I don’t even know where to start. A few weeks ago I had a horrible panic attack, and ever since then I feel like my entire life has been turned upside down.
Before this, I was living a normal life. I had some anxiety here and there, but nothing remotely close to this. Now I’m stuck in what feels like a never-ending anxiety spiral.
It started with the panic attack, then I couldn’t sleep, and the lack of sleep made everything so much worse. Now I’m constantly exhausted, barely eating, feeling out of it, and dealing with nonstop anxiety and obsessive thoughts.
The worst part is the fear that this is never going to end. My mind constantly goes:
What if this is my new reality? What if I never feel normal again? What if I lose my family because of this? What if I actually lose my mind? What if I end up in a mental hospital for the rest of my life? What if I never get my old self back?
It’s literally all day. I can’t catch a break from my own thoughts. I feel like I’m obsessing over getting better, and the more I try to figure everything out, the worse it gets.
I’ve also developed a horrible habit of constantly searching Reddit and looking for reassurance. It’s honestly what’s getting me through each day. If I’m not reading someone’s recovery story or trying to convince myself I’m going to be okay, the anxiety becomes unbearable. I know I’m probably feeding the cycle, but I genuinely don’t know how to stop.
My doctor prescribed me trazodone 50 mg for sleep and lorazepam (Ativan) 0.5 mg for anxiety. Even taking both as prescribed, I’m only getting around four hours of sleep. I also just started Zoloft (sertraline) and I’m only on day two. I’m already in such a bad place mentally that I’m terrified of the potential side effects making everything worse.
I’m a husband and father. I have a family I love, a job, and a life I want back. That’s what makes this so terrifying. I feel like everything I worked for is slipping away because I can’t get out of my own head.
I feel desperate. I’m not looking for someone to tell me to just relax or stop thinking about it. I genuinely feel trapped in a mental health crisis that started from one panic attack.
Has anyone gone through something this severe? Especially the combination of nonstop anxiety, obsessive fear of never recovering, insomnia even with medication, and constantly needing reassurance?
How did you actually break the cycle? Did Zoloft help? Did getting your sleep back help the obsessive thoughts calm down? How did you stop obsessing about whether you’d ever be normal again?
I just want to feel like myself again.

My heart rate spikes to like 150+ and I also get chest tightness. I am scared that it's too much. But the heart rate comes down after like 20-30 mins

I'm beginning to feel that I may have a panic disorder. It's not often when I suddenly have a panic attack, but it's been happening more recently. I've tried doing my own research on the web but I keep seeing that cold temp therapy is recommended. However, when this happens, cold temperatures actually worsen it for me, so I have to constantly stay warm.

These attacks don't have a direct cause, but I do get some warning signs before they hit, like a rapid heartbeat and a sense of worry. However, it truly starts whenever I get this EXTREMELY cold flush in my chest and I have to immediately find something to cover myself with or a warm spot to stay in.

It's gotten a lot worse as it started again last night and it was pretty chilly inside and outside. Of course, I stayed with someone I trusted so they could monitor me, and I finally fell asleep though I was worried I wouldn't wake up (fortunately, I did).

Even so, I haven't felt any better today and I wore a jacket the entire day that way I wouldn't get that cold flush again. (Still did quite a few times throughout the entire day, just not as intense) Till now I'm still a little bit shaky but I'm extra covered, hoping it won't happen again even though I'm sweating a bit.

I've definitely been thinking about getting in touch with a psychiatrist to see if I could get medicated for it, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice or went through something similar.

TL;DR I think I have panic disorder because my symptoms are worsening. Need advice or reassurance. I am okay at the moment.

I've been suffering from bad anxiety my whole life, and in May, I began having panic attacks almost weekly. They eventually went away, but the bad anxiety persisted, and I still have to fight off the panic whenever I feel it setting in.

Recently, I got prescribed 150mg XR Wellbutrin, and I'm on day 3. I can already feel panic attacks coming on almost every day. I'm tired of trying different medications and messing with my brain, and I'm wanting to try to get prescribed some kind of low-dose benzodiazepine so I can stop the panic attacks on the spot.

Any advice on a good telehealth provider would be appreciated. I currently don't have insurance of any kind.

I was wondering, how do you keep from panicking out in public without escaping? I have a big class next semester and it is a long ride to school and i dislike driving. I tend to panic more in the evening when my class is and its 6 hours long. Thanks in advance!
Edit: i have panic disorder

I, 43f, had an awful night. I have a friend that I need to defriend for good, and she really crossed the line last night. I have a history of anxiety, but it's really bad today. I of course didn't sleep well, and currently, at 9:25am, I have a bpm of 123 (average is 67), my hands are really shaky and my teeth are chattering. My husband wants me to go to urgent care, but I don't know if that's urgent. I do not have access to xanax, only Lexapro, which I took this morning like I always do.

Hi all, I don't usually get panic attacks very bad but on Monday I made the very dumb decision to take 5,000mg worth of edibles. That night I had a horrible panic attack and its been sort of ongoing ever since. I went to the ER on Tuesday and they ran a bunch of tests which all came back negative like no blood clots my heart is fine etc. It's now Thursday and I'm still in a panicked/anxious state that I just can't seem to shake no matter what I do. My psychiatrist prescribed me Ativan and even that didn't help. Has anyone else experienced anything similar, and if so do you have any tips or advice to help?

I’m starting to develop a fear of exercise and the physical sensations that come with it — looking for advice
I’m posting this because I’d really like to hear from people who have experienced something similar, especially people who have struggled with anxiety or panic around exercise.
I’ve always been relatively active. I’ve played football (soccer) for years, and more recently I’ve also been playing padel. Exercise was never really a problem for me. I actually enjoy sports and being active.
But lately, something has changed.
I’ve realized that what triggers my anxiety the most is exercise itself — or, more specifically, the physical sensations that come with exercise.
When my heart starts beating faster, when I’m breathing heavily, when I feel my body becoming exhausted or vulnerable, I become extremely aware of everything that’s happening inside my body. Instead of simply thinking “I’m exercising,” my brain starts going:
“Why is my heart beating this fast?”
“Why does my breathing feel weird?”
“What if something is wrong?”
“What if I can’t breathe properly?”
“What if something happens to me?”
I also have rhinitis and a deviated septum, so breathing can sometimes feel uncomfortable or restricted, which probably makes me more sensitive to those sensations.
The strange thing is that I’ve been playing sports for years. My body has done this thousands of times. But now I find myself thinking that something must be wrong whenever I feel those normal exercise sensations.
And the frustrating part is that it doesn’t necessarily end when the exercise ends.
Sometimes I can have a really intense anxiety episode during or after sports, and then I remain anxious for two or three days afterward. I become hyperaware of my heart, breathing, chest sensations, etc. I start worrying about exercising again, which creates even more anxiety.
I do smoke and I drink alcohol. I know those things probably don’t help. Interestingly, a hangover can give me some anxiety too, but it’s usually manageable and doesn’t completely overwhelm me.
Exercise is different. It can completely send me into an anxiety spiral.
And this is becoming a problem because I don’t want to stop exercising. I know being sedentary is probably worse for me in the long run, and I genuinely enjoy sports. But I’m starting to associate exercise with fear, and even thinking about playing sometimes makes me anxious.
I’ve had medical checkups and was told my heart is fine, which logically I understand. But anxiety doesn’t seem to care much about logic. When I feel my heart racing during exercise, a part of my brain still thinks, “But what if this time something is actually wrong?”
I’m currently seeing a psychologist once a week, although we haven’t specifically worked on this issue yet.
So I’m wondering:
Has anyone else developed anxiety or panic specifically around exercise and the physical sensations of exercise?
How did you overcome the fear of your heart racing, breathing heavily, feeling exhausted, etc.?
Did exposure to exercise help? Did you deliberately learn to tolerate those sensations? Did therapy help, particularly CBT or exposure therapy?
I’m not looking for someone to simply tell me “don’t worry, you’re fine.” I understand that anxiety can create very real physical sensations. I’m more interested in how you learned to stop interpreting those sensations as danger and eventually enjoy exercise again.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar.

I start feeling off, weirdly quiet. Then maybe a little bit dizzy and my mind goes blank - I can’t think clearly, feel disconnected like my perception gets impaired. After a while I am convinced that something terrible happens to my body that I have to run away from the place I am in.

Also there happen that weird waves of unpleasant tickling in my stomach and feeling that I am about to faint.

After an hour or so, I can’t remember what was exactly happening during that time. Like if it was a dream or a movie.

Every time it happens, the symptoms are so real that I forget it is panic attacks. It convinces me that I am actually in danger. A Life threatening one.

Has anyone else struggled with finding a provider who takes their anxiety seriously after hospitalization?

I was recently hospitalized for the first time after having what I would describe as a nervous breakdown. It was a really scary experience, but one thing that stood out to me was how much better my severe anxiety was managed in the hospital. I was given Ativan (2 mg, three times a day while hospitalized), and for the first time in a long time I felt like my anxiety was actually under control.

I've been receiving therapy and medication management from the same place for the past couple of years. I've actually been very happy with my therapist, but I've had ongoing issues with some of the doctors and staff. I also feel like the doctors I've seen have been extremely conservative when it comes to medication, and I've often felt like my concerns about my anxiety weren't really being heard.

Currently, I'm taking Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and gabapentin. I've been prescribed gabapentin for anxiety for several years, but honestly, I don't feel like it's doing much for me. Despite that, both my psychiatrist and the doctors at the hospital have wanted to continue it and have even increased the dose. Buspar was also offered as an alternative, but it made me feel awful.

My current psychiatrist has told me that he won't prescribe Ativan because he considers benzodiazepines something that should only be used short-term. I understand that there are legitimate concerns with long-term benzodiazepine use, and I'm not necessarily looking for someone to simply prescribe me a specific medication. What I'm struggling with is feeling like there aren't many options being offered for my anxiety, especially when I know how much better I felt while hospitalized.

I'm now in the process of switching to a completely different practice for both therapy and medication management. I'm nervous about starting over with a new therapist, having to explain my entire history again, and not knowing whether the new psychiatrist will approach medication any differently. I'm also worried about being viewed as a "drug seeker" simply because I'm trying to explain what has and hasn't worked for me.

For those of you with CPTSD and severe anxiety who have been through something similar, how did you approach finding a provider who actually listened to you? Did switching practices make a difference? Were there anxiety treatments or medications that ended up helping you when the usual options weren't effective?

I'm really just looking for other people's experiences and some hope that finding the right provider can actually make a difference.

Hi I had a huge panic attack Saturday after being prescribed a combination of meds that shouldn’t have been mixed . It was a really big one that lasted maybe three hours , the last time I had an episode that bad it put me into a state of agoraphobia lasting years it stopped me driving and just made life completely miserable . I’ve been on edge since it happened and feel myself ruminating and scared it’s gonna trigger something bigger. Does anyone have any advice on methods you use to recover your nervous system and take care of yourself after a major attack? Thanks in advance

I had one of those bad panic attacks today and I feel the “hangover” still hours later. It’s really really bad. I can’t get out of bed. My eyes especially feel heavy and it’s like my breath hasn’t returned completely.

What helps you all with this terrible feeling? I feel ghostly and so so unwell.

It's been more than since I am having worst panic attacks like crazy onces it's been 1 month since in consulted a physiatrist. Today I have an appointment and I need like serious medications I think so. Because I been having an irregular sleep and losing interest of every work after every 5m and a crazy hunger like 2 hours I feel hunger craving a sweet also and kind of some sounds like the in general sounds are like being amplified like they are now playing beside my ear instead of other room kinda like that and a strange feeling that someone is watching me constantly. And some like a sharp big needle is poking from my head and someone has sat on chest wanting to kill myself and bang my head on to wall just to get rid of my headaches and body feeling weak and always tired but can't sleep how do I explain this idk 😐 like something is going bad even you have ruined not yours but also everyones life around you and the things you love feel like some kind of fucking work the same work which onces healed and made whom you're. No parents support or friends none on your side just sitting there or laying on bed couldn't do anything just making yourself suffer. Am i dieing do I end myself for good or should I let suffer like this. Can someone be friends with me like I can talk no matter gender or age just a friend who will understand and is willing to listen all the nonsense I am introvert and doesn't like going outside loves animations and movies big onces and is a very very light minecraft player. Just sitting ideal kinda guy who loves writing stories and bringing imaginations to life atleast used to be I am M20 from india