The Student Room Group

Treatment for anxiety/panic attacks

Hi, anon cause i go on here a lot and don't want to be labelled as the 'nervous gal' lol

Anyway i've suffered from anxiety for a number of years, and although i've had a panic attack once, i get a panicked feeling atleast once a day. There are not triggers, usually it could be thinking about my breathing (this all started when i had a severe asthma attack) or yawning etc. I feel as if i can't breathe etc.

I know i have anxiety, and i have coped, i have to congratulate myself on getting this far without having more than one panic attack! However, uni is looming and i wish to have the anxiety fully under control and out of my life so i don't have it hanging over my head as an extra worry.

At the moment i try bachs remedy, but don't want to rely on it.

I was wondering, if the NHS offers counselling, hypnotherepy or any other treatments for anxiety, and how effective are they??

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Reply 1
a cup of hot, sweet tea?
Reply 2
I would think that the NHS do. Mine was non NHS and was free and it's worked really well. I still have anxiety but its nowhere near as much as I used to have it and now I know exactly what to do if I feel a panic attack coming on.
Reply 3
hannah_dru
I would think that the NHS do. Mine was non NHS and was free and it's worked really well. I still have anxiety but its nowhere near as much as I used to have it and now I know exactly what to do if I feel a panic attack coming on.


What was the treatment, and what do you do when you get the symptoms?
Reply 4
Firstly, I would seriously recommend going to see your doctor. My mum had panic attacks (severe ones) and counselling help her enormously. It helped her to see what was causing the attacks and divorce my Dad sort the issue out.

Also have a look at this:http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk/panic_attacks.html

My Mum found that someone rubbing her back helped get through some of them, but the best advice I can give is not to become dependent on someone for seeing you through them, by far the best way is riding them through yourself. Though of course keep friends around you to help out.

But go see a doctor, they can refer you to someone who can really help, and they can also give some advice for riding them through.

Hope this helps! :biggrin:
Reply 5
I had counselling, acupuncture and meditation type lessons. Now if I feel anything coming on I can recognise that I have a problem and I sit back, put some soothing music on and meditate. Failing that I use Bach's Rescue Remedy or have a cup of tea made with water and the remnants of herbs.
Reply 6
They are more than likely going to want to put you on some type of medication. But thats only my experience of having a father who suffers from extremely bad anxiety. He had private hypnotherapy although I'm sure you can get counselling, it may take some time. When you get to uni there are counsellors there.

Otherwise, things like yoga are meant to be very good as they help control your breathing. Hypnotherapy would be good, you don't have to have many sessions because they normally make you do 'homework'. I'd say about 2-4. Maybe meditation as well?

My mum also goes on about this thing they use on soldiers who are suffering from stress etc. It involves tapping various parts on your body (sounds weird, it actually works quite well). I can't remember what its called but it can be very helpful if you feel anxious and need to calm down. I'll ask her and post it later.
Reply 7
I spoke to a doctor breifly about this, whilst going for an unrelated visit and she suggested beta blockers to control my heart rate, personally i believe this is all simply a mind over matter case.

I know i'm thinking irrationally, and the attacks are irrational and shouldn't be happening, yet my fear of panic and feeling out of control with my body overwhelms me..it makes me so depressed at times :frown:, i wish i never had it
Reply 8
You could take something yeah, but if you're that bad then they don't always work brilliantly. I take calming tablets when I can't sleep but if I'm that worked up they do nothing.

I know how you feel :hugs:
Reply 9
hannah_dru
You could take something yeah, but if you're that bad then they don't always work brilliantly. I take calming tablets when I can't sleep but if I'm that worked up they do nothing.

I know how you feel :hugs:



Thankyou :smile: it's hard to explain how it really makes me feel..i don't feel in control, stupid and the worst bit is that i'm angry at myself. I always criticise people who overexaggerated and overact about things, and when i get worked up because i can't yawn properly i get upset which makes things worse. It's also affecting my fitness, just getting my heart rate up makes me think 'is it going too fast'...'am i having a heart attack cause im so unfit'

I just don't want to start uni thinking wondering how everyone is going to percieve me when i have to leave the room or go quiet when i feel anxious
definitely ask about treatment from your GP.
CBT could be helpful as well as other types of therapy depending on what's available and you personally.
there are also a lot of medications, the only ones I have experience with are Olanzapine and Valium. the former is more used in psychosis and eating disorders not so much for panic attacks though. Valium and other benzodiazepines can be used short term (dependency is possible) to control worsening anxiety or to help you kickstart learning to manage the attacks yourself. I've found it incredibly helpful.
and at uni? if people judge you for this, they aren't worth your time. honestly, most people by that age will have the maturity and life experience to know that panic attacks don't reflect on who you are as a person.
xx
Yeah I feel like that too. But after a while you have to realise that you can make it stop. I still find it hard cos I often get them when I'm kept awake at night by my flatmates, in such case it's not really my fault.

I don't think they'll think anything bad, most people are tolerant. I'm currently in a special room for exams in case I have a panic attack. My friends didn't even bat an eyelid when I told them. I've had one joke from a lecturer ("Oooh the SPECIAL ROOM!!!") but it was funny.
Reply 12
hannah_dru
Yeah I feel like that too. But after a while you have to realise that you can make it stop. I still find it hard cos I often get them when I'm kept awake at night by my flatmates, in such case it's not really my fault.

I don't think they'll think anything bad, most people are tolerant. I'm currently in a special room for exams in case I have a panic attack. My friends didn't even bat an eyelid when I told them. I've had one joke from a lecturer ("Oooh the SPECIAL ROOM!!!") but it was funny.


What was your trigger?? Looking back now having that asthma attack made me scared of feeling out of breath, unable to breath etc..and whenever, yes i get out of breath, yawn etc i feel panicky as i relate back to the awful experience i had when i was ill and the panic i felt then. Lol this is a little counselling session in itself.

I get mine at night aswell, for example if im lying weird and can feel my heartbeat i get freaked out, shoot up and put the light on and i'm ok lol

Are drugs really the answer..knowing me i'd be worried about their side effects and get funny about any weird change in my body..
Anonymous

Are drugs really the answer..knowing me i'd be worried about their side effects and get funny about any weird change in my body..


not long term definitely. in the long term learning your triggers and having an escape route and coping plan will help you a lot more I think. this is where some kind of therapy might help you. if you're worried about side effects I def. wouldn't take a lot of meds...benzos don't have many side effects though in my experience cause they are short acting.
InnocentEyes
not long term definitely. in the long term learning your triggers and having an escape route and coping plan will help you a lot more I think. this is where some kind of therapy might help you. if you're worried about side effects I def. wouldn't take a lot of meds...benzos don't have many side effects though in my experience cause they are short acting.



aren't benzo's used in depression?
anna_spanner89
aren't benzo's used in depression?


hmm haven't heard of it, but they can be used to treat insomnia and the agitation that can be a temporary side effect of anti-depressants. so I would assume quite a few people with a diagnosis of depression will have taken them.
InnocentEyes
hmm haven't heard of it, but they can be used to treat insomnia and the agitation that can be a temporary side effect of anti-depressants. so I would assume quite a few people with a diagnosis of depression will have taken them.


ahh, see ive heard of them being mono-amines..sorry
anna_spanner89
ahh, see ive heard of them being mono-amines..sorry


heh don't apologise, I don't even know what a mono-amine is in terms of drugs:p:
*goes to wiki in search of pointless info to cure boredom*

eta: ahhhhh they are MAOI's......interesting!
InnocentEyes
heh don't apologise, I don't even know what a mono-amine is in terms of drugs:p:
*goes to wiki in search of pointless info to cure boredom*



I technically shoud know but its too late in the day/night for psychology revision!!!!!
Reply 19
Beta blockers are ok but if you are not anxious a lot in the day then they are probably useless.

I think therapy that helps you control the breathing would be the best way to tackle it. I mentioned yoga before and meditation because they do help people control their breathing, it also means you are unlikely to get a raised heartbeat, especially to how it would be if you are doing other types of exercise. You need to know how to control your breathing as a discipline, once you have done that then maybe try walking, to jogging to running so then you could slowly build yourself up to be okay with it.

Through learning about hypnotherapy I know how to calm myself into the state you would be before you actually become in a hypnotised state.

I suffer from panic attacks and I use that to help myself stop having them. I also use it to help when I am anxious or nervous or scared.

Like someone previously mentioned CBT would be a good way to go.