Blah...

I am so frustrated with myself. I have been having pretty bad panic attacks for the last couple of months. They got worse when I lost my job. Today, I woke up in the middle of a panic attack. Shaking, heart palpitations, dizziness... and all of this was before my feet even hit the ground and I realized for much I hurt. I also have been dealing with a barometric migraine. I am trying to talk myself into leaving the house... I need some things from the grocery store. But I am afraid to leave the house because of the anxiety and the pain. My hips have been locking up a lot lately, and falling asleep. I need some help dealing with the pain today. Is there anything I can do? My ribs hurt so bad right now too. I am willing to try anything. Help? I really dont want to succumb to my mind and crawl back into bed.

Thanks Patti... I managed to walk down to the mailbox. Getting out of the house made the anxiety and panic a little better until I got back to the house and sat down, now I don't want to get back up. I need to be back here by about 7 tonight to make dinner (or order it!) If i thought I would be able to get back out, I would go lay down in the shower with the hot water. The panic attacks are really kicking my butt right now.

I had panic attacks for years & really hated them.  Are you taking anything for them?  The best advice I ever got was from a Doctor who told me not to worry about them so much.  He told me the worst thing that was going to happen was I would pass out from the worry of the attack & wake up & the attack would be gone, I would not die.   Easy fix.  LOL  Well, I really thought about that & finally understood, for me, they were from the worry & stress, so I got some little brown bags to breath in when I needed to & just ignored them for the most part.  I would think about passing out & find a comfy place, just in case, ignored them & they went away.  If yours are physical, meaning caused by something physical, this wouldn't help of course.  I hope you get a good answer for yourself soon.  We have enough to worry about with Fibro. 

It sounds like your body is saying "no, stay home"  I have learned that if it is possible, I need to listen to that voice.  If I absolutely have to go out, I make it as quick as possible & come straight home.  You have an illness & we all have a tendency to think it is an illness we need to learn to ignore, to push through & act like it doesn't exist but it does.  If you had cancer, would you make yourself do some of the things you feel must be done, right after Chemo?  Yes, we want to push our limits slowly but we need to listen when our bodies say "no".  To go ahead & do it anyway is called "push & crash", if you push then expect the crash.  It took me a long time to get real with my illness.  To not feel guilty if I couldn't do the things I tell myself I should be able to do.  Take care of yourself & I hope you get your panic attacks under control, I know they can be so hard to deal with.  Relax & use you moist heating pad & don't feel guilty.  Many soft hugs, Denise 

Ouch, after I learned the formation of a panic attack I stopped them cold. A fear, many times the fear of having a panic attack is enough, causes your body to dump adrenaline in your system, which causes physical feelings (heart racing, throat consticting and etc) which causes more adrenaline to be dumped and more physical feelings until you are in a full blown panic attack. After I learned this when I would feel the physical feelings I would repeat to myself over and over "it's just a physical feeling". Now general anxiety is a different story for me and I haven't been able to stop it cold.

I use to have terrible anxiety driving but I would not give in cause getting in my car and going where I wanted when I wanted was too important to me and I did overcome it.

luv and hugs

Marlee 

Thanks Patti... I actually never left... I am about to put clothes on and go to the store... i am making my boyfriend go with me, which will help a lot! Thanks again!!

Hey
If you don't have anything to take for the panic attacks ..... try a breathing technique called square breathing.
Take a full deep breath in ( while in your head counting 4 secs )
Hold the deep breath in for a count of 4 secs
Let the full deep breath out ( while in your head counting 4 secs. )
With empty lungs count 4 secs. before taking another deep breath in.

This slows your heart rate down and puts you back in control, a therapist taught me this technique last year.

Take Care

I can SO relate to you- I had severe anxiety when I was your age! It got to the point where I was "not" functioning and could hardly leave the house. I know it is bad for you right now, but it can be treated and you can start to live your life again!

I would see a Dr. as soon as possible and get started on an antidepressant. It takes the majority of anxiety away. When you can see a counselor that will help tremendously too. Fibro alone is enough to deal with! Like others stated, check into all the resources your city, county, state have to see a Dr. for little or nothing.

Good idea to have boyfriend go with you to the store till you can get some of this anxiety under control.

Let us know how your doing-

GamJill