Panic Attacks

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by seedywagon

Yeah thanks, I'm trying hard.
I need to lose some stresses in my life so I can sit back and learn how to better cope with them. My problem is I've been a life long worrier, I have some pretty distorted thinking some times, playing worst case scenarios out before doing anything, it's not a nice way to live. In many ways I'm glad this has all come to the surface, because it's an opportunity to improve my quality of life!

Regarding your comments in red: I am exactly the same and strongly believe that people who are very analytical are more likely to develop anxiety related issues. It is said that "ignorance is bliss" and I believe this very much. Some of the happiest people I know are very 'simple minded' characters.

[seedywagon]

You're not the first one to raise this hypothesis I think, anxiety and excessive worrying has been shown to be quite prevalent among analytical types, as well as those in the high IQ intelligence bracket. I would describe myself as very analytical by nature, which probably explains why I've gravitated towards a career in engineering. You probably relate to this too I'd imagine, and I agree with your 'ignorance is bliss' sentiment too, sometimes I wish I could just switch off!

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by seedywagon

You're not the first one to raise this hypothesis I think, anxiety and excessive worrying has been shown to be quite prevalent among analytical types, as well as those in the high IQ intelligence bracket. I would describe myself as very analytical by nature, which probably explains why I've gravitated towards a career in engineering. You probably relate to this too I'd imagine, and I agree with your 'ignorance is bliss' sentiment too, sometimes I wish I could just switch off!

LOL. I am a mechanical engineer.

[seedywagon]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

LOL. I am a mechanical engineer.

This is not surprising at all haha.
I'm still studying, Civil/Business.

[gtfpv]

LOL . im in engineerings trades . people at work do crosswords and suduko to keep thier minds sharp , i always tell them its better to let your mind slowly lose its sharpness , so you can become simple and happy . hahahah

there is a lot of truth in the matter though , it is also a known fact that such people are more prone to dementia.

[seedywagon]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

LOL . im in engineerings trades . people at work do crosswords and suduko to keep thier minds sharp , i always tell them its better to let your mind slowly lose its sharpness , so you can become simple and happy . hahahah

LOL so you also scheme ways of 'dumbing' out? Haha I find certain channels on foxtel works well, there's one particular channel that makes me feel like my brain is actually shrinking, it's awesome!!

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

LOL . im in engineerings trades . people at work do crosswords and suduko to keep thier minds sharp , i always tell them its better to let your mind slowly lose its sharpness , so you can become simple and happy . hahahah

there is a lot of truth in the matter though , it is also a known fact that such people are more prone to dementia.

Lunch time at work was regularly spent doing Sudoku puzzles.

Seriously, we all must learn to relax.

[brett7777]

Used to have some panic attacks, not a nice experience. My older son also used to have them.
I say 'used to' because we don't have them anymore. There is a great book by a guy called Ray Comfort that shows you how to get free of them.
http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Pan.../dp/0882700146

[seedywagon]

Feeling a tad better these days, I think the Zoloft increase is starting to take effect, still not 100% though.

[Resurrection]

We should consider ourselves lucky. There was a time not so long ago where people with anxiety issues would be sent to asylums such as those pictured in the link:

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/p...-1226471746055

[Resurrection]

An update for fellow AFF members with anxiety issues. I have been drinking on a daily basis camomile tea for about a week and a have noticed an improvement in my residual anxiety levels. It did not happen immediately and it may not work for everybody but any bit helps. So I thought I'd share my experience with my own issue.

[my_gxl]

Valium on long plane flights does the trick

[Resurrection]

Anybody had any experience trying to get off SSRI medication? I've been on Paroxetine since 2007. If I go more than three days without it I suffer withdrawal symptons.

[my_gxl]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Anybody had any experience trying to get off SSRI medication? I've been on Paroxetine since 2007. If I go more than three days without it I suffer withdrawal symptons.

Your doctor will tell you which dosage to adjust to so you can come off slowly.

[NC_Steve]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Anybody had any experience trying to get off SSRI medication? I've been on Paroxetine since 2007. If I go more than three days without it I suffer withdrawal symptons.

Best way to come off an SSRI is very very slowly. I'm talking shaving the pills with a razor blade kind of slow! With Paroxetine I have heard of people switching to Prozac which has a longer half life and then tapering down with the Prozac but I have not tried that myself so dont know how well it works. Like always best to speak to your doctor.

[blueoval]

first time I have seen this thread.

I never used to suffer from panic attacks. I always wondered what the big deal was with my mates when they would hyperventilate, feel nauseous, or nervous about something they haven't even done yet.

I only started to develop these sort of symptoms in the past year or 2. Mainly related to my cycling that I do. I love cycling, and will take any opportunity to ride when Im not working. But over the past few years I have felt that there is a build of anxiety leading up to a ride. Like I feel like I need to perform and if I don't I would feel depressed about it.

With some of my mates, it is a big thing for them to go hard or go home. I'm of the opposite, and prefer to ride because I enjoy being out and not feeling like its an all out competitive game. Sometimes I feel as if I need to perform to keep up with them. Often I'll bail out of a group ride because im uptight and get all anxious about an hour before my departure.

Might sound weird to some of you guys. But it's something new to me. It can sometimes happen with other things. Go Karting for instance. I love it. But an hour before Im panicking about it. Again, it's a performance thing.

[danzvtil]

guys, this thread is awsome, cant believe i just found it.
I had my first panic attack at 15, the main symptom was shortness of breath which i thought was asthma, but after a whole day puffing on ventolin, I knew it wasnt.

As described by others, feelings of fear, dread,panic, loss of perspective are key issues. The first one is the scariest.Subsequent ones can be easier if you know what to expect and have someone you trust know so you dont need to explain to them.

Now 18 years later, I still feel them comming on but can mostly keep them under control, mine are exacerbated by excess or prolonged caffeine consumption or stress. Strangely enough, while in the middle of an attack, i am conscious of whats happening, another part of my brain KNOWS theres no immediate threat, KNOWS i am safe, but the rest of my body reacts like its not.
Im naturally introverted and dont like spending time around lots of people, so my job as a sales rep can be exhausting somedays especially when im having a bad week.
I had a colleague who i would never talk to. One day we got talking on the phone, he said he suffers from depression and thought i was too positive to ever want to hear what he has to say. We realised that day that we were both suffering form varying degrees of the same condition and now talk several times a day just to vent, and that i can be a great actor at looking happy and contented when im not.

I find having trusted people who know what im going thru, a great comfort, and encourage anyone to see a doc if you are experiencing symptoms, they will be a wealth of information.
Daniel

[vibe_xr6]

I've been off anti depressants for 7 months now, was sweet to start with but they are slowly coming back but I'm not going back on them, it's mind over matter and I want to get past it myself, I find the gym helps me alot, I still feel the like I'm gunna die but I know that it's anxiety so I just try and get past it. Part of life, ill eventually get past it.

[ILLaViTaR]

A modified paleo diet with no sugars and no starches cures the majority depression/anixety/stress disorders.

[Madaya]

Hi Mates,
Yeah, to all of the above, I'm sitting in the same Life Boat.
Can the clay say to the Potter, "why have you made me like this"?

I am 50. Seen a lot, experienced a lot.

Mates, drop a line, PM even. I'll call if you can't.

[Cuyper]

I know a couple of people including my brother who have severe panic attacks and have developed such anxiety and fear of having attacks. They've become house bound for many years/decades. It's quite a serious problem on your life. One guy I know hasn't left his house/shed at all for the entire 20 years I've known him. Like most mental problems it's the highly intelligent that suffer the most, the more things that are running around in your mind the more likely you have trouble containing the thoughts, luckily most these guys are capable of finding a way of surviving via the Internet without having to leave home these days. Wish you guys the best with it.

[Ford_The_Win]

As a psychologist it is fantastic to see all you lads being so supportive of one another. A strong social support network is a very valuable resource you should all use as tool with which to battle whatever issue you're facing. I have a family history of mental illness and have battled severe depression, PTSD and social anxiety in the past, and it is still something I need to face from time to time, it's just part of who I am and my life experience. It is what it is, and fortunately, I have learned ways to overcome these issues. I think part of the reason I chose to become a psychologist was to better understand my own inner demons. Sometimes it feels like swimming against a current but with the help of your doctors, families and each other, you all have the capacity to get where you want to be. I am here if anybody has questions or concerns, believe it or not we aren't all witch doctors or Dr. Phil clones

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

A modified paleo diet with no sugars and no starches cures the majority depression/anixety/stress disorders.

Sorry ILLaViTaR but this is absolutely not true, not even remotely. There is no credible scientific evidence to support this claim, and historical evidence has shown that mental illness has been recognised for thousands of years.

[gtfpv]

recently had an experience with my younger brother, he is 42 and married , and has lost jobs within 2 months atleast 6 times in a row . the family was starting to laugh at him , little did we know this was a warning sign .
over the last 6 months he lost 10kgs , stopped answering the phone , lost 3 jobs , and his excuise on weight loss was that he is worried !!!! during this time i pleaded with him to see a doctor , but did not help him other than suggestions , he went to a docor for blood tests , health was good , and left it at that . slipped through the cracks again , with a miss diagnosis , or sidelined excuses .
anyhow , the last job lasted 2 months and he got sacked again , this time he went home and cried all night with his wife , he subtly got up through the night , and wrote a msg on the blackboard in the kitchen --- "no one will ever see me again " the next morning his wife got up and went to work , ignored the msg on the blackboard --- slip through the crack number- 2 .
that day a concreter came to lay the new driveway , and my brother never came out to greet the concreter even though the concreter could see him sitting on the lounge ignoring the door knocks . the concreter rang his wife concerned about this . and just concreted the driveway whilst my brither stayed inside . ( slipped through the cracks no.3 .
that night at 9.30 my brothers wife found my brother in the back seat of his car not moving but just staring at the roof , with the car locked and key in the ignition . but conscieous . she rang me . i told her to ring police and ambulance immediately . she refused , i then told her to knock on the window and and tell him i'm on the phone and i want to talk to him and come over for a coffee , when she did this i heard a yell out f' off , followed by wheel spinning and he drove off on the rwrong side of the road , no lights untill dissapeared .
i went over there , and rang police when i saw the note on the blackboard . within 30 minutes the police found him in the car dazed and unaware of his surroundings , and took him to hospital psych .
we were lucky we got him before that night was over and he is now in recovery .

DONT IGNORE THE SIGNS !!! DEPRESSION CAN TURN INTO PSYCHOSIS . .
HE IS ONA PROGRAM NOW AND needs care and recovery . this was not drug or alcohol related .

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Sorry ILLaViTaR but this is absolutely not true, not even remotely. There is no credible scientific evidence to support this claim, and historical evidence has shown that mental illness has been recognised for thousands of years.

Sorry but this is absolutely not true.

There is plenty of credible scientific evidence to support this claim it's been scientifically proven for years now.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla...gh-245617.aspx
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...t-second-brain
http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety...ction-anxiety/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0517110315.htm

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Sorry but this is absolutely not true.

There is plenty of credible scientific evidence to support this claim it's been scientifically proven for years now.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla...gh-245617.aspx
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...t-second-brain
http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety...ction-anxiety/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0517110315.htm

I don't mean to turn this into a slanging match bud, I wasn't having a go at you personally. Those studies you've linked, one of which had a mere 36 people, and one of which was conducted using mice, don't state anywhere that following a "paleo" diet and cutting out carbs and/or sugars would have any effect on anxiety or depression, nor was it the researchers' intention to investigate this or make this claim. They suggest that gut flora are linked to mental function and this is already well researched in scientific literature. The study on mice suggests that disruption to healthy gut flora actually reduced cautiousness and anxiety in the mice. The words carb or sugar aren't even mentioned in any of those links you've provided. You've not provided evidence that actually backs up the claim you made earlier, so we're back to square one unfortunately.

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

I don't mean to turn this into a slanging match bud, I wasn't having a go at you personally. Those studies you've linked, one of which had a mere 36 people, and one of which was conducted using mice, don't state anywhere that following a "paleo" diet and cutting out carbs and/or sugars would have any effect on anxiety or depression, nor was it the researchers' intention to investigate this or make this claim. They suggest that gut flora are linked to mental function and this is already well researched in scientific literature. The study on mice suggests that disruption to healthy gut flora actually reduced cautiousness and anxiety in the mice. The words carb or sugar aren't even mentioned in any of those links you've provided. You've not provided evidence that actually backs up the claim you made earlier, so we're back to square one unfortunately.

I know but I've been a victim of these incorrect beliefs for years it just frustrates me to still have to battle them. The gut brain connection has been well established and replicated in humans as well as the phenomenon of gastrointestinal permeability (leaky gut). Sounds like you don't want to actually understand those studies however.

You outlook is somewhat like battling religion. I mean athiests can't prove god isn't real right? Ignore the 36 humans and the actual proof in the science that explains how it works, there's a full understanding of how the bacteria affect the enteric nervous system down to the neuron explaining the anxiety/mood disorder, it's not just a crude link.
A paleo diet won't work it was just a guideline lectins and frucose and all other sugars will keep these microbes thriving strong. Sugar/carbs and starch are the food sources for bacteria hence why they need to be removed. I've been diagnosed with a pathogenic strain of blastocystis hominis (a gut bacteria in this new science) and there are many unknown microbes that can accommodate the environment blasto creates. By going of sugar and starch you are neutralizing the symptoms of the microbiota. There is still many undiscovered microbes that could be very well pathogenic.. They thought blasto was a harmless yeast until only a couple of years ago.. then it was finally concluded to be pathogenic in soem strains, a protozoa, and now it's considered part of the mould family. My anxiety/stress levels are borderline psychotic when i'm on a normal gluten/grain/sugar diet with a fermenting gut.

Instead of arguing you can actually prove it to yourself and pinpoint if food is the source of the illness within just 2 days by drinking filtered water and steamed green veg (no starch, steam them in filtered water).

You'll feel completely different, enough 10 times over to identify if foods/gut are the root your anxiety/moods. I'm a completely different person within the day. But you won't be magically cured as it's a lot more complicated than that.. You'll never get anywhere with an attitude like yours. For example I've done that steam veggie diet for weeks, taken black walnut, wild oregano, saccaromyces boullardi (supposed to be very effective against blastocystis), cloves and wormwood and I still can't eradicate it. The moment I break my diet and touch anything besides meat and green veg it breaks out again and I'm back to square one. I can barely function from the state of mind it puts me in, houselocked, can't socialize, dizzy, unco ordinated, distorted senses it's essentially a very mild form of psychosis without all the hallucinations/extremes, I would appear to someone like some of the homeless people you see. There's no real category/label for this illness to go in.

So I've consulted the Centre of digestive Diseases in Sydney, whom referred me to well respected gastroenterologist Dr Paul Froomes in Essendon and was prescribed the triple drug therapy for blasto (Nitazoxanide, Furazolidone, & Secnidazole if you need to know) and after the 10 day treatment I will take another test to see if the blasto is finally gone. The triple drug has a 95% success rate. But According to you all this stuff is made up and doesn't exist so I should ignore these professionals.

This is my story of trying to eradicate one mere gut bug. If it was as easy as a restrictive diet I would've fully recovered the 3 years ago when I was aware of it. It's not that simple. in addition to the probiotic yeast and anti parasite concoctions I still failed to eradicate blasto. Requiring triple antibiotics. Casey superclinic despite identifying the blasto had no idea what even was and prescribed flagyl (a general antibiotic) which of course failed hence my push to a competent medical body such as the CDC in Sydney. God knows how many people have blasto/other pathogenic microbes. They're unknown to every doctor they'd see.

[SSD-85]

The idea of something working for someone shouldn't be ignored. It is when people start to assume it will work for everyone it becomes bad science.

[Davehoos]

I have genetic history of family members with anxiety attacks and most live long lives. there has been minimal suicides. very few receive treatment for a cause only symptoms. I also have majority of middle class family members in the engineering trades and high academic achievers. my father in his late 70's has always been unable to travel on public transport or in large crowds. but runs a farm. grand fathers -great grandfathers ran buisnesses and controlled ships. female side has been rock solid religious--but I have a loopy sister with a business degree. I have a daughter that a bit asburg- will soon be doing tests for advanced schooling. I been tested many times during school and they claimed at 120% band I have no problems and should go to university..after leaving school because I wasn't able to get a uni position.I was diagnosed with dyslexia and glandular fever,[Epstein–Barr virus] and ross river. anxiety attack was claimed to be liver function shut down. caused by scar tissue from the virus. in the 90's I went on diet and lost 30-40 KG and had to give up work and social life. I moved home and worked casual living on a salt river eating farm fresh-IM now 105KG[could loose 10Kg] -6 ft and happy. Its very rare now that I have attacks. often when driving or music or a smell.

[GTPete]

I recommend anyone interested in this thread should read a book titled "The Power Of Now". Eckhart Tolle is the author.