Follow-Up:
Julie I have read through all the responses that you have received. I am 31 and when I was 21 I started having severe panic attacks. I also suffered from chronic anxiety. This left me with a feeling like " I wasn't really here" all of the time. I felt like I was watching the world from behind a glass wall. I was unable to work, I lost so much weight, I was on meds., and I felt like I had lost my mind. Many people tried to help me. I found it frustrating when I would be told to pray or try to figure out what is triggering them. Prayer is wonderful but if you had diabetes you wouldn't just pray for help, you would take the proper steps to help yourself and maintain your health. Unfortunately panic attacks do not have to be triggered by something currently happening to you. Sometimes a feeling or a smell or even a hopelessness can bring a sudden rush of anxiety. It is what we choose to do with that initial rush that determines the severity of the attack. I use to wake up in the middle of the night with no feeling in my arms and my mind would feel " shut off" I would jump out of bed and start to panic demanding to go to a hosp. The whole ordeal would last for hours and I would experience numerous symptoms that all felt real. Now I have learned that if I experience an uncomfortable feeling or pain or fear and thought it is better not to fight....hence the "fight or flight" response. Acceptance and allowing the anxiety to come and leave will lessen the time of the attack. Positive self talk can stop the spiral. I do not know your history, or if you have and a dramatic event that has left you with post dramatic stress disorder. Please email me if you feel that I can offer any insight. This is not a chronic illness, you can get better. I am a nurse with a full time career and I have a wonderful husband and daughter, a future I did not see 10 years ago. I won't lie to you, just like anything in life " once you have been there, you can always go back" so there are times when it creeps back in to my life but I cope much better and it does not control me. Good Luck