’t be bragging about it. It is not to be confused with an anxious feeling.
People can help a sufferer a lot by simply listening. What helped me was hearing and reciting mantras. “No one has ever died from a panic attack” , “It will go away typically within 20 minutes”, “You will not go insane and embarass yourself in public”, “You can breathe and your heart will stop pounding”, ” you will not pass all the way out and become unable to pull your car to the side of the road”, and my favorite: “People for the most part are kind and helpful if you ask, they are to be sought out not escaped from in the midst of an attack”.


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