Help with Panic Disorder/Knowledge

I know that there are some people in this community that deal with the same thing that I deal with, so this thread is dedicated to them. It is also dedicated to people who don't deal with it, but it won't hurt to learn about it. If this thread is somehow offensive to some people (I don't see how it will be), please remember that this is the best way for me to describe what some people go through. Okay, I'm done with the boring stuff.. enjoy at your heart's content.

Also: I wrote all of this myself, but I did research a little. I'm putting everything in my own words, not plagiarizing.

This thread is about panic attacks/panic disorders. It can also be about anxiety, depression, etc. I "suffer" from a panic disorder, but I don't think of it as "suffering". Anyway, I don't want to talk about what I go through, I want to educate you on what panic really is and the best way to cope with it. Learning about it really helps me, so if you go through panic or know someone who does, you could remember this thread. I personally think that this is a serious topic, which is why I created this thread.

What a panic attack is:
A panic attack is a period of time where you feel panic, or fear and sadness/depression. Panic attacks can effect a person severely, so they are very serious. They can make you feel as if you are going to die, like you're going crazy, or make you feel unattached from society. Panic attacks usually have connections with phobias, but not always.

Symptoms of a panic attack:
Panic attacks can be different to everyone, but the usual symptoms include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Depression
• Hot or cold flashes
• Shaking
• Feeling as if everything is "unreal"
• Nausea

There are many more symptoms, but these are the most common ones.

Panic Disorder/General anxiety:
A panic disorder is a mental phenomenon where you experience panic attacks frequently. General anxiety is like a panic disorder, but instead of fearing death, insanity, etc., you will worry about, let's say, tomorrow's test or next week's basketball game. Both of these will make you fearful and depressed, and it's very important to seek help from a doctor or councelor/therapist.

Dealing with panic and/or anxiety:
I think the best thing to do is get help, obviously. You can be prescribed anti-depressants, and they can help you, but they can effect how you act and have side-effects. You can go to a therapist and talk about how you feel which I think is the healthiest, most effective way of treating these problems.
Even though you are suggested to go to a doctor (please consider if you have this), there are things you can do yourself. I find that reading, watching a movie, or even playing a board game can help amazingly. I also suggest researching how you feel, because it helped me understand that other people go through it too, and that I can understand what I have precisely. It has helped me SO much doing this, so I highly suggest doing it, too.


Thank you SO SO SO much for reading my thread and understanding that there are ways to get help and be happy. Writing this has made me feel good, just knowing that someone out there will read it. If you go through panic attacks and anxiety, please send me a message if you'd like to talk about it, as it can really help. Again, thank you so much for reading!


<3

 

Yep, I know several people with this.

 

Panic attacks sound pretty similar to Derealization. I cannot exactly describe what derealization is, but it is like when everything feels as if it is not real. According to Google, the definition of derealization is "a feeling that one's surroundings are not real, especially as a symptom of mental disturbance."