Will Panic Ever Stop, Completely, And Never Return?

[maelstrom]

That may be a stupid question, but I'm really wondering. I haven't had a real, full-out panic attack for a few years now (which is great), but I have had some minor episodes, which are no walk in the park either. It makes me wonder if a bigger panic attack may be brooding somewhere and may return someday. It makes me wonder if one could ever be completely free from panic. Is it possible? Could one return to a pre-panic state?

I'm wondering because the possibility of having more horrible panic attacks is affecting my entire life. Ever since I've had a taste of this terrible experience, life doesn't feel "safe" anymore. Even when I'm in the safest environment, I know my head is not "safe", and the worst could come from within. Then there's nowhere safe, ever. Even when you are with the people who love and care about you the most, even when you have everything in the world, you are still carrying disaster in your head. I feel like I'd never be at peace again.

But there WAS a time when panic was not part of my life. It was many years--decades--ago, but that time did exist. It was when I didn't even know what a panic attack was. I didn't know that kind of experience was possible. Can we ever return to that state? I know we probably can't...But is there a "cure" for panic attacks? Can we ever know for sure that it will never return, or at least very very unlikely to return?

I'm sorry if this post seems pointless. It sounds childish even to me. But the thought of having more panic attacks is like a dark cloud hanging over my head every day for years. I almost feel as though I was traumatized by some of my panic attacks alone. How does one ever free oneself from the fear and doom??

 

[EveHarrington]

I don't think we can ever get to a point where we're 100% sure a panic attack won't happen. To be fair, even those who have never had a panic attack still have a risk of having a panic attack (they just don't know it). I think it's a matter of finding a way to ease this fear. Fear of fear is not a good thing. :-/

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Panic can happen to anyone. The flight/fright/freeze keeps us safe and its what drives a panic attack. A panic attack as one knows it is just panic in a time when its not warrented. To make panic never happened isnt possible. But learning good breathing techniques, good mindfull skills, meditation etc reduces the odds that a panic attack will happen in a moment that panic isnt warrented.

 

[Sideways]

If you treat panic attacks as an illness, the illness goes into remission rather than being cured. Yes, they can always come back, but the longer you're in remission, the sounder you can sleep at night that it's increasingly less likely.

Like most mental illness, having Anxiety (or ptsd) once makes you more susceptible to having mental illness in the future compared with average Joe. But there's a lot of lifestyle choices we can make to decrease that risk significantly.

One of the tricky things about anxiety and panic attacks in particular is the nasty way that having one feeds panic about panicking. Really common. Worrying a lot, modifying your life a lot, just in case. Am I going to get a panic attack if I go to the shopping centre? I haven't had a panic attack for weeks, I must be about to get one. There are endless ways that the Anxious mind feeds the panic.

If you think about where your baseline level of anxiety is, say 4 out of 10, and a panic attack is 10 out of 10, we know that if you work on your everyday lifestyle, you can bring your baseline anxiety down. So when you get up in the morning, your anxiety is only about 2 instead of 4. That means that as you get confronted with stressors during the day, you can tolerate more and more before it's going to get back to 10. Basic stress cup analogy stuff.

That's important and worthy of typing out only because it shows that whatever you can do as part of a healthier lifestyle, you're constantly decreasing the odds of another panic attack.

As for the panic about panicking? CBT that shit! Your rational mind is your friend. Panic is in remission, has been for years, everything points towards it staying that way:)

 

[maelstrom]

Thanks everyone! I still haven't figure out where my "like" button went so I can't like your posts, but I do appreciate everyone's input. I just hope one day someone will come up with a miracle drug or something and nobody will ever have panic attacks again...

 

[Ladyghosthunter]

To answer your question, no. Mine has gotten worse and it has me in a suicidal rage. I know I'm getting worse and I'm afraid to tell my doctor. I just want to flee the scene (take my stuff and leave Nebraska) but I don't have the money to. No one would help me anyway. He says (my husband) he loves me but I don't think it's love anymore. I can't stand his family and I feel trapped.

 

[maelstrom]

To answer your question, no. Mine has gotten worse and it has me in a suicidal rage. I know I'm...

Sorry to hear that! I understand the fear of telling things to your doctor, but maybe it's still the best thing to do? Or maybe you should talk to someone else?

 

[Mr. M]

Once you realize that when you have a panic attack, you are not going to die, things get a lot easier. I had horrible, full blown panic attatcks. It took a lot of practice to control them. Eventually, I did.

 

[RBG]

What are some of the things you do/did to start overcoming that fear? Lately mine have gotten worse and I'm always on the verge of wanting to shout "take me to the hospital!" Then I take an Ativan and I calm don't about 80% of the way but I'm wiped the rest of the day

 

[maelstrom]

What are some of the things you do/did to start overcoming that fear? Lately mine have gotten worse and I'm always on the...

Actually Ativan works for me as well, though the problem with this kind of meds is that the more you take it the less effective it becomes (same dosage), so I always hesitate to take it. It helps to have it around though.