I can definitely identify with you as I struggle with full-blown panic attacks, limited symptom attacks and even rolling panic attacks. They are awful beyond the power of words to convey and no one who hasn't suffered one can ever understand how terrible they feel and how they really mess up one's life.

There are techniques for dealing with panic attacks. Books have been written on these techniques and many are on the Internet. Have you tried any of these already?

Some of these like splashing cold water on the face have helped me. There's a bunch of these techniques that one can try in order to see how effective or ineffective they are.

I carry a little card in my pocket that I pull out and read when I am having a panic attack. On the card is written: "You are having a panic attack. You are not in any real danger although physical signs and symptoms suggest you are in danger. This attack will pass. You can ride out this storm. There is nothing disgraceful in having a panic attack. Millions of people around the world experience them although not every person has a name for them. You are not in any real danger. Keep reading this card until the storm passes."

I don't know but this helps me a lot.

One thing that has helped me is getting to the root of my problem causing the panic attacks, I mean the root that is not just genetics and brain chemistry.

I think a lot of psychologists think many panic attacks are linked in some way to the attitude people can have which is called "perfectionism." Don't know if it is true of others, but it is certainly true of me.

I was raised to see good and bad like the two positions on a light switch. There is only one good and that is perfection. Everything that falls short of perfection is "bad." There is only good and bad. There are no degrees. Sadly this reduces the range of values and creates problems. If everything that isn't perfect is bad, then all bad things are sort of equal. But that isn't true.

For example, Adolf Hitler caused the destruction of tens of millions of people through a campaign of genocide. Now that is really bad. Not getting straight A's in school or picking one's nose is not "bad" like that.


Some people think that people prone to panic attacks have been conditioned to think and treat many things and situations that are not matters of life or death urgency as matters of life or death. It is thought by some that the perfectionist frame of mind can make one prone to anxiety and panic attacks in those genetically predisposed.

One characteristic of perfectionism is tending to always look at things and think: "could be better but isn't better ... how aggravating, how scary, how sad." I know I always tended to look at everything: myself, others, events and situations and almost everything and think: "could be better isn't better." That was my default way of looking at things.

There is another way of looking at oneself, others, things, events and situations and that is "could be worse, but isn't worse, thank goodness." This way of looking at things tends to engender feelings of peace, of contentment, of appreciation and gratitude...happy feelings and moods.

There are other deep things that can be at the root of panic disorder, other than perfectionism. I am not saying you suffer from perfectionism!

Sometimes it can be helpful to look for what may be behind one's tendency to have these awful attacks. Sometimes psychotherapists can help one get to the root of the problem. Sometimes self-help books can be useful.

It is not known how much genetics and brain illness contribute to panic attacks. Because of this, I don't think one should blame oneself for having them. Things happening in the brain can have a profound effect of one's life.


Speaking of blame, for a long time, people thought having epilepsy was due to a flaw in character and wrong living. Now we know it is a brain thing.

I wish I had something really useful to share with you and I fear my words are worse than useless to you.

If my poor words are useless I hope you will accept my kind thoughts and wishes. Panic attacks are awful and I am sorry you are burdened with them in the ways you have described in your post.

I hope other members here with panic attacks will see and respond to your post with really helpful ideas. Sorry I could not be helpful to you in this!