Time to Stop White-Knuckling It -- America Opens Up on Anxiety and Panic Attacks

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/time-stop-white-knuckling-it-america-opens-anxiety-and-panic-attacks

As anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack well knows, one of the most difficult aspects of managing anxiety disorders is having to do it in secret for fear of being labeled a freak. I can personally attest that such a fear often makes the problem worse, compounding generalized worry with the specific concern that you will be ostracized.

This is why the last year has been so important for the 40 million Americans like me who the National Institute of Mental Health says periodically suffers from anxiety-related disorders. It was a year that saw these all-too-common ailments emerge from the shadows.

It started in professional sports, a particularly difficult arena for a mental-health coming out party. After all, it's a machismo-dominated world where showing any signs of weakness is usually depicted as nothing more than a personal failing or a lack of "toughness."

Yet, last April, San Francisco Giants first-baseman Aubrey Huff put himself on the disabled list for an anxiety disorder and courageously opened up to that city's newspaper about his struggles. Then came what the New York Times called "one of the more frightening -- and remarkable -- rounds of golf ever caught on video" -- the one in which Charlie Beljan competed in (and eventually won) a PGA tournament while experiencing a five-hour panic attack. His attack was so severe, in fact, that upon finishing a golf round, he had to be carted away in an ambulance.

[samplegirl]

1. I can relate

Panic attacks are awful and anyone who gets them knows.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I started getting them when I was in my early 20s.

The first time it happened, I had no idea, thought I was going to die. Though I haven't had one for a long time, I spent years carrying around a small paper bag in my purse.

[Demo_Chris]

3. I have them regularly

And the fear of having one does impact how I live. It impacts everything about how I live if I am being completely honest. It's pretty horrible actually. For those who do not understand, I am not a coward. I have been through some really horrible things in my life, particularly when I was young, and I wonder if that might have something to do with it.

If I could afford it I would consider seeing a therapist, but I can't. And in any case I don't think they can help me. I think maybe there's too much there -- and so much of it is so freaking crazy that some days I have a hard time believing it myself. Where the hell would I even start? And really, what good can talking about something do anyway? What are they gonna say... get over it, it's okay?

Anyway, for me, my symptoms are chest pains, shortness of breath, pain in random places, I feel like I am having a heart attack, I am afraid I am going to die. My brain actually gets all messed up, and sometimes I am even afraid of things that I KNOW are completely ridiculous (some are so insane I cannot type them here) so then I wonder if I am going completely crazy.

I am only sharing this on the off chance someone is reading this thinking that they are all alone. You aren't. There are millions of us going through the same thing.