I’m 16 and have anxiety..or panic disorder whichever you prefer..
I’m also a hypochondriac which makes things worse..
anywho..
I’ve been having heart palpitations, and skipped beats for a bout a month now….
and my chest hurts a lot on the left side near the bottom of my ribs about where my heart is…
it doesn’t hurt 24/7 but most of the day i have pains that come and go..
sometimes the pain is minor..about a 3 on a scale of 1-10…and other times (mainly at night) it hurts at about a 5 or 6…
should i be worried that i have heart problems, or is this normal for people who have panic disorder?
it’s been keeping me up at night…and i’ve missed bout 3 nights of sleep this week so i’d like some advice..
thanks.

Panic disorder support can be extremely helpful to those of us that deals with panic attacks on a regular basis. It should be noted that it goes both ways. Providing support to those that experience it as well can help quite a bit. Let us discuss support and how this can help both us and others.

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You are in a crowded store with a basket full of shopping. Suddenly you become aware of a slight dizzy feeling and your heart starts beating a bit harder and faster. You realise you are sweating slightly and your breathing has become a bit faster. There is a knot in your stomach and a strong feeling that lots of other shoppers are looking at you. Your heart gets even faster and the breathing does too until you feel lightheaded. It feels like the walls are closing in and you really have to get out of there fast. Sound familiar? If so it may be that you have had panic attacks. When panic attacks become frequent and the worry or anxiety of about having them starts to interfere with normal life, then you may have panic disorder. Here are three trusted methods of self help for panic disorder.

*Avoid caffeine and smoking

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Natural treatment for panic disorder works best to get rid of symptoms for good.

Medications can help the symptoms of an acute attack, and can reduce the likelihood of an attack happening, but will not cure the condition.They may control the symptoms enough so that natural methods can be used effectively.

Panic attacks are caused by an over-activation of the body’s natural “fight or flight” response to danger. They become more troublesome as the sufferer begins to perceive more and more places, situations, thoughts or items as “dangerous” because an attack is likely to happen and the whole situation can become a downward spiral of cause and effect, which is called panic disorder. As a result a sufferer will try to avoid situations that are likely to provoke an attack, and be chronically anxious about having to come in contact with something that causes panic. This is called avoidance behavior and can lead to agoraphobia.

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My boyfriend was diagnosed with panic disorder and anxiety attacks before he joined the Marine Corps. 6 years ago. He received meds but did not and does not take them. He spent 2 terms in Iraq and has been out of the service for 2 years. We’ve also been dating 2 years and he has had NO PROBLEMS and NO SIGNS OF ANXIETY since I’ve met him. He says his disorder has not been causing him any problems for a long time. When he got out of the Marines, he didn’t claim this as disability because he didn’t want it on his record. Now, since he’s been out, he’s been going to school for law enforcement. When they test him, what are his chances of passing? If they see his previous records, will this severly hinder his chances? Did he throw away 2 years and thousands of dollars with school??

Hello,

Im a 21 y/o female and have no previous medical conditions or diseases to date. The past few months i have ot been myself at all. I lost my job at the end of January, OD on on a combo of Dextromethorphan / Acetaminophen… I was sick for a 3 days and then fine. Since then i have been havin all of these “issues” with myself. I have been to the hospital and they cannot find anything wrong with me. They have done blood work and chest x-rays and they inform me that they can find nothing wrong at all. I have also been to my DR on 2 occasions and he also ran blood work and EKG and NOTHING came back as anything being wrong with me. The only 2 things that were options told to me for my symptoms were: Muscle pain, and Panic Disorder.

For me, these symptoms happen randomly. Some days more so than others. Some days my chest will get very tight as if i cant breathe and my heart will pound so hard i feel as if im having a heart attack…along with this, i will get “chills” or “spazims” where i cant control my legs and they shake as if i am cold, but i am not. ***These types of symptoms typically occur at night, more so before i fall asleep in bed***

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People who do not suffer from panic disorder often do not realise how serious this condition is. Symptoms include trouble breathing, sweating, feeling in grave danger and losing control. Many people will feel like they are actually dieing. It can really ruin people’s lives.

Before looking at possible cures for your panic disorder you should try to determine what exactly is causing it. By far the most common cause of this disorder is stress. For many people simply reducing the amount of stress in their lives will greatly reduce their panic disorder. If this does not work you may want to try other remedies.

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The treatment of anxiety disorders in Africa is not as advanced as it is in the advanced countries.

One reason is misconception by the general public. Mental problems are generally looked down on by the people. It is commonly believed that one has been bewitched and no cure exists for such a person. The level of stigmatization can reach aberrational levels.

Note that people who suffer from panic disorders can not be classified as “mad”. They simply conclude such a person has issues, some serious ones!

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There are many types of anxiety disorders and many types of therapies for them.  A common type of anxiety disorder is a panic disorder which can result in panic attacks.

These attacks are extreme and happen very suddenly.  When a person suffers from them, the person usually starts to worry about when and where they will have another one.  Consequently, they start to avoid situations and places where they have had these attacks.

Countless experts agree that combining two specific types of therapies results in the greatest assistance for these sufferers. These two types of therapies are cognitive therapies and behavioral therapies.

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Medication is not an option, so don’t even bother. Therapy is good for coping ie. not blowing your brains out. What else is there?
I’m not against therapy! Where did you get that idea?