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In 1991 when I was 20 I started having problems with Panic Attacks and SEVERE ANXIETY. I don't feal I have a problem with PANIC ATTACKS anymore, however there have been a few times over the past several years when the SEVERE ANXIETY rears its ugly head. I hope my aggressive exercising will help me not have anymore SEVERE ANXIETY.

Let's talk about it.

I suffered (suffer) from anxiety attacks (not panic attacks). Although these can be treated with medication, I try to avoid that whenever possible. However, I found that workouts (at least 4 a week) had a profound effect of reducing thier frequency by over 90%.

Now I realize that that info is anecdotal, but it works for me. I suggest you try it. I now that I'm going through a difficult time right now and although there are plenty of triggers, I've not had an attack and it's likely that it's partly to do with the fact that I've been working out.

Experienced attacks for a bit. I felt like everyone around me, especially strangers, were judging me, especially about being gay. Used to take me two hours to get through what's normally a 15 minute subway ride to work. I'd sweat so bad, I'd have to get off the train, dry off and wait for the next or next or next train to pull into the station. Can't pinpoint it exactly, time or reason, but it just went away. Like that. No medication, no therapy. No special event in my life. It just stopped.

for weak willed men who need butch up , not a medical condition, just a weak state of mind,who need to get grip and take hold of their weak nature,by postive thinking reducing the negative energy .

Scally's logic is faulty and outdated. Physiologigal brain chemistry is not an issue of will power or 'masculine strength.' This approach would have him telling diabetics to stop taking insulin and just 'think positively' or some similar nonsense.

I'm not saying that all anxiety needs treatment. The is a normal amount of anxiety that occurs when situations in life happen unexpectedly. The medical issue is when the condition is abnormal and/or debilitating. Ignoring this aspect is both ignorant and dangerous.

A strong character (masculine, butch, whatever you want to call it) doesn't trump actual science.

scally - your comments are.. well... for lack of a better term, retarded.

I agree with bgcat...

Recue Remedy is a nice homeopathic treatment that you can pick up at most healthfood stores. It is mad eof natural ingredients and really just works to reduce the internal banter within your head (they also just came out with a sleep aid). There is a under-the-tongue dropper that is pretty mild, and then lozenges that are a bit more like a serious sedative.

Working out (especially outdoors) will help in that it clears the head. I prefer to attend yoga as a means to overcome my anxiety. My doctor and I have realized some other natural remedies.

The first thing that one must do to help ease the anxiety and address where it is coming from. What is causing it. Personally, mine stem from projecting my thoughts onto other people regarding my inability to meet their expectations, among other things.

Plus, I STRONGLY believe EVERYONE should experience therapy. It is a great stepping stone to get you to that next level.

In 2006 I experienced a few panic attacks as part of a larger problem of general depression.I also had some disturbing dreams where I was in perilous situations,eg. a conscripted soldier in Iraq.These dreams combined with a sense of being drowned/suffocated.I couldn`t stay indoors,day or night,I had to get out!I did go for some counselling,but what`s really helped me is the running.Getting out,meeting other people,seeing the countryside,all this is a great tonic.I`ve not had any problems since August,2006 as a result.Don`t fall into the trap of,as you say"aggressive exercising".I `ve tried that.You`ll either injure yourself,or fail to keep it up.Going out and meeting people,even if you find it hard,in everyday situations helped me a great deal.Try to keep in contact with the world and people.Exercising with someone,or in a group,would probably be a big help to you.I`m also a great believer in the body`s/mind`s ability to heal itself,even unconsciously.Trust yourself!You`re stronger than you think!All the best!

wrontg is not a medical condition its a sate of the mind .medication will only cover it up, and creat fasle feelings. In period of peace we have obssed with conditions and finding symdromes, its time to get a grip. amd stop making excuses. Dr will allways make you dependant on their services , yes as its buisness ££££££££

I've dealt with anxiety on and off for years. I'm sure much of it comes from childhood, being in the closet for so long, being angry about my sexuality, not accepting myself, etc. As I've gotten older, I've discovered that my anxiety only manifests itself when I'm not being true to myself. I tend to be in my head a lot...and that's not always a good thing. I'm trying to go on instinct more these days, to listen to that little voice that tells me what's right - before my brain has a chance to analyze and quantify. When I'm dishonest with myself, when I'm not following the path I know to be instinctively right for me...that's when anxiety rears its head.

scally really needs to get with the program. National Mental Heatlh Assocation calls anxiety a diease as well as depression. do you think for one second those who suffer from either want to be this why? They do NOT!!!! The positive thing about the men who posted are doing something about it. GOOD JOB GUYS!!!! Whether with meds, natural supplements and therapy. a good book called "The mood cure" is excellent for both. Eating better and exercise cures a lot of illness.
A side note. I hope to raise awareness for mental health by fundraising for MNH and HRC, by racing triathlons. something i can do give back and be pro active because I've been on the care taker side of a family member and most of men I've dated in the past. Many blessings to getting WELL!!!!
joey

I suffer from depression and generalized anxiety disorder. It's really a pain. I don't get on airplanes, for instance, and have been trying to find a way to visit Europe which involves crossing the Bering Strait--apparently, you can only do that by dogsled. Still, if it means not having to get on a plane and suffer the anxiety attack which would cause me to run up and down the aisles screaming, a dogsled might be worth it.

I take anti-depressants which help a little. I also sit in the dark and brood. Sometimes I write nasty emails to gay message boards. Surprisingly, that helps a lot. In fact, the nastier and wittier I am, the less depression and anxiety I have all day!

I take comfort in the fact that many of the greatest geniuses were depressed and anxious. I'd rather be Kafka and depressed than Ryan Seacrest, and, well, have to be Ryan Seacrest.

How depressing.

Scally your digging an even larger hole an showcaseing your ignorance. Panick disorder and anxiety, OCD are genetic- meaning someone in your family tree had one of these. They tend to show up in some siblings and not others. It is like having diabetes, heart disease or cancer- It has to do with receptors in the brain and the body's chemical trigger to the fight or flight reaction we all have, which dates back millions of years ago when we were predators and prey. New Harbenger Publications has relaxation tapes and it can be controlled with exercise proper eating and learning techniques for natural breathing--practice practice practice. Good luck we r in 2007 no need to suffer in this day and age. Eventually therapy can help. You will need to shop around, like all things in life it takes time there is a good match out there for you. They can help you conquer and identify triggers of your panic. Good Luck be well. My ex wife had them and she is much better now!!! No attacks in 4 yrs! She keeps Ativan in her purse, but has not needed it in years!! It is definitly not because you are weak minded, some of the smartest most athletic men and woman suffer just like you. The choice is to do something about it. Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but gets you no where! peace!

"...
wrontg is not a medical condition its a sate of the mind .medication will only cover it up, and creat fasle feelings...."

Scally, is that English? That's incoherent. If you are going to post, sure a few typos are OK, but at least read what you type before you press "submit." Beyond that, your opinion shows that you are ignorant and totally misinformed about anxiety disorder.

My dad's side of my family had all sorts of anxiety related illnesses...anxiety attacks, anxiety relate intestinal issues, depression, etc. Some of that did get passed down to my sister and me.

I had panic attacks and anxiety surrounding coming out as the trigger. While the panic attacks are gone, I still have periodic issues with anxiety, though not severe.

Running, then running competitively, and now weight training have really helped the symptoms disappear for me, as has a more educated structured approach in my diet.

So exercise really does help, both with the symptoms and causing the anxiety related to self-esteem issues abate.

Coming to terms with depression is a lot like the coming out process. First, you must you have to accept you have depression. You didn't choose depression, and you're not going to change it. You are going to have to live with depression all your life.

Nothing will "cure" depression. People will tell you that you could cheer up if you tried, or that they were depressed once but now they're fine. That's like the ex-gay crowd saying they are suddenly straight. It's not true--they're just masking the symptoms because they're ashamed they can't conquer depression.

Once you accept depression, you can learn to manage it. Anti-depressants help. You have to find the kind and dosage that works for you, but they are essential. I remember exactly where I was when the anti-depressants kicked in for the first time--it was an amazing, amazing feeling which most people call normal.

But it's not a cure. With depression comes limitations, and you have to accept them. For me that means, unless it is an exteme emergency, I will never get on a plane. I see no reason to change that or think that people who like flying are superior to me, though they think they are. I've found that I love travelling by train, and I want to take a cruise. I also like driving. I don't have to like planes any more than I have to be sexually attracted to women.

I also don't have to see depression as a disease any more than I have to see being gay as abnormal. Many great geniuses suffered from depression--Emily Dickinson, Carl Jung, John Lennon, Brian Wilson, Thoreau, Dostoevsky, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kafka, Camus, Rothko, etc. etc. I don't have to be bright and sunny in order to be a successful human being any more than I have to be straight.

Accept depression. Do what you need to do to be functional, and then embrace the journey. God made you gay, God made you depressed, God made who you are--so live into it and learn from it.

"God made you gay, God made you depressed"

Sounds like a real cheery guy (or girl), no?

If you think being gay is a disease, then I suppose it is kind of sad. I don't think that depression or homosexuality are diseases--they're just another way of being human.

Don't put words in my mouth Skippy. You don't measure up to the task, perfesser.

Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living McGay? I want to be sure to mock it in every post. Thanks in advance!

I bet you won't have the guts to say. You mock from the sidelines without saying anything about yourself. Nice torso, though.

I just had my first anxiety attack 2 nights ago. I've been crazy busy recently. I work full time, I'm finishing up my masters degree, and studying for the MCATs in August so I can go off to Medical School next fall. I'm pulling like 12-14 hr. days.

It just hit me the other night that if i don't do well on the MCAT, then I can piss my dream of becoming a doctor in the toilet. I've spent so long working toward that goal, and the idea of it being so close, and not being able to grab it freaked me out to no end. Especially when I've worked so hard for it...

So yeah, I tossed and turned all night, my stomach was in knots so bad it hurt... Never had that happen like it did that night...I hope it never happens again..

skjpm...depression is curable. check with a doctor and NMH. it seems you aren't on a therapy program/under doctors care. no kidding your depressed, being a "victim", very typical of the disease. it's a choice to get help with any disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, lopus, etc. seems you aren't willing to get better, so don't put down others that do. much compassion to you...hope you make better choices soon.
btw, millions get on planes everyday. you can tell your jealous of them, making excuess why you don't. welcome to reality, it's not so bad.

Depression born of a "chemical imbalance" is not curable. It is treatable. Without the drugs, the depression returns. Of course, you're right that it is a choice to seek treatment - and a good choice.

There are some people who have an episode or depression are trested and don't have any more problems. Then there are those who have chronic problems and it is a constantly debilitating problem. For some you could call it 'cured' though they have a higher risk for recurrence, or having depression again, and then there are those for whom it is constant. But you cannot extrapolate from one case to cover all cases of either depression or anxiety. What is generally true is that exercise does help, but that doens't mean you should take matters into your own hands and do things without consultation of whoever is treating you.

Skippy, you don't know much about guts, figuratively or literally. I'm the IT department where I work. Mostly, I write software.

"I'm the IT department where I work. Mostly, I write software."

So, you're one of those guys with poor personal hygiene and a face full of piercings who lives on a diet of Red Bull and Jolt Cola and wears a t-shirt that says "Got Root?"

That's right, para. I don't follow fashion. I set it. :D

Depression is neither curable nor very manageable in a lot of people. One problem is that meds tend to lose their effectiveness after a few years. You can experiment -- cut doses back, change to a different med, etc. -- and that is often helpful. But if you're going to rely entirely on meds, you're likely going to have an uphill battle.

Therapy can help (as can a spiritual practice), but if it's going to have longterm value, you pretty much have to continue it forever. As I noted on another thread, the most effective long-term treatment for both depression and anxiety seems to be daily exercise. If it's combined with some therapy, it works even better. But relapse rates are definitely lowest among people who exercise regularly. Most studies have been done with aerobic exercise, but other varieties work too, it appears.

Anxiety/panic attacks often spontaneously stop. Nobody knows why. I've seen it in many clients over the years. It's easy to find a reason they begin -- which should be a lesson in the way we narrativize experience -- but never easy to explain why they mysteriously stop. I had one client who refused to take meds but began treating himself with one beer a day. When the attacks stopped, he of course gave the beer credit. Unlikely.

Depression runs in my family and I had Skip's identical experience. When I went on Prozac, I recall the exact moment it kicked in and, like him, I was shocked and said to myself, "So this is the way other people feel." In that moment, I realized I'd been depressed most of my life. It was a mind-boggling experience.

I also had the full range of what Peter Kramer ("Listening to Prozac") calls "cosmetic effects." Only a minority have this experience. My productivity doubled, my social anxiety left, I stopped ruminating, etc. I went from writing one column a week to writing 3 weekly and two monthly and enrolled full-time in grad school.

The cost was, um, interest in sex. And the effects of Prozac stopped after a few years and I relapsed into mild depression. I've taken every drug on the market since then and they are, as Skip has experienced, somewhat helpful, but nothing like Prozac was in the beginning.

I've seen many clients go through this.

I also agree with Skip's comments about depression as being a name for a particular style in many people. This used to be called "melancholia," and was not pathologized in the way we turn everything into a disease now. Kramer makes the point that while it would be inhumane not to offer antidepressants to every "depressed" person who wants them, their widespread use could seriously impact artistic expression in particular. (At the time he wrote his book we did not yet know how temporary the effects could be.)

Many of the drugs are energizing, so they help the melancholic adapt to a society that values productivity above all else.

"I agree with Skip"--is that really you, obscenewish? Or is that just the Prozac talking? :)

I've learned to love life as a depressed introvert. Just like being gay, I've realized that it is simply another way of experiencing things. For instance, the other day I went on a roller coaster. I sometimes wonder if I'm borderline autistic because it was an overwhelming rush of competing sensations and afterwards I just had to go quietly into myself to recuperate.

I think a lot of guys are able to extreme sports because those sensations get edited out and they can focus on the excitement--on the other hand, they don't always get the pleasure of sorting out a T. S. Eliot poem. I suspect that the joy I get in reading poetry is the same that other guys get from jet skiing--it's the same level of sensation, but I need something small and focused so I'm not overwhelmed by too much information.

I'm not going to ever be attracted to women and I'm never going to like jet skiing--but I can have the exact same amount of pleasure doing what others might see as too quiet.

And about all this sex everyone says I don't want. I would love to be having sex. I'm just not a sexual adventurer. I think I can have just as intense experience of sex without doing as much--sex that is born of friendship and affection. I probably have a greater need for trust and security surrounding sex than most men, but within that, I think sex would be a great fun thing to do. After the poetry reading.

""I agree with Skip"--is that really you, obscenewish? Or is that just the Prozac talking? :)"

Well, Skippy, I've said repeatedly that I agree with many of your opinions. The exception is your contention that Pride is significant at this point in forging opinion about gay marriage and homosexuality in general.

Introversion is my own style and I have the same response to poetry. That's why I approach psychotherapy as "poiesis"-- a word I'm sure you remember from Heidegger, although he uses it in a broader sense than, say, Plato did.

I was gonna say, I experienced depression for most of high school and college. Much brooding. I guess I'd agree it's "not curable" in that I still experience it, but my spiritual practice gives me tools to handle it skillfully, so it hasn't been a problem in forever. I don't think of myself as "depressive" and certainly don't victimize it.

I'm sure this is counter to the psych community's treatment of it, but for me, personally, depression felt less of a condition / affliction and more a mere symptom of having a lot of challenges and lacking the tools to handle those challenges well.

For me, it's about perspective, thinking of depression just as experience, just like anything else, and that perspective makes it easier to transcend. Like greeting a visitor. "Hey, depression, haven't seen you in a while, come on in, have a seat." Just like with any negative emotion.

The thing about depression that gives me problems is when I don't realize that I'm depressed for a while. It feels different from other negative emotions, to me, because it's not really an "emotion", kind of a meta-emotion. Whereas when I'm angry, I'm viscerally angry and that's all-consuming, being depressed is more like a gloomy tint over whatever else happens to be going on.

Once I notice it, most of the time I can relax with it (not the same as brooding or giving into it.)

I've had friends with anxiety disorders and panic attacks before, and in talking to them it seemed like a positive feedback loop (positive here meaning "cumulative", not "good.") One of my friends said she'd be in a classroom and would spontaneously need to vomit or leave due to anxiety, and so over time was always aware of where trash cans and doors were... but then when she realized she was obsessively monitoring them, that realization made her more anxious. Etc.

A few months of an anti-anxiety med and she was fine, just because it unraveled that. I'm sure not everyone is so easily able to rid themselves of the problem, though.

I think to some extent, the Buddhist perspective is valuable here, that while life involves a certain amount of pain and suffering, we create much more by resisting and fighting. Like when my legs cramp up after a long bike ride, my instinct is to thrash and scream, but the only way to make it better is to just release, not to clench or fight the cramping, and gently invite the muscles to lengthen again.

That very much mirrors my experience with depression, and what my friends say of their experiences with anxiety.

It's probably been said, but there are two kinds of depression, basically: situational and endogenous. The latter, thought to be due to brain chemistry, occurs without any necessary trigger. My first serious adult bout -- the one that led me to Prozac -- occurred during one of the best times of my life.

The situational kind is, of course, a response to life conditions. Grief, for example, may lead to depression, but it usually lifts when the worst of the grief is behind us. The psych community has no argument with the accuracy of your description of depression, ATX, but it's just one type you're describing.

Depression is not typically thought of as an emotional state. In fact, most serious depression flattens all emotion and drains energy. One reason many people who feel suicidal don't kill themselves is that they literally don't have the energy to do it.

A lasting effect of antidepressants for me was their interruption of my process of rumination, which of course increases depression or anxiety. Meditation practice does the same thing by teaching one how to let thoughts arise without attachment to them.

In my coming out process, I've looked at some of the ideas currently being tossed around in autistic and deaf circles. Many of them don't want to be "cured" either--they want to embrace their autism and deafness as who they are. I see depression in the same way--it sure looks like a disease to extroverts. Society doesn't like to look at depression, so it wants you to cure it or hide it. I think it needs to be managed, certainly, but also embraced.

I think that Heidigger had it right when he. . .oh, screw it, I've never read Heidigger. You got me. :)

Depression kills, at least when the subject has the energy to go through with it. If they'd only embraced their depression instead.

Skjpm: I agree. And on the "embracing", I have found a lot of use in the practice of accepting-without-identifying.

Like, when I catch myself feeling deep rage, I try not to repress it (which I'm very good at) but instead to feel it very deeply, which I think is like what you mean by "embrace" but at the same time, I try also to think of it as an external thing, not identify with it. Like, "I am not my rage," even though it is a sensation I feel internally. (In case I'm sounding like the Hulk here, I should clarify that it's an example; I don't actually feel pure rage on a daily basis.)

Someone explained it to me once with a physical metaphor that made sense: if I break my leg, it hurts, and the pain is inside my body, but my broken leg is obviously not "who I am," that's just silly. I am me, and I happen to have a broken leg. Similarly, you can be you, and just happen to have this depression. It's not who you are.

Well, Mcgay, being gay kills, too--some forms of gay behavior kill other people or yourself. So you choose healthy behavior instead. I think it's important to manage depression, which would be equivalent to safe sex. I practice "safe depression." I take the precautions I need to take so I don't reach deathly lows, but I don't stop trying to be depressed altogether.

I like what axtclimber says--it sounds like the Taoist approach I use for a lot of things. Non-action, non-attachment. Ultimately, you'll find a way through.

The leg is who you are--the broken leg gives you a chance to experience your leg in a whole new way. By letting the pain happen, you've learned something about your leg you've never learned before. Running away from the brokeness simply avoids a lesson which you'll have to learn sometime, probably from two broken legs, now that you've rejected the first lesson!

Depression and autism both are spectrum problems. There is a movement among people with Asperger's, a comparatively mild variety of autism, who do not seek a cure. Many people with Asperger's have "savant" qualities on top of their "anti-social" nature. That is very different from profound childood autism. I've never heard anybody advocate against a cure for it.

There is likewise a movement, more prevalent in the UK than here, against trying to "cure" people who hear voices, which has traditionally resulted in an immediate diagnosis of schizophrenia. In fact, there are people who hear voices but are otherwise "normal."

I've never heard anyone argue against the idea of a cure for major depression involving suicidal ideation, which is quite different from, say, dysthymia, which is more synonymous with the earlier term, "melancholia," an artistic perspective that has recurred throughout history.

Being gay doesn't kill. That's the last sentence of yours I'll ever read. I believe you're a fraud.

hi new to this stuff i agree with scully shrinks make u dependant so u can pay pay pay them. its up to u!! i suffered them a lot due to radical changes in my life from 21. now 32 got to realize the problem doctor helped so did medication but u have to help your yourself.. hope everyone gets rid of all the sturid things that "occupy" our minds...
take care everyone..

You agree with scally, not scully. Name collision on here. :)

If you're in therapy and you're concerned that you're developing a dependency on the therapist and couldn't function normally without your sessions, that's probably a good thing to bring up... in therapy. :)

One nice thing about finding a good therapist is that he or she is usually in such demand that it's readily apparent there's no ulterior motive of making you dependent. It's quite obvious to me that if I left my current psychoanalyst, she'd just turn around and immediately call the next person on her waiting list. "I've got a slot that just opened up."

The anxiety and panic attacks cropped up for me in my early 20s, when I began to feel "trapped."I had sublimated my sexuality into devotional friendships with straight men (with bisexual tinges) with no hope of physical/sexual/emotional reciprocation.

I had tried to convince myself that I didn't want or need sex, that it was wrong because the Church (Catholic) said it was wrong, and that I should aspire to white picket fence marriage with a woman and kids.

The inner rage I felt manifested itself as anxiety, panic attacks and, to a lesser extent, depression. I had a morose and dour outlook on life and my future. It was during this period that I became most critical of the gay men who were unfettered by all of that. More than critical...often homophobic.

All of this went in a flash when I realized the internal illogical nature of it. Though it took years for me to finally come out completely...I lost most of the anxiety when I finally confronted my sexuality successfully.

I haven't checked this forum board for a few days. Didn't know this much activity would happen so fast. I think it's a good thing.

Thank you all so much for your posts.

Scally is of course entitled to his opinion. However he doesn't really know what he is talking about. People who have never been through severe anxiety and panic attacks don't understand or know what they are like. I'm 36 yrs old now. This pic of me in that blue jacket I used in my profile that is to the left of all my posts was taken aboard the USS NORTH CAROLINA memorial at Wilmington, NC on a trip to the outer banks in 1991. The reason I look happy on that day was because I was having a good day. I had just gotten out of the hospital in Ohio where I was for about 3 weeks thinking I was loosing my fregin mind. My mom and dad took my down there because they thought it would be good for me. I've come accross many people over the years with the same attitude as Scally and as I said before he is entitled to his opinion. But at the risk of disturbing another hornets nest HE IS VERY WRONG. But he is not the first person I've heard say almost those exact same words. SCALLY you really aren't the first I've heard say those words. Until you go through it yourself come back to this forum and we will talk.

I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest. But in a way I was happy to see so much activity in this forum. I think it is important to get this info out that there is hope for anyone going through this because it will pass. I don't want Scally to think we are ganging up on him because we aren't we are just trying to educate him a little. It is something REAL people go through. It's not all in my head, your head, our heads it's a real physical and phsycological problem. As I scrolled down the comments I agreed with really all til I came to Scally's 1st one and was shocked and a little affended and then scrolled down further and saw the responses to his post. And I was like YEAH GO ON GUYS TELL HIM HOW IT IS. Scally I'm NOT against you. I JUST HATE TO SEE THESE ANTIQUATED IDEAS STILL SURFACING.

You all need to read the DSM Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Google it. My ex had her masters in psych. Knowledge is power! Good luck reebok.

I have dealt with fetal-position-shaking-piss-pants (sorry guys) cant-breath panic attacks.

(See the Chronic Fatigue thread about it)

I wouldn't wish it on, well, okay maybe a few dozen people in DC but not on most people. I've also dealt with more general anxiety.

I find it interesting that the treatments (medical) for panic and depression are very different. I've found exercise great for depression (for me) but as for anxiety it does jack shit. Interestingly, most medicines used to treat panic attacks are actually anti-epileptics, mostly benzodiazipines like Ativan and Klonopin. People tend to have very strong opinions on these. Some people get very addicted to Klonopin. I take a great deal of it, but don't seem dependent, and I have dealt with addiction (still do I guess).

Anyway, find someone with as specialized an education in treating panic attacks as you can. Good luck.

weakness nothing more and plenty Dr's making excuses for low esteem and weakness , butch up and and turn the mind around.Its all in the head.

I have the same problem with anxiety and panic attacks. What helps is cutting on the stress that cause the onset. Just try figuring out whats bring them on and try to reduce it as much as possible.

Also, take time out for yourself. Working out has helped me just for get about alot of things and lets me have some alone time. Yoga or if your gym offers the class, take BodyFlow also called BodyBalance. Its a combination of TaiChi, Yoga, and Pilates. The breathing exercies you learn in that class will make a noticeable difference.

Also, it might sound a little stupid but Smile. Even if it means grining and just forcing a smile. The release of endorphines helps fight anxiety.

Occationaly I take medication but its only when things are really out of wack. Its been about a year and a half now since I've had to take anything but sometimes if you need to get professional help.

i started having anxiety attacks when I was in 6th grade. i wouldn't want to go to school, church, amusement parks anyplace outside my house. i would vommit and shake. and when i acually went somewhere i was always so god damn nervous, the kind of nervous that made me have to go to the bathroom -which made the ordeal worse.

finally in my seond year of college my boyfriend made me go to the doctor and she prescribed me Lexapro. The best thing i ever did. I don't care if someone thinks its "all in my head" because i'm sure it is but i'll do whatever i can to live a normal life.

(Lexapro is a serrotonin reuptake drug that increases the amount of serrotonin in the brain, same chemicals released during orgasm-very nice huh?)

scally,"it`s all in the head".Is there a more important place you`d care to name?

i think mrs. roosevelt said it best

"THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR, BUT FEAR ITSELF"


i repeat this in my on the floor shaking dry heave worst. it last about 30 min. she should have finished the quote by saying:


"ONLY YOUR LOVED ONES WILL COMFORT YOU WITH A SNOTTY NOSE, SWEATTY SHIRT, AND PEE PEE PANTS."

i agree with the therapy comment. it is a great step in order to get to the next level in life. now for my 2nd favorite quote.


"peace y'all." - brittany spears

and who is the crazy on this sight talking about breaking mcgay's legs? he sounds like he could use some therapy to get to the first step of living. good luck buddy.

Breathing exercises will help. Try this, Breath in for a count of 5 and breath out for a count of 10, but breath with your abdomen and not your chest. Sit on the floor or a chair with your back straight, close your eyes and imagine that something is pulling your head upwards. Put your hands on your abdomen so you feel it going in and out. Do it for around 15 minutes a day or more.


scally, you should try it. Maybe it will help.

Scally it is genetic not weakness. Ernest Hemingways family has been plagued by depression bi polar suicide. The Barrymore family with depression alcoholism suicide. Many presedential leaders and pro athletes suffer from panic and mental illness, seems your family history suffers from low wattage brain power. Read up a mind is a terrible thing to waste!

probably been said before but you could try meditation.

I also had luck with acupuncture and acupressure. Both helped over the long-term.

You might also find someone to talk to for/during your Anxiety/Panic Attacks. I've found when I've had these that it is usually internalized fear of a situation and that having a friend/partner to talk to can help minimize the effects. Even if it's just calling someone to chat with - and get your mind off the situation at hand.

Now ignorance and being weak minded are definitely more equal. If you said that it would actually make sense. Lil hint in there--Just in case that too went over your head too.

Gally, Sally-I mean Scally...same shit.

I suffer from both general anxiety disorder as well as social anxiety disorder, among other problems. With medication/therapy/excercise i have managed to deal with and eliminate the symptoms of my depression completely, as well as my other psyc problems, all excep the anxiety. It seems nothing much works for that, including the many different meds i've been on. I would like to know for those of you who have tryed medications successfully what medications and doses worked for you? I want to get my anxiety under control/elimanated more than almost anything else in my life, and would appreciate having options to suggest/talk over with my therapist and/or doctor. I don't get very much time with my appointments so having defident suggestions will help. I am on Buspar now and it might as well be paper for all it helps. thanks.

i was about to start a topic on this, but found it.

i just started getting anxiety or panic attacks. im not sure what it is, but i get chills, start shivering, my legs went paralyzed, i was hyper-ventilating, and just had this feeling of dread or nervousness along with my heart racing making me dizzy or nauseated.

i've had 4 attacks in the past week or so. should i tell my therapist? get help? what do i do?

I have been on anti depressants for years. They help most of the time. My mom had Panic Attacks and was depressed. I have 8 sisters and 3 brothers. We all have ANXIETY and suffer with depression. We don't get along very well because of it. I have bad panic attacks when I have to go around them. I have really bad panic attacks when we are going out to a party. They are even worse when I know I am going to be around gay men. I never feel like I fit in. I get sick in my stomach and start shaking. I can never find anything to talk about. I feel ugly and stupid. My partner is so outgoing. I try to fall into the background. He doesn't let me. He is really good about pulling me into the conversations and introducing me to people. It is hard because I want to crawl up into a ball and disappear

I've had anxiety pretty bad over the last few years, it worsened last year when I started University, and than I started having Panic Attacks. The last two I had both happened while I was out to dinner with friends, and one of them in another city. Not the funnest thing ever. The first one I had I thought I was dying, got my friend to drop me off at a hospital...but it stopped while I was there, and the doc wasn't much help anyways. I didn't know it was a panic attack at the time, but I figured it out the next day. The second one I had I excused myself and went to the bathroom to breath and try to calm down...I was pretty intoxicated then, so it's kind of fuzzy when it did stop. I've done some CBT, counseling, took better care of myself, and just being more aware/mindful of my mind, body, and thoughts, it's helped tons.

We are human and like millions deal with Anxiety and Depression, whether it's genetic or environmental.
It's thought process, over thinkers which can triggers these episodes.

I learn a lot from the stresscenter.com

That infocommerical with Lucinda Bassett.

I feel exercise and limiting my stress and reducing my caffeine had reduce my anxiety tremendously.

scally said

for weak willed men who need butch up , not a medical condition, just a weak state of mind,who need to get grip and take hold of their weak nature,by postive thinking reducing the negative energy .

aaaand, the jury has reached a verdict: you're a bigoted, insensitive fuckwit.

Don't take this the wrong way, but alot of anxiety comes from not knowing how to properly handle certain sutations. Also, anxiety has a lot of triggers. Knowing what your triggers are can help you avoid some of this. It might not be a bad idea to talk to a therapist or licensed counselor. There are mental health professionals that specialize in stress/anxiety management.

This might be helpful:

http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/therapybasics/ht/findtherapist.htm

Panic attacks are from a sudden infiltration of a certain substance into our bodies called epinephrine or adrenalin

what this does is increase our heart rate
makes up breath faster and sends blood rushing into our muscles hence the tingling we feel

this is the fight or flight response
when something scares us
whether it a real or something we might not even be conscious of... our body will react to it
and there's only one way it can react
NOW...
there are ways to treat this esp if it becomes chronic or starts affecting your life
you can dampen the fight or flight response thru medication
OR...
you can go the longer route and try to find the trigger
of what is setting the response off
in the first place