So tonight was one of the scarriest nights of my life, i just had an anxiety attack (at least my doctor claims so)...and i've had it befor but this was the worst by far
now i have to think it through, and calm myself down but
what's the origin of those attacks, i mean fear, opressed fear, opressed feelings...???who of u already had one, and are u able to describe them???What were they about, why did u have them, and at what perticular moment...

all comments are welcome

Most likely you have a chemical imbalance that is triggered by very stressful situation. Often fear induced, your brain and body reacts with your heart pounding, feeling flush, trembling, hyperventilating, etc. Your brain is telling your body that you're in danger, and your body responds by releasing adrenaline, and endorphins in preparation for the "danger" that you are in. It's kind of like the "fight or flight" scenario in which your animal survival instincts take over. I understand your life isn't always "peachy" and your attacks might stem from previous situations you've been in. Other than a lifetime of Xanax, with permanently glazed eyes, there's not much to prevent it from happening; you'll just have to let time heal the wounds. When it does happen though, sit down, close your eyes, take deep breaths, play your guitar or listen to music. And get rid of the shitheads in your life. I know through experience what your going through... so, take these tidbits and call me in the morning: You have a strong mind, and it's your's so don't let other people control it; NOBODY can make you feel bad unless you let them, they aren't worth it.
Fear is the only thing that can keep you from what you want in life. The worst that can happen to anybody is they die, and That which does not kill you, can only make you stronger. LOL

yeah i started getting bad anxiety attacks in the last year, usually triggered by me over analysing things and then stressing myself out over them, although yesterday i just freaked out over nothing out of no where, although it has been a stressful week.
i couldnt say a paticular moment but i guess its just when my brain goes no ive had enough of this shit and flips out.. to describe them, i get the shakes, sometimes have trouble breathing or my chest gets kinda tight, my worst attack i went from bursting into tears completly tensing up then my body would relax then tense up again... wasnt fun...
anyway suppose it does come down to oppressed feelings because for me its when i keep everything to myself then keep going over it and over it in my head...
im getting better at calming myself down, i find music is a big help...

I have anxiety attacks every so often. I also have a brain condition which probably causes them. I take meds for it. *sigh*

Some 2 years ago I had my first panic attack, I mostly had them during the night, and to avoid attacks I went out every single night, yes, 7 nights a week.
With me it had to do with opressed fears and memories.

The attacks got worse and I went to my GP who gave me a diazepam prescription.
One pill to make the attack go away.
Further more I got diagnozed with PTSD.

After some months I could better deal with things, I knew what to do when I felt it comming.

Right now I'm doing fine, hardly no attacks and in fact, most of the time I am feeling happy.

Your doctor sounds a bit useless. He should have referred you to someone who could answer your questions and give you some way to cope with things.

i am so very much against drugs to ease down anxiety attacks, and other outer expressions of inner pain...the attacks, they don't always come from a disease or a brain condition, i don't really know a lot of it anyway, i just know about myself...Guy, what exactly do you have, is it genetically?
i wouldn't be helped by swallowing all the meds, they'd just bring me down even more, and opress my feelings even more
i just need to let it all out, and when i play the guitar, or listen to music, i get some control over my feelings, and i kinda sink away into a better world, but it doesn't allow me to let it all out...it's just not enough...
the most important thing is to live in a stable environment, where u can clear your mind, and get things straight,i just don't have it but...we'll see what happens

He could refer you to a behavioural counsellor who can tell you how to recopgnise and avoid circumstances leading to an attack, lessen the lenght and severity of attack and possibly identify contributing factors leading to an improvement (even cure) of your condition -- depending of course on what type of condition you have. All this without drugs. Get a referral. This is a common condition and many people suffer needlessly because they do not seek out the help this is freely available from experts and support groups.

I've suffered from 'Acute Anxiety Neurosis' all my life. It's pretty much ran my life, and now i'm borderline insane lol...A psychiatrist once tried to put me on some bullshit drug that "supresses the overactive chemicals" or something like that. But, being creative, i feared it would supress the part of my brain that was creative.
So, fuck em. But i've been taking alternative medicine: St. John's Wort, Ginseng, plus extra vitamin b, and the most powerful (because it can make you fall asleep) is Valerian.

Yeah there are many useless doctors, psychologists and pschiatrists. But *good* ones can give really helpful insights. It can pay to persist. I mean we will try more than one hairdresser or shoe shop if the first one doesn't suit...

yeah but they ask all shit about my private life...isn't it enough for them to know about the anxiety attacks, i don't need another shrink...
and madpoet i'm a borderliner too so i know it sucks

Go to a behaviourist -- they don't give a shit about your private life, just using the environment to change your behaviour.

ehm do they have that in belgium...i'll have to ask around
thx anyway..

I mean you may straight out not need a psychologist, but if you think an expert in behaviour might help ask specifically for a 'behaviourist'. They are a fairly major sub-group who work from the idea that the environment controls our behaviour -- and we can change our own environment to change our behaviour. Good luck either way.

Nah, weirdgirl, borderline insanity does not suck. It rocks! Then again, that could be the madman in me talking

i just have to get used to the idea, but hopefully i'll see the good in it one day

i know what u mean...went to a concert yesterday, and i just fainted, all got black, trouble breathing...sucks..there were just too many people..
i used to be very shy, but now i laugh and talk to everybody...it's still very hard to look people in the eye..
i have the astma-thing too but it's okay

I had a long period of them when I was younger..they came as I was lieing in bed and would make me feel like I was going to die..I'd hear my heart beating in my head faster and faster and start sweating..it would get so bad that I'd have to get up or spend the rest of the night crying in despair over my own weakness, fearing I was going insane. For the most part..cheap orange juice was to blame but the alergic reaction to tartrazine had combined with suppressed emotion and frustration at lots of 'stuff' which was all released when I had time to think about it..

I've not had cheap orange since I can tell you that!

Just like the odd facial tik or high pitched whine in the ears..they happen to a lot of people in many forms but few talk about them because they are fleeting for all their disturbing horror...just be glad you don't have alien hand syndrome Mwa ha ha

yeah that's not very welcome right now...
i can relate to the dying-feeling and the sweating and shit, but i think those are the obvious symptons...
i seem to be allergic for sleeping pills and even some anti-depressives...sucks though, i can always use one