Panic Diaries: The Frightful, Sometimes Hilarious Truth about Panic Attacks

Publishers Weekly called The Panic Diaries a new style of self-help book that "treated healing with feeling." An article in The New Jersey Ledger by Angela Stewart, the leading health reporter in New Jersey, referred to the voice in The Panic Diaries as "somewhat whimsical - reminiscent of the lovable Erma Bombeck" and stated "it can make often difficult-to-face information palatable to even the most anxious readers." The Chicago Tribune recommended it as a book that would "help you know, heal and nourish yourself."

Let me introduce June's Featured Authors:

Jeanne Jordan's first article about panic attacks, "Trial by fear-One woman's struggle against panic disorder," was published by The Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine in 1990. Since then her published work has included dozens of feature articles, essays and short stories for national and regional publications. She has written many articles that have helped readers with health-related ailments including "Depression and the Elderly" (1991), "Discovering Your Inner Child" (1991), The Joy of Meditation (1998), and "Facing the Reality of Eating Disorders, (1999). Jeanne lives, works and occasionally has panic attacks in a suburb of Chicago.

Julie Pedersen obtained her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Purdue University in 1991 and has taught philosophy at Purdue and at Loyola University of Chicago. As a freelance journalist, Julie has written about many health-related issues including "Milestones in Childhood Development" (1996) and "Take Back The Night" (physical and emotional abuse of women; PTSD) (1997). She has presented papers on The Philosophy of Mind, Emotions, and Phenomenological Psychology at meetings of the American Philosophical Association (Boston, Chicago); the Society for Phenomenology and Existentialist Philosophy and the Sartre Society of North America. She lives, works and occasionally has panic attacks in a different suburb of Chicago.

Welcome Jeanne and Julie. We are looking forward to getting to know you this month.

[ June 01, 2005, 10:20 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

Welcome Jeanne and Julie,
I look forward to this month's topic. Just curious...How do you know if you are having a panic attack?

A warm welcome from me as well Jeannie and Julie.

Sometimes it's difficult to know when a panic attack is just that.I have had three in an entire lifetime. The first was when I lost my Dad who raised me since birth.The next one was when I lost my Mom. This time it was like I was having a heart attack. It really was an attack of the heart. The last one was when I met my Bio Dad after forty plus years. Is there a name for occasional attacks? These happened over a span of twenty five years.

I look forward to reading and posting in this forum.

chick

I have panic and anxiety attacks constantly. For me, its when I start to get restless and bothered by whatever is surrounding me. I'm not comfortable in my own skin. I can't concentrate on anything. My breathing becomes more shallow. I see as if I have blinders on (only what is in front of me) and it's hard to focus on any particular thing. If I let the attack continue, my BP will go up along with my pulse. My head will start to hurt and I can't concentrate on what anyone is saying to me. If I continue to let the attack go on, I will strike out verbally at anyone close to me and my body will become very stiff as I try to hold myself still. I become very tense.

For the most part, I don't ever let myself get that far in an attack, unless I've forgotten to bring my meds along or I'm driving at the time and can't take my meds. Yes, I've had those attacks while driving.

I've had so many, that I can recognize even the subtle symptoms at first and can nip my attacks before they ever get going. I use distraction techniques, breathing exercises and medication. Ativan is my med of choice for panic/anxiety attacks.

Welcome to Jeanne and Julie. I look forward to this month's chat. Where can I go to buy your book?

Hello Everyone!

I'm Jeanne Jordan, one of the authors of "The Panic Diaries."

The actual definition of a panic attack is: a discrete period in which there is the sudden onset of intense apprehension, fearfulness, or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom.

On pages 24 & 25 of the book we list the "Criteria for a Panic Attack." There are 13 different different features associated with panic attacks, so for an "episode" to be considered a panic attack you must experience at least four of these features.

And yes, it is possible to have one panic attack a year, or one in your entire life. The problem arises when you are experiences panic on a regular basis.

From the time I was seven years old I was defined by panic attacks, which of course, at that time had no name. So, my family and I gave it a name..."my feeling." Over the years I have spoken with others who were struggling at this time (the 1960's & 1970's) and many of them also gave their disorder a name. However, it wasn't until 1980 that panic attacks and the anxiety disorders associated with them were actually recognized and given names by the psychiatric community. Names like: Panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few.

I was 27 before I discovered that this thing that I struggled with my entire life had a name...and a treatment. And very slowly...my entire life changed.

Jeanne

You can purchase our book through our website: www.panicdiaries.com, or amazon.com, or at many Borders Book Stores.

Jeanne

Hello Jeanne and Julie,

I want to welcome you to the Featured Author Forum and congratulate you on having been chosen. I'm last month's featured author (hmmm...Featured Author Emeritus?), and I had a marvelous time and made some lovely new friends.

Have a great month!

Lori

I'm so glad you're the featured authors this month as I've just recently been having some kind of weird symptoms. My chest gets tight, my heart races and I feel scared.

I will order your book. I hate feeling this way.

I too had one of those...the day I married...impending doom. It was an omen.

Welcome to the forum and just as our lovely Lori entertained AND educated us all on traveling the world, I'm sure you all will help guide and educate us on panic attacks, what they are, and how to cope. This is just great!

I look forward to reading the post!

JJ

I just ordered my book. Can't wait for it to arrive so I can start reading it along with chatting about panic disorders here on the forum.