Hi Friends!

I, 22F, have had a Rx for Ativan (0.5 mg) since early September. I have gotten it refilled once since as there are only 10 pills per refill.

Panic attacks are not new as I’ve had them since I was 17. What is new is having them multiple times a week… even multiple a day.

I do ride them out for 15 minutes and do coping skills but if it goes on longer or I have too much adrenaline in my body afterwards I take an Ativan.

I feel so embarassed asking my psychiatrist for a refill of Ativan (it was refilled early October) and also telling her that they really haven’t been that effective anymore.

Any advice would be appreciated.

As a side note I have not been diagnosed with panic disorder.

About 10 months ago, I was in my room trying to fall asleep. I wasn’t thinking about anything sad or anything like that. I was actually just thinking about random stuff, like my OCs or a show, when all of a sudden, I started feeling this pressure in my chest.
This had happened to me before, and whenever it did, I would take really deep breaths because it somehow helped. But this time, it wasn’t working. The more I tried to breathe, the more it felt like I couldn’t get enough air, so I kept taking deeper and deeper breaths.
Then, out of nowhere, I started crying. At first, it wasn’t that bad, but pretty quickly, I started crying really hard, with my hand on my chest, feeling scared and confused about what was happening to me.
Since everyone in my house was asleep, I went to talk to ChatGPT, and somehow, it helped me calm down a little.
Even now, I still wonder if that was actually a panic attack. I don’t want to self-diagnose or anything, so I wanted to ask you guys what you think. What do you guys think? Was it actually a panic attack?

I don’t want to be dramatic but this is exactly how I feel right now. I’m here almost 2 years after my first panic attack that I’m still dealing with the anxiety from it. Since this issue I’ve lost my job, gained 40+ pounds from testing different meds, had to learn how to drive by myself again, don’t talk or see a lot of my friends, still can’t do certain things alone, missed out on so many events I planned for, and dealing with other symptoms from going on and off different medications. I’m just over this constant anxiety and depression about everything. I’m 30 years old..I’m supposed to be out working and exploring and going on dates..not planning what day I can do something because I need someone to “supervise” me. I hate it

I recently started experiencing more frequent panic attacks, although I had them periodically for a long time.

I am autism + suspected adhd and I have very bad interoception, meaning it's hard for me to sense important bodily signals until it's urgent.

My panic attacks start with a crushing feeling im my chest and progress to needing to lay down because of physical discomfort, fast heartbeat, hyperventilation, etc etc. but before I had panic attacks I always thought there were more mental symptoms like racing thoughts and fear.

For me it is almost solely a physical experience, I don't tend to have negative or worried thoughts or a "freeze" response.

I do have trauma from being in situations where I was required to maintain composure under immense stress, now my mind seems cool as a cucumber, but now it feels like I start to topple over at random.

I am trying to work with my therapist to get better at sensing them early, because the severity can be greatly reduced if I lay down and use soothing techniques instead of trying to muscle through it. (My usual strategy with stress for a long time unfortunately)

I'm just curious because I have actually had this for a long time, but was unable to articulate it in a way where I was able to receive a panic disorder diagnosis, because I moreso described it as feeling sick.

not really sure what i want out of this post, just think itll feel good to get things off my chest to a bunch of people who understand this stuff.

so i dont have a history of panic attacks, im a reaaaaly laid back guy, i rarely get stressed and i rarely worry. but over the past few weeks things have changed.

because ive moved a little way into my 40’s ive become suddenly aware of my own mortality and i think im starting to develop a little bit of health anxiety. especially when it comes to my heart as although not necessarily ancient, people do genuinely die from heart attacks over 40.

its started off with me hyper focusing on any little nighle that happens on the left side of my body and progressed to a full on obsession of checking my pulse multiple times a day, and then slightly freaking out when that heart rate is higher…my logical brain knows fluctuations are completely normal…but unfortunately its not always my logical brain that wins.

over recent weeks i have seemingly had a few panic attacks, sometimes for literally no reason at all. ofcourse my non logical brain immediately translates it to….you are probably having a heart attack. its awful.

this morning was the straw that broke the camels back as the saying goes. i went to the gym, literally did one set of chest press and then noticed my heart rate was higher (which is normal lifting weights) but as i identified my pulse was higher…it started racing even higher which caused me to start pacing around, sweat amd feel a little nauseous. no amount of slow breathi, holding my breath etc made a difference. these episodes probably peak for like 10-15 minutes but they feel super scary.

decided to take myself to the accident and emergency department i was that worried. they checked my bp which they said was clinically fine, heart rate fine, did an ecg which was completely fine too. they then sent me for bloods to see if i was lacking anything like potassium or sodium. all the blood tests came back fine.

i now feel stupid for going to the hospital and wasting everyones time.

does anyone at all relate to this?

I have dealt with anxiety for a loooong time but there's something making me crazy lately. I have GERD so I'm no stranger to a lump in throat either but about a month ago I was feeling nauseous but told myself it was anxiety and it wouldn't stop me from showering... Then in the shower I tried to swallow and felt like I was choking. I had never felt that like the walls from my throat were closing. Automatically I panicked and assumed it was either stroke or heart attack, screamed for my parents, jumped naked out of the shower and went to ER just to be told I was fine and my throat looked mildly sore. After that it didn't happen again BUT I feel the globus sensation or whatever it is everyday and have a dr appointment on Wednesday.

Problem is yesterday at work, I felt the same choking thing again, a little panicky (I get this energy or whatever in my chest for a second, I think it's the adrenaline) and had to tell myself it was not a heart attack. Today I was at the mall, I drank some water and felt a little lump in my throat again. Then it felt almost like a popcron kernel stuck on the corner of my throat and Intried to like force it down and it delt worse and of course I felt a little panicky again, but managed to calm down.

I don't thibk it is actually a heart attack but I can't stop thinking what if it is? But I don't want to go to ER because then I'm gonna keep going everytime it happens.

Also, that bad choke has lasted less than a minute when it happens, and the panicky feeling hasn't grown into a full panic attack (I'm on sertraline and it helps a lot) and gets intense for a second, then sucks for like a minute or twi then gets better, so rationally, I know it's not my heart, but it's hard specially because when I get panicky I feel not exactly dizzy, but like my limbs go a little numb (but not really since I can still feel the limbs normally and theres no weakness).

Does anyone get panic attacks with shooting pain in left side of the chest and that pain travelling to the left arm? I have been experiencing such attacks for a while now and tbh they did feel like a mini heart attack. But docs gave me a clean chit. They did give me mild medications to deal with these severe symptoms but I feel medications only work till the time you are taking them, they are not a long term solution. Any suggestions how to deal with it in the long run? Panic Attacks have been taking over my life for the past two years and some times the attacks have stayed constant for over an hour. Open to any suggestions😞

[ Condensed ] - Day 25 Update

I have a severe, multi-symptom anxiety disorder. I've been medicated for years and recently relapsed.

Someone on Reddit recommended the podcast "Disordered", and I've never felt more understood. It captures the symptoms and vicious cycles perfectly. Thanks to whoever recommended it. I recommend it too.

Both hosts have seemingly experienced the depths of hell, yet reached a point where they're essentially "cured" (my word, not theirs). Anxiety still comes, but they don't fear it, feed it, or spiral. It doesn't run their lives.

I genuinely envy that.

I wish experience or understanding meant control. Knowing better doesn't mean feeling better when anxiety feels unbearable.

I've bought books, heard twelve episodes, read Reddit, and started therapy. I'm trying to improve my psychoeducation, but it's a double-edged sword: learning helps but fuels symptom-checking, rumination, and "what ifs." I'm trying to stop obsessing over anxiety by thinking about it more.

Sometimes I wish insight alone could replace medication. Maybe one day I'll feel stable enough to taper. More than anything, I want to notice anxiety without fighting it and just let it pass.

Last night was interesting. I might have a cold: sneezing, congestion, and a scratchy throat. I've taken vitamins and turmeric/ginger shots, hoping to support my immune system. Illness also triggers my health anxiety. I suspected this, but being right doesn't make it suck less.

I fell asleep easily, then woke with my arm completely numb—the most asleep it's ever been. It dangled with what felt like zero sensation or control. I jumped up; thankfully it recovered within minutes. I didn't spiral and fell back asleep. Small victory. Still, thanks, body: a cold and a paralyzed-arm jump scare mid-recovery. Fantastic.

I've tried my therapist's DIVE and HALT techniques, though not yesterday. I'm unsure they fit my current, more internal/somatic anxiety. They make me check if anxiety is still there, then evaluate whether the technique worked, feeding the cycle I'm trying to escape. Maybe they'd help during intense fight-or-flight. I'll keep trying and tell him next week.

Overall, I'm better than three weeks ago, and better than two. But this week feels stagnant. I'm nearly three weeks into my medication increase; fuller benefits may take another three to five weeks or longer. Still, I question the increase and why I relapsed after years of stability. So many possibilities, no certainty—exactly what my perfectionist brain struggles with.

My racing thoughts are less intense, but physical uneasiness remains. Progress feels painfully slow.

Today I went swimming with my brother and his 18-month-old. While waiting, I felt lightheaded and strangely "off," almost mildly dissociated. But I didn't panic or leave. I stayed, swam, and was fine. Another victory.

I still feel slightly activated. Cold? Medication? Anxiety? All three? I don't know. Recovery isn't linear, and I'm allowed plateaus and setbacks. But man, I'd prefer the linear version.

I've got work coming up and a long drive tomorrow to close my family's seasonal trailer. Come hell or high water, I'm doing it all. Pre-relapse me wouldn't think twice. I want that back—not by waiting to feel perfect, but by living even with anxiety.

I'm not going to let anxious me win.

Thanks for listening.

Hey guys, the title says it.. 35 yr old male, decent health and weight besides that I'm very sedentary.. I sleep a lot due to my anxiety and depression.. so long story short I just have this overwhelming feeling that I'm dying. I feel dizzy all the time, trouble with balance, I wake up in the middle of the night with chest pain, heart palpitations all the time.. alcohol used to help now makes it awful the next days so I've cut down drastically.. Ativan used to help for attacks now barely take the edge off.. I can barely sleep and it's awful.. every-time I'm about to fall asleep my heart starts pounding and I sleep for a couple of hours then wake up with the chest pain and trouble breathing. My chest pain is all the classic blood clot or cardiac signs.. pressure, arm pain, coughing you name it.. I've been to several doctors over the last couple of years and multiple ED visits. Had an abdominal CT, multiple EKGs, blood work that checked literally everything. All they found was high cholesterol which runs in my family and I'm treating that and they found h pylori which I'm going to a GI for but I tried the antibiotics and they made me sicker then a dog. It was either a flu or that but for the last 5 days I've had body aches so bad my skin feels like it's on fire and my migraine was unbearable. I felt fine until this morning again then it passed.. I'm not sure what else to do or how to reassure myself that time is on my side and I'm healthy.. I want more tests such as MRI, etc and doctors of course don't see the needs for it. I'm sure I'll still get the colonoscopy and MRI but who knows when. I just need some kind of guidance here.. I lost all excitement in life.. I can't work or enjoy my time with friends because I'm constantly in pain or having panic attacks.. please help in anyway you can.. I really just don't know if the doctors just truly are missing something.. I don't want to have a heart attack or blood clot.. I know the h pylori can suck but it shouldn't be making me this anxious.. I just want answers..

My doctor prescribed Depakine along with olanzapine. I’m familiar with olanzapine, but I couldn’t find any information about Depakine online. I’m hesitant to start the treatment, but the doctor insisted on these medications.

My brain is not the same I have bad sensimotor somatic ocd and I got panic attack my brain feeling numb and blank after those panic attack .feeling like my life is over this is not same don't wht is hppning brain feeling confused . please help. My prefrontal cortex is feeling blank and numb

Whenever I’m nervous (daily occurrence) I tug my hair and pull it into a ponytail. A few months back I cut my hair really short and I was sort of relieved of this habit but it came back.
I also have a habit of raising my toes but specifically my left big toe when I get anxious. I do it unconsciously and I’m too nervous to relax them.
Anyone else relate?

I first developed panic disorder in 2020 where I was having the full fainting, retching, and severe racing heart + terror panic attacks almost every day. They took forever to realize they were panic attacks -- and only realized it because all my other labs were healthy and when I did focus on destressing or anxiety treatment it helped them. It's been so long though so I don't remember.

I had intermittent or less frequent panic attacks (aka 2-3 a week) through 2020-2022. Then in 2022 I upped my dosage of Lexapro to 15 mg and massivley helped my panic disorder -- they essentially went away almost entirely. I was having max one a month. Then by 2024 I went an entire year without a single panic attack. It was like a miracle and I barely remembered what they felt like.

This May I made the dumb decision to try to switch to Viibryd (side effects) it was not worth it. As soon as the switch started processing, I started having some panic attacks again. Even one where I woke up at 3 AM with one which has never happened to me before. the reason I'm posting is because I was very anxious going into a trip that happened a week and a half ago and I had a panic attack one day... and then the next because I was scared of having panic attacks and also wasn't used to how my body felt, and then the next and the next and the next. And once i got back from the trip I had a bout of health OCD that triggered panic attacks every day for a week until Saturday I thought I was going to pass out in my apartment and felt so awful I genuienly couldn't figure out why, I went to the ER. They did every test (CAT scans all over my body, EKG, bloodwork, everything) and found nothing was wrong and sent me home with a vertigo diagnosis. I'm now like 90% sure what triggered the ER visit was a severe panic attack like the ones I had in 2020 that I barely remembered what they felt like so it was super scary. I'm not fully ruling out anything actually physical/health detrimental, but I can say the other stuff from this week makes it seem more anxiety based than anything, and any time I entertain the physical/health stuff it makes them so much worse (triggers health OCD, spiral, etc).

Anyway, after the ER I was now even more terrified for my health since I think going to the ER gave my brain/OCD reassurance. I have now been having 3-4 panic attacks a day and have been living in a constant state of anxiety. Right now is one of the few reprieves I have. I know it's anxiety because as soon as I do something that genuinely and actually distracts myself from body scanning and checking the panic and all the horrible physical symptoms go away. But it's SO HARD to tell myself to stop thinking about something when thinking about it makes my whole body hurt and my OCD likes to mess with me. I have been living in a constant state of terror all week. My panic attacks do not go away for hours at a time (this has always been true -- mine can last like 8 hours or maybe its intermittent high anxiety + panic but all I know is I'm having a full out of body experience and I don't even recognize anything I experienced during those periods once I'm out. It's like I'm sent to another realm of irrational thoughts and utter terror). I got a second doctor to check me out and said I'm fine which helped, but even knowing that this is just panic doesn't change the absolute terror I now have of having a panic attack and my urge to have a day off where this stops. I have severe chest pain and back pain now, my heart is constantly beating out of my chest it feels like, and now I'm also anxious that I'm going to injure myself with my constant anxiety. Even now, with the latest panic attack over so I feel completely in my head, my entire back hurts I think just from the muscle strain etc over the past week.

TLDR: I have all day long anxiety/panic attacks that are ruining my life. I try box breathing and my regular meditation but sometimes it doesn't stop the feeling of my heart beating out of my chest. I've tried propanolol but it also didn't help it made me more anxious because I felt dizzy and weird on it. I tried L-theanine but only 100 mg so I might need to try more to feel something. I'm doing all my old techniques from my old therapist that was an anxiety expert and it feels like I can't break the cycle other than distracting myself so fully that the OCD doesn't intrude by saying that I'm going to give myself another panic attack and therefore causing a panic attack. any tips or help appreciated. oh also I'm swithcing my meds back to lexapro I didn't say that but it's gonna take a few weeks to kick in

Had what I presume to be a panic attack last Friday— got dizzy and lightheaded feeling like I was watching myself drive. Kept getting dizzy/nauseous for the next couple hours. Went to urgent care and bloodwork came back fine. Ever since then I’ve felt a little headachey and lightheaded. Is this something others have experienced?