Anxiety And Panic Disorder Help How can someone else help someone with these symptoms

[mtnkatt69 0]

Hello All,I really want to help my wife out.Currently we are moving so she has been stressed, and she says that she's been feeling like a panic attack will come one soon.I usually can help calm her down, but I thought I would see if anyone else had good ideas on how to helpIt's been almost 7 years since she's actually had an attack, mainly because she has been taking Zoloft.Well, about 6 or 7 months ago, she stopped taking Zoloft. I don't think on purpose at first, but then she started getting scared of swallowing pills, even little ones.We have tried breaking them up, but does no good.So she has a fear of choking on everything. She eats very slowly which is not a big deal with me, I would wait to the World's end for her.I just feel so helpless sometimes, especially when I'm at work, because physically being there really helps her out.I am hoping once we move, that it will lift and she can go back to feeling normal.I have never had experience with this sort of thing. I don't get stressed easy, and have never had the thoughts she has.She says her tongue will feel tingly, and jaw feels funny. So then she starts thinking she will swallow her tongue, choke and die.We went to the hospital, and they helped by showing her how to breathe in a paper bag which helps the anxiety calm down.They said when you start breathing fast, you inhale to much oxygen and don't exhale enough Carbon Dioxide or something like that.They said when you breathe in a bag, you inhale more Carbon Dioxide instead of Oxygen which helps the body become stable.Medication in the forms of pills is out of the question. I haven't been able to find anything in liquid form yet for a Zoloft substitute.I would like to find a more permanent solution, like partial hypnosis or something, but I have no idea if she will even want to.Thanks,A worried Husband

[serverph 0]

i was thinking of the paper bag trick myself (having just watched a DVD of STUCK ON YOU where matt damon's character experiences anxiety and panic attacks too), but i see that it has already been recommended by the hospital and tried by your wife. i would think that that is the most accessible and readily available non-medication option, so keep a paper bag handy everytime, everywhere.since you have already been to the hospital, perhaps it would be better to see a specialist to deal with the problem and have the proper medication prescribed. it's hard to be self-medicating since there could be adverse effects. better to have a medical professional handle things when it comes to medicines. hypnosis could work since it could be just a matter of psychological reaction which she experiences when she feels under a lot of stress, so hypnotic conditioning can help. maybe talk to a hypnotherapist first to know the details of the process, then discuss the option afterwards with your wife if she can be amenable to such a procedure. it's not that scary as it is not invasive (at least physically) anyway.

[strange-garden 0]

Hypnosis will only work for a short period of time, but if you feel like it will work for the time needed, then go for it.As her husband you need to understand that sometimes being a women isn't easy. We suffer from PMS and a bunch of other crap that isn't pleasant. If she needs something done, then offer to do it for her. Just give your all to help her stay calm. and if she does have a panic attack, just hold her and tell her nice things, don't talk about anything stressful and stroke her hair, eventually she'll calm down.

[Archangel_Baw 0]

As one who used to suffer from anxiety disorder and panic attacks, I can assure you that most of this is Psycho-somatic, or self-imposed, brought on her own fearful "beliefs" that she will choke on pills or have another attack. I think it is best for her to see a therapist about the root causes of these fearful beliefs so she can get rid of them once and for all. Medicine may not be the answer for her at all, she may just need to come to terms with something that seems totally unrelated to pills. I think the paper bag thing, although well intended will continue to feed these fears she is having, however, I know how horrible panic attacks feel, and the best advice I can give is listed above. Just don't try to do everything yourself, seek out a really good therapist for her, if she isn't already seeing someone who is helpful about these matters:)

[Vera 0]

For people that cannot swallow pills, what my family does is they hide it in food, such as a spoonful of whipped cream. I think whipped cream works the best, and it's the easiest to position the pills. Other foods that work as well include apple sauce, yogurt and pudding. A more advanced technique is to chew up a cracker or pretzel, and right before you are ready to swallow, toss a pill in, and swallow the whole shebang.As for her anxiety, you can never cuddle and hold her enough.

[WindyDreams 0]

Anxiety attacks are very real to those that experience them ,sometimes they go unnoticed and undetected as something else instead having anxiety and panic attacks though .Anxiety sometimes is real threat to thought process at the moment .Adrenalin is running high through out your body ,you end up confused and all you want to do is run away or flea from the problem or threat your assuming is cause of the anxiety attacks in form of panic rush ,just run away .When in most cases there is no real problem or threat that causes the body to experience this adrenalin to higher lever to escalates into anxiety attack.Although anxiety seem threatening although no real threat is present or hold true fear in environment ,to that person it feels as most crucial pain in threaten you completely .sometimes subconscious in your mind they occur ,out of the blue and at any time though .Living in environment that is on going stress on daily process can result into Anxiety attacks to occur more often .I have anxiety and panic attacks ,learned over years in small was how to over come them before they take control and blow things out perspective .not always work out ,the way I think sometimes .When I feel one coming on ,I try to change and move self around to help areas in How I am thinking at the time ,giving me better out look at things or environment that changed and calming feeling sometimes takes more stronger affect than ,before this was performed .Although each attack for each person and reasons are different and can never be explain as the same .We all hold different triggers in our lives that go unaware ,why it triggers off these anxiety attacks in our life .Think of areas in your environment that really sets you off ,and look at yourself and view self in those areas ,does this stress you out or you fearing when someone comes home ,it will turn into a fight or someone is drinking and long discussion will end in a fight or something in your environment ,you know is not pleasing to you .So often as women we keep quiet on areas that stress us out or bother us extremely by doing this ,we tend to feed into those anxiety attacks taking control mentally and physically .Sometimes it is best be true to yourself and remove self out stressful environments or learn those triggers and most of all speak out your thoughts ,your likes and dislikes ,despite refraining from acting upon those areas that what you say or holding in can upset someone else ,holding things in is harming your own self ,I am not saying be down right cruel with things ,a release in keeping things bottled up is important key to healing and understanding .Sometimes our minds play tricks on our self and anxiety comes as result of out come too.Lots medical feel cure all is medication at same time may work for some and sometimes only increases the anxiety within you ,and if do not pin point areas that are triggers ,nothing really gets healed just nicely covered up .Do not allow self feel isolated due to having anxiety or feel others may feel there just idiot attacks for the one experiencing those attacks are very real to total affects upon you mentally and physical .Try to better understand why there happening and triggers in your own life .We may feel we cured ourselves from experiencing anxiety or panic attacks from happening ,far from truth ,it is part of you each day ,you just are learning yourself better and the triggers and how to cope on better level where those attacks do not control you mentally or physically ,that you some how hold strong grip on them .They pop there ugly head up every now and then although do not get blown out control most times as it?s you that is coping better through out your life and self in better understanding your own self .Hang in there ,with a smile ,in living Life in understanding your own self and life around you .

[wordpress_lover 0]

Not sure how to help you mtnkatt69, as your wife is already on drugs...but here's what you can do...Hypnosis may or may not help but I'd like you to visit Mercola.com (Dr. Joseph Mercola's site) Post him a question, he may advise you/your wife on breathing methods and other ways to relax an an over-anxious mind.

Edited July 26, 2008 by wordpress_lover (see edit history)

[networker 0]

Anxiety can be an awful thing.I hear deep breathing can help a lot.Also not drinking too much coffee or caffeine type products.Chamomile tea is famous for being a substance that relaxes people. Getting out and going for walks will probably help a lot.

[estelleonline 0]

She may have a phobia of choking to death. There are several phobias relating to dying of some sort, some more common than others. Some fear being burned alive or murdered constantly. Identify the problem and try to get therapy for it. A therapist will narrow down her phobia to the root source and attempt to undermine it. Phobias may seem ridiculous to others but she cannot simply 'getover it' it is very real to her. I know because I have several of them myself. For instance i have a morbid phobia of childbirth. Just anyone talking about it for more than a second brings terrible feelings of trauma. She may have nearly choked on one of her pills one morning and not told you. Its just like if you get bitten badly by a spider and nearly die, you will most likely be afraid of them. Humans brains are programmed to avoid things that are harmful to them. things that are considered 'harmful' are different for every individual. Due to some sort of experience she has had, your wife finds swallowing pills harmful to her well being. this is also the explanation to other fears that may seem unrealistic to you, such as fear of heights, fear of closed spaces, fear of OPEN spaces, etc. These phobias activate a chemical in your brain in the part called the alygdama (im pretty sure thats the name) and triggers what is called the fight or flight response. This has been around for millions of years and is part of what is called the 'basic brain' that reptiles had before humans. As humans evolved we developed more and more specialized parts of the brain, and scientists believe this is part of what makes us so special. Anyhow, the fight or flight response gets triggered and she chooses to flight instead of fight because her brain interprets the swallowing of pills as dangerous and needed to be run away from. This may be due to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

[gummybear 0]

Has she ever seen a therapist? Anxiety can stem from all sorts of things, post traumatic stress ( panic attacks included here ), being over-stressed, you name it. Perhaps you should look into taking her to a therapist with a specialization in the cognitive behavioral approach because the therapist can help target the root of the problem, the triggers, things that medication can reduce but not solve completely. The cognitive behavioral approach is based around changing patterns of thought. For example, lets say she's triggered into an anxiety attack-- cognitive behavior therapy will give her tools to recircuit her thought patterns.. changing behavioral responses to the environment. Good luck