Laura, Thank you for sharing with us. There are different types of therapy out there. Some therapies involve talking about the past in an attempt to understand the problem and develop some strategies for coping, etc. The Panic Program is not talk therapy. Its not about medications either. Its a treatment program thats all about getting you actively involved in your own improvement. Why not give it a try. It teaches you things you may not understand about panic and agoraphobia, your own panic, your own panic cycle, and as you learn and get involved, you begin the journey and the process of taking back control from a fear that at the moment is controlling you. Does'nt that idea of getting back control sound wonderful? So its not about talking. Its about doing. And in doing, its about recovery. It works this way: The Program guides you through the process of getting back this control. It prepares you for this, one single step at a time, and gives you some homework to bring you along from session 1 to session 2, and onward, in a series of 12 sessions over a period of twelve weeks. Many people want help for their panic and cant afford therapy. The Panic Program is offered free of charge to you. Please take a look and let us know how we can help you. One of most beneficial tools we have is the online support group. These individuals share your experiences and may be of some assistance. Keep Strong, Josie ______________________________ The Panic Center Support Team

Hey text I have been having panic attacks for about 5 years (i am in the medical field as well, however I am quite young, only 23). They are quite scary. As you had mentioned, you pay close attention to your heart rate, whereas I can't get my breathing under control. Everyone suffers anxiety differently. Just don't let it consume you. concentrate on your studies and do other things. If your anxiety comes to a point where it is unbearable, perhaps consider medication. I am on no medication as of now, however i am thinking of getting back on Paxil as i have been having a hard time of harnessing my attacks. I believe that anxiety/panic attacks are all situational, however I've gotten to a point where they are coming out of the blue. Thus i have to take new measures. We are not insane, we are not losing it, i just believe we haven't dealt with certain things in our lives. 9/11 effected me in such a horrid way and I never dealt with it. i still haven't dealt with it, I live 20 minutes outside of NYC and i lost a loved one.. I think I have PTSS, but i am afraid to deal with it... hence all the panic attacks... its all subjective... Good luck and have a great day! Laura Edited on 3/30/2005 @ 9:51:36 AM by The Support Team

Ahhhh, a medical student. Well, like me you have a drawback. I am also in the medical field so that is a set back. I know all the WHAT IF's and question them to death!!!! It is funny how one episode of something can actually bring on a panic disorder. The same thing happened to me after a bad episode of rapid heart beat and chest pain after taking a medication. Never had panic before that but it has been 2 years and I am still suffering from the FEAR of another episode. Your most likely suffering from the anxiety of the strange flippy beat in your chest and since you had it all checked out GOOD IDEA!! then try to just not focus on it so much.

Hi there melanie thank you very much for welcoming me and your notes were helpful I appreciate it .... CrystalD I was amazed by your explenasion of my case I mean its like every thing happening to me and I really feel better but still i can't get over what I have easily but i hope thats as it came simple it'll go simple by time and thancks from my heart this was helpful...

Hi Text! From what you put in your post it seems that you have done everything corectly getting all the medical check-ups first and finding that nothing is wrong with your body. You have all the sypmtoms of anxiety and panic. So in answer to your question, it is all in you head. It is as simple and as difficult as that. There are as many reasons as there are people why a person seems to suddenly become overwhelmed with anxiety and panic attacks. You can spend many years in therapy, you can spend alot of money going to doctors for test and more test, and never get an answer as to "why do I suffer from these feelings" The important thing to know now is that you are creating these feelings by being afraid of them. As a medical student I am sure you know the effects of adrenalin on the body. People who experience anxiety and panic go into the "fight or flight" response, they feel like they are having a heart attack, that they can not breathe, that they are sick, that they are going to die, and alot of other thoughts and feelings. Their reactions to these thoughts, becomming more afraid, increases the adrenalin output and makes them feel worse. The next step is they associate this "attack" with being in a certain place, usually somewhere away from home out at school, in a store, at church, wherever. They begin to believe if they stay away from this place that they wont have another attack. But this is not true, because it is being afraid of the thought of having another "attack" that is what is really wrong, not the place or the people. There are several excellent books (self-help) available on the internet, the most helpful one for me was "Hope and Help For Your Nerves" by Claire Weekes. I also use "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" by Edmund J. Bourne, and last recommended by my therapist is "Mind Over Mood" by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. Stress from living day to day life and cumulative stress that has no healthy outlet I believe contribute to anxiety and panic. Finding time to relax, meditate and prayer, along with breath exercises help many anxiety sufferers. Take care and post again to let me know how you are doing. I care.

help_me, Welcome to The Panic Center. We thank you for sharing your story with us today. This support group is full of supportive individuals who may be able to help you answer some questions regarding panic and anxiety. It is great to hear that you are making an appointment to see a doctor. In the meantime please feel free to roam the site at your own pace. If you look to the left of the screen under "TOOLS" you will find many supportive tests. These tests are not diagnostic tools and are not a replacement or substitute for a physicians advice. The purpose of these tests is to prepare you with information that you can present to your physician. When youre finished the test, you can either print your Final Report or email it directly to your doctor. We also have developed a Panic Program. This program is 12-weeks and involves the tools mentioned above. Each session is based on the previous session, so we strongly advise that you work slowly through the program and not jump ahead. If you have any questions or concerns with our "TOOLS" you can contact our support department at support@paniccenter.net. Take care and we hope to hear from you soon. Melanie _____________________________ The Panic Center Support Team

Hi Im a college student from SaudiArabia . thank you for this helpful site . well ..1st of all Im 20 years old and my problrm is simply started about 2 months ago ..I felt one time a strong hear beat just one then my heart rate increased suddenly (probably because I was afraid) then it came back to normal since this accident I became afraid that something wrong is gonna happen and after I did multiple ECGs and an echo just to make sure ...and the results were normal ...but still I was always paying attention to my beats this dissapears when Im with friends or busy so maybe its just in my head and now came this new thing where after eating a meal my heart slightly increases like both +ve inotropic and +ve chronotropic and I know thats normal but when I some times pray we have to stand still for about 2 or three min. then we sort of sit down then standup again here particuly I feel the increase in heart rate(I mean after a meal) then my fear worsens the situation so some times I talk to any one to go to the hospital immediatly and the results were ok and I thought later maybe the problem was in my blood or circulation so I did blood ,urine feaces samples ...every thing is normal no anemia no cholestrol no hyperglycemia no nothing I know I took a long time explaining its only because Im worried especially at my age where every thing should be normal so is it possible this problem was all just in my head? what are the other possible diagnosis ..some times I say to my self maybe I have cancer in my GIT thats why after a meal my heart bumps too much to nourish all my GIT wth blood some one told me I have the so called medical student syndrome.... and I have never had any problems in my heart or what so ever ...Im 170cm and 80Kgs one more thing is that later on I said maybe what i have is hypertension so I bought a machine that monitors the blood pressure and it was a bet high but when I measure it in the morning it was normal so I thought me beeing afraid had to do a thing in that but still now when I sleep or try to I can feel my heart pounding in my chest some times I feel it little bit in my finger tips when I cross them I would really appreciate it if you reply and comfort me and tell me t