Panic Attacks



In this section of As Waters Passing By, you will find information on Panic Attacks. It includes an explanation on what panic attacks are, the symptoms, I tell my story about my panic attacks, and then I've added some coping techniques including some that are religious/spiritual, but those are trigger marked and at the end of the page. Yes, I did nick these from other sites, but they are at least credited. I owe a special thanks to Pixie of Rape Crisis Information Pathfinder for some of these coping techinques.

From Wikipedia:

"A panic attack is a period of intense fear or psychological distress, typically of abrupt onset. Symptoms may include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), and sensations of choking or smothering. Repeated and apparently unprovoked panic attacks may be a sign of panic disorder, but panic attacks are associated with other anxiety disorders as well. For example, people who suffer from phobias may experience panic attacks upon exposure to certain triggers."

Annaleigh's Story:

I started having panic attacks somewhere in late 2000, early 2001. The main trigger of panic attacks for me was crowds. I am the survivor of a gang assault, and ever since then, crowds have made me nervous. Unfortunately, this affected my school work as I had an Algebra I class that was very crowded. I would have panic attacks on route to that class, eventually I started turning back to home midway, and eventually after that, I had to drop the class. Another thing that triggered panic attacks was being in a car, driving along a body of water. The reasoning behind this is that as a small child, my Dad drove drunk with me in the car, and we drove often along the Sacremento River. I was afraid of drowning and one of my childhood friends, herself the child of an alcoholic, was killed (by drowning in the river) in her mother's accident.

I have to say that my healing came in stages. Following the onset of my panic attacks, I was prescribed Klonopin. This did not help at first, but eventually it did. After a while of faithfully taking my Klonopin and it being fairly helpful, I had made some spiritual choices in my life, and I began to pray & repeat a scripture about fear whenever I was going to be confronted with a situation where I knew I would possibly have panic attacks. (More on that in a separate page). Eventually I had no panic attacks, and at some point, I went off the meds without any incident! My attacks are relatively under control now, I am excited to say!

So What Are the Symptoms of Panic Attacks?



Symptoms list is courteousy of FamilyDoctor.org

COPING WITH PANIC ATTACKS

There are many ways and ideas with which one can learn to control or soothe their panic attacks. The following are some of those ideas. Credit for my discover of some of these coping techniques belongs to Pixie of Rape Crisis Information Pathfinder. If you have other ideas you would like to share, please email me at annaleigh@aswaterspassingby.org.

Blogger Hard Anxiety suggests the following coping techniques:



Can you think of something else that might be helpful? Would you like to add your story of dealing with panic attacks? Any suggestions or content is welcome. If you have something you'd like to add, please email me.

As Waters Passing By > Aftermath Info > Panic Attacks