Anxiety and Panic Attacks

[Kazuki]

So in the past few months, my significant other has seen a drastic rise in anxiety, and recently, it has led to some rather severe panic attacks.

The causes of anxiety originate from several different angles, ranging from worries about the future, to the death of her mother in June of this year, to irrational thoughts of self-demotion. That's barely the half of it, but you get the point. Lately, the attacks have been beginning as nothing but a discomfort somewhere in the upper body and escalating to the point where her body shivers violently and she starts fearing for her life despite the fact that nothing is actually wrong with her body. Well, at least not anything that's even near life-threatening.

I'm with her for about four out of the seven days of the week, twenty-four hours a day, so thankfully, I've been there for almost every panic attack she's endured so far. I'm not sure how much it helps, but I get her water, follow her around so she doesn't feel alone and vulnerable, hold her hand when she's shaking, assure her that she's fine in reality, and remind her to take deep breaths and think of something other than the attack. All of which she has said she's very grateful for.

Anyway, with the background out of the way, on to the reason I'm posting this. I've recently been searching the speck of information that is the internet (¬_¬) for any way to help calm a person during a panic attack, or better yet, how to be there for a person with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. So far, the general consensus seems to be that panic attacks are very different for everyone, which doesn't help. However, I have read some small but greatly helpful tips like gently rubbing your hand up and down the spinal area of the victim or always standing at a distance of about 2 to 3 feet because sometimes the victim may need personal contact, but other times they may need space, so you're not intruding on their space and are close enough for them to not feel alone.

So I'm hoping that, if any of you guys have had personal experience with high levels of anxiety or panic attacks, you could give me some advice to follow. Thanks in advance.

[Chakra]

Prescription of valium'll do the trick. Hooyeah.

I'll post later, probably. Bloody laptops...

[Kazuki]

It actually has not been an issue for us as far as the relationship is concerned. At least not yet, and here's hoping that it won't become a major issue. Sorry to hear that that's the case with you and your girlfriend.

I'm just concerned about her in general. Trying to find as many ways as possible, significant or otherwise, to make things easier for her when she has a panic attack.

[PANZERCATWAGON]

kazuki you say you spend four days a week with her. and twenty four hours with her on those days. what do you go to work with her too? if i were her id probably be having panic attacks too haha. im joking. but not really.

at any rate. i dont claim to know anything about panic attacks but i do know people. as squishy and smelly as they are, they are basically computers. give a human two identical inputs and youll get two identical outputs. try changing something and see what it does.

[Kazuki]

Hahah. Aww, I love you, too. I make sure that I'm not being intrusive and that she actually prefers the company. ;P

As it stands, she and her dad move about a week ago and she hasn't gotten a nearby job yet, so she doesn't have any schedule at all to follow. I've been urging her to start working so that she'll have something to focus on, something to build a schedule around, and something to distract her from the usual thoughts. Otherwise, it's rather difficult to "change something" because of time and location restrictions.

[Blue-ninja]

Establishing a somewhat hectic routine will keep the majority of the anxieties at bay. When you're working on something, you just happen to take your mind off whatever it was that you were doing.

My daily commute to the school on the other side of the sound waters has pretty much done what I've intended to do: Keep my mind of some of the small worries I usually have when I'm laying in bed wide awake at night. But if you're concerned also that establishing a routine might make the panic attacks worse, how about changing some settings like Panzer had said?

I'm not sure from your first post, but did you talk to her about it? Actually, scratch that, you did. Just wondering.

[iDante]

Have you talked to a doctor about it?
If not, do. No matter how comforting you think you can be, a doctor is definitely the best person to decide what is wrong and help you fix it.

If anything just go see a shrink.

[Mangled*]

Isn't this a little personal for Soldat Forums?

Anyway, all you can do is your best to reassure and assert her through this difficult time. Sponge cake in custard usually helps.

[Lapis Lazuli]

One of my best friends suffers from anxiety attacks, but they are all caused by certain stimuli which he strives to avoid.

I would suggest sitting down with her and trying to determine what causes her stress, and then either work through it or avoid it entirely.

My friend, for example, is deathly afraid of rain because of the sensations it causes on his skin. Too much of it and he goes into a panic attack.

[LtKillroy]

I would make some drug reference but I'm tired.

Try to get her to stop worrying about things she can't control, it does nothing productive and just messes you up. That's all I can provide.

[Kazuki]

PIITB

Yeah, you're cool. Warned. Post deleted.

I'm writing all of these down. Thanks for your input.

The first time that it happened, we ended up going to the hospital and they gave her 10 tablets of Xanax. 4 of those tablets are left.Although it calms her down sometimes, it doesn't always do the job. And if it did, it's still not the best solution. Her family doesn't have health insurance, and none of us can actually afford a visit to a psychiatrist yet. But yeah, we'll get it figured out one way or the next.

[Biscuiteer]

If you can't afford a psychiatrist, you might be able to get a little further with a psychologist. Although they can't be able to write many prescriptions, they often work with a doctor who can.

As much as i'd like to help you all i know are generalized sentences from my health book. Try to keep her in a quiet and calm room and hope for the best.

Hopefully that helped a little.

[FliesLikeABrick]

Kazuki, do you guys get out and do stuff together often? If so, how often, what kinda stuff do you do?

[Kazuki]

We go out to eat (at cheap places because we're poor -- Panera is awesome) perhaps twice or three times a week. During the weekends we usually visit a friend or two. Every now and then we'll go partying, which is when I remind her to take it easy on the alcohol because I have reason to suspect that anxiety is more likely to worsen during a time of physical discomfort, like a hangover.

Why do you ask? You think she should be distracting herself more? Or the opposite: maybe she needs to take some time relax every now and then?

[Wolf_Man]

Try a hug. Try using a soothing voice.

[Slashnoob]

let her try some weed, yo

[Kazuki]

Hahah. Actually, she stopped smoking weed when the anxiety started acting up, because it made her tweak out when high rather than relaxing. So it only made things worse.

[Slashnoob]

i once knew that girl that got an anxiety .. attack thing popping when she got high for the first time - she was sure she's gonna die and we wanted to murder her.
needless to say i havn't heard from her since.

so yeah on second thought better keep her away of grass.

i once had a friend hooking me up with 'Pethidine', boy that thing sure did relaxed the shit out of me.
i think she needs a time off from, well, everything. there must be a cause that triggers her hysteria.. why not go see a shrink to try and find out what it is? maybe even a hypnotist!

[FliesLikeABrick]

Hahah. Actually, she stopped smoking weed when the anxiety started acting up, because it made her tweak out when high rather than relaxing. So it only made things worse.

Try going out more than just for lunch.  Go to a baseball game, go bowling, go to any of the TONS of things going on in the city on the weekends. Look in the Red Eye if it is distributed by you (not sure, maybe by the Metra?), look on metromix.  I think getting out more might help a lot.

[jrgp]

If you can't afford a psychologist, you can try visiting a college or a university where people are getting their psychology degree. I'm sure a lot of them would be willing to take a look at her. People becoming doctors help out those who can't afford / lack insurance all the time.

let her try some weed, yo

meh, all weed does is kill motivation and temporarily make you feel good. Using it, and any other illegal drug (they're illegal for a reason), to try to help a condition is just pointless because it fecks you over in the long run.