[jeshaheidi]

i am 24 years old, and i think i had a really intense panic attack at work this morning. i have two jobs, and i was at the more stressful of the two this morning. i walked into the back, and my chest started pounding. i have had some pretty intense worry going on lately. sometimes i wake up worried that i wont feel well. i check my pulse pretty regularly, because im afraid of it being rapid. often in the evenings, my shoulders will be very stiff and i convince myself that i am having a heart attack. i rarely voice these fears to my boyfriend, eventhough hes right beside me. i nearly called 911 ealier, because i felt intensely dizzy while my heart was going so rapidly. instead i called a walk in clinic and spoke with a nurse who told me i was probably having a panic attack. my heart rate was about 105. i also have chronic stomach pains. ill convince myself that if i eat the right things my body wont hurt, but it doesnt prevent the worry, rapid heart rate or dizziness. i dont know where to go from here. a few close friends are in the psychology field, and have told me i probably have an anxiety disorder, but im not sure what to do. i would not like to take medications, so im not sure what my options are. does it get better? should i be seeing a therapist? are support groups helpful? any advice or experiences would help. i am currently reading this forum and its informative and its making me feel calmer just knowing its a shared experience. oh, and i dont sleep. i have trouble falling asleep and worry right before i actually fall into deep sleep that i wont wake up or ill stop breathing. is this what its like for everyone?

[Ashley0000]

Hi,
Everyone's anxiety is different-but the symptoms are pretty basic but can vary in every person-rapid heart beat,sweating,nausea,choking sensation,dizziness,rapid breathing,etc. I suffer from a severe panic disorder and I defintely believe you do have a panic disorder it defintely sounds like you do. You are way too young to have a heart attack-so don't even worry-if you are healthy and take care of your self you will be fine. If I were you I'd see your MD right away-and he/she can refer you to psychologist-sometimes meds are the only thing that calms the panic down-because it can sometimes be so debilitating that you are unable to work/see friends/sleep...etc...defintely have it checked out....good luck-hope this helps...
Ashley

[jeshaheidi]

thank you for the reply. i really dont like going to the doctor, but i guess ill have to bite the bullet. i definitely feel these symptoms even at times when i dont know why exactly im feeling them. its like my mind never really calms down. again, thanks for the input.

[Butterfly_Faerie]

The symptoms you are describing sounds exactly like anxiety/ panic attacks, rapid heartbeat, fear of a heart attack and so on.

You have to find the reason why you are having these, you have 2 jobs and that can be stressful. Thinking that you are going to die, end up in the emergency ect is just going to make it worse.

The best thing to do is to talk yourself out of it , that's hard to do and i'm just learning it now after 7 yrs of this........I rarely have panic attacks now.

If you want I can reccomend 2 great books on anxiety, on in particular helped me think differently,

I think once you figure out what is causing this you can start to get rid of it with postive self talk, expouser to the problem and breath tecniques, I don't know how much you know about anxiety, so I don't want to babble your ear off, if you want some info and want to know how i over came it i'd be happy to share it with you.

GTG but i'll check back later. Take care.. Remember you wont die from this, you wont pass out, you wont get a heart attack it just feels like it.

Be back later.

<font color=red>~Sundance~</font color=red>

<font color=blue>"Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business."</font color=blue>

<font color=black>Norman Vincent Peale</font color=black>

[jeshaheidi]

thank you for the comment. id definitely like any book recommendations you may have. im not in a financial position right now to spend a lot on treatments and meds, so i can use all the knowledge possible. i dont know much about anxiety, so anything youd like to share personally is also appreciated. several more times today my pulse has raced, eventhough i didnt completely freak out. im not sure of the cause. i feel persistent worry about many things, my future in general, my health, money, responsibilities. its like even when im calm and just watching tv, i withdraw within my own mind and worry myself into a frenzy, but it feels unconcious. i just dont know.

[Butterfly_Faerie]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

i feel persistent worry about many things, my future in general, my health, money, responsibilities

<hr></blockquote>

That alone can cause extreme anxiety it has for me.

Here is the one book I highly reccomend and has helped me out greatly... It's called: <font color=green>Don't Panic- by R.Reid Wilson PH.D</font color=green>

The other one would be great for someone like you it's called: <font color=green>The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Third Edition- by Edmund J Bourne PH.D</font color=green>

There is alot to tell you about anxiety, how about I give you an over view and some links maybe?

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

<font color=red>Introduction: What is panic? What is anxiety? And when is it a disorder? - Understanding classification</font color=red>

The definition of Panic Attacks is a discrete period in which there is the sudden onset of the intense apprehension, fearfulness, or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom. During these attacks, symptoms such as shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain or discomfort, choking or smothering sensations, and fear of "going crazy" or losing control are present (DSM-4). Anxiety Disorders, which are often associated with Panic Attacks, are characterized by a severe increase in the level of stress or anxiety. This increase can be related to the presence of particular events or items (triggers) and can also exists without being prompted by any known triggers.

Contrary to the popular misconceptions about Anxiety Disorders today, Anxiety Disorder is not a purely biochemical or medical disorder. Currently there are three main schools of thought regarding the etiology of Anxiety Disorders: The Biological Theory, (includes the genetic predisposition in panic disorder and presupposes a chemical imbalance in the brain), The Psychodynamic Theory (looks at childhood issues as being the cause), and the Behavioral Theory (sees the cause as learned behavior, including our negative thought patterns). (Fox, Barker 1997)

Anxiety Disorders include the following specific disorders: Anxiety Disorder with or without Agoraphobia, Agoraphobia without History of Panic Disorder, Specific Phobia, Social Phobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Disorder Due To a General Medical Condition, Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Of this list there are five major Anxiety Disorders, which are; Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia, or "Avoidant Personality Disorder" are of the most prevalent, occurring in the context of several of these disorders.

<hr></blockquote>



http://www.anxieties.com

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Publicat/anxiety.cfm>http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Publicat/anxiety.cfm</A> <-- another site.

I could likely spend hours sending you info and people may get mad cause i've taken over lol... I hope this helps you ,feel free to ask me any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Take care,

<font color=red>~Sundance~</font color=red>

<font color=blue>"Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business."</font color=blue>

<font color=black>Norman Vincent Peale</font color=black>