what do you know about panic/anxiety attacks?

Question

I have been experiencing anxiety attacks or panic attacks a lot lately. and i do not know what they are caused by. i am lucky that i am surrounded by people who know how to handle my attacks, but i feel incredibly self concious and embarrased after one. i am under 18 and i have not told my parents and they are not around much to help anyways...any advice?

Answer 1

I have suffered from panic/anxiety attacks for most of my life.....there is no reason or trigger for mine either. The best advice I can give is to find out as much about them as you can, cuz that really helped me. Go to the library and look it up in psychology books. Educating yourself about it is empowering. Secondly, when you start to have one, tell yourself that they only last a few minutes and it will pass soon. Give into the feelings and keep telling yourself it will pass soon.....that has saved me from many trips to the ER.

If you have people who help you handle them, that is great! Remember, empower yourself and keep in mind that YOU are in charge of you. Good luck!

Answer 2

Don't worry about being embarrassed, no one around you is judging you, but they are concerned. If they are happening just recently, I wonder if something happened that triggered you? It might seem like nothing important, but if something has changed recently and you can identify it, then you have a head start on reducing your stress and panic and maybe stopping the attacks all together. Are you in school? Maybe there's a teacher or coach or counselor you could talk to? Sometimes someone who isn't too close to you can see things that you can't.

Also, practice diaphragmatic breathing, where you breathe so that your belly goes out instead of your chest rising. If you can get good at that when you're calm, you can use it as a way of getting a grip during an attack.

Answer 3

I'm sorry that you're experiencing these attacks. I suffered from them a lot when I was you age. I'm now 29 and after gettting counseling I have managed these attacks. It is strange that you are unsure why you are getting them. There has to be something that triggers them. You should first try to think about when you get them and what is going on around you. I would also consult with a friend since you say your parents aren't around. Maybe that 's part of the problem. Is there anyway your parents can be around? It sounds like you could really benefit from talking to your parents about not being around and also about these attacks. I hope you resolve this issue. Good Luck and try to stay calm.

Answer 4

Panic attack or anxiety attacks are usually caused by stress. I have dealt with some pretty severe ones, and my daughter gets them so bad that she starts to shake like she's having a seizure. I know that it's scary and there are times when you wonder if they will continue forever. I got help from my therapist and that might be were you're going to have to go. Since you're 18 you don't need your parents permission to go into therapy and if you're not covered for medical insurance the social workers at the clinic or hospital can help you get coverage so that you can see a therapist. It might be best if you can find one who's used to dealing with panic attacks and anxiety disorders, some times there are behaviors that you can learn that will help you to stop them before they get to bad. There is also medication that you can take, but see if you can do it with behavior modifications first.

Answer 5

Mind over matter. When you experience them, ask yourself if what you are thinking is rational. It most likely isn't, so begin to think rationally.

Ask yourself why these are happening. When did they begin? What was going on then; who was present?

Get some help at school, with a counselor.