surfinsupermom

hey gang!

listen, i need some advice. i was on the interstate driving to my son's soccer game last night. it is a different route than I usually take when driving home. i suddendly come to all of these curves in the road and bam, have to pull off on side of shoulder. am having full blown panic attack. the worst one i have had in probably 6 months. i am sweating, shaking, my heart is going about 90 miles an hour and i am scared to death. i try to call my husband but cannot get throught. finally, in desperation, i call my counselor and she breathes with me and prays with me and i feel a little better. but every time i get back on the interstate to get to the exit, i can only go a little ways without pulling over again. it takes me like 30 minutes to go a mile. LOL.

i still cannot calm down even when i get off on my exit. i admit, i have 2 beers. but that is the only thing that I have ever found that will finally get me calmed down again to where i can function.

I am on Paxil CR 25mg for panic attacks. and it works very well. but, i cannot for my sake, keeping on self medication with alcohol. luckily, these are few and far between.

The ironic thing is, I think my panic attacks were originally brought on by my alcohol abuse in the first place.

If anyone has any suggestions, please help!



xoxoxox,


Angela

dotcom

(((((angela))))) i dont have any suggestions but my prayers are with you!

KelKel

Angela
Have you asked your doctor about increasing your meds?
Your panic attacks could be your addictive, primitive brain trying to get you to drink.
I know that anger is a trigger for me. When I find myself getting angry over things that do not normally make me mad and my brain starts telling me to just have a drink to take the edge off. It is time to take a walk and get those endorphines pumping.
Positive affirmations and creating a beautiful workshop or place of meditation in your mind can be helpful too. The more you can visualize the more you can get rid of the extra garbage floating around in your head.
HUGS

Anna

Hi Angela,

I agree with you that your panic attacks were probably worsened or even caused by alcohol. I had some panic attacks when I was drinking and do not anymore. I do have some moments of 'high anxiety' but not really a panic attack. As for what to do, I don't really know, other than believe that it will end, that it will not kill you. It just feels like it will. Have you check out the forum for PTSD on this board because there are people there with similar problems?

Love, Anna

tryinagain

Yep, been there which is why I am on meds. Like everyone else has already said, talk to your doc and make sure you eat well. Mine have a nasty side effect of taking away appetite but I notice that when I dont eat, I go through very similar reactions like I was detoxing or withdrawing. I too found that alcohol (beer preferred) was the only thing to actually calm me down enough to function. Like I have tried to explain here, the problem may go deeper than just alcohol, at least for me that was the case. Life throws alot of stuff at us and how we deal with it depends on what it does to us in the brain. Talk to your doctor, they should have gave you a card to call. I have mines home number for anytime that I feel like something is not right. So far, the current meds are doing a good job as long as I eat. I can relate completely.
Roy

namommy

Hey Surf,

I suffer from panic attacks, primarily related to anxiety and PTSD. i have found deep breathing excercises helpful. Also, yoga, I'm not really into the yoga full blown, but my former sponsor was a yoga instructor and she taught me some meditations that help alot. Maybe look into that.

Other than that, my prayers are with you. It does get better.
And, have your doctor check you med levels (bloodwork).

Love ya

Laurie D