This has become so common that to me it is the new normal. He can call his primary care doctor and get a referral to a person who teaches relaxation techniques. This was probably caused by the storm, but the tools will keep him prepared for the next situation.

If your son had true Panic/Anxiety Attacks 3 years ago, I don't understand why he did not seek treatment at that time. True attacks of this sort do not just go away, and hav absolutely nothing to do with an airplane/boat/car etc. It has to do with a chemical imbalance in most that suffer from this terrible problem.

I was hospitalized for this and Clinical Depression for 8 days many years ago. I will never say I am cured, but I am recovering from these terrible ordeals. I sought out the help I needed and that along with hospitalization and meds helped me fight through this frightening times.

I told my wife while I was in the hospital after my 2nd heart attack, that I would take heart attack after heart attack any time over what I suffered from Panic/Anxiety Attacks. I've had about every physical injury known to man, and then some. And nothing and I mean nothing comes even close to experiencing being in that "Black Hole" and not knowing any way to get out.

Many people really don't know what a Real Anxiety/Panic Attack is like. Unless you suffered them and sought Professional help, more than likely it was a bad case of nerves he experienced and nothing more.

Only those that have truly been in that "Black Hole" will understand what I am saying. The words Panic/Anxiety Attacks, IMO, are thrown around to loosely now by many, when if fact everyone goes through very bad experience with nerves at times.

I'm not a doctor, but I would advise you suggest to your son to seek Professional help ASAP, if he is truly suffering from Panic/Anxiety Attacks.

Hopefully your son gets the help he needs and can get whatever these episodes might be, under control.

My best to you and your son,

hckynut(john)




"IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR HOCKEY"

My daughter began having panic attacks about 2 years ago. She was going thorugh college finals, and a close friend commited suicide. She was very, very stressed out. Her first attack happened while she was driving on the Ohio Turnpike. She had to pull over on the side of the road. It was horrible. She was hours away from home. she ended up getting off of the turnpike and driving back to school taking the backroads. Thank God for GPS.

She was taking 3 anxiety medications under doctor's supervision, for a year. she still takes Aderol when she needs it, and she will not drive on the freeway or any 4 lane road. Some foods and situations really bother her, especially dealing with blood.

She graduated from college in May with Honors, and has a very good corporate job. She is doing much better, but still has occasional attacks.

The part that is weird to me is she has always been a very assertive, dominating personality. she was absolutely fearless in her outlook on life.

Our doctor explained that Panic Attacks happen when the body kicks in the "Fight or Flight" mechanism when there is no "real" danger. Once you have one, the possibility of having another increases because you have fear of having another attack. it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Panic attacks are serious and please make sure your son gets medical attention. It will get better with the help of anti-anxiety medication and relaxation techniques.

On 8/31/2011 RedConvertibleGirl said:

I would suggest a psychiatrist. They can provide counseling and also prescribe the necessary drugs. Until he can get to a doctor, he should look up the number of a crisis line. They might be able to help talk him through it and understand what he's feeling, or provide info on someone to call.

I do understand having an attack 3 years ago and not having one up until now. It is possible to have them, and then not have them for a long time. I have enough experience with them, unfortunately, to know what I'm talking about. They are terrible, frightening things and I feel for anyone that has dealt with them.

Last edited on 8/31/2011

This is great advice !

I went through this about 13 years ago. I didn't do anything about it right away and it ended up causing me to have severe depression. They sometimes go hand and hand.

I finally got help after hitting rock bottom. I had a breakdown which sent me to the E.R.

I went into a hospital for 10 dayss and from there continued my treatment with a LMHC and a psychiatrist.

To this day, I still take meds and go to my psychiatrist every couple of months.

Encourage him to get help. Don't put it off ! It may only get worse.

I don't mean to scare you. There is help out there. Many people are against taking meds but, from experience I can tell you it saved me !

Best of luck to your son.

God Bless !

LYNNE

My daughter has them so bad that she is on medication.I have them every now and then our doctor said to carry small brown lunch bag when we feel one coming on and to breath in the bag it's something about oxygen, it works for us not saying that its for everyone and we have our doctor this is just preventive until we get to see him.

For many people, there is still a stigma about panic attacks and anxiety because they considered a "mental disease." When I first started having them 25 years ago, there was not much help out there. Fortunately, I read an article about this woman who founded a place called Freedom from Fear. We started out as a small group, but thanks to the woman who started it, we linked up with Columbia University Hospital in Manhattan and expanded. Through medication, relaxation therapy, and knowledge about panic disorder, we learned all about the triggers & what to do to prevent panic attacks as well as how to survive one. Panic disorders are also hereditary. I had a 2-hour session with a specialist from Columbia & throughout our discussion, I realized how many members of both sides of my family suffered from it. At the time, no one knew what it was. I can't emphasize how debilitating panic disorder can be. Unless you have been in that "black hole" yourself, you can never understand what someone is going through. I hope that your son goes for professional help. You just can "snap out of it" as some people suggest. Good luck to you & your son & please let us know how he is doing.

On 9/1/2011 PomeranianFluff said:

I can completely understand not seeking treatment at the time. Some people have panic attacks over having to see a doctor.

PomeranianFluff

Being nervous or anxious about seeing a doctor is quite different than suffering from a diagnosed Panic/Anxiety Attack. I understand the "White Coat Syndrome", but believe me this is a looooooooong way from having a Panic/Anxiety Attack. Take that feeling times thousands of times worse, and it might come close to the real thing.

I doubt that those people are suffering a true diagnosed episode of Panic/Anxiety Attacks. More likely they are experiencing a normal episode of nerves and anxiety because they feel stressed. Most that suffer diagnosed Panic/Anxiety Attacks are not under any unusual amount of physical or mental distress. As I mentioned in a previous post, most of those dianosed with this problem have a chemical imbalance and without the proper treatment and medications? Keep a suicide watch on them.

A lot of people, especially of the male gender, avoid seeing a doctor mostly because of some macho thing. I worked with a lot of them, many of which are now dead because by the time they did get to a doctor it was too late to help them.

If you understand those that do not go to a doctor with this? I doubt that you have even suffered from diagnosed Panic/Anxiety Attacks. This has absolutely nothing to do with physical pain, or as some doctors like to say, discomfort.

If a person lets these go long enough without seeking help, IMO, they should be put on a suicide watch, as that is what many think is the only way out of "the Black Hole".

hckynut(john)




"IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR HOCKEY"

I have a friend who suffers from cronic anxiety - she said panic just flys around her head 24/7 and she never knows when it will land on her. She says that the feeling is so terrible that she is totally terrified of having another attack - and that terror brings on the attacks.Just like a vicious circle isn't it? My friend seems worse since she retired.

Sorry to hear this. Three years ago, I was going through a horrible divorce...it was a LONG drawn out battle. One year into the divorce process, I began to experience panic attacks. Horrible. Sometimes, it felt like I was in a room and the air was being sucked out of it. Other times, when I would try to go to sleep, the room would spin and/or I would nervously and uncontrollably shake. My heart would race and I swear I thought I was going to die.

These episodes scared me so bad, I went to my primary care physician who put me on Celexa. I was on it for almost two years. Anxiety, panic attacks and depression are real and require medical attention.

Hope he feels better soon.

Seaswirl,

I began having true panic attacks 17 years ago. First I went to my GP who then sent me to a psychiatrist for evaluation. He prescribed Paxil and this helped tremendously. I have remained on a psychotropic med ever since- occassionally trying this or that new med but always coming back to the Paxil.

I wish I had known then what I know now about SSRI's and the like as I would have tried other methods before getting on the medication. As others have mentioned, congnitive therapy can be enough to treat these symptoms very well for many people as well as proper diet and daily exercise. **Many people do need medication to resolve their symptoms.

There is a product called Holy Basil that is available online or in health food stores that has seen success with nervousness & anxiety when taken daily. The side effects reported are minimal (please read product info) and has been used very successfully for a variety of issues for thousands of years in other cultures. Also, there really is a lot to be said for daily exercise in this regard.

I, personally, would love to get off the Paxil and see how things go but have read such horror stories about withdrawal even with VERY slow titrating down that I am leery of doing so. I hope your son finds what works best for him and wish you all on the east coast a speedy recovery. Be well!

Be careful what doctor..... some doctors want patients to be on an anxiety pill everyday. If he gets them every once in a while, he can take a pill when it happens to relax him. I have a pacemaker and seizure disorder, sometimes my health causes them. I take one anxiety pill and that's it and I am fine...... for months.

On 9/2/2011 peacefulsoul said:

Seaswirl,

I began having true panic attacks 17 years ago. First I went to my GP who then sent me to a psychiatrist for evaluation. He prescribed Paxil and this helped tremendously. I have remained on a psychotropic med ever since- occassionally trying this or that new med but always coming back to the Paxil.

I wish I had known then what I know now about SSRI's and the like as I would have tried other methods before getting on the medication. As others have mentioned, congnitive therapy can be enough to treat these symptoms very well for many people as well as proper diet and daily exercise. **Many people do need medication to resolve their symptoms.

There is a product called Holy Basil that is available online or in health food stores that has seen success with nervousness & anxiety when taken daily. The side effects reported are minimal (please read product info) and has been used very successfully for a variety of issues for thousands of years in other cultures. Also, there really is a lot to be said for daily exercise in this regard.

I, personally, would love to get off the Paxil and see how things go but have read such horror stories about withdrawal even with VERY slow titrating down that I am leery of doing so. I hope your son finds what works best for him and wish you all on the east coast a speedy recovery. Be well!

Here is a link to a guide that tells how to come off of psychiatric drugs very slowly. If you have been on Paxil for years, then you should take at least a year to taper off the drug. Best wishes to you.

http://theicarusproject.net/downloads/ComingOffPsychDrugsHarmReductGuide1Edonline.pdf

Excellent advice here, OP. I would personally recommend a counselor first, since his panic attacks are relatively far apart. It may be that he also needs to add an anti-anxiety med, but I'd try the counseling first. A counselor who knows how to use cognitive behavioral therapy would be best as it is highly effective for panic/anxiety.