Panic Disorder - need advice on treatment

[YF91]

Hello forum-people...

I am 20 years old, and I have just come to terms with the fact that I suffer from panic disorder.

I have had anxiety for most of my life, and have always been extremely sensitive. I have always felt underlying self-doubt, and suffered from depression, since I was a young child. 

Lately, these tendencies of mine have manifested themselves into acute and severe panic attacks, which occur almost daily. I have always had physical health problems (Asthma, and more recently stomach problems), and these all seem to tie into my panic attacks. I will be driving along a highway and feel my stomach cramp - and then my world crumbles. I believe that I am going to faint, or die, I freeze up, become nauseous - those of you who suffer panic attacks will know the drill from there. Derealization, difficulty breathing. I also panic for no reason at work, in class, and send myself into a state over the mere possibility of ANYTHING going wrong. I push through - I finish work. I drive all the way to my destination. But it is hell. Every day is very, very hard to get through.

I used to think my physical problems CAUSED my panic attacks, and figured I should treat them first. Then I realised - it is not healthy for ANYBODY to experience a panic attack every time their physical maladies play up (and also, often for no reason whatsoever). So I have opted to treat the panic attacks first, and see if my overall coping-at-life skills improve.

 I want to know - what treatments have you tried for panic disorder/anxiety? Did they work? 

All the doctors I speak to say I should try medication. I just wanted some stories/other experiences to go off before I jump the gun, as I've always been wary of medication.

Thanks 🙂

[Beltane]

I can really resonate with your story as its very similar to mine. I've had anxiety and panic disorder for as long as I can remember- I remember having it as a child. I'm now 27.

my panic and anxiety made my life hell. I could barely hold down jobs, and lost relationships and friendships: I had no hobbies or real goals/ dreams because my illness was so severe it would never happen. 

I didn't seek treatment for a long time because I thought I should "just get over it". I kept calling myself weak and stupid. Pf course that's not true- anxiety is an illness, not a weakness.

i pretty much just got used to feeling sick constantly, often feel extremely nauseous, having cold sweats, heart palpitations. It was literally 24/7 for years on end- I often convinced myself I had a mysterious illness like brain cancer or something.

long story short, 3 years ago I just couldn't take it anymore and finally admitted I had an anxiety/ depression illness, and finally got some help. 

I did therapy and went on to a medication. Both of them helped quite quickly actually; within a few weeks I was feeling a bit better. And within a year I was in remission (eg no active symptoms).

i admit it's been a hard ride to find the right meds abd theraoy- what works for one person doesn't work for another. Actually it took me about 7 meds to find the one Im on now. But it's totally worth it, I call it my miracle tablet. Combined with theraoy, it has completeky made my anxiety dissapear. 

All my sympyoms are gone too- all that nausea, pajic, ajxiety, heart palpitations. All gone.

so that's what I did to beat my panic.