Symptoms of panic disorder

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I fear that someone dear to me is developing a panic disorder. I did some research online and on the Dope (this and this in particular sounded distressingly familiar), and I was wondering if anyone out there could help me find some more information on symptoms of a developing panic or anxiety disorder.

Over the past couple weeks she’s had seemingly random and unrelated minor health problems crop up. Trouble sleeping (not unusual for her), strange muscle cramps, numbness in the toes. I didn’t think too much of them at first but as time went on I started getting suspicious. Then over the past several days she’s had three really severe panic attacks. She describes them pretty much exactly as they are on many websites (like the APA’s basic guide), from the immediate physical symptoms to the frustration of not knowing why she feels so upset, to the increasing fear of future attacks.

Virtually every web site I’ve come across so far says that some of the most important things are to seek medical care and to explore local resources for support for anxiety suffererers. But few of them go into any more detail than this. Who should she see? Would a school psychologist do? The Anxiety Disorders Association of America’s website will turn up zip-code located lists of mental health providers, but she’s got budget health insurance and very little money.

Also, she’s going through a big change in her life, and she’s been having a rough couple of weeks (trouble with friends, guys, etc.) recently. Does it ever happen that something like this would come up and then just go away? It’s only been a couple days that it’s been happening, and just today that I started getting concerned. Am I overreacting? I was all set to chalk it up to regular anxiety and stress, but she looks to me as a kind of authority on everything (I, of course, do nothing to discourage this belief, especially with my powers of knowledge augmented by Google), and I felt obligated to do a little research – and the more I read, the more it seemed to fit. Her weird muscle cramps, her numb toe (which just seemed crazy to me at first), I never knew that stuff could be related to anxiety. I’ve just been telling her so far that everything is cool, and not to be worried, and I don’t want to get her worked up if it’s not warranted. But I’m starting to get worried myself.
So I’ve been reading all this stuff online, but I don’t have any experience with this, and I can’t tell what’s crap from what’s real. Can anybody give me the Straight Dope on anxiety disorders?

2

I suffer from them, but if you approach them the right way panic attacks have the potential of being no big deal and not having a serious effect on your life. I’m not trying to sound cold and I know several people who suffer from panic attacks and just can’t come to grips with the disorder, but I know that for myself and one other person you can overcome them to the point that they’re no big deal.

What you do is quite simple: just stay busy. I’ve found that by just continuing on with what I’m doing will usually make the panic attack pass quickly. That’s it. By concentrating on the job (or whatever) in front of me and not concentrating on the panic attack I find that I get over them ASAP.

Ever since I took this approach to panic attacks I’ve found that not only are they of a shorter duration but they happen far less frequently. I was diagnosed as suffering from panic disorder about nine years ago and since I took a calm approach to them I’ve gone for up to a year without experiencing them. I’ve done all this without seeking treatment or support groups (primarily because I didn’t know they existed until I read your OP). And I have a friend who also suffers from them and can agree to all of the above.

However, everyone is different and your friend should see a doctor to discuss possible treatment. Just because what I’ve said works for me doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone. But, hey, it’s worth a try.

3

Sounds like classic anxiety, tho I’m not a doctor. I had my first recurring attacks in July, and they seem to have worked themselves out for the most part, with a little help from the doctor. Do see a doctor just to weed out possible physical causes. At the very least, it’ll set her mind at ease. The tough part is getting through the psychological part.

There’s plenty of medication out there for this sort of thing. I was on Xanax for a couple weeks and it helped, although I personally developed a hatred for the drug.

But yeah, these things can happen straight out of the blue and to normal, psychologically strong people. And, yeah, they can work themselves out as well, although I would strongly urge her to see someone about this problem. Let me tell you, they are NO fun. The bitch of panic attacks is the fear of future attacks. And this fear generates more panic attacks. You see the circle forming here. A doctor would best be able to help her break through this cycle, whether through counseling or medication.

The nice thing about panic attacks is that they are non-life threatening, although when you experience them, you do have feelings of impending death and they can leave you a bit disorientated. Your friend has to remember this. I found that with my attacks, as soon as certain subconsiously buried stresses relieved themselves, the symptoms began to gradually disappear. Hopefully, as your friend adjusts to whatever big change is going on in her life, she will also get better. But in the meantime, do have her see somebody about this.

4

Yup. I’d try to get her to get help if possible. Panic attacks build on each other… you start to think “I had one at the grocery store the other day, I can’t go back to the grocery store or I’ll have another one!” and if left unchecked, it can turn into full blown agoraphobia. I quit my job and didn’t leave the house for weeks cuz I let it get that bad.

Hope she copes well. Panic disorder sucks. :frowning:

5

She should head to her school counselor, pronto.

Panic disorders are treatable, and even if she doesn’t have a disorder, speaking to a counselor about her other stress can’t hurt.

6

Ugh, panic attacks. They can be hell on earth. Got my first one in August of 2001, and have slowly been weaning myself off of them ever since. It’s been many months since I experienced a full blown attack (only had about three or four of those, thank goodness), but, like others have mentioned, the simple fear of a new attack is enough to get one started. My heart speeds up just thinking about it.

In my experience, taking deep breaths of air and thinking rationally have always helped. God knows this is a tough world to live in, but I know that I have to be even tougher. There is no other choice for me…I do not take any pills at all. My husband has been a rock of strength for me. He is the wisest person I know. He experienced the death of his parents at the age of twenty-one, when his mom and dad died nine months apart after long, chronic illnesses. He knew about stress and anxiety long before I ever felt it myself. I’m starting to think that these feelings are part and parcel of life here on earth. I am thirty-seven years old.

Strength to your friend. Love and peace.

Spooks

7

As Rasa said, it is important to nip this in the bud. Left unchecked, the neurological, physiological, biochemical cascade of anxiety and depression can develop into a “groove” that is very difficult to eliminate.

She can see her school counselor (school psychologists generally spend most of their time testing kids for various educational disabilities and don’t do much counseling), but ultimately will need to get hooked up with the mental health system, since school counselors don’t (or shouldn’t) provide treatment for psychiatric disorders.

However, her counselor should be able to give her some referrals to mental health providers who can do therapy and make further referrals for medication evaluations, if necessary. Alternatively, she could just see her physician and ask for a referral to a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist.

8

I just want to stop in and first of all thank all of you who took the time to reply with information, anecdotes, and support. This is just the kind of thing I wanted to hear, and that I want to be able to tell her – it’s not uncommon, it’s treatable, and that people can deal with it.

She went to her physician this morning, who she just switched to and who she doesn’t like very much. The doctor, to her credit, did not brush her off with dismissive assurances that she’s ok and she just needs to cut down on her stress or anything like that. On the contrary, the doctor took her very seriously, but didn’t seem too sympathetic. The doctor listened to her for a couple minutes, then ordered an EKG and a bunch of blood tests done, and sent her on her way with prescriptions for Paxil and Klonopin!

I couldn’t believe it. She (rightly) asked the doctor if those medications weren’t really serious things to get involved in, and aren’t there side effects – she was told that Paxil had just come out with ‘a new formula’ with no side effects, and that the doctor saw this kind of problem commonly, and the treatment she prescribed always made people ‘get better.’

Well, I’ve advised her to get at least a second opinion before she starts taking any medication, and to be very cautious about starting up with Paxil. The pharmacist subsequently called her to let her know that they didn’t have any Paxil on hand, and after a conversation about its potential dangers and side effects, she elected not to get that prescription filled.

But I’m having trouble finding info on Klonopin. Most everything I come across discusses it as an anti-seizure drug. The doctor told her it was a kind of Xanax, which seems to be pretty well accepted as at least a short-term remedy for panic attacks (pulykamell, it worked for you, at least temporarily?), but I can’t find anything to confirm that.

I’m adamant that she get a second opinion before starting the meds (although as I told her, I’m glad she got the scrip because it gives us more tools to work with, at least). I’m also telling her to get to a school psychologist as soon as possible. She was there once last week and she said they were very comforting.

Thanks again to all of you. I really appreciate it.