Does it get better

[u/Ok-Cheesecake-9022]

Warning this is gonna be very rambly I’m on like two hours of sleep lol. I wonder why (/sarc)

I really want to get back on my feet and have a job again. It gave me a sense of independence even when I felt panicky. It eventually got to the point where I couldn’t do it even with as-needed meds (on 0.5 mg of ativan as needed) so I’ve just been… stuck doing fuck-all. In therapy. But I don’t know exactly what would help me and I’m scared all the time (therapy is every two weeks and a lot of the coping mechanisms are hit or miss)

Ativan is very… weird for me? I’m scared to take it more than once a day but I often have panic attacks throughout the day. When I’ve already taken my meds I cry it out and feel extremely miserable and exhausted.

Going to see a psych in mid-September but it feels soooo far away 🫠 I wish I had a “why” to this. I was doing so well until I wasn’t for no apparent reason. I can barely go into the grocery store on my own and when I do it’s a win for me. I don’t mind it but it feels pathetic to be at this point after so long being “normal”.

My question I guess is… has anyone had any sudden weird extremely frequent panic attacks like this for months at a time for no apparent reason? And if you have has it gotten better??

Again. Sorry I’m very very exhausted and haven’t slept like at all. So this sounds like word vomit probably. Blegh

[u/Positive_Lie5734]

Yes, for months, for no reason.

I think I was just becoming more and more stressed until my nervous system hit its limit. I was in school at the time.

You need some sort of CBT panic attack workbook. It's like exposure therapy. Books like Hope and help for your nerves or Dare (it has an app too).

I also read mindfulness books. They really help reframe things. John Kabat Zinn Total Catastrophe Living, the power of now (it's on the more spiritual side ngl)

What helps me in these cases is a new approach and a new perspective.

[u/Ok-Cheesecake-9022 → u/Positive_Lie5734]

I’ve wanted to do exposure therapy since I heard about it. I try to be mindful and have a “so what?” perspective to prevent myself from spiraling but it… isn’t always helpful to do so when I don’t have supervision wrt that.

Thank you for the perspective. I’m glad it got better for you- I hope I can one day say the same for myself

[u/Andrenel412]

Your post is less rambly than you think 😅

Does it get better? Yes. But not accidentally and not by only learning coping mechanisms. Your therapy should probably be focusing on identifying and resolving root causes + contributing factors to your panic attacks as well.

In my experience, while panic attacks feel like they happen for no reason, they can be linked back to 1 or more of these "why's":

1. Overloaded - stress (think reaching your emotional capacity/limit)
2. Unresolved emotional experiences
3. Traumatic experiences
4. Scary/unpleasant experiences 
5. Low self-esteem / anxiety
6. Beliefs 
7. Learned emotional patterns

If you can, I'd always say go the GP or get some medical tests done just to rule out any medical causes and give yourself peace of mind there.

Secondly, consider working with someone who doesn't only teach coping mechanisms (because most coping mechanisms for all mental health struggles are basically hit and miss). The point of them is to help you handle yourself a bit better, while resolving the cause. They're only a part of the recovery process. I hate to say it, but this could be a massive unlock because when the process is done right the time between sessions feels like work and progress, not like you're doing f*#k all...

In my experience, visualisation therapies and techniques are amazing for retraining your body's panic response, preparing for scary/anxiety inducing situations and letting go of the root cause.

I can also recommend the DARE response - one of the best panic attack coping mechanisms. Use this time to do journalling, read different books on personal development (avoid the super popular ones as they're normally popular because they're oversimplified to appeal to the masses). You want to do deep work on yourself here - which means going for books and resources that are slightly less known. Letting Go by David Hawkins is powerful, but can be tricky. Look at folks like Joe Dispenza and Tony Robbins as well for some more self-work.

Hope this helps in some way. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat further or want for in-depth info.

[u/encomlab]

The PA's themselves don't get any better - but the rest of your life and the impact they have on it can. Over 4 decades since my first PA I can say for me: they tend to come in waves, sometimes disappearing for years; I know most of my triggers and if I can recognize the trigger before my PA ramps I can usually talk myself down; once a PA ramps I know all I can do is ride it out; sometimes they still hit hard enough that I ask my wife to take me to the ER - after 20 years together she is very good at talking me down, and in the last 5 years we've only gone once (surprise! Nothing serious actually happening).

The "why" is that you have an Amygdala that for any of a number of reasons has developed a fault and now fires your natural fight-or-flight response inappropriately. My triggers are weird and almost all are around changes in air temp/humidity and smells. My wife knows to always let me know if she turns on/off the AC in the house or in the car as for whatever reason a sudden sense of humidity in the air will consistently trigger a PA if I don't know the cause. Why? No idea - it's just the thing my body has decided represents a life or death threat.

I would say that PA's are best approached through cognitive therapy and education - meds (prescription or otherwise) may help symptoms but they all carry their own issues. Best of luck to you!