I suffer from panic attacks.
For those who do not know what that means, it means that, periodically, I will have the incredible sense that I am going to die, that the world is collapsing, and that I absolutely MUST get away from - well, from wherever I am. My heart races, my fingers tingle, my chest tightens, my breathing becomes more erratic, I may feel like I am burning up with fever, or freezing cold - or both in rapid succession, and I feel like I am going to die. Adrenaline floods my bloodstream. I am in full "fight or flight" mode, but with nothing whatsoever to fight, and no way to get away from myself.
Panic attacks, to put it bluntly, suck.
I am not alone. Some estimates are that as many as 40% of the population will have at least one panic attack. Some of us will have many, many more - and worrying about them can induce them. Caffeine - which means my beloved percolated coffee - can also trigger them. And, like most of my emotional, physical, and mental problems, they are hereditary - So, Thanks for nothing, Dad.
My question is how do I handle them. Rushing to the ER every time I have a panic attack will make my insurance a bit annoyed, drain my bank account, and put me on a first-name basis with my ER staff. Doing nothing - my normal means of dealing with them - works in all but the most severe panic attacks. The more severe ones - well, they really suck.
I have tried - truly, wholeheartedly, tried. I prayed that God would remove the spirit of fear. Unfortunately, it doesn't help. Now before my Christian friends point out that perhaps my faith was lacking, let me remind you that Christ himself criticized his disciples for having faith less than that of a mustard seed. I am sure my faith is lacking. But I don't think that that is the reason for my panic attacks.
I have also tried take Alprazolam, also known as Xanax. It works, mostly. My doctor is afraid of dependence, so I am not supposed to use it until I am actually experiencing a panic attack - when I may or not have it with me. Luckily, from what I can tell, no one has ever died from Panic Attacks - you just feel like you will.
So, if you suffer from Panic Attacks, or Panic Disorder, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, tell me - what works for you? How do you fight yourself through a fear, when you KNOW it is a baseless, unrealistic fear, but your body goes on reacting as if it is petrified anyway?
Thanks...
For those who do not know what that means, it means that, periodically, I will have the incredible sense that I am going to die, that the world is collapsing, and that I absolutely MUST get away from - well, from wherever I am. My heart races, my fingers tingle, my chest tightens, my breathing becomes more erratic, I may feel like I am burning up with fever, or freezing cold - or both in rapid succession, and I feel like I am going to die. Adrenaline floods my bloodstream. I am in full "fight or flight" mode, but with nothing whatsoever to fight, and no way to get away from myself.
Panic attacks, to put it bluntly, suck.
I am not alone. Some estimates are that as many as 40% of the population will have at least one panic attack. Some of us will have many, many more - and worrying about them can induce them. Caffeine - which means my beloved percolated coffee - can also trigger them. And, like most of my emotional, physical, and mental problems, they are hereditary - So, Thanks for nothing, Dad.
My question is how do I handle them. Rushing to the ER every time I have a panic attack will make my insurance a bit annoyed, drain my bank account, and put me on a first-name basis with my ER staff. Doing nothing - my normal means of dealing with them - works in all but the most severe panic attacks. The more severe ones - well, they really suck.
I have tried - truly, wholeheartedly, tried. I prayed that God would remove the spirit of fear. Unfortunately, it doesn't help. Now before my Christian friends point out that perhaps my faith was lacking, let me remind you that Christ himself criticized his disciples for having faith less than that of a mustard seed. I am sure my faith is lacking. But I don't think that that is the reason for my panic attacks.
I have also tried take Alprazolam, also known as Xanax. It works, mostly. My doctor is afraid of dependence, so I am not supposed to use it until I am actually experiencing a panic attack - when I may or not have it with me. Luckily, from what I can tell, no one has ever died from Panic Attacks - you just feel like you will.
So, if you suffer from Panic Attacks, or Panic Disorder, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, tell me - what works for you? How do you fight yourself through a fear, when you KNOW it is a baseless, unrealistic fear, but your body goes on reacting as if it is petrified anyway?
Thanks...
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