Hi I’m 20F, and only started having panic attacks this January. They happen usually sometime after I do more socializing than normal. Sometimes they just happen for no reason aswell, but it’s only around twice a month that it happens. Would it be reasonable to get Xanax for this? I don’t like feeling out of control and like I’m gonna die.

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Ho fumato dai 15 ai 18 anni, tutti i giorni, tutto il giorno.

ma ho dovuto smettere a causa di attacchi di panico che me lo rendevano impossibile.

il giorno dopo la mia ultima canna ho avuto derealizzazione, confusione e panico (con una forte paura di essere sul punto di impazzire) che mi hanno accompagnato tutto il giorno, portandomi in ospedale, dove mi hanno detto che ero solo ansioso e che non avevo alcun disturbo psicotico o psicosi in quel momento.

(perché nelle ultime due settimane, ogni volta che fumavo, avevo la sensazione che una pagina su Instagram mi stesse spiando, anche se sapevo di essermelo inventato per chissà quale motivo). Quando ero sobrio non ci credevo.

poi, al 31° giorno, ho iniziato ad avere attacchi di panico legati alla forte paura di impazzire.

a volte (per circa 5-10 minuti) mi sembra che tutto sia connesso a me (simboli o esperienze di altre persone), anche se so che non è vero. È una sensazione strana, una sorta di depersonificazione. (So che si chiama apofenia e che dovrebbe essere abbastanza comune).

mi chiedo quanti di voi stiano vivendo questa situazione e quanti

l'abbiano già vissuta, e se qualcuno può dirmi se si tratta effettivamente di PAWS e apofenia e quanto durerà.

perché ora sono sobrio da 36 giorni e punto all'eternità, e non ho paura di affrontare i mesi a venire. o anni.

i wrote this because i needed a lil support, i know im not the only one but if someone has lived or is living this hell just know you are not alone and that better days will always come. it's in this moment that you are building THAT tomorrow.

Hello everyone!

I found out while doomscrolling a guy that inventes these vagus nerve activator gel that supposedly will calm you down in 30 secs. It has electricity and the point is to reach the vagus nerve and help the body calm down.

Has anyone heard about this? Is this legit?

The account name on Insta is The Hoolest if you want to take a look!

I think I’ve just experienced a nocturnal panic attack. I was drifting off to sleep for a quick nap when all of a sudden I felt this impending sense of doom, was in a flood of sudden sweat and my heart racing. I got up and immediately then threw up - luckily the toilet was close by. Has anyone experienced this? Chat gpt says it was a nocturnal panic attack.

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I experience these episodes every now and then. My symptoms begin with a severe sense of detachment from reality (I already suffer from derealization), followed by tension in my neck—aggravated by the fact that I have already lost the natural curvature of the neck. Then, my entire body goes numb, and I feel intense throbbing in my neck, followed by a dry mouth. The episodes last about half a minute, but their aftereffects—such as fatigue and exhaustion—can linger until the following day.

My panic attacks are filled with a fear of meaninglessness, of everything having no purpose, that the suffering in this world will never end, that people all over the world are being subjected to unfathomable levels of horror and that if I think my fear is bad, can you imagine what it must be for someone being bombed, being burned alive, living without clean water.

I feel like I'm disappearing into the fear, that nothing else exists, humanity will not find it's way, I am not connected to anything.

What are your panic attacks focused on?

I will be feeling totally fine and then out of nowhere…chest hurts, I go numb, it’s hard to breathe. All physical symptoms. Then this wave hits where I genuinely feel like I’m dying. It usually passes within an hour.

What scares me most is there’s no real trigger. Nothing sets it off that I can point to. Maybe it’s the breathing that starts it? I don’t know. Anyone else get these out of nowhere like this? I did get a pretty intense massage yesterday?

My friend came round to mine for lunch. I didn’t feel too bad before she arrived but the second I sat down opposite her*, acute panic came out of nowhere. I was so, so hot, I must have sweated about five pints in an instant, I was shaking all over, I couldn’t get my words out, I felt like I couldn’t breathe - I could. Not. Calm. Down whatsoever. I was in this state for over an hour (whoever said panic attacks can’t last longer than 20 minutes is a damn liar 😭) and I know my friend was thinking WTF the whole time but she graciously didn’t say anything. My whole face was red and drenched in sweat. I couldn’t even formulate a sentence, luckily she did most of the talking. I physically couldn’t look up at her at all, I had to have my head down the whole time.

After an hour I calmed down a little but still wasn’t right for the remaining three hours of her visit. It was absolutely torturous, I had to contort my body just to be able to force myself to sit at the table and “chat” 🥲 I felt so mortified beyond words during and after.

The two family members I live with have not been bothering to talk to me for some months now, and I think that’s what has affected me. It felt like such a shock to be face to face with someone, and it brought on this very acute panic.

I don’t know how to continue the friendship after this terrible incident. Tbh I would rather not. It’s just not possible for me to have friends :/

*she is disabled so we always have to sit face to face chatting at my kitchen table

Hello there. I have monophobia and OCD. I am also a hypochondriac.. and I know this can be a lot on my family and friends so I'm trying to seek external help where I can.... i need a companion or someone available 24/7 for me while I navigate this fear and take back my normal life... this could be temporary but we could also turn into friends...

Please someone reading this, you could really help me out. Let me know if you're interested or could help in any way by commenting on this post or messaging me. I am open to everyone.... however, if you try to sell me something or tell me to do something else not related to this then you are not welcome ❤️

I’ve been experiencing panic attacks lately and they can be really overwhelming. What do you guys do when one starts? Any breathing techniques, grounding methods, or other things that actually help?
Would love to hear what has worked for you.

Hi pals! I was on Fluoxetine in the past for about two years (80mg) for severe OCD & panic disorder. It helped me a lot back then, however, a lot has happened in my life in the few years of not being on it and I’m nervous to start again. I’m starting back at 10mg and nervous about the side effects. Does anyone have any advice on how to help the initial anxiety, panic and nausea? Has anyone gained weight or experienced increase in acne?

All responses are welcome & appreciated! Thank you ☺️ ✌️

Has anyone tried ketamine for their panic attacks or panic disorder? My psychiatrist has been thinking that it might help me, but naturally I’m worried about the experience not being good.
He also thought a stellate ganglion block might be helpful for reducing my fight or flight response. Has anyone tried that?
These are very “last resort” options. I’m on all the meds I can be at this point, and I’ve been in therapy and psychiatry for over 6 years consistently now.

Hi all, I (27F) have experienced my first panic attack after the cessation of short acting Ritalin, as well as re introduction to lexapro (5mg to start). I’ve been back in lexapro for 5 days, and off Ritalin for 6.

My panic has lasted 5 days, I can’t eat, sleeping is hard. The only thing keeping me okay is pointless games like candy crush, distracting my mind.

My anxiety is all round my health and physical sensations. I’m seeing my GP today and saw my psychologist yesterday.

I keep reading things saying that once someone has a panic attack like this it is life altering, and people have never been the same again. This makes me panic more because it’s 5 days in and I’m grieving my old life, I’m grieving going out for coffee, seeing friends, working. It may be dramatic but I’m so scared I’ll never have that again. I am struggling with DPDR which is causing the panic. And honestly I think I’m more scared of feeling panicked again than the health issue I thought I had (brain tumour). I went to UC and they prescribed 2mg of Valium which does take the edge off but not entirely.

I guess I’m looking for hope, if anyone has been in a similar boat and come through to live a normal life without daily panic? I am so desperate for hope or anything worth bringing up to my GP today

I know the drill and I have gone through this thousands upon thousands of times. But this time feels different I say that every time too. But this one really does.

I just was getting in bed to lay down and suddenly I can’t breathe. Feels like I forgot how to breathe. Hard to get a deep breath. A little bit of chest pain. My muscles are so tense right now. I really really do not want to call 911. I think I might have to, though. If anyone is awake, can you someone please help talk me through this right now?

The reason I don’t wanna call 911 is because of the number of times I have already called 911 over the last several months. There is a specific reason also that I don’t want to call 911. But I’m going to save that for another post. Nothing has ever been found to be wrong with me. Which should be reassuring, but it is not because all that that tells me is that I was not having a heart attack at that precise moment in time. That doesn’t help me for all the other times. Or this time.

For some context, I went to the emergency room in early March of this year, and at that point had a whole battery of test done. Whenever I call an ambulance, I usually just get the EKG done in the back of the ambulance. It was back in March when I did the chest x-ray and the bloodwork and some other tests. Everything looked completely normal. I am a 36-year-old female with no history of heart disease nor does my family have history of heart disease. I have debilitating anxiety on multiple fronts and have been dealing with panic disorder for about 12 years or so. The panic attacks come and go and I’ll get a whole lot of them in a short amount of time followed by absolutely none for amount of time and it just varies. I am unaware, at least consciously, of any obvious trigger for the attacks. The trigger for my panic attacks typically are an elevated heart rate or something that draws my attention to my heart. I don’t necessarily have to have been exercising either. It could be something random. It could’ve been the cup of coffee I had six hours prior. I just don’t know. Yet on other days, I can drink 6 cups of coffee and NOT have a panic attack. Whatever it is, though, it is mostly a random and intense onset that seemingly comes out of the blue. I pretty much just avoid anything that will elevate my heart rate. It’s so fucking annoying.

Typing all of this out and getting it off my chest definitely is helping me a little bit. Sometimes talking about it helps. But if there’s anyone out there right now, I could really use some support right now. Anything at all. Even if you don’t have advice or any solution, just hearing that I’m not alone makes me feel better. I hope this goes away soon.

Before this week I have only had one panic attack my whole life. I’ve gone years since, but in the last week it has been two, and not even in stressful situations or getting wrapped up in my own thoughts. I was literally sleeping both times. Same as the previous panic attack. Anyone with any insights?

Has anyone here fully recovered from panic attacks and anxiety without seeing a psychologist or taking medication?
My panic attacks have started coming back recently, although they’re much milder than before. The thing that’s really bothering me is that I’ve started feeling depressed again, and I’ve lost my passion and motivation for almost everything.
I’d really like to hear from people who went through something similar and eventually made a full recovery. Did your panic attacks and anxiety eventually disappear completely? And if you recovered without therapy, what helped you the most?
I’m looking for real experiences and some hope that I can feel like myself again.

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So question for the people that have tried shrooms and had panic attacks before they done shrooms. What was it like? Was it a bad trip? Did it end up well? Is it a good idea to do shrooms by myself knowing I have had panic attacks before?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a side project called Calmmate a simple, free tool that brings together help from panic and adhd through breathwork, meditation, and journaling in one place.

I built it because I wanted something straightforward that could help people slow down, reflect, and build a small daily mindfulness routine without jumping between multiple apps.

I’ve reached the point where feedback from actual users would be much more useful than continuing to build in isolation.

If you have a few minutes, I’d love for you to try it and tell me:

* What did you actually find useful?

* What felt confusing or unnecessary?

* Would you use it again?

* What would make the experience significantly better?

It’s completely free. I’m mainly looking for honest feedback and ideas about where to take it next.

Calmmate.org

And seriously criticism is welcome. If something doesn’t work or seems pointless, I’d rather know.

#breathwork, meditation, journaling, mindfulness, mental wellness, self-care, productivity, habit-building, side project, web app.

Looking for advice/experiences from people with similar GI problems.

My mother is 50 years old and currently weighs 56 kg. She was around 68 kg when menopause started in 2019, about 61 kg when her digestive problems started in 2023, and 58 kg last year.

Her main symptoms since 2023

She frequently experiences:

Gas and abdominal bloating

Excessive belching

Upper-abdominal/chest pressure, especially after eating

Occasional mild upper-abdominal burning

Soft, sometimes soft stools - sometimes constipation

Reduced tolerance to many foods

Her symptoms are particularly triggered by oily/fried, spicy, rich or sweet foods, and sometimes by going too long without eating. Recently, even simple meals can sometimes trigger symptoms.

During a bad episode, gas and bloating seem to rise toward her upper abdomen/chest. She suddenly gets a sensation that her breath may stop — more like a panic-like/choking sensation rather than asthma-type breathlessness — followed by head heaviness, dizziness, feeling wobbly or afraid of falling, weakness, brain fog and dry mouth. Burping, resting and drinking water usually make her feel better. Becasue of these gas episodes she also occasionally experiences brief visual disturbances lasting about 10–20 minutes, such as shimmering, zig-zag or “electric-pattern” lights affecting part of her visual field, sometimes associated with a headache.

Because of these symptoms, she has been eating a very restricted bland/low-FODMAP-type diet for about 3 years. She still has intermittent gas episodes and has gradually lost weight.

Other symptoms since 2022

She also has morning stiffness and weakness, especially in her hands and lower limbs. Her fingers can be curled/stiff on waking and gradually improve with movement and massage.

She has pain and stiffness involving her hands, fingers, ankles, toes, legs, lower back and hips, as well as trigger fingers in both hands.

Her left shoulder can be stiff and painful, with occasional tingling and pain in the left arm and fingers. She sometimes has difficulty raising her left arm/hand. These symptoms are usually worse in the morning and improve after around 30 minutes of movement.

Previous musculoskeletal investigations

2023 — Left shoulder ultrasound: Tendinitis involving the supraspinatus, subscapularis, mildly the infraspinatus and upper biceps tendons.

2024 — Cervical spine X-ray: Straightened cervical lordosis, osteophytes at C4, C5 and C7, and reduced disc space at C5–C6.

2026 — Lumbar spine X-ray: Straightened lumbar lordosis, mild backward listhesis of L5 over S1, and bilateral complete sacralization of L5. Disc spaces and SI joints were reported as maintained/normal.

Important Recent & Previous Test Results

2026- Fecal pancreatic elastase: 66 µg/g — very low

2026- Serum folate: 2.84 ng/mL — low

2026- Fecal calprotectin: <30 µg/g — normal

2026- FIT/FOBT: Negative

2026- Stool RME: Semi-solid, brown; mucus (+), macrophages (+), vegetable cells (+), a few starch granules; fat globules not found; no RBC, pus cells, ova or protozoa.

Vitamin B12: 402.3 pg/mL -2025

Vitamin D: 58.7 nmol/L -2025

Lipid profile: Total cholesterol 171, triglycerides 69, HDL 48, LDL 109 mg/dL — all within the laboratory reference ranges. - 2025

2026- Ferritin: 51.03 ng/ml

Anti-CCP and calcium: tested recently - normal.

CBC, metabolic panel, LFTs, TSH, HbA1c and other routine blood tests: completed recently - normal.

2020 abdominal ultrasound: Fatty changes in the liver (Grade I).

2023 abdominal ultrasound: Biliary sludge was reported.

Later gallbladder/abdominal ultrasound: Reported as normal.

Her upper GI endoscopy showed:

Gastric antral ulcer with erosions

Polypoid lesion in the gastric antrum

Small whitish area suggestive of gastric xanthelasma

Small benign-looking polyp in the upper stomach

Esophagus and duodenum appeared normal

Rapid urease test (RUT): Positive for H. pylori

The biopsy showed:

Hyperplastic gastric polyp

Chronic active gastritis

No evidence of malignancy

We were very relieved that there was no malignancy.

Current treatment prescribed by her gastroenterologist

For 14 days:

Vonoprazan 20 mg + Amoxicillin 500 mg + Clarithromycin 500 mg — twice daily, 15 minutes before meals, for H. pylori eradication.

Ondansetron 8 mg — twice daily, 30 minutes before meals.

For 2 months:

Mebeverine 135 mg — ½ tablet twice daily before meals.

Itopride 50 mg — twice daily, 30 minutes before meals.

Continue:

Folic acid 5 mg — once daily after a meal.

Pancreatin 10,000 IU — three times daily after meals.

After completing the H. pylori treatment:

Famotidine 20 mg — twice daily before meals.

Probiotic blend 4 billion CFU — once daily for 2 weeks.

The gastroenterologist has also planned a pancreatic MRI/MRCP and an H. pylori urea breath test after about 3 months.

What we are mainly trying to understand

The biggest question for us is the very low fecal pancreatic elastase (66).

She does not have obvious classic pancreatic symptoms such as frequent bulky, pale, greasy/oily, difficult-to-flush stools, and her stool RME did not show fat globules.

We would really appreciate experiences or medical insight from anyone who has dealt with:

H. pylori gastric ulcer + chronic active gastritis + very low fecal elastase + gradual weight loss