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Old 10-07-2018, 03:30 AM
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Not much change

Hi I’m 11 months nearly into sobriety. No cravings no relapses just good old panic attacks.Still having one now and it started Friday managed to get into the doctors bloods checked heart lungs and blood pressure which was slightly high.Results reveal nothing physical so it must be all in my head.Doc even said “Ah Anxiety gets blamed for everything" then sent me on my way.I feel like I can’t breathe get dizzy cold sensations in my limbs and of course I panic more.Propanolol stops my heart rate going up but nothing helps the breathlessness.Wondering if it’s ever going to stop
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:36 AM
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A second opinion from a specialist? Many years into recovery I still find that nothing helps me recover from anxiety and panic attacks more than fresh air, sunshine, being outdoors, meditation, and prayer. Just clearing my head and sometimes talking to someone else.

I'm glad you posted, and hope you find relief from this soon.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:52 AM
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Have you tried any Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or even just reading some books about it? I used to get panic attacks, but I was causing them myself by the stories I told myself, my knee-jerk reactions to perceived stressors/fear, and by the poor breathing I had made a habit due to stress and PTSD.

I needed new stories and better breathing.

I use this a lot:

Box Breathing


Daily exercise, very little caffeine, and a nutritious diet are important tools for me, too.
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Old 10-07-2018, 08:31 AM
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I can attest that "its all in your head" can actually be true at times. Being diagnosed with GAD and health anxiety, I can tell you that it is absolutely possible for you to worry yourself sick and manifest physical symptoms from things that do not exist. I was absolutely convinced that I had some kind of neurological disorder - and I could literally make myself experience/notice the symptoms of things like ALS or Parkinson's or Early onset Dementia, etc. It really just kind of depended on which disorder I obsessed about via Dr. Google on that particular day/week.

I tested my blood sugar multiple times a day trying to convince myself that I had some kind of pancreatic disease that would lead to cancer. I checked my pulse constantly and my blood pressure many times daily in fear of some kind of cardiac condition. Little pangs in my stomach led me to believe that a stroke or heart attack was imminent. And when I did have panic attack of course I though they were a heart attack too. I used to get them standing in line at the grocery store - leaving a cart full of groceries in the checkout line and ducking out of the store. Or at stoplights waiting to turn green. Or just for absolutely no reason at all out of the blue.

I dealt with all of that for about 2 years after quitting before I finally saw a therapist and started working on it. I had to accept that I had anxiety just as I had to accept my addiction - because neither of them really make any sense. Over the course of time I learned a lot of different tools to help me deal with my anxiety and panic and these days I don't really even think of it much. I tried a couple of different meds even though I was very much against it, and one did help me get over the hump - I don't take it anymore. Mindfulness, meditation, exercise, good diet, cutting out/cutting back on caffeine an sugar, reading ( NOT dr. google! ) and getting out in the world with other people are some of the tools I have learned. And I still see my therapist about once a month just to make sure I'm still on track.
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Old 10-08-2018, 01:09 PM
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I would go to a doctor (a psychiatrist comes to mind) who understands anxiety - not one who dismisses it.

Before I sought treatment, my GAD was much worse than my chronic depression, which itself was quite terrible.

The GAD was just always present and front and center.
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Old 12-16-2018, 04:38 PM
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Caffeine

Originally Posted by biminiblue View Post
Have you tried any Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or even just reading some books about it? I used to get panic attacks, but I was causing them myself by the stories I told myself, my knee-jerk reactions to perceived stressors/fear, and by the poor breathing I had made a habit due to stress and PTSD.

I needed new stories and better breathing.

I use this a lot:

Box Breathing


Daily exercise, very little caffeine, and a nutritious diet are important tools for me, too.
yeah I agree with the caffeine,had a really good few weeks.No caffeine most of my sober year drank some today and boom borderline panic attack jittery feeling and breathlessness.Im trying breathing techniques feel like a fake going back to doctors
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Old 12-16-2018, 11:06 PM
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Cognitive therapy and buspirone worked for me. I have GAD on top of bipolar disorder. It keeps things at bay.

Just my story, not advice.
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Old 12-16-2018, 11:09 PM
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Cognitive therapy and buspirone worked for me. I have GAD on top of bipolar disorder. It keeps things at bay.

Just my story, not advice.

A psychiatrist, preferably one with addiction experience, might be able to help you with whatever treatment you need. They know more than a general practitioner.
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Old 02-27-2019, 01:44 PM
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I’m 4 months sober and I used my DOC to cover up trauma and now my anxiety and depression is even worse because I don’t have my DOC anymore. GIve yourself a lot of credit for what you have been through and how far you have come. I am about to head to some DBT classes which is CBT for borderline personality disorder. Anxiety is a beast. Surround yourself with supportive and strong people in your life. And you always have us to vent too.
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Old 03-05-2019, 04:59 PM
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While I was in rehab, my doctor put me on gabapentin but I don't even know if it is good for anxiety. I do not want to be on it so I stopped it cold turkey which they say that you shouldn't do but whatever. It is nothing compared to the fentanyl withdrawal. I read a book about anxiety and I think that it has some secret to it and at the end of the book it says you are going to need counseling lol...
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