Panic Attacks?
21 May 2010
8 Comments
Jen asked:
I suffer from panic attacks fairly frequently at the minute, they’re very specific, only happen at night when I’m in bed. I see a psychiatrist for depression and anxiety problems and I spoke to her about my panic attacks yesterday. She gave me some suggestions to deal with them, one of which was to get up out of bed when it happened. But when they do happen I feel totally paralysed with fear, and I believe that if I move, I’ll make the “bad thing” happen. I know it’s totally irrational, but at that moment I just CANNOT move at all. Has anyone else ever experienced this? And if so, how do you overcome it? And even if you haven’t experienced exactly this, what did you find the best way to cope with panic attacks?
I’ve been seeing my psychiatrist regularly for a year. I have problems with social phobia and I think that’s why she hasn’t referred me on to anyone else, she knows it would take me a long time before I could talk to them, so she’s just working with me instead. I’m on venlafaxine for my depression, and she did suggest that I could try buspirone for my panic attacks if they don’t improve. She did give other suggestions as well as getting out of bed, but that’s the most specific problem I have, in that I literally can’t move at all when I’m having a panic attack for fear that it will cause something bad to happen.
I suffer from panic attacks fairly frequently at the minute, they’re very specific, only happen at night when I’m in bed. I see a psychiatrist for depression and anxiety problems and I spoke to her about my panic attacks yesterday. She gave me some suggestions to deal with them, one of which was to get up out of bed when it happened. But when they do happen I feel totally paralysed with fear, and I believe that if I move, I’ll make the “bad thing” happen. I know it’s totally irrational, but at that moment I just CANNOT move at all. Has anyone else ever experienced this? And if so, how do you overcome it? And even if you haven’t experienced exactly this, what did you find the best way to cope with panic attacks?
I’ve been seeing my psychiatrist regularly for a year. I have problems with social phobia and I think that’s why she hasn’t referred me on to anyone else, she knows it would take me a long time before I could talk to them, so she’s just working with me instead. I’m on venlafaxine for my depression, and she did suggest that I could try buspirone for my panic attacks if they don’t improve. She did give other suggestions as well as getting out of bed, but that’s the most specific problem I have, in that I literally can’t move at all when I’m having a panic attack for fear that it will cause something bad to happen.
Panic Attacks will usually not last for a long period of time. Durig my attacks I have taken deep breaths and sat down to try and get my balance. Good Luck, I know this is a strange thing to be experiencing. Hopefully they will not be a longterm thing.
i did experience something similar to that and it happened also at night when i was in bed i felt paralyzed and i felt the whole bed rocking i was sure there was an earthquake! and my eyes were open but i couldn’t see anything i do not know how it really started i was part asleep already and it felt like i was somewhere in between reality and dreams it lasted only for a couple of minutes but it felt like forever and when it was over i was cold and sweating,,,there was no way i can get out of bed during the attack i couldn’t sleep that night and thank god i didn’t experience that again but i blamed it on stress and the day after that i skipped my classes at university and just relaxed that helped a lot i don’t have any problems with depression and i don’t really see a relation between the two ma bye you need to relax find away to release stress taking long walks helps me
This sounds a little “off” but it is what my psychologist told me. And he is THE BEST. Scream, and yell, and run.
Meaning…..scream into a pillow, or somewhere where you won’t scare everyone. And, if you can….get busy….exercise that extra adrenalin off. Run if you can, or do some vigorous activity.
Hope this helps! My prayers are with you.
I have anxiety/panic attacks. The symptoms are virtually the same for most people. For me,I first can feel my face getting hot,then my arms and legs get tingly and yes sometimes a paralyzed feeling. Then if I would let the panic take control, my breathing gets unstable to the point of barely being able to catch my breath,my heart would start to race,I’d get nauseous,start trembling and feel like passing out.
It is the fear that is causing you to have this feeling of pluralization. Try to remember that even though you have this fear that something bad is going to happen;nothing has actually happened to you. As you are first stating to have a feeling of an attack coming on,focus all of your strength to your mind and your breathing. Start by taking deep breath in and slowly blow it out into your hands. On the breath in say’re’,and on the breath out say’lax’. Re-lax. Start to gradually slow your breathing down,until you are breathing normally. If you do this,it helps you be in control of the fear,instead of the fear taking control of you. Close your eyes and just relax. I actually prefer to be lying down while doing this,but if your bed is where you are having the attacks,then your psychiatrist is right,you need to distance yourself from the place you are having the attacks. As soon as you feel the first symptoms coming on,move to a different place. This will disassociate your fear from your bedroom and it will be a safe place,not a scary one.
I don’t know how long you have had your attacks or been seeing your psychiatrist,but, I am surprised that she hasn’t suggested seeing a psychologist or a therapist to help you work on relaxation techniques. Another thing is that there are many medications available to help control chronic anxiety/panic and depression. It surprises me that she hasn’t offered you more options than ‘get out of bed’!
The best way that I personally cope? I started meds 2 years ago. This has virtually eliminated my attacks. I also see my psychologist at least once a month,even if I’m not having attacks. I started to see him to learn new ways to breathe,and ways to control the fear. I now see him just to talk and sometimes work on new options,as I am trying to get off one of the meds I’ve been taking.
I wish the best of luck to you.
Zoya.
Edit: 4/20 Thanks for adding the additional details. So,if you have a social phobia,are you slightly agoraphobic also? Do you tend to want to stay away from people,stay safe in the comfort of your own home? If you answered yes,then you and your psychiatrist need to focus on more than just the anxiety itself. Agoraphobia is the end result of untreated anxiety/panic attacks and can lead to paranoia and depression. If you can’t get out of your bed,that is OK. Just practice the breathing and as the other person said the visualization too. There are many types of visualization and breathing exercises that are very helpful during an attack,especially when you learn to use them properly. As soon as you feel it coming on,start these techniques. You do have a warning signal of some sort,don’t you? Your Psychiatrist can help you with these exercises also and give you more suggestions. I would however consider giving a psychologist a chance. Perhaps in the future,when you feel more comfortable.
What is the ‘bad thing’? Has it ever happened in reality? If your bad thing has actually happened,you could be having anxiety over an unresolved issue.
It is a great thing that you see your Psychiatrist regularly. This in itself is a step in the right direction. However,if this has gone on for a year and you’re not feeling better,you either need to be seeing someone else who will better deal with your issues or talk to her about possibly starting a different type of drug treatment therapy.
Venalfaxine is the same thing as Effexor. It increases the levels of the neurotransmitters,serotonin and dopamine in the brain.
Buproprion is the same as Wellbutrin. It increases the levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain.
You can see for yourself that both of these meds increase the serotonin levels. Personally,I think you’d be better off taking either a higher dosage of the Effexor first,if you already aren’t at the max. If you are,then I’d suggest to try a different SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) Some of the best on the market are Paxil,Prozak,Zoloft and Celexa,just to name a few. Please talk to your Psychiatrist soon to go over other treatment options.
You shouldn’t have to live like this. No one should! That is why there are so many meds available to treat these problems.
Again,Good luck to you. Zoya.
Panic disorder or attacks are intense and sudden feelings of fear and anxiety. An attack wil cause many physical symptoms such as rapid heart beat, trembling, rapid shallow breathing, pins and needles in the arms and feeling faint. Many people who have a panic attack fear that they will collapse or die but panic attacks are not harmful.
One effective method for controlling a panic attack involves deep breathing and visualization. Most people will experience a warning that an attack is imminent and at that point it’s important to relax as much as possible.
I’m sure your doctor has taught you deep breathing exercises by now and I cannot stress enough how important this is. Visualization involves picking an image and exploring it in some detail with your mind’s eye. The point of focusing intently on the details of the image is to redirect your attention from the attack to something safe.
Let’s use a picture of a stop sign. “Stop” is an efective word to focus on during an attack but the sign itself is important too. As you are doing your deep breathing, focus on the details of that stop sign…imagine every letter…S…T…O…P…focus on the colours of the sign…the shape of the sign…
The point of this exercise is:
1.) Deep breathing for physical relaxation
2.) Visualization for re-establishing control over your body.
Try to adopt the attitude that you will NOT allow these attacks to control you.
Practice this technique on a regular basis at times when you aren’t experiencing an attack.
Good luck!
How long have you been having these? I find interesting that it only happens at night in your bed. Maybe you were abused and don’t remember, when you sleep then your body could be going into a defensive state,”maybe if I don’t move nothing will happen” Another thing is that if you’re sleep deprived it can trigger stress breathing/hyperventilating, which can cause panic attacks, this happened to me after my son was born and I was up every two hours, it got progressively worse to the point that I thought I was having a heart attack and I went to hospital, had tests done and they told me it was a panic attack induced by hyperventilating in my sleep.
I agree with everyone about the deep breathing exercises. That will help get your body out of its “fight or flight” mode.
The next thing I might try is to actually think about what (if anything) in particular could be bothering you. We live such stressful lives that nowadays many issues just go unchecked and unexamined, and this “daytime debris” sometimes surfaces when we try to be the most relaxed. I know whenever I have my panic attacks at night (in bed also, might I add), I can usually pinpoint what triggers them and devise some coping strategies for them. For instance, I’m having trouble finding a new job, so I just tell myself that money isn’t really that important in the scheme of things; finding a career I enjoy and good health are much more valuable and obviously it’s unhealthy to let something like a menial job effect my well-being in such a way!
If the panic attacks are purely physical in nature, I would suggest some chamomile and/or valerian tea, and perhaps new medication if what you’re taking doesn’t seem to be working for you. Also, explore relaxation techiniques like yoga, meditation, listening to music, etc. I hope this was helpful!
I used to have panic attacks… I started taking Paxil several years ago and haven’t had a panic attack since…
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