Have you ever suffered depression and/or panic attacks and felt like you’d never make it to your DR appt?
Exhilarating, isn’t it? asked:
Because I am a “new patient” I couldnt get a doctor appointment any less than 3 months in advance. It seems like an eternity for someone who suffers panic attacks on a daily basis with no medication for relief. I feel like I wont make it or something! Anybody else have similar thoughts waiting for an appt?
Because I am a “new patient” I couldnt get a doctor appointment any less than 3 months in advance. It seems like an eternity for someone who suffers panic attacks on a daily basis with no medication for relief. I feel like I wont make it or something! Anybody else have similar thoughts waiting for an appt?
yes i have when i started to get panic attacks and lost my job over it i had to wait a month to go to the doctor and it sucked really bad.
You are right every minute of every day drags when you are going through depression, it’s like time stands still. Hard to get out of that mode. Most doctors don’t understand either because often they haven’t been through it.
Yes, Getting doctor’s appointments can be frustrating.
I have a severe anxiety disorder with bouts of depression and the best example I can give as to what it feels like is this:
Pretend you’re a not-so-good swimmer, and everytime you leave your home (your “island”) it’s as if you have to swim to your destination, and you’re never sure if you’re going to make it. Any place with another person, shelter, or phone is an “island”. Just like when you’re out in the middle of the ocean and can’t see land – that’s EXACTLY what the panic feels like. It’s extremely difficult to walk anywhere more than a few blocks. (I don’t drive)
Hang in there, and if you ever have panic attacks the best thing to do is stop whatever it is your doing, and take a few minutes to breath deeply and if necessary, put your head between your knees. Once you see a doctor he will most likely give you a medication such as clonazepam (a quick acting sedative-like med) and possibly an anti-anxiety/anti-depressive med. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. But keep trying and don’t give up hope.
View the techniques for control of anxiety/panic attacks, in section 8, at ezy build, below. Begin, on this first occasion, only, by holding your breath for 5, or 10 seconds: this will give you the confidence to realise that YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR BREATHING, but not pass out, or die (your autonomic nervous system resumes breathing, if you become unconscious).
Advice from a published psychiatrist on controlled breathing. (1.) Get a clock, or watch with a second timer. (2.) Practise for 5 minutes, 4 times daily, until proficient. (3.) Take a small breath in, and hold it, for 6 seconds. (4.) Think to yourself: “RELAX”, just before breathing out. (5.) Try to feel a sense of releasing tension, as you breathe out. (6.) Breathe in for 3 seconds, then out, for 3 seconds. Try to make your breathing very smooth, and light, as you breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, or nose. (7.) For the next minute, continue to breathe in, and out, every 3 seconds. (8.) Go back to step 3, at the end of the minute, and proceed through to step 7, doing this for 5 minutes. Use this at the very first sign of a panic attack starting, or any time you feel anxious, or tense.
Similar, but simpler advice, from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind. Then breathe out to the count of 3. Repeat, until it begins to take effect. Understand panic attacks, and what triggers them, in your life (if it is unresolved anxiety, or stress, see sections 6, [page N first] or 42, [page i first] respectively). The paper bag method also works for most people, but is not suited to all circumstances, such as driving, or playing sport.
Another alternative is psychotherapy, to address its fundamental cause: read section 1, and examine the & websites, and use the locators to find a therapist, (and/or phone book, but only if necessary). I used to suffer from panic attacks, until I questioned what had changed in my life, at, or just before that time, to trigger them. For some people, this is enough. These days, I have instilled the habit of, whenever a situation occurs where panic is likely, I visualise a large, flashing, red “STOP!” sign, as vividly as possible, followed by repeating to myself: “stay calm” in my mind. You could try the same method. It usually takes 30 – 40 repetitions, for most people, to establish a new habit. I also suggest that you learn, then practise the controlled breathing technique, until competent, then employ it, at the very first sign of a panic attack.
Practice one of the relaxation methods on pages 2, 11, 2c, or 2i, daily, and when needed. Also, give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. There is also a version for use in public places, (if you like, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind). Section 53, and pages 2, 2.q and 2.o at also refer: “Even though I sometimes suffer from panic attacks, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms (as do medications/herbal remedies): you need to address the underlying cause, and this requires some form of therapy, and Cognitive Behavio(u)ral Therapy has been shown to be effective.
Visualise, as vividly as you possibly can, that the cause of your panic; your anxieties, fears, your self doubts, self recriminations, all the agonizing “I’m-so-Stupids,” and “I’m-too-fats”; every painful “I-can’t-I-have-it” or “I-can’t-do-it” are huge raging, hurtful bulls snorting and charging at you. You see them coming at you and you hold out your red matador’s cape at arms length and simply let them charge right by. Every time they come at you, hold out your arm with the red cape and let them rage and snort and go right on past.
Because many people can’t access/afford professional therapy, I include the EFT, and EMDR variant for them to try, free of charge. Cognitive Behavio(u)ral Therapy is generally available in most areas, but EMDR (see section 33) may well be worth trying, and is becoming more widespread.
A variant of Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing therapy, which has been used successfully for those people suffering from anxiety: it is easily learned, quick to use, yet can be very effective, is on page N, of section 6, and I use it before the relaxation techniques, because I have found that it makes them quicker to employ, and more effective. If you are fairly suggestible, (40% of people are) you could also try the searchbar at: “panic attacks” or Stop Panic Attacks
CD – MP3, or professional hypnotherapy, or NeuroLinguistic Programmi
I know just how you feel. It is so frustrating waiting to see the doctors.. While waiting for your appointment, you may want to try out other natural relief techniques.
I suffered from panic attack a year ago.Initially, I just ignored it and hoped that it would go away by itself. I was wrong. I was getting more and more serious until there was a time when I almost wanted to take my own life.
I was devastated and my life was upside down until I came across this program calledl Panic Away
In this program, I learned the immediate and natural relief technique. Most importantly, from the testimonial, I read that many people were in the same shoe as me and they had many success stories to share.
Another good website I found it useful is
I learned a lot of useful tips from there.
All the best to you. I hope you will get your help soon. Don’t be like me, waiting for miracle to happen.
Go to your regular doctor and have him prescribe a
low dose anti depressant until you can see the psychiatrist. It is WAY to long to wait, when you are in such pain. I waited 3 weeks and that was an eternity.
Honey, once you get on the meds you will feel better in about 3 weeks.
Are you going to some kind of specialist? If so, you know you can see a regular family doctor for this. I suffer from panic attacks and I go to my regular doctor to get my medication. 3 months is too long. As soon as you start feeling panicky though grab a hold of something very cold if you can, i..e, ice or stand infront of airconditioning. This always seems to help me in case I don’t happen to have my meds with me. What that does it deviates your mind from thinking and so instead you only concentrate on the feeling — cold. A guy had a panic attack at work and I had a bottle of frozen water and put it directly on his neck. It helped him. My nephew suffered one at the beach and he went to the outside shower and the water was cold and the panic went away after a couple of minutes. Hope this helps.
i did. i was house prone but i fought and fought cause i didnt want to be controled by this.i can give you some ways to help with this. i know its tough and i thought i would never get over this but i did. i hope i can help