Panic attack?

Question

So i have suffered from anxiety for about 2 years. Mostly panic attacks every now and then, but mostly anxiety that I am going to have another panic attack. I have been on Celexa for about a year and everything is fine. I am slowly challenging myself to do things I reframed before I begain taking that anti-dep. Now I have gained weight, have no sexually appt., and basically just dont want to have to take these danm pills all my life.

the problem is, whenever I try to go off of the, the anixety comes back. Anyone out these experience this, and if so, how do I over come it. Thank you very much!!

Answer 1

What is it that you're afraid of? Whatever it is attack it, until you do fear will have control of you. But when you have the courage to face the fear, you'll find the fear quickly disappears. Courage always wins over fear.

There is no basis for 92% of the things we worry about. That's from Earl Nigthingale's Lead the Field. I don't remember the break-down of the 92% but the biggest one was worrying about things that never happened. As Mark Twain said "I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened."

As far as getting of the medication, that's a good idea because you don't need it. You can beat this on your own. Use the power of your sub-conscious mind...it's absolutely amazing. I suggest a book I recently read by Dr. Joseph Murhpy titled "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind"

the thing about it though is that you really have to believe that you can overcome your anxiety without medication. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." He understood the amazing power of the mind. How else can you explain a man with a 5th grade education building the largest automobile company of all time? He truly believed he could and didn't listen to all the morons who told him he couldn't. He thought he could and he did. And so can you.
Good luck. http://www.stoppanicattack.com

Answer 2

Talk to you doctor about this. Believe it or not they are used to this question. You are not the 1st one with this problem. Lexapro is a newer more pure version of Celexa that has fever side effect and might work better for you. There are other antidepressants and other medications for anxiety. There are also behavior modification methods if you only problem is anxiety. Some are biofeedback, meditation and yoga. They take tons of self dicipline to work. Talk to your doctor about these options. For some mental issues medications are totally necessary, but for othes the doctor may be able to taper you off the medication slowly or you may be able to develop skills with a psychologist and then remove the medication. Talk to your doctor about options. You would not be the 1st female to complain about sexual side effects. Drug companies are finally admitting this happens to women also and women are more open about expressing it.

Daily meditation really helped me. I used a method by John Kabbot Zin. It took a long time to get versed at practice and I had to keep doing it. When I stopped it stopped working.

He has books and mental health care practioners like him. Some of them at least that is where I found out about him
1) Wherever you go there you are
2) Full catrostophe living

You can get the tapes or cds on mindfulness mediation from ebay or amazon. The reminders on remembering to breathe are great. Then I got to where I could only use bell tapes as reminders and then I just puchased music to meditate to. It was just pretty meditation music not associated with Zin. I did however only use it for meditation, so it was only associated with meditation.

You should also be able to get Zins books at the library and used because they have been out so long.

Please do tell your doctor whenever you do not like medications and do not stop them on your own. It is dangerous and your doctor could suggest alternatives to you that might help you more. A doctor can taper medications in a safe way so you can get off them more cautiiouly and not be harmed.

Answer 3

Speak with your doctor or psychiatrist about changing meds. Sounds like you may also have some depression issues in dealing with the panic attacks, anxiety and the side effects of the medications. I went from Paxil to Wellbutrin very successfully. But, even with medication you need a psychologist or cognitive therapist or psychiatrist to talk to because you can't do this by yourself. The doctors will help you while the pills start doing their work. You probably will be on medication for the rest of your life because panic attacks and anxiety attacks are mostly inherited and, like having curly hair or blue eyes, there's not much you can do about it. Talk to your doctor and get referrals to mental health support groups and doctors.

Answer 4

My heart goes out to you. My experience is much the same as yours. I finally told my doctor that I thought the pills were doing more harm than good. I stopped taking all of them, Prozac, Cymbalta, Lithium and others that I have forgotten. I do take Xanax at night so that I can sleep. I have been doing this for 2 years and things get better every day.
I stayed in counseling while I was doing this because it ws a huge risk going off all those meds at once and I would suggest the same for you. Ask your counselor to work with in gaining some strategies to work through your panic attacks.
Good Luck and Take Care

Answer 5

I suffer from anxiety and take zoloft for it. I have tried to get off of zoloft, but was unsuccessful. About a week after I stopped, I started getting all jittery and I couldn't stand the anxiety so I went back on them. I have heard from a friend who was taking medication for anxiety that the jitteriness after stopping the medication is just withdrawal. If you can handle the withdrawal symptoms for a few weeks until your body adjusts, you will be able to get off the medication.

Answer 6

I hate to tell you this but its a maintenance drug that is a necessary evil. Its working so best to stay on it. If you have to take them for a decade then so be it...if it helps the problem and makes your life better. Make peace with it or another med and therapy or with the attacks. Either way best of luck and dont feel bad about medication...if its helping thats all that matters.

Answer 7

i have bad anxiety as well, to the point i never wanted to leave the house.. i tried every medicine and i swear i got every side effect. I gave up on medicine, and retrained my brain. I just told myself when i felt a panic attack coming on that nothing bad is going to happen to me, im fine, of coarse i said this IN my head. im not THAT crazy..lol jk.. but my point is you cant die from a panic attack although it may feel like it.. hope i helped , everyone has somthing different im sure. and im awsome now, not one panic attack in two years..

Answer 8

Try incorporating exercise in your life, like 1 hr or 30 minutes, 3 times a week, quit fastfood and take st. john's wort (it is for anxiety)

Answer 9

hey, i suffer same thing, and i often get anxiety attacks, maybe like 4 a week, damn i'm reallly hating it! so i would also like to know how to overcome it and get it over with and live a NORMAL life!

Answer 10

THE BEST WAY THAT WORKS FOR ME IS TO NOT TRY AND DO THE SAME SAME THINGS EXACTLY , TRY CHEWING GUM OR TAKING A DRINK WITH YOU WHERE EVER YOU GO ANYTHING CAN WORK YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT CHEWING GUM IS CHANGING YOUR THOUGHTS NO ANXIETY STEP BY STEP