Panic Attacks

[Syndrome]

Is Ian Thorpe suffering from this issue?

[superyob]

Not that I would know for sure but I think Thorpe is fighting some dark demons, whatever they may be...

[Bluehoon]

Originally Posted by superyob

Not that I would know for sure but I think Thorpe is fighting some dark demons, whatever they may be...

I agree. Some very dark demons.

I lay a lot of the blame on the media for what they did to him, and the result it's had..

[BLUEYBA]

A panic attack is the bodies response to something we think will hurt us. The old fight or flight situation. This is something that is naturally inbuilt in all people but in people with anxiety this situation occurs to anything that is happening in their lives that they want to avoid it doesn't matter if you are actually in danger.
Sometimes with a panic attack it better to acknowledge it and to ride out the wave of the attack rather than fight it. Obviously you need to have other strategies in place to deal with the anxiety in the first place and this will hopefully lessen the impact of a panic attack.
Yes I have had panic attacks and have had depression and anxiety for the best part of 20 years at varing degrees. I'm also on medication that gives me the clarity to deal with the issues. I hope to one day not need them but until then i will continue to take them if it helps me to deal with lifes struggles and live a normal life. There is no right or wrong only what is best for you and what works for you.

[MercurySilver]

i wouldnt bother with echhart toll
the guys a shill, but each to their own
it might help some

i dont get panic attacks, but i get something where i will feel a bit cold and then the shivers start and i shiver that bad because im 'cold' or my brain thinks im cold i literally cannot move
ive laid in bed shivering uncontrollably for half an hr at times,shaking like a leaf on a nice summer evening
ive felt it come on in the lounge before and barely made it to the shower to stand under some heat

great threead guys and fantastic to see everyone helping each other out for those of you that suffer from panic attacks

meditation or yoga might help to slow your thinking down too

[Kable72]

I'm off the anti-depressants now. Did more harm than good for me and I lost sleep. I see my doctor once a month and seems happy with my progress without medication. I have been suffering from anxiety induced pains regularly and the doctors say I'm as fit as a 20 year old should be, from a health perspective. Ask me to run and I will barely make it to 100 metres. So there's that but other than that I've been travelling on incredibly well since I last posted in this thread.

[danzvtil]

From the sound of it Ian Thorpe is similar to me in that he has the tendency to isolate himself, and by his own admission isnt sociable.Watching his story unfold over the last couple of weeks has made me slightly anxious about my own state.All of this just highlights how important it is to share with a trusted person, I hope his admission to rehab is the start of his own healing in some way, and may make mental health discussion acceptable in the workplace/pub/BBQ.

[Falcman0o7]

Good to see eveyone sharing thier experiences and helping others.
Good thread isn't it :P
When I first got them in 96 at 17 everyone thought I was mad :( Even the doctors...

[my_gxl]

I needed 20mg of valium today, just to keep the adrenalin spikes under control.
That stuff hurts like electric shocks when you don't actually need it but your brain thiks you do.

[buggerlugs]

My young bloke who just turned 20 has had anxiety but now it looks like it's turned to depression. He finished college last year and started his own business while working part time but the wheels have fallen off the cart big time. Since Xmas he has had trouble sleeping. He has been put on Anti depressents. They worked for about 5 days and then he felt crap again. He has no motivation or go in him. He has been losing mates because he is down all the time. He is off to the doctors again this arvo to be refered to a Psychiatrist. The worrying thing is his mother has suffered bi polar for over 20 years and he has an 18 year old cousin who now has anxiety issues..............

[bert_c]

Thanks for this thread, as others I have been suffering with periods of anxiety over a long time and as I get older, the harder it is to control and it is starting to effect my health.
After reading through the 9 pages I can see that a) many more people than you think have similar problems, and b) there are ways to manage anxiety get through it.
2 months ago I took the first step and saw a Dr. He prescribed Lexotan to take when necessary, which seems to work, but I still have to go back for the blood test results.
Like most guy's I'm not very good at airing my health issues but I felt compelled after reading this.
It also got me motivated to go and do some exercise so that is a good thing, just have to do it regularly.

bert

[Syndrome]

You are not alone bert_c. And keep this in mind, the anxiety levels will go up and down. When it all feels like ****, remember that it is only temporary and will pass.

[SSD-85]

Anxiety sure is fun. I have dealt with it my entire life. However, it is only in the past year that it evolved into a more serious depression.

I cannot offer any advice, since it is a completely individual experience. All I can say is that, for me, I used to my advantage to open a whole new vista in how to view life.

[homegrown]

Its a pretty deep thread and takes alot of guts to admit I would say but I have no control over my anxiety attacks. I found drugs that helped but slowed my reaction time way too slow and was effecting me at work so I stopped taking them. Not good for a Sparky to have slow reaction time but I guess now its just something I have come to accept that I'll have for the rest of my life since its been with me all my life so far and I dont know how to deal with it. Maybe I should give him a name, might make the situation not so scary. Always trying to look for a funny side to a bad situation.

[damo6]

Back in 96 I had a panic attack,I was sitting in the lounge when my eyes went funny,couldn't focus or see properly,then my arms and legs went weak,I stood up and could hardly walk,I had to hold on to things so I could stagger to the kitchen by this time my body had gone completely haywire,my chest tightened up,thought I was having a heartattack,my mouth went completely dry that was it,I called the ambulance.they turned up,examined me,my pulse was trying to break the gauge it was that fast! They knew what was wrong but advised me to either go them or visit my doc,they knew what it was but couldnt tell me exactly what was wrong.so I went with them,examined again at the hospital,told me I had a panic attack.I had no idea at the time so I just made it worse with every symptom till it became full on.my reasoning and my docs was that my heavy pot habit ( I was bent when it happened)at the time was the cause.everytime after that day if I had a smoke it came back along with a new symptom to me called anxiety.I couldn't handle a smoke after a while so I gave it away within a mth,haven't touched it since,but I suffered anxiety for years after that,I had a fear of crowds,I freaked out in my car to a point that I came real close to stopping wherever I was at the time and getting out and walking off.
3 yrs ago I had a nervous breakdown. I was diagnosed with clinical depression.my years of anxiety and other issues finally caught up with me.I was put on medication and visited a psychologist for a while,it took a while and several different medications(as those here can attest it can take a few different meds before you find one that works-one actually made me worse-) but I've hardly had any anxiety probs since but still have the odd bad day but I've been taught how to deal with it ( learned how to let stuff go that can make me dwell on things,its bloody hard to master but it works once you have).I'm still on meds to take the edge off but my life is better now.

[danzvtil]

Whats the old saying? Having a breakdown or panic attack isn't a sign that you are weak, its a sign that you have been strong for too long.
I liken it to pounding on a brick wall with a sledge hammer, the wall can last a long time but eventually, some bricks will loosen and fall out.
The key to getting better is to manage the knocks so they are more like a foam hammer thingy

[tut0r]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Whats the old saying? Having a breakdown or panic attack isn't a sign that you are weak, its a sign that you have been strong for too long.

That has to be one of the best quotes I've heard in regards to anxiety and panic attacks. I suffered as a child badly, had a pre disposition to things like this because of my parents, I get them today but a lot less frequently. If anything I find I get angry or more frustrated now days which I don't know whats worse, panic attacks or anger.

Everyone has their own demons to deal with in one way or another, its just good to see that there are more self help online and in the media now days for people to have an outlet with others in a similar position.

I find a good way to cope for anyone who is prone to high anxiety or panic attacks is "go to your special place", mentally if you have to or every chance you get immerse yourself in something you enjoy and block the negativity out.

[kyro_02]

Few months ago I went to hospital with a panic attack, thought I was going to die lol.. high blood pressure, couldn't move, was sweating, shaking, and my left side of my body felt a little weak, probably due to my body being tensed due to panic attack..

Got all tests done on me, they reckon it's in my mind.. eh..

now I got a $1,000 ambulance bill to pay hah

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

Few months ago I went to hospital with a panic attack, thought I was going to die lol.. couldn't move, was sweating, shaking, and my left side of my body felt a little weak, probably due to my body being tensed due to panic attack..

Got all tests done on me, they reckon it's in my mind.. eh..

now I got a $1,000 ambulance bill to pay hah

That's a bit harsh getting you too pay for an ambulance

[kyro_02]

not a member, so i got the bill

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

not a member, so i got the bill

Ahh OK, sorry I thought they sent you a bill because they couldn't find anything wrong

[Syndrome]

Been on Paroxetine for seven years. Have read the difficulties people have experienced going through withdrawal. Anybody got off this **** and if so how? I believe GlaxoSmithKline should set up clinics to help people get off their drug.

[BA-XT]

"It's all in your head.... You don't need those pills"

Guy at works keeps telling me this. Been on cipramil for 14 years. Zoloft before that and Prozac. I'm 32 and suffered boughts of depression in 91, 96, 98, 2001, and a smaller one in 2003. Can't sleep or eat for days. Just living day to day through the pain and - for me anyway - the constant feeling of nausea and panick.

Horrible horrible illness. I'm slowly coming off the pills but have had a set back today with panic attacks.

[STINKY NINJA]

I have met and known a few people on anti depressant meds and they are the most rude opinionated mongrels ive ever encountered!
It gives them a false sense of wellbeing to the point that they think they are so good they treat others like dirt!
I refuse to take meds and will live with my panic attacks and anxiety because i want to live in the real world and treat others with the respect they fully deserve.
Im not saying all med users are like that,just all of the ones ive ever known or met.
Drug dependance is a bad thing,legal or illegal...
Think what you will but i have been conditioned by the way ive been treated by these so called well adjusted people over the years...

[BA-XT]

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

I have met and known a few people on anti depressant meds and they are the most rude opinionated mongrels ive ever encountered!
It gives them a false sense of wellbeing to the point that they think they are so good they treat others like dirt!
I refuse to take meds and will live with my panic attacks and anxiety because i want to live in the real world and treat others with the respect they fully deserve.
Im not saying all med users are like that,just all of the ones ive ever known or met.
Drug dependance is a bad thing,legal or illegal...
Think what you will but i have been conditioned by the way ive been treated by these so called well adjusted people over the years...

Trolling or serious?

Rude and opinionated: maybe they are bi-polar or un medicated. Most people with a depression disorder are withdrawn and quiet.

Happy to live with anxiety or panic attacks: if you could live through the hell that I went through for months at a time then come out the other side before being admitted into an institution then what you have cannot be that bad.

Drug dependence is a bad thing: yes and no. Its a blessing when after months of suffering something you get a diagnoses and with the right treatment your back to normal after 1-2 months.

Everyone is different. Depression masks itself in so many different ways with different symptoms. Depression is just one of many different mental illnesses. Perhaps the people you have encountered are suffering from something else? Although moody ness and irritation are certainly symptoms some people get.

I wrote out my experiences with depression and anxiety a few pages back.

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but please be aware that many million of people suffer from this terrible disease and have to battle it everyday.

[ILLaViTaR]

Any gastrointenstinal issues? These disorders can be more or less be chronic illnesses from a poor lifestyle (diet/immunity). Derived from oxidative stress/autoimmune responses etc

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/anxiety...ry?id=20229136
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22109896
http://sanjosefuncmed.com/wp-content...connection.jpg

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...onnection.aspx
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0428121116.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0519114421.htm

[BA-XT]

Well above my head, but no. From my understanding what I suffered from was anxiety and depression. Depression can mask itself in many different symptoms. I just happen to feel nausea all the time and that makes me unable to eat much at all.

In 1996 I had a range of tests done and I guess like a lot of people with depression go though, nothing could explain my symptoms.

Once I was placed on the correct medication I came back to normal, although Cipramil does have some side effects.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Is Ian Thorpe suffering from this issue?

Hmmm, reading about his big (not unexpected) announcement, what a load to carry around for all those years, I hope he can now start to move on.

[MethodX]

I will join in also.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 2003, woke up on the floor, couldn't move, the force of the seizures did my back in.
Have had Anxiety attacks, on meds now for the last year or so, seem to be working well.

[Falcman0o7]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Been on Paroxetine for seven years. Have read the difficulties people have experienced going through withdrawal. Anybody got off this **** and if so how? I believe GlaxoSmithKline should set up clinics to help people get off their drug.

I've been on them ( aropax ) like you for 18 bloody years! The withdrawls are woeful :(
I find it very very hard to get off them.
Thing is to should i? I mean will i get ill again.