I suffer from panic disorder for a couple of years now. I have gone to psychiatrists, psychologists, read books & been on medication. Most of the time i feel horrible. I would just like to know if there is actually a person out there who has recovered from panic disorder without the drugs, which i absolutely cannot handle. And i’m not talking about those infomercial people, which you are not sure if they are being honest or not. Panic disorder is hell on earth & i would like to know if anybody has been able to escape it…

Every time someone hears about my attacks, I get useless and banal “advice” on overcoming them. People with no real psychological education other than reading self help books and watching Dr. Phil. My favorite is “suck it up” and “be a man.” So anyone out there with panic disorder get this often or notice this? Does it bug you? How do you cope? It’s bad enough to have an illness that has you by the throat, but to endure constant ignorance is just salt in the wound.
10 years with panic disorder (agoraphobia on and off) Have been on Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, Effexor, Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, etc.

Tested for bi-polar and manic depression..hade neither, but was given Depikote “just in case” and it reacted badly.

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Hello

I am trying to find information regarding how countries other than the United States treat panic disorders with or without agoraphobia–for example, Japan or Africa, Spain…basically wherever as long as it differs from the U.S. in some way. I’ve tried googling but have had no luck.

If you know, do you mind stating your source? I will have to cite it, as this is for a paper. I need to get a global perspective on this disorder.

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Sometimes I sit and start to feel strong heart beat, but not like I did have when I got my panic attack. Is this is due that I suffer from anxiety and panic disorders? Or is it something else.And is panic attacks different?I mean could sometimes be very strong heart beat and very fast and sometimes not very fast? You got the point?Thanks

I suffer from a panic disorder and I absolutely cannot drive on or near the interstate without having the worst panic attack ever. Just curious if anyone else has suffered or is suffering from this and how are you or did you deal with it?

i have gained 40 pounds taking zoloft . is there another medication i can take that wouldn’t make me gain weight and would help me with my panic disorder?

I suffer from panic disorder which almost cripples me in the mornings. I am anxious about the coming day and I would like to find a website that would give me support and allow me to know I am not alone in what I go through. I would also like to know if anyone else that reads this suffers from something similar.

What are some of the medications that are not approved for panic disorder but are prescribed by physicians for this disorder? I suffer from panic disorder and would like to know some suggestions when I ask my doctor. What meds has anyone had success with?

I have heard everything from you are born with it to because you have sinned too much to its from processed foods to its from the hormones in the milk! Why is it so common! If you are going to tell me that it isnt a real disorder, I will beg to differ with you! If you have some helpful info, then I would be greatly appreciative. Has anyone here suffered extreme dibilitating panic, been on meds, and successing found a way to come off? I’m sorry there are sooo many unanswered Q’s here.
Nicole,
Yes I am suffering from panic attacks. Its been close to 4 yrs since the first debilitating one, and they still sneak up quite often. I take 12.5 mg Paxil daily, and am considering Xanax for those debilitating attacks. I believe that my attacks surfaced due to the amount of stress I was under. I was 20 y/o, married w/ a stepson, and just gave birth to my second son, (3 sons total- at that time). My baby was very ill, and was deaf. We were getting ready for him to have cranial surgery. I was very weak from a traumatic birth,(he was born in the car during a thunder storm), and was having to travel 300 miles to the childrens hospital frequently. I lost my pregnancy weight in about 3 weeks. Then the attacks hit me hard. It was a nightmare! I deal with them very well now, but the trembling is unbearable! Thank all of you who have taken the time to leave an answer.

I was diagnosed with panic disorder a few years ago. I started out on Effexor XR. While it was excellent in keeping the anxiety and panic attacks at bay, the side effects were unbearable. My doctor switched me over to Lexapro, which worked at first, but now does nothing for me. I even started taking 20 mg as opposed to the 10 mg I was prescribed. I have an appointment with my doctor next week and I wanted to get a general idea of the best medications out there.