AboutSally Expertise Can answer general questions about symptoms, how to cope with them, getting help, relationships with others, employment concerns, family support, personal experience with drug related treatments vs behavior techniques. How panic attacks increased my awareness of the world around me.
I can`t answer what medications would be best for you, whether you should or should not disclose your illness to others, substitutions for seeing a physician or other medical advice that should come only from a professional.
Experience I have had panic disorder/attacks for 20 years, the first 8 were spent in an agonizing search for a diagnosis and eventually cost me a career of 20 years. I can relate well to any employment or socialization problems caused by PD. Over the years I have developed many ways to cope with PD on a daily basis but also know that nothing will substitue for professional help. I have done a lot of research on the disease including past and future medications, genetic tendancies (I now believe my mother suffered from PD) and personal self-esteem issues. On the "flip" side-learning to cope with panic disorder/ attacks actually increased my awareness and sensitivity to others and the world around me.
Question Hi, about two months ago I started having anxiety and what I am almost sure OCD (I cant really go to a doctor right now). Thankfully it seams to be getting better, but now when I get a "what if" thought pop in my head it doesn't really bother me. That sounds like a good thing but then I think why didn't that worry me more.. then I think why isn't it bugging me yet. No matter how much I think about it it doesn't get past a certain level of "worry". Then I think something not right. Can that be from having really bad worry for the last two months?? Tank you.
Answer Hello Vic and thank you for your inquiry. Yes, it is common to have anxiety about "having anxiety". That all seems to go along with it. The best thing to do when you find yourself about to "dwell" or think about it, is to change what you are doing to something more challenging that requires you to concentrate in another area. Try doing deep breathing exercises. There are sites online that can help you learn anti-anxiety breathing. It doesn't take much time, and it can do a lot of good to short-circuit an anxiety attack. If you find that you cannot handle the anxiety, however, don't put off seeing your physician. There's always a chance that something else may be affecting your health. Hope this helps and good luck !
