Anxiety and Depression Post Reply

[mummyhelp]

I have a 9 month old baby and suddenly out of the blue had a panic attack. I am now on medication but it's a real struggle and just want to know if anyone has been in this situation and what you did to get better.

Thank you

[soggs]

Hi mummyhelp,

I had panic attacks for a while and I found it really debilitating. I was very lucky to see a sympathetic doctor who recommended CBT counselling. I went privately as I wanted to see someone quickly but you can be referred by your GP for free counselling if you are happy to wait longer (waiting times will depend on your GP and local services I think). It is definitely worth asking your GP first.

I only went three or four times and found it really helpful. I didn't take any medication as my GP didn't offer me any as he thought the counselling would be more useful. I don't have panic attacks any more - I do sometimes have panicky moments but can deal with them better now thanks to the counselling and relaxation techniques.

There is a really useful website that has lots of info and sometimes it helps to see how many other people experience the same thing. Called No More Panic (www.nomorepanic.co.uk).

Hope that helps.

[mrseff]

Hi mummyhelp - you are definitely not alone. Both you & Soggs took the right approach and didn't wait - I foolishly thought I would "get over" my panic & anxiety which began when my son was about 8 months old but it only got worse & worse until I finally realised last October that no, it wasn't normal that I was still crying in the toilet at work about not being a SAHM, and no, it wasn't healthy that I wouldn't do anything with my son that involved public transport unless I could overplan for about a week beforehand, etc etc plus depression and not sleeping!! I finally was diagnosed with PND when my son was nearly 3 and then got help, both in form of anti-depressants and some CBT therapy thru my GP/NHS.

Please be assured that it's very normal and far more common than most mums like to admit to, and my best advice would be to find the right kind of support for YOU - whether medication, counselling, complementary therapies, exercise or what have you!

Good luck! You are very welcome to PM me to chat more.

[soggs]

Hi mummyhelp

I didn't mean to imply that CBT was necessarily better than medication.

I was so desperate when I went to the doctor that I would have done anything to make the panic better and actually I was quite disappointed that he didn't just give me a pill to make it all go away. But one of the things I found most helpful was realising how many other people suffer with this. I told someone at work and she told me she had had panic attacks for years and it turned out half the people in the office either did or who had a friend who did. It is a very common problem.

Hope you are ok.

[nermalstar]

I suffered from panic attacks and had therapy along with pills to take when I had an attack. The pills worked but I came to rely on them to get me through difficult situations - I couldn't go out without them in my bag. The turning point for me was reading a very straightforward common-sense type of book. I am normally skeptical about self-help books and don't have any others on my bookshelf, but this one made me realise I could control the attacks without medication. I haven't had one for six months now and I don't carry the pills with me. It's worth a try, the book is only 4 or 5 pounds on Amazon (link below) and I'd recommend it to anyone suffering panic attacks. Try to talk to other people who have had them; it's hard for anyone who hasn't experienced them to understand just how debilitating they are and how much they take over your life. Good luck, and be assured that they will go away eventually.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panic-Attacks-h ... 416&sr=1-1

[nermalstar]

PS if the Amazon link doesn't work the author is Christine Ingham and the title is:

Panic Attacks: What they are, why the happen, and what you can do about them

[darlingbabs1]

HI, I had panic attacks on and off for 5 years before I had my baby. I was determined to beat/sort out a way i could live with them. The things I found helpful were exercise, in particular running, there was something about getting my heartrate up (like it would be in a panic attack) before I had to do the particular thing I found scary, that made me feel better. Cutting out caffeine, fags and booze - my panic attacks would often be preceeded by a bit of insomnia so cutting out these things and crap food really helped. Taking a magnesium supplement, a friend of mine is a phd nutrition and recommended this, no idea if it worked or not but it felt like it was doing something. I took sertraline (lustral - a serotonin reuptake inhibitor) on and off and I find that really helps in a low dosage, I also found it easy to come off but that may not be the case with everyone. I had CBT twice but didnt find it helpful, however, I think it can be and that is down to the therapist. I now realise that they may not be something that will ever totally go away and, if I get overtired or stresseed now, i certainly feel more like I might have one. However, as soon as I start to feel like that I do a combination of the things that helped me above. Feel free to PM me!