It took twelve doctors and a bunch of uncomfortable tests before a doctor finally figured out that I have panic attack syndrome. But, then I only had eleven of the thirteen symptoms for the syndrome. I think if you have five of the symptoms you are considered to have the disease.
Anyway, the cure is not expensive and won't hurt you any. Quit drinking coffee, quit eating chocolate, quit smoking and get more exercise. Walking is a good exercise, despite what the running fanatics say. Deep breathing also helps. To do this, I sit somewhere comfortable and relax and count to seven while breathing in, then for the same count of seven I breathe out. After a while, sometimes a long while, I get used to the rhythm and quit bothering to count. All the while I try to clear my head of all thoughts. Just concentrate on your breathing.
By all means, suggest panic attack syndrome to your doctor and therapist. Though it is not common, it is not uncommon either. It seems to have something to do with the CO2 levels in your brain, or so I have been told. It does resemble symptoms for a heart attack and most people with this problem, myself included, end up in an emergency room getting their heart checked out. Which seems to really annoy the ER docs, who should know better.
Anyway, there is help for it. I have gotten my attacks down to two or three a day. Which is pretty good considering I was having fifteen to twenty before I was diagnosed. Hopefully, you have caught this earily enough so that you won't have to go through what I did.
Post Edited (Blue Eyes) : 10/26/2009 9:19:03 AM (GMT-6)