Some of the successfull women who have talked about struggling with panic attacks include:
Naomi Judd, Kim Basinger, Roseanne Barr, Sally Field, Naomi Campbell, Edie Falco, Delta Burke,
Barbara Streisand and Anne Tyler.

When your life becomes a daily struggle with panic, it can feel like there is no way out, that you will always feel this way. But there are so many recovery methods and different medications available, I urge everyone struggling to keep trying. You can take your life back.

Chattylady wrote that she is unable to go outside of her comfort zone, that she must always have a restroom available, etc. This all sounds very familiar to me. I was unable to leave my comfort zone for a good part of my life, which meant not doing many things I would have liked to have done. She writes that she doesn't think she needs medication, and I certainly respect that. But perhaps pushing the envelope a little bit would be a good idea. She mentions that she would have liked to experience jury duty, but anxiety kept her from doing that.

Sometimes an option might be "baby steps." You know, first just make a few trips downtown, driving around and becoming familiar with areas, finding out where parking garages are, etc. Another time taking a trip downtown and parking, maybe walking a short distance. Each time you may feel a little more empowered, a little stronger. This is basically a form of exposure therapy, and it can be very effective.

Jeanne

Strange but I recently returned from a trip to Disneyland with my family including five grandkids and not once during the trip did I have an anxiety attack. You would think being with so many kids, etc. would bring one on but it didn't. Maybe my home is causing them?

Hi Chatty, I understand about leaving the comfort zone causing anxiety. I just wanted to make it clear that although I questioned if I had caused cancer within myself OR if God was punishing me, it was just a fleeting question. As an adult survivor of abuse, I keep in mind that when a family is violent or even not violent and there is divorce, the child always wonders what he/she did wrong to cause it. So wondering what I did to cause cancer was merely and ancient lingering habit of my inner child. Cancer is cancer, a part of the human condition for some. Love and Light, Lynn

Dianne wrote: "Maybe my home is causing them?"

I went to Disneyland once and only once. I had a migraine because of all the noise, lights, action, motion, people. Not my thing. I'm no fun!

I look for bathrooms because I used to have colitis. I don't have that anymore, but it is by habit that I need to know where the bathrooms are, just in case.
Being new to Colorado, I get lost all the time. I use mapquest, but still make a wrong turn here and there. The panic of getting lost used to keep me from going anywhere. I am much more relaxed about it now. I experienced "exposure therapy" with a counselor, and it really helped. LLL

I wanted to respond to something Chatty Lady said about disease. I believe that once Adam and Eve sinned and were cast out of the Garden of Eden, sin on earth began to grow. If you've ever seen the movie Sleeping Beauty (I think it's that one) where she pricks her finger on the spinning wheel. And while the three good fairies can't undo the spell, they allow the kingdom to fall asleep as well. (Bear with me just a few lines more.) Anyway, slowly things deteriorate and thorns begin to grow around the kingdom until it seems too thick for anyone to cut through. That's how I see our world since sin began -- a type of deterioration. And so disease strikes. While it is certainly a time of testing, I also believe God uses it for a multitude of things. Anyway, just my take on it.

As for panic attacks, I do think that "baby steps" can help. I know that just by being aware that I'm having a panic attack helps tremendously. And if I catch it early enough, I can sometimes choose to focus on something else rather than the panic attack itself. Some of my strongest ones happen in a group or inside a crowded room. Getting out is the first thing I want to do. Sometimes I can but there have been times I can't. It was during one of those times that God got my attention and told me I had a choice. I could have a meltdown on a bus full of strangers or I could look outside the bus and see the beauty of the scenery (traveling toward Venice). Not only did I force myself to look outside of myself, so to speak, I grabbed my ever-present notebook and began taking notes of what I saw. It lead to a great travel article.

Blessings, Francine

Dotsie and All,

Sorry I haven't been on in a bit - but I don't have the internet where I live yet and have to come to an internet cafe and when I came yesterday I found that I had forgotten my password (thought it was storied in my memory). Then, after I left, I realized I could have just gone to my email...
In any case, for those of you who've read our book (or are going to), you will find that I am "in the middle" of my struggle with anxiety and panic. I don't have a tried and proven technique that works for me every time, and as it turns out, on Saturday, I had pretty much a full blown episode, so it was difficult for me to talk about a time when I'd experienced and recovered form an attack. But here's the thing I FIND MOST USEFUL for now. It's funny and may not seem like a lot, but for me, what I know that is always true about panic attacks is this: THEY WILL PASS, THEY WILL PASS, THEY WILL PASS. So, I find great comfort from TIME and the reliability that TIME MOVES FORWARD and that no attack will last for hours.
I think one of the best tools to keep in your panic pocket is self-knowledge and anticipation. If I do this, I can have a pretty good idea of what might trigger an attack for me. I had this going for me on Saturday - but I didn't do my "warm-ups" and so I got snuck up on. I should have exercised before I went out, and because circumstances made the day particularly difficult for me - I should have "pre-treated" with an ativan. But I did neither and I paid a big fat price. It's Monday afternoon and I'm still...a little cautious, but I'm better (and hopefully wiser).
Another psychological tool is sort of what I've just written - to remind yourself afterwards that you got through it, you made it and you will make it through the next one!

I can think of two women who have struggled with panic and yet achieved remarkable things. The first is a self-proclaimed "freelance monotheist" (fancy term) and her name is Karen Armstrong. She is quite famous in many circles and has written several books on god and Islam and Christianity. She was interviewed on radio and television during the time after 9/11. Jeanne and I had the opportunity to hear her speak last year, and she had described years of struggle and attacks. It turned out for her that the underlying cause of her panic was frontal lobe epilepsy. That's why panic should never be self-diagnosed!
Another women, with whom more of you might be familiar is Carly Simon. Yes, the singer. She suffers horrible panic and horrible stagefright - but she's found a way to sing through her fear. One thing about singing is that it controls your breath, so maybe we need to write ourselves a panic anthem - it would have to be long, like those songs you used to sing on school buses during field trips, in case somebody needed to sing it for 15 or 20 minutes (which is about the maximum that the physiological components to a panic attack can last).
Wynona Ryder, whom we quote in the book, also suffers from panic attacks. She has a great description which we use for the opening of one of the earlier chapters. I'll try to think of more women who suffer and succeed and include them in my next post.
Take care all,
-Julie

Francine, I too suffer from panic attacks, but they are much less frequent after my counselor suggested several ways to nip them in the bud. I use her suggestions a lot and also, if I know I might get into a situation that would through me into one, I take 1/4 mg of extra xanax. Right now I think I'm regulated on my meds, my counselor says I'm doing great, and of course a lot of my stress melted away when I retired. I had a panic attack standing in front of the crowd staring at the Mona Lisa!! My husband recognizes the symptoms and he helps me through them if he's around, reminding me to breath and to just sit or stand away from other people and just BREATHE>

I think panic attacks can be mistaken for other ailments. Last fall, we were living in St. Joseph, Mo and a company offered my husband a job in St. Louis, MO. I did not want to move to St. L at all. (I wanted to move to Colorado, but that wasn't an option at the time, but here I am) Anyway, my husband was already in St. L for training while I was selling the house in St. J. I went to visit him one weekend so we could look at houses. All day Saturday we looked with a realtor. The houses were more expensive for fewer square feet. We couldn't find anything in our price range that we liked. On Sunday, the realtor was driving us around. I was near tears because all of my being was saying that I did not want to move to St. Louis. I was trying to be stoic and supportive of my husband's job. I was snacking. And trying to smile. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I was gasping for breath. The realtor stopped the car, I jumped out, and my husband tried to calm me: in the middle of the road! They think I was choking on a piece of snack. I know I was having a panic attack. All's well that end's well. Love and Light, Lynn

I think I might have panic attacks, but I kind of like the thrill of overcoming the terror.
For example, having been in a couple of major car accidents, I am panicked by driving, but I love the feeling I get from actually doing it. I am also panicked by public speaking, but love doing that too.
As soon as I get out of the garage, I begin to feel a rush. And as soon as I actually get on stage to perform or speak, I begin to feel another rush.

When I do plays, the best actors are the most panicked. They have learned to use the energy created by the panic to empower them onstage. Maybe those of you who suffer panic attacks could re-frame them as energy for doing whatever causes the panic. I haven't yet read the book so maybe that's in there. I have read some stuff about it though and I believe some of the best entertainers suffer panic attacks.
Just a thought.
smile

[ June 13, 2005, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

I don't get panic attacks per se, but I get this immobility/ depression thing, usually only when I have to clean house or file papers. I'll just sit there, immobilized, for up to an hour. I don't feel depressed, just overwhelmed.