Sheree,

I would first like to remind everyone, I am not a doctor. Following that, it sounds like your panic attacks may be a symptom of PTSD, so Julie would be the one to answer your questions, (I'll take the OCD questions).

However, I for years I had a panic response to the smell of the disinfectant that was sprayed in school after someone vomited. One wiff and my chest did that familiar "flip" and I was off.

Now, I am able to smell the smell, remember the event(I was vomited on in school at the age of 7-it was quite traumatic), and not experience panic.

My recovery from panic was a slow climb up a very steep hill. It wasn't a simple process for me, meaning it was not a single thing. It was a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes that eventually allowed me to live a life without the cycle of panic.

Jeanne