Anyone else struggling with anxiety and panic attacks?

I wanted to reach out and share my perspective with those of you who are struggling with the same thing. I had my first panic attack about three years ago. It wasn't one massive event, just everything piling up at once—family stress, a breakup, the pressure of college... I’ve always been an emotional person, and this really hit me hard. I was on Lexapro for a year, and eventually, my doctors felt I was doing fine. Things were okay for a few months, but that following year without medication was such a struggle. There were days when the panic stayed away and things felt wonderful, but there were also days where you just sit there crying because you're terrified of everything. Literally everything. The fear of leaving the house, how you look in the mirror, being around people, or even just being alone... well, you know how it feels. I've gone back on Lexapro recently because things were getting drastically worse, and even peppermint tea and Passiflora weren't helping anymore.🙂However, during this second wave of panic, things felt even heavier. Even when the panic itself subsided, these dark thoughts remained—questioning why the world exists, why suicide is considered a sin, whether God is real... To me, depression always feels like hitting rock bottom. Even though I haven't been formally diagnosed with it, I feel like panic disorder is much the same. It's a low point. For me, it feels as heavy as any other major struggle. And that is exactly why I've decided to fight. So, maybe I'm on medication, and who knows how long that will last, but I've started buying books on positive thinking. I'm realizing that all of this starts in the mind. Life is beautiful; life is a gift, and if God gave it to me, I shouldn't take it lightly. I don't have the answers to many questions, but I'm only 24. I want a family, a career I love, and I want to make the people around me happy and leave a mark on their lives. I want to live. When you think about it, isn't panic actually quite small and insignificant? People undergo chemotherapy, vomiting every single day, losing limbs, having nothing to eat... whereas I have this panic that depends on me, on my mindset, and on my own effort. Even though it often feels like we've tried everything and it just won't work without pills, it does work. It really does. If it were impossible, doctors wouldn't bother telling us otherwise. We all know how blunt they can be; they'd tell us straight to our faces! That's why I want to encourage everyone to keep living, to keep trying, to stay positive, and to beat this little piece of crap called fear. If others could do it, we can too. It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. It will... sending love to everyone.

crimsoncrane41 said:I wanted to share my perspective with those of you dealing with this exact same struggle. I had my first panic attack about three years ago—nothing out of the blue, really, just everything piling up at once (family issues, a breakup, college stress...). I’ve always been an emotional person, and this just hit me hard. I was on Lexapro for a year before my doctors decided I was fine. And for a few months, things were okay, but then the following year without medication became a real battle. There were days when the panic stayed away—those were great—and then there were days where you just sit there crying because you're afraid of everything. Literally everything. Afraid to leave the house, afraid of your own reflection, social settings, solitude... well, you know how it goes. I'm back on Lexapro now because things took a sharp turn for the worse, and even peppermint tea and Passiflora weren't cutting it anymore.🙂However, during this second wave, things felt even darker; even after the panic subsided, these heavy thoughts lingered—questioning why the world exists, why suicide is such a tragedy, whether God is even real... To me, depression feels like hitting rock bottom. Even though I haven't been formally diagnosed with clinical depression, panic disorder feels much the same. It's the absolute bottom. In my eyes, being stuck in that hole is no different from being an addict or a criminal. That’s why I’ve decided to fight!! Yes, I am on medication, and who knows how long I'll remain , but I've started buying books on positive thinking. I'm realizing that all of this starts in the mind. Life is wonderful; life is a gift, and if God gave it to me, it isn't right to take it lightly. I don't have the answers to many questions, but I'm only 24—I want a family, a career I actually love, I want to make the people around me happy, to leave a mark on their lives... I want to live. Isn't panic, then, such a small, insignificant thing? People go through chemotherapy, vomiting every day, losing limbs, having nothing to eat... meanwhile, I have panic, which depends entirely on me—on my mindset and my effort.Even though it feels to all of us like we've tried everything and can't move forward without pills, it is possible!!! It really is. If it wasn't, our doctors wouldn't be lying to us.We all know how blunt they can be; they'd tell us straight to our faces! So, I want to wish everyone the strength to live, to try, to stay positive, and to conquer this little piece of shit called fear!!! If others could do it, so can we. Maybe not overnight, but it will happen. It will happen... cheers to everyone.

Uh, there's quite a lot here, so sorry if I didn't catch everything in bold...

Are you on meds now, or can you manage without them? 🤷

And still, what exactly is that Lexapro doing for you that makes it feel impossible to go without?

By the way, you mentioned the Passiflora and mint tea didn't help... have you ever tried Paxil?

Yes, I am currently on Cipralex. However, I spent a full year off any medication and things went quite well; I truly believe that once this course is finished, I'll be doing even better because I’m actively working on myself this time around. Medications like Paxil or BlackRock are anxiolytics, which can help if you take them every six days since the effects only last about four hours, but I just take one Cipralex tablet in the morning and that's it. Of course, the treatment is gradual, and the pill simply helps me stay calm and free from anxiety while I focus on my personal growth... honestly, anyone dealing with a serious panic disorder wouldn't be able to manage without some support.

I suppose there isn't much point in searching for answers here, given that the Psychology section features an extensive "Anxiety" topic. We also have the newly established "Non-Chemical Anxiety Management" sub-forum for those who prefer to examine the underlying causes and consequences of this disorder, rather than assuming medication is a universal fix.

Please, come join us; we're basically an entire platoon of people in a trance! 😉

p.s. In my own experience, panic attacks eventually transitioned into anxiety, which then led to depression... but I respect your perspective. I think you're right—there are certainly much worse things that could have happened to us...

Honestly, just getting out into the wild does more for my head than any pill ever could.
The way you live your life—that’s what actually matters...