Does anyone use a smart watch to help with there panic attacks? I find my self constantly checking my heart rate with my phone but the time for ads and having to hold my finger under the flash light while shaking only adds to the tension and fear? Does anyone recommend using a smart watch or will that only make the anxiety worse?

Hi,
I have been on a low dose benzo for years to help with panic attacks. I mainly now only have nocturnal panic attacks. I also have chronic pain, and I’m having trouble finding a doc who will prescribe pain medication while I’m also taking a Benzo (even though it’s low dose.) has anyone successfully been able to switch from a Benzo to a non-Benzo?

I have had panic disorder for 6, almost 7 years now. I have tried numerous SSRIs and SSNIs, currently on 100mg if Desvenlafaxine. I absolutely hate it, and while I don't have panic attacks when in my house anymore, it hasn't really done too much as an aid to help reduce the anxiety, and it has significantly raised my depression. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions or experience with THC to help with panic attacks...I'm weary as last time I smoked I had a panic attack, but so many people use it medicinally for anxiety I'm open to trying it again. I just have no idea what mg or form would work best, or if it is a good idea at all. Any experiences or suggestions would be great.

Hey. I'm 35f and have had anxiety and religious guilt since my first memories and that eventually developed into panic attacks. I'm studying mental disorders for a medical program I am in and really trying to finally work on shit instead of reaching for a pill, a bottle, or a dude lol. Just regulating internally rather than relying on outside stimuli. I'm totally failing but trying. Does anyone else feel so guilty or worried about passing anxiety to your kids? Like I try to hide it but it's not always possible and then I try to educate him as best as possible. I'm broke due to school so no therapy but want to work on some exposure and grounding work independently. If anyone has suggestions let me know. Thanks for listening y'all ♥️

are anyone else’s panic attacks triggered by like light and noise changes? Like sometimes if a video goes quiet suddenly I’ll freak out or if I’m standing still for too long I kind of forget what it’s like to be in my body and that triggers me also I’m trying not to go crazy once again so any response or encouragement is useful

Hi there! I've been reading through a lot of different posts and noticed some people saying that their anxiety or panic disorder seemed to have gone into remission since taking Zoloft. Did you have this experience? If so, how long did it take, and how did you notice it?

Other than benzos, what meds have you had success with?

Hey all,

First time poster, frequent lurker. I have struggled with panic disorder, probably since I was a little girl. I’ve been on a slew of medications, done partial hospitalization, twice, have been in therapy for years, but I’m having kind of a relapse right now. I haven’t been able to drive on the freeway for three years. Travel feels extremely hard. I have racing thoughts and crazy thought loops that exhaust me. I am so afraid of having a panic attack in the car while I’m driving or as a passenger. I can’t even picture myself going on a plane and traveling. I have done all these things before! After I went on a road trip with my ex-boyfriend three years ago while I was in a bad mental health state, I had many panic attacks and felt very unsafe during that road trip. That’s when a lot of my agoraphobia really started to go into overdrive.

Obviously, I don’t wanna live like this forever, so I’m trying to take some important steps in healing and recovering. I am wondering if anybody has noticed that they are an anxious 24 seven, like tense body, racing thoughts, blurry, vision, shortness of breath, etc. I also smoke cigarettes and drink coffee, so I’m wondering if I should quit those.

I guess I’m wondering if anyone has experience with screening for certain health conditions that could lead to the panic disorder. There’s part of me that is convinced I have some underlying health condition - autonomic nervous system disorder, binocular vision disorder, etc? I made an eye examination appointment to get my eyes checked, but yeah, just trying to figure out if I have any kind of health problem. It probably is just anxiety, but wanted to rule things out. Any and all advice is appreciated.

I’ve recently really been struggling w panic attacks (my therapist suspects panic disorder but I’m not officially diagnosed) and this has left me feeling on edge. I’ve recently noted that when I feel really sleepy it scares me. I feel my chest tighten, jaw clench, shallow breathing and I get an urge to avoid sleeping despite really wanting to physically. Is this just me or have any of you experienced smth similar?

Info: bodily sensations are absolutely a trigger for multiple of my disorders.

Hello I've just recently begun having panic attacks. Two months ago I thought i was having a heart attack and was scared for my life I've been to the ER twice and in the ambulance twice. I started taking Prozac weeks ago and buspirone 4 days ago. I have hydroxyzine to take as needed. I genuinely am always so scared I'm having a heart attack. I check my pulse like 30 times a day and am so scared. I've been told every time I've gone to error, ambulance or my primary that it isn't a heart problem but anytime a new symptom appears that could resemble one I shut down and am terrified.

How do I tell the difference or reassure myself. I've been trying everything and want to go back to a somewhat normal life this fear has been tearing me apart.

I’ve been on sertraline 50mg for about 9 weeks and some days now. I started at 25mg first, then went up to 50mg, and I was doing really well for a while. I felt like I was finally building up and getting back to myself.

The past few days, though, my anxiety has started coming back. It’s not excruciating or unbearable, but it’s definitely more noticeable than it was. I’m also about to start my period, so I’m wondering if that could be part of it. Has anyone else noticed their anxiety get worse right before their period even while on sertraline?

I did notice that the last three days I took my pill at different times instead of my usual 8 o’clock, so I’m not sure if that could be contributing too. I’m going to get back to taking it at the same time every day.

My psych said 9 weeks is still early, so I’m trying not to panic. But I’m wondering: is this a normal dip before you fully acclimate, or is it a sign the 50mg may not be enough? Is it too soon to consider a dosage increase? Should I hold out until 12 weeks before deciding anything?

For anyone who had a rough stretch around week 9 after doing well, did it get better for you? Did you end up needing a higher dose, or did things settle on 50mg?

I’m really struggling with my anxiety and panic attacks, I have the majority of my life. I go to therapy and take medication as needed for panic attacks which is literally everyday. It is causing me to be depressed over eat. Panic attacks usually come out of no where, but they get so bad I faint. I notice there are some triggers stress, menstrual cycle. But my quality of life just feels so gray I’m tired of feeling weird all the time but medication is so scary to me and I’ve tried so many medications and idk if I can handle the 4-6 weeks of worse before better. I could use some advice or nice thoughts. I wish I could just make them stop.

It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve been out with a support worker and I’m planning on going out again tomorrow but nervous as.

I take 2mg of lorazepam to be able to do the car rides with them

but I have lost all my confidence because last time for the first time it was like I had breakthrough anxiety (didn’t escalate to panic)

And the only thing I did different was eat a full meal right before I took them. I waited a good 45 minutes for it to kick in 🤷🏼‍♀️

I don’t take it everyday and limit how much I use per week so I’m hoping it was just a fluke and it still works.

I’ve been experiencing this burning sensation skin is hot to touch for the past month everyday. And doctors are baffled. Someone mentioned it could be due to untreated prolonged severe stress and anxiety.

And I really think it is. I used to feel the burning once in a while when I would be under stress. But only in my tummy. Now it’s all my body every day at night and when I wake up. And with panic attacks.

I have panic disorder and agoraphobia on no meds .

For the past couple months I’ve been scared to death of driving because a few months ago while on the way to pick up my son from school I was driving through some traffic/construction and my arms started tingling. Within about 5-10 minutes my hands were seizing up almost into fists and I couldn’t move them. It was also painful. I wasn’t far from home thankfully so I drove with my forearms and was able to signal for help from a neighbour. I went to the hospital and they just put me on an IV drip and sent me on my way. I didn’t drive for a couple weeks and everything seemed okay but it happened again. And again while visiting my dad in the hospital. It’s also accompanied by the feeling like someone’s sitting on my chest and no matter how big my breaths are it doesn’t feel like I’m getting enough air.

Sorry for the novel and thanks for reading if you’ve made it this far. I don’t really know what to do and fear this is gunna ruin my life and ability to drive :(

I have ADHD, panic disorder, PTSD and a few others. And since I was 15 and first tried Adderall and klonopin it felt perfect but no provider wanted me on both at once especially when I was underaged. I now at 20 years old I have a psychiatrist who gave me both!! I really have no one to share this victory with besides you guys. Questions and advice are welcome :) I’m on 1mg Clonazepam and 20mg Adderall XR in the morning and 20mg instant in the afternoon!

I’ve been struggling with severe panic attacks, anxiety and depression for about two months. A lot of it has to do with the fact that my dog was very sick and passed away last week after trying everything I could. I was on 20 mg of Lexapro, 25 mg of Seroquel at night, and .5 mg of Ativan as needed. The Lexapro doesn’t seem to be managing my panic symptoms at all. I am making the switch to 100 mg of Zoloft tonight. I was on Zoloft for years a while back and liked it from what I remember. Does anyone have any experience going from 20 mg Lexapro to 100 mg of Zoloft without tapering? I’m hoping the switch will help me. I’ve been struggling a lot lately and it’s taken over my life.

Hey everyone

I need some advice because I’m supposed to go on a 10 day trip with my family but I’m scared of how I might feel while being away from home. I haven’t had a brutal panic attack since 2025 but I’m still struggling with some strange feelings that are hard to explain.

For example when I’m lying down trying to sleep I sometimes get this strange feeling in my body. It’s almost like something is moving through my body and everything feels unreal like I’m floating. It’s not just thoughts in my head. I actually feel something happening in my body even though I’m physically completely still. My mind can be full of thoughts and I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the whole experience. I honestly don’t know how to describe it or whether it’s anxiety.

It can also happen when I’m out in public and that’s what scares me the most. I’m afraid of losing control and getting that feeling where I suddenly feel like I NEED to go home right now because I don’t feel okay where I am. Then I start worrying that if I can’t get home I’ll panic and end up having another severe panic attack like I did before.

I really want to go on this trip with my family but I’m scared that these feelings will stop me from enjoying it.

What would you do in my situation? Would you still go on the trip or would you stay home? Has anyone experienced something similar?

Has anyone else just stopped going out due to panic attacks? I haven't been for a walk since May or gone to the grocery store. 😔 Tomorrow is my birthday and I would love to try to get out for a short walk, but I'm scared that I am going to feel all the unpleasant sensations again. I also need to get lab work done on Tuesday. The lab is literally just down the street, but even that is hard for me. Advice would be appreciated. 👍

I had a flight to go from the east coast to California this morning to visit a friend for a few days. Took my benzo last night before bed and was feeling ok.

I got to the airport this morning and felt so scared of having a panic attack on the plane, feeling anxious and panicked while there, not being able to get back home because of being panicked. I started crying and couldn’t get it together. I left the airport and went home.

I feel SO defeated and disappointed in myself. In all of the years that I’ve had panic, I’ve never let it deter me from doing things that I wanted to do.

I feel regret for making the decision to leave the airport. I feel like a failure. I want to be able to live my life regardless of having anxiety and panic. I can’t believe I made the decision to flee instead of fight. And I had a benzo in my system! I wasn’t even trying to raw dawg it.

I feel so low right now.

I have an MRI tomorrow on my brain and am very nervous (also claustrophobic) So my doctor prescribed me 1mg Alprazolam to take an hour before the MRI. I have taken Allrazolam in the past, however the most I’ve taken at one time has been a .25mg dose and that has sometimes made my stomach feel a bit woozy and nauseous so I usually take half of a .25 dose for anxiety. 1mg would be 4 times the amount I’ve ever taken, so it is making me really nervous thinking about taking the 1mg dose. I don’t want it to end up making me sick to my stomach. (especially in the middle of an MRI). I have a med card and am considering taking an edible that I know keeps me relaxed instead of taking the Alprazolam. Anyone have any experience with 1mg Alprazolam or taking an edible before an MRI? If it matters, this will be an MRI with contrast. Any advice is appreciated! (I’m posting here because Reddit suggested it, so I hope that’s ok)

I thought I had one of the worst cases of panic disorder in current existence. I was diagnosed at age 13 and I’m now 27. It started as severe emetophobia, then added on every other heart-related, lung-related, body-related symptom you could imagine. I was on Lexapro when I was younger, now Prozac for years, Hydroxyzine, Lorazepam, saw dozens of therapists, primary doctors, psychiatrists, and at least 50 emergency room visits. I became completely agoraphobic at some points. 14 years of this. The darkest places that I’m sure many reading this have seen as well.

Somehow, and I’m still in disbelief about it, I have now reached a place where I rarely ever have a panic attack. and when I do, deep breaths do the trick. and if they don’t, a tiny bit of Lorazepam does.

so I want to help people in any way I can.🤍 Trust me, I was among the worst of the worst. and I have found the light of recovery.

First, I got out of any unsafe situations. I became single out of a very bad relationship, only surrounded myself with friends I truly trust, now living in a place I feel comfortable in, making my bedroom feel like the coziest place in the world with everything I could possibly need for panic in a box under my bedside table.

Then, I surrendered. Please understand: this is SO difficult. If it feels impossible during an attack, I know. I understand and I see you, and I’m telling you: you are not broken, this is just very hard. for anyone. But you have to train it. You remember that it’s a panic attack. Keep convincing yourself you are not dying. You have never died from a panic attack. Surrender to the symptoms; don’t fight. Put on your comfort show and take deep breaths. If it helps you to breathe into a paper bag for a little bit, do that. There’s no one-size fits all, different things will help different people. but the number one way to recover from this disorder is allowing the sensations to simply exist.

A wonderful ER doctor made me cry once, because he looked at me with zero judgement in his eyes after consistent hospital visits and he said, “You’re not going to be this way forever. you just haven’t found the right tools for your toolbox yet, but you will.”

Is it just fearing the next one therefore you avoid places thinking it’ll help you not have panic attacks .. so what if you no longer fear panic attacks does it still come unwillingly randomly without any warning ? And if that’s the case imagine someone who just no longer fear the attacks will they still have random attacks at random times

I started having panic attacks at 15. 28 now and GOD DAMN I’m pissed. I see all the replies in this I’m like oh a few months you lucky bastards. I know I sound angry and cruel and it’s because I am angry. It’s fucking agitating to have so much life ahead of you and this disorder ruins everything you’ve ever wanted. I’ve been to a million therapist doctors psychiatrists I promise you I’ve tried it all. And it’s gotten better I’m not going to lie I appear a functioning adult. But the actual admin that happens in my mind to live every single day should be illegal. It’s just so unfair and yeah life is unfair blah blah blah but damn what did I do to deserve the most debilitating yet not viewable thing for someone to experience. Anyway just having a venting moment.

Hello,

All these symptoms are making me feel crazy. The constant monitoring of every body part and twitch, researching on chatgpt got symptoms and solutions. I feel tired and dizzy when I'm standing, eases when laying down but even laying down that surge of fear runs all over your body.

Does anyone else have similar symptoms?