Hey Carol! Way to go!! Ya know in the begining I used to wake up in the midst of the night, my heart pounding. I hated to go to bed too. so......ask your Dr.first.... but I started taking a Tylenol p.m or exedrin p.m before bed. Take it early enough that you don't feel hung over in the a.m I usually took it about 8 so I could rest by 9- 9:30...eventually i got enough rest at night that i felt better in the day time and therefore better at night. When we don't rest at night , it brings axiety in the day time,the dizzyness may jsut be tiredness. Its the tail waggin the dog!!! Also try reading. There is a Great article in the Good houskeeping this month, by Dr. Phil.Think about stuff , Thanksgiving, recipes, Christmas and gifts decorations and project to focus on. My Dr told me that depression is a sign of bordom wierd huh? but ya know, when i've got stuff to do, and think about, I don't notice every little tick or beat of my heart. etc etc so give it a try! Put junk on a list every day and do it! then look back and see how ya did GOOD LUCK ! let me know

Thanks Dee! I have spent a lot of time talking to God today. I am learning to lay my anxiety at His feet. I have a long ways to go yet. I am still dizzy. I did not get much done today because of being weak and dizzy and afraid of heart problems. But I did not have an attack. I am a little nervous to go to bed at night because I have been waking up every night for at least a weak with anxiety attacks. Last night I had 3 in a row. Not a full blown panic attack, but trembling that build up into that awful feeling (hope you know what I mean.) I tried the technique I learnt on this site. Not to fight it, but just to try and experience the feeling realizing it would not kill me. Well, last night it worked. I managed to just let it ride. And I'm still alive!! :p I've struggled with depression today, and anxiety over the dizziness. I am impatient to get well again. It's two steps forward and one backward. (an improvement from before when it was like 3 backward). Thanks for your prayers. Carol

OKAY SO I WROTE A LONG POST AND CANT FIND IT! IM LAUGHING TO MY SELF. ANYWAY. TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY, 3 IN A ROW. WHATS UP? i PRAY HARD. SO FAR IN THE LAST MONTH, ITS THE ONLY THING WORKING FOR ME. I DROVE WELL OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE TODAY 2 EXITS PASSED WHERE I USUALLY GET OF. CANT BELIEVE ITS SUCH A BIG DEAL ,BUT ITS HUGE!!! I DROVE AT NIGHT 2 DAYS AGO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN I DONT KNOW HOW LONG. CAROL DONT GET TO DISCOURAGED, 1 BAD DAY 2 GOOD ONES. THEN 2 STEPS FORWARD AND ON & ON .PRAY GIRL!! LIKE YOUV'E NEVER PRAYED BEFORE. NOT JUST " DEAR GOD HELP ME" ASK FOR FORGIVENESS OF ALL YOUR SINS ASK HIM TO WRAP HIS ARMS AROUND YOU AND THIS ANXIETY AND KEEP YOU SAFE BELIEVE BELIEVE AND BELIEVE SOME MORE! I WILL PRAY FOR ALL OF US TONITE, AND EVERY DAY FROM HERE FORWARD.

Carol, Great story. Isn't it amazing how much our friends can calm and lift us? Try to remember what this friend did for you during your time of need and apply this the next time you feel this way. Take Care, Melanie ________________ The Panic Center

Hi. I had a bad day yesterday, a major panic attack at 3:30p.m. and then felt really bad and uneasy all night. Today I went of the thyroid medication. I felt it was increasing my anxiety levels so that I had no control over them. Things have gotten worse in the 3 weeks I was on this medication. I will talk to my doctor about this. But I did notice today that the trembling did not continue to build like it did other days. It was more a steady trembling. I did not have a very good day, I was depressed and weak feeling and had tighteness and an ache under my left arm pit. This always gives me more trouble as I fear its my heart. A friend called at 2:30 and talked to me for an hour. She listened to me cry and suggested I leave my anxiety with God. I can't add another hour or a day to my life by worrying. She talked in a gentle way and encouraged me to let go of concerns about health, about wanting to be in control. and more. It was good. Very good. I settled down, the awful ache in my armpit left me and I felt peaceful inside. I haven't felt this way in weeks. I hope to do as she suggests. I still have the dizzy spells and weakness and its 8:30p.m. but they have not turned into panic. The awful trembling is subsiding. I only feel it when I lie down. It seems with this disorder, I am way too sensitized to every little "blip" my body makes. I hope to have the strength to over come this, or even to just handle it well. I have great support in my husband and family and friends. I know I don't walk the road alone. Yet, this support group at the Panic Center is so important because even with supportive family and friends, if they have never had a panic attack, they cannot fully understand what we go through. We need each other, to know we are not alone. So when the previous poster mentioned that she felt this was like an AA meeting, like I'm Carol and I'm a panic disorder, she was right in more ways than one. In AA they have a "higher power" to support them. I also believe that we cannot do this alone and that God can be our strength. I know that today, I just needed to be reminded of this.

Carol; Sounds like you & I have very similar family members. My mom is the greatest and my husband is VERY supportive.I thank GOD for them every day. My dad always has a saying i love ,"Easy,Greazy, ya got a ways to slide!" I think about that everytime i feel a panick coming on....it makes me smile and reminds me to quit beating up on myself so much. After all, that is the only thing i have wrong with me hahaha

Hello....I Think I feel like the Alcoholics do when they stand up and say Hi, my name is Dee, Im an Alcoholic. But instead I say Hi my name is Dee, I'm a Panic Freak, or maybe menopausal, or maybe I'm just afraid of my own shadow, oh and by the way , I can't drive my car very far from home anymore, I hate the wind and the rain, and I think I should take medication but I'm afraid of that too, please somebody stop me! I've been sufering for about 5 years. I have blamed it on everything I could think of. Then I decided to quit hiding and tell the truth. The Psych says its because my son was killed. He was 7, my daughter was 13 and saw the whole thing. That in itself would probably make most anxious, and then I totaled a 26 foot sail boat in a storm, most would say that would make you anxous too. But with that said, I need to get a grip! I have ordered $400.00 tapes, spent 3 years off & on with a counsler, tooke stjohns wart and every other herb I could find. I soak in herbs!! Then my ovaries quit and now I take HRT GREAT!!!Hormones gave up too! I have not spent as much time having a pity party for myself lately as I used to, but it takes all i've got to talk myself into anything! I check the weather reports & my pulse on a regular basis. I think the only way to get well is to talk to each other.

Hi Cheyenne. I have been having this since August, but it has really gotten bad in the past month. I wake up with a jolt as well. Or sometimes just with the trembling. I keep saying if it were my heart since August, I would not be here. I have seen people with heart problems and they are grey and have fluid in their lungs and have a hard time breathing. In my head I know that is not me, but when I have an attack I doubt again. Today I felt quite good until my dear parents showed up at 11 a.m. They brought supper for our family. My mom just had major hip surgery a month ago, is 73 and here she is bringing me a meal! Anyhow, I have a hard time with with being around others. It's weird, because my parents don't create stress in me normally. But the dizziness started up and the anxious feelings came back. They just left now, I had lunch and hope to calm myself down. I don't want to become a hermit. I always enjoyed being with people and doing things. Hope you are feeling better as well. I am doing the CBT, just started. also, my husband suggested I use 4 felt pens ranging in color from light to black and in a day calendar periodically through the day rate how I feel. He figures then I can see at a glance that all my days are not black. And he hopes that the dark colors will lessen and the brighter colors will take over. I guess I have a build in counsellor because he has been very supportive but firm with me. Take care. Carol

Hi Carol, and Lulu. Thanks for replying to my post. Carol, it sounds like you are going exactly what I am going through. The wierd sensation in my chest almost feels like a constant fear that does build and can literally last hours. I also make all my phone calls in the times I feel normal again. It seems to be coming less frequent each day, but I have horrible fears about going to bed because that feeling jolts me awake each time I start to drift to sleep. Does anyone have this night time anxiety? Is it anxiety or my heart? That scares me. Also, my blood pressure has been really high since this all started. How long have you been feeling like this Carol?

Hi. I am responding to Cheyenne and am hoping others who read it will respond. She says she has a tingling in her chest that keeps building. I have a trembling in my chest that keeps building until I crash in a panic. I awoke with it this morning and it kept building until at 11:30 a.m. I crashed. I freaked out and panicked. Grabbed the phone to call my doctor, crying etc. My husband thankfully walked in saw instantly what was happening and started to stroke my arms, rub my back and talked quite firmly (but kindly) for me to calm down, that I was not dying etc. That steady trembling is driving me crazy. It almost pushes me over the edge. I have this day, after day, after day. Tonight from about 5 until 8 the trembing was gone, I still felt a little dizzy and my legs feel rubbery but it still felt great to have a few hours of relief. I laughed, I talked and I called my mom. I felt alive again. It is 9:30 and the trembling is back. Do others get this same type of feeling? Trembling mostly in the chest, but even in my head and face (sounds weird ). I also get a tightening in my throat and think I will not be able to breath. And dizzy spells. I know its got to be stress, because I wasn't doing too bad until supper time and then it started up again (we have a lively family, all wanting to talk and joke). My husband saw what was happening to me and asked everyone to take turns speaking and to try and calm down. It helped quite a bit. The part that I really need to find out is do others have this trembling feeling that at times builds up and then you panic?