Hi Magic,
When I was 18, (i'm now 34) I had panic attacks for about a year. I was prescribed tranquillisers, took them for two days and decided that I didn't like the look or the effect of them. The first step on the road to a cure for me was when a Dr Roger, who was a heart specialist examined me. They weren't sure what was up, so they sent me to her first. She asked me a whole lot of questions about myself and what was happening in my home. A lot of upheaval was going on in myfamily at that point, and that was really the cause of the attacks. When I went home that day, I noticed my shoes which I hadn't polished for ages and which were scuffed and neglected looking. I got out some cleaning stuff and polished them. That was the start of a cure for me. I still had panic attacks,but they became fewer and finally disappeared. Sometimes I can feel one coming on, but I can control them now. This you learn over time. I'll try and set it out for you.
The first thing to know is that panic attacks are common and they are nothing to be ashamed of. There's a lot of stigma attached to these things and its a pity; if people were more open about panic attacks, we'd be able to treat them quicker and more effectively.Its other peoples' problem if they think panic attacks are stupid, and they can go and s** off.
Physically speaking, panic attacks are caused by hyperventilation, that is, taking lots and lots of short breaths. Usually you are unaware that you are doing this till the attack starts.To stop the hyperventilation, take some deep breaths. There's a trick with a paper bag that's also meant to work , but I don't know how this is done; maybe someone else knows. This piece of advice is going to sound strange, but when the attack starts , accept that its an attack, that it will pass and that you will go on living after it. As soon as you start to accept the attacks, you should find that they become less in number and severity.
When you are not having attacks, don't spend your time worryng about them. Accept them as a fact of life, something thats going to happen now and again, and you just have to get on with it.
Have a look at what's happening in your life just now, and try and pin the underlying cause of the attacks. The obvious problem is that someone you care for has AD, but if you break it down you'll find that it is more complicated than that. Are you seeing your friends? Are you looking after yourself, your appearance? Are you spending time on things that you enjoy doing? Is the housework getting on top of you? AD can make hermits of us, and what drives me mad is the portrayal of carers on the telly. They're always shown as unglam, no make up, stripy jumpered, totally unsexy martyrs. I've yet to see one that smokes, drinks and cusses. We do not have to subscribe to that, and its very unhealthy to do so. If you do something about the things you can, you'll find that you stop worrying about the things you can do nothing about. Panic attacks are a leftover from 'fight or flight';it's excess energy that the body provides for us to deal with the situation, and you should engage that energy in the things that you can do something about.
I think what I'm trying to say Magic, is that life can still go on. We're not the ones with AD, and we would be doing a disservice to our loved ones not to live as best we can. We can do nothing about AD itself, but we can still enjoy life. Its a true saying that most fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Make sure that you approach your friends and don't leave them out of the situation. People are usually willing to help, but for this kind of situation, they need an invitation. In a way, its an insult to a friend not to involve them and ask for help. A friend of my mum's had two brothers and she was always helping them out of situations; one was disabled, one was a drinker and her husband was a drinker as well. My abiding memory of her, was her standing in her front garden glammed up to the nines in her slacks and smoking a cigarette, as if she hadn't a care in the world.
Lets give AD and panic attacks two fingers!
Jools
Ps For anyone who wants to know, Bach had nineteen children and two wives. There are 38 Bachs listed in the New Grove Music Dictionary, and Bach caused three trumpeters he didn't like, to collapse and die by writing trumpet parts so high that they had heart attacks when they played them (so I'm told anyway). Naughty Bach!