re: How many people here deal with anxiety/panic attacks on a daily basis?

I tried to beat it myself without meds but passed out twice in doing so. Once at the gym and once at work.

I've had them happen many times. Been to the ER and had every cardiac related test there is. They started me on blood pressure Meds to slow my heart rate down and it seems to help keep me calm

In a lot of cases it is not just mental. Saying things like this keeps a person from seeking treatment because he thinks there is really nothing wrong when there is. It is like living in hell!!!

Stop being afraid and living in fear. Enjoy life and grow.

You a doctor? You've suffered with panic attacks for how long. There is a mental component but that is not the usual root cause. Malfunction of the adrenal glands can be a cause, so can an imbalance of electrolytes or even a defect in the electrical circuit of the heart or chemical imbalance in the brain. Telling someone it's all mental is nothing more than a put down, telling them they are weak. If you can't be supportive its best to say nothing. R.N here. Thanks.

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Maybe I've just let everything build up inside of me for too long, I recently got laid off, lost a family member, saw a good friend of mine lose his fiancé and his son at the same time, etc, etc... I honestly don't know what to do or who to turn to for help besides family members but i get the feeling that they are tired of talking me through these episodes

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It's obvious what's causing your suffering. I'd go to a family doctor, or free health clinic if you've got no insurance, and discuss with a doctor. Hopefully, this is just a temporary reaction to your current situation, however, if it's a long-lasting chronic condition, nuerochemical imbalances might be the cause--problems with transmission of serotonin, dopamine and so forth.

Either way, seeing a physician is a good idea.

From one who has suffered from this shite for nealy 50 years--and, in the past few years, found RELIEF--best of luck. Hang in there.

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Stop being afraid and living in fear. Enjoy life and grow.

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^^ Essentially this. Although it's a lot harder said than done.

I've been dealing with on and off severe anxiety for the past ~5 years. Lexapro has helped me tramendously when I've taken it but once I'm on it, I tell myself "Okay, I can do this.. just remember this feeling" and I'll get off. The reason I do this is because I don't want to admit to myself that I "need" that drug to be okay.

I'm off right now (have been for about 3 months) and dealing with some pretty heavy anxiety starting about 2 weeks ago. I'm going to give it a week or two and see if my body levels back out.

Some things that have helped me. 1)Exercise.. you need to start feeling better about yourself.. gain some confidence, improve your fitness level.. If you do those two things you KNOW that you'll have less of a chance of dying. 2) Make sure you're doing the little things. You need to feel good about yourself. My big thing is keeping in touch with my Parents/Family. 3) Get right with your God. Know that dying (even though theres a minute chance you are) is okay.

And lastly... always remember "I won't always feel like this". That has calmed me down a ton over the past 3 or so years.

So learn to celebrate both the bad times and the good. I celebrate the bad times because I know I won't always feel like that and I'll eventually feel refreshed and on top of the world.

Not sure if that helps at all. But there's my schpiel.

Things that can naturally improve your anxiety levels without medication or supplementation of any sort.


1) EXERCISE (20-30 minutes of medium intensity cardio 4/5 times a week) VERY VERY IMPORTANT

2) Drink LOTS of water (1 gallon/day), eat healthy, and create positive environments/situations.



Do those two things, and your symptoms will be alleviated at the least, somewhat.
For you, you might need to cut out alcohol. Alcohol certainly shouldn't be taken with xanax. Try to take care of your body, and take small steps.

I haven't had any panic attacks, but experienced some anxiety, and I found that I need life changes, but you can't do it all in one day, so just take small steps and start to work towards getting a small victory everyday, just focus on simplicity.

Half of the posts in here have said it's mental and offered different ways to help yourself

It's true

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Read a book, cure yourself. It's just mental This post was edited on 8/7

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Just started reading The Secret