HISTORY: The panic attacks

*I first mention panic attacks/anxiety disorder in a post I intended to devote only to medications.  This post is a continuation/clarification of that original post, which you can read here.  

I cannot remember when I had my first major panic attack but I do recall that it kicked my ass - mentally, physically and emotionally.  It must have been in late 2004.

When they first started, they were small.  I'd get worked up and have problems calming down and catching my breath.  Generally they were short and about the time they started, I would be able to work myself out of them.

But something changed.  That first major panic attack left me gasping for breath.  The tightness in my chest was nearly unbearable and I honestly wondered if I was having a heart attack.  My throat was raw, my muscles were sore from getting so tense.  I was crying and panicked.  This sucks!

I would have panic attacks while at home.  I would have them in public.  I would have them in my sleep and wake up in the throes of a full-blown panic attack.

Getting back on my Zoloft helped and the Ativan really made a difference.

I still have panic attacks from time to time.  They occur much less than they did in the beginning and it is rare that I have the big, full-blown panic attacks.  I have begun to recognize situations and environments that are more apt to cause me to have a panic attack and I have been building up my arsenal of coping mechanisms.