How to Help Myself with Depression, Anxiety and Panic Attacks

I have never heard of a genetic swab? What is it for? I am blessed to be raising my granddaughter for sure. She is a blessing and I do not let my depressed side show with her. Her happiness is more important. Thank you for your advise.

Welcome to Mayo Connect @littleonefmohio. I'm a Volunteer Mentor and not a medical professional so I can offer you my personal experience but I don't diagnose or prescribe medical solutions. We're here to share our experiences with you, listen, and give you support.

I think I understand where you are right now because I've been there myself, and not that long ago. I have struggled with depression and feeling alone, different, outside much of my life. Even though I felt those things inside, I am an extrovert and thought I had everyone fooled by my laughing and pretending everything was great. One day when I was in my late 20's, I found myself in bed just laying there wishing I could just go to sleep and never awaken. I didn't know that was depression. Eventually I sought counseling, participated in many groups over the years, but still had that underlying anxiety and at times panic of being left alone. Yet, I am the one who chose to be alone most of the time.

About 6 years ago I saw a friend at the grocery and she was so different and happy, I asked her what had changed for her. She told me she started taking Celexa and it changed her life. I had always been opposed to taking antidepressants because earlier I thought they were bad and talk therapy alone should work. After thinking about it, I talked with my PCP about how I was feeling and all the counseling I had been through, and I asked him to put me on Celexa antidepressant. It took a few weeks to titrate to the 20 mg half pill. But, I could tell in the first 2 weeks that I was already feeling lighter. I am so happy I decided to try the Celexa, which I take the generic version, Citalopram. After 18 months on it the doctor put me on the full 40 mg dose.

My life is so good now at 69 years old. I'm happy and have joy doing anything I choose to do. If you can get genetic testing to find the right medication for you I think your life can change for the better. I realized that I needed medical help with my depression all my life because I probably have a chemical imbalance that the medicine corrects. I'm sure I will be taking this the rest of my life. My panic attacks and anxiety disappeared. I can now fly and go wonderful places I thought were beyond my reach. Two years ago my family decided on a family vacation in Costa Rica. I flew there without fear, and zip-lined down 7 lines. I loved it. My husband and I then flew to Panama and lived in a town in the mountains for 1 month. What great adventures that I could never have done without the Citalopram. Tomorrow, my husband and I take off for 15 days in Tahiti, to vacation on a sail boat. I never would have been able to do that before. So, I am not afraid to take this for the rest of my life.

I've taken antidepressants for most of my life. Was recently on mirtazipine, but it wasn't helping. My doctor tried Zoloft and prozac, but each caused severe panic attacks. Anxiety is nothing new, but this has been debilitating. Just started taking Seroquel to help me sleep. Also taking clonazipam 0.5 twice a day. I did sleep, but wake up feeling like my skin is going to crawl off of my body. I've never felt this bad before. For the record, the SSRI's have worked in the past, but for some reason my body isn't tolerating them this time. I'm 59, employed, and scared to leave my house. I go to work, but when I get home I just sit in a chair and stare and wait for the tingling in my arms, hands, and feet to stop. Can someone tell me how to get a handle on this? My doctor has started the Seroquel at 25-50mg per night.

@giacamosgirl58 Hello and welcome to Mayo Connect.

I appreciate your post and I am so sorry to hear of your debilitating panic attacks. How difficult for you! As you probably know, we at Connect, are not medical professionals, so all we can offer is our own experiences and encouragement and support. We do have many Members who have discussed panic attacks. I would encourage you to read the discussions that have taken place on this topic, follow this link, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/ as well as https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/long-term-depression-1/. As you read these comments, perhaps you will gain some new insights.

As you have said in your post, " Anxiety is nothing new, but this has been debilitating," I was just wondering what you might have done in the past to help relieve the anxiety, panic and depression? Do you have an exercise program, like walking or yoga or Tai Chi? Do you have friends or family that you can talk with? Do you have a counselor or other support person who walks with you through this process? When anxiety and depression are present we need all the support we can get. As you know, there are no magic ways to relieve these feelings, it does require that we take some steps to help to feel better.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Teresa

Hello Teresa, have you ever had panic attacks in dream form?

Hi Teresa. I’ve tried yoga, calming music, breathing techniques, etc. I used to talk to my mom but she has passed away and I’m newly divorced. Have been seeing a counselor. The new meds are helping some. I’m hoping once they are in my system that I’ll stop waking up each morning with my body tensed up. I realize this is all a temporary reaction to current life events and that I need to pull it together, but depression is making this very logical response difficult to initiate. Really needed to bounce all this off a person. I used to go bike riding and I did just get my bicycle serviced. Now I just need to make myself get on it and pedal. I’ve been off the Prozac for a week now. Hopefully the negative side effects are going to finish exiting my body soon. Amazes me how a medication that was SO effective in the past can turn into your worst enemy.

Hello @anne777

Actually, I have never had panic attacks myself. However, the dream problem could represent either nightmares or night terrors. Here is some information about night terrors, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-terrors/symptoms-causes/syc-20353524 Does this sound like the kind of problem you are having? If you have this kind of sleep problem you might consider seeing a sleep specialist.

If you are comfortable sharing more information about this could you describe these sleep experiences and how long you have had them?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Teresa

@giacomosgirl58, Hi, I am Gary, another volunteer mentor, like Teresa. Welcome to Connect and I have experienced what you describe as far as waking up feeling like you are in the middle of a panic attack and I have read in a number of journals that we are, in fact, having a panic attack during sleep. There may be other things, as Teresa suggested, that are happening, but I believe mine are sleeping panic attacks. I try to take an ativan (same class as your klonopin) and lay down until the shaking/tremors go away. I do not work, so this approach may not be easy for you to take, but I can't imagine that you can actually function when this is happening. I pray the meds you are on will provide you even greater relief when they have reached their maximum effectiveness.
Best wishes, Gary

Gary, thank you for this. I do take a klonopin and pray it kicks in by 5:30 so I can get ready for work. I've missed quite a bit the last few weeks. I had started taking 20 mg of prozac about 5 weeks ago, and that is when everything really went belly-up. I've been off it for 8 days now and the side effects have started to subside. Since starting the Seroquel, I'm getting a few hours of sleep at night. Honestly, I think getting older is playing havoc with my system and the things that were once tried and true don't mix as well as they used to mix. Keeping my fingers crossed that my doctor and I have found a solution for all of this and that the anxiety starts to fade soon. It's been a long year and I'm ready for a break.

@giacamosgirl58 I am glad that you are being so proactive with relaxation techniques and bike riding. I am sorry to hear that you lost your mom. How long ago did she pass away?

You mention being "newly divorced." This can be difficult on anyone's emotions. I'm glad to hear that you are seeing a counselor, that is a very wise decision on your part.

I hope that you begin to adjust soon to the change in meds and that you begin to feel better.

Please stay in touch, I would enjoy hearing from you again and knowing how you are doing.

Teresa