Please Help I have Anxiety and Panic Attacks everysingle day, it's destroying my entire life, what can I do???

Question

I have been suffering from Anxiety and Socail Disorder for many Years now, I tried allot of thing to overcome it, but nothing worked. I have never taken medication for it because I am to afraid to start taking them. I used to be very outgoing and be with many friends but now I completely isolated myself from the outside world and it's been getting worse. PLEASE Need your Honest Help.

Answer 1

I know you said you afraid to start taking medication. However, Paxil is an antidepressant made SPECIFICALLY for exactly what you are describing. If you had a heart condition wouldn't you take the proper medication to keep you healthy?? This is no different. If you are not mentally healthy you will start to become physically ill. You as a human being deserve better. Talk to your doctor about Paxil. It takes a few weeks to become completely beneficial but it could "unlock" the real you and literally set you free. Don't wait, you may end up wishing you had tried it long before now.

I commend you for trying many other things to overcome this disorder.... I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be for you. If you are afraid people will think you are crazy.... nobody needs to know you are taking meds... besides your TRUE friends and your loved ones will be so happy to have the "old you" back again.

I wish you the best of luck. I have been diagnosed Bi-polar for 17 years, in the past I tried to go off my meds several times. I don't like who I become when I am not on them. The real me is able to live with my meds and I love every day.

Answer 2

I feel for you and can totally relate. I was having overwhelming anxiety and panic attacks every day, too, and often for no reason (ie: I wasn't stressed or worried about anything but my body would just start freaking out). I started talking to a doctor about it about 2 years ago because I was making myself and everyone around me miserable. It took me many years to accept that maybe I should try a medical approach -- mind you, I don't even like to take aspirin let alone serious medicine every day. Two years ago, I started taking lexapro, which worked ok for about a year then seemed to have diminishing effects. Last year I switched to Zoloft and found that that worked really well for me. Unfortunately, a side effect of alot of these meds is low sex drive -- my doctor prescribed Wellbutrin to counteract that side effect and the combo of the 2 drugs works really well for me. I still have the occasional panic/anxiety attack but I can now manage them -- they don't take over and they pass quickly.

Please, go talk to your doctor -- most general practitioners can/will prescribe meds for you to try. You don't necessarily need to see a psychiatrist (although there's nothing wrong with that, either). The medication has made a MAJOR positive difference in my life -- I feel like I am a better mom, wife, ME now. Don't let a stigma stop you from helping yourself. Get your life back!!

P.S. Most medication does take a few weeks to kick in but DON'T GIVE UP ON IT!! One day you'll wonder when its going to start helping you feel better and then, the next thing you know, you DO feel better and you didn't even realize it happened! I'll say a prayer for you . . . get yourself well.

Answer 3

Johnny, your not alone pal! The first thing you need to do is find the right person for you, Doctor,Friend ,Therapist ect. Dont be afraid to seek help there are so many people out there who are going through the same exact thing, including myself, Johnny I really do understand the way you feel,Try this in the morning, Get up have you a small breakfast ,glass of O.J after that go take you a hot shower,whether you feel like it or not, do it!! It will help. Then plan your day, but do something to get your mind off anxiety as hard as it is Just do it!! It will help it helped me greatly.. When it comes to bed time time put on some headphones and listen to some relaxtion cds or maybe a comedy cd that will help relieve the racing anxiety thoughts in your mind when you lay down, it really helped me and I hope it helps you as well. From one anxiexy & panic brother to another GOOD LUCK and dont give up!! Feel free to email me if you just need support or just someone to talk to.

Answer 4

I know what you are going through I have also suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for my whole life. I would recommend going to your family doctor and asking about your options- medication, therapy, free counselling available. Therapy would probably help you the most because medication can be a temporary relief but not a cure. I have started therapy a few weeks ago and believe me I was terrified! But it has already helped me so much! I also found an online support group for social anxiety disorder. I wish you all the best

Answer 5

I've dealt with social phobia with panic attacks for many years and finally am coming out of it.

You're ignoring some issue that needs to be dealt with. You have to talk to someone about it, even if it's just journaling every day until you figure out what's going on so you can start taking steps to deal with it. Social anxiety is a symptom of self-esteem problems stemmed from something that has happened in your life. There are things you can do in the meantime, but do try to figure out the root cause.

I tend to stay away from medication as much as possible. I'm a naturalist. You might consider St. John's Wort at least temporarily, though ... it's an herb, not a chemical medicine, and it did wonders for me. It does nothing more than help induce a calmness the person usually doesn't feel (although it makes you very sensitive to sunlight so winter is the best time to use it). It is non-addictive and unless you are on other medications, it should have no side affects other than light sensitivity. If you are on meds or have health issues, check with your doctor first. Herbs do have to be used carefully, even though they are natural.

Let it work for several days and then start taking small steps. Join an internet group with people of the same interests to make new friends. It's much easier to socialize online than face to face, but online socialization skills can lead to better face to face social skills. Choose something unrelated that you're afraid of and face it. For instance, I was terrified of motorcycles but when my husband got on one, I forced myself to give it another try and found my fear disappearing. Start small. Conquer one fear, and then something a bit bigger. This leads to better self-esteem.

Realize that social phobia and shyness, especially the fear of public speaking, is very common and nothing to berate yourself about. It's okay to be afraid of it. It's only not okay when you let it hold you back. It may feel like the end of the world when you get tongue-tied and red-faced in public, but it really isn't.

Do go to your doctor if the above doesn't work. Meds, if given, should be temporary, and you will likely be sent to talk to a professional before drugs are prescribed. Do it. You shouldn't have to live that way forever. There's too much out there that would be a shame to miss.

Answer 6

I have had trouble with panic attacks since my son committed suicide a year ago.
They can be very disabling and scary.
Don't worry about the medication. Make an appt and see a doctor.
The meds they put me on control the attacks and I feel much better and I'm able to be out in the world again.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Sorry to hear you're feeling bad. I think you'll find that medication will make an amazing difference in your quality of life. Try to think of it like having diabetes or high cholesterol - would you deny yourself medication for those conditions? Any type of mental illness is just that, an illness which can be treated.

Ask your family doctor for referral to a psychiatrist; psychiatrists are expert in treating mental illnesses and will be able to prescribe the correct drug that will have the greatest effect. Psychologists can only provide therapy, which can be important, too, but medication will give you the quickest relief and allow you to function again.

Also, check out this website where you will find a whole community of fellow sufferers and a tremendous amount of good information: http://www.crazyboards.org/forums/

Answer 8

Hi ! I have had the same problems and choose not to go on medication. Sometimes, I take rescue remedy which is natural .There is also a extract in green tea that comes in pill form that releases dopamine and makes you calmer. Another choice for you is to look into rational therapy. Look up the book Feeling good by David Burns too. Social anxiety and panic is basically your mind making a exxagerated response to a situation. You have to try to retrain yourself to take it a notch down. The more you think about panic attacks , the more they come. I find that to be my situation ...if I think about it , it happens. If I try to picture a positive outcome, it is less likely to happen. Before a social situation , you are less likely to feel like you have the confidence to do well. Build your trust in yourself and practice being with people , and you will see its not what you think . The more you do it , the easier it is. You have to practice little by little to regain your confidence. If you shut yourself off ....it gets worse and depressing. If you need more help , dont hesitate to email me. Ive been in your position. [e-mail]. Hope this helps and please look into David Burns and Albert Ellis . Also, find a good therapist to help you to feel better. I did ...and it made a big difference .

Answer 9

Anxiety is a chemical response in the brain to fears. Fears were a key part to human evolution and those without enough fear would die from numerous dangers. Learning to identify and manage your fears is an essential part of the maturing process. As most young people are terrified of speaking in front of large crowds but as we grow older this becomes less of a fear is just one example. You are really in that much danger you should seek a safer location and learn what you can about security and self defense. Since you are young then be patient and try to recognize your fears are almost certainly exaggerated. Facing your fears is another approach. Try to schedule in something really scary to teach yourself that your fears are just that - simple feelings and don't reflect the true measure of danger. Sky diving or something statistically safe but which triggers exaggerated fear is an excellent example of one such thing you can do to teach yourself to overcome your own fears. Once you have done that really scary thing and come out safe on the other side you should find your other anxious moments are really small stuff. If you are anxious about what other people think of you, then you need to also learn to tell yourself you do not care what other people think of you. When I was a young man we were very poor. I had no car and had to choose between walking the rough streets with bags of groceries or driving home in a large girls bike with a big pink basket on the front. I very quickly decided in my mind not to care what other people thought about me because I very much liked getting home with the groceries in 10 minutes in comfort as compared to a 30 minute walk where my arms were numb. Those little inconveniences taught me some very valuable lessons in life.

Answer 10

mabye you can talk to a psychologist who focuses more on non-medicine therapies. If they are good, and have a lot of experience with this, they can give you good ideas that you've never thought of before. If they just tell you to breathe deep and take some pills , they are just going the easy way out. But since most people want pills, that's what most doctors do.