BoogleChrome

Hi Brit I am a singer and when I first began to have panic attacks it would make my throat click this is because tension from your face, chest, shoulders or back can be easily transferred into the muscles in your neck and throat. The larynx is made up of many moving parts which are designed to move up and down and even tilt back and forward. it also has lots of small but very strong muscles attached to it. Tension caused by stress and anxiety can cause these muscles to become very tight or even spasm sometimes. the clicking sound is just one of the many cartilage parts of your larynx moving across another. it is common, even normal for people under stress or carrying tension. Hope this helps All the best

Hi Stuck I agree with Lonesailor here. The key for me in beating the fear of leaving the house has been to take it little by little. Just try to walk to the end of the street and back, think about how it makes you feel and tell yourself that it is just anxiety. Then after a few days of doing this once or twice a day try to walk a little further. Your brain will slowly start to realize that every time you panic ultimately you are always fine at the end of it. These experiences will eventually give your brain enough evidence to show it that nothing bad will happen and your anxiety will begin to become alot more manageable. The first few steps are always the hardest, but the end result is so so worth it mate. Stay strong and push through this.

I stopped drinking all together when It began to affect my anxiety. Im not actually sure that it really did affect my anxiety or whether It was just irrational worries or thoughts surrounding it. I have now been able to start drinking a few pints again with complete comfort. I think it is more a case of breaking the negative associations that are created when anxiety kicks in

I really think that being part of a community when you suffer with anxiety problems is very important, it makes that feeling of being alone a little harder to kick. So thank you all so far that have been so welcoming and encouraging. I am happy to be a part of this, I only hope that more people with anxiety find this forum.

I have just failed my final year of university due to my inability to be around people in enclosed spaces. This can strike anyone at any time. but since learning more about it i have found that quite a large proportion of my peers have or still do suffer with it themselves. It can be really tough living in a new situation away from home and bursting that bubble. but broadening your horizons and becoming a more open person will teach you far more than you could ever learn in the classroom. i guess what i'm saying is make the most of the visits you get with your family and allow that positive feeling to help you see the light in the dark times. Feelings of anxiety and panic will always pass. and you will always be standing after they have gone. Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed. - Buddha

That is the frustrating truth of "IT" The manifestation of IT is only made possible by our minds making it real. If we refuse its advances and try to carry on in spite of it, we can make it disappear. Through education and breaking the safety behaviors we can show ourselves that it is in fact our choice to believe in IT. Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive. - Bryant H. McGill

It is so strange to me that so many of the things that I feel and happen are so common and shared by almost everyone her. even stranger is this unified feeling of loneliness. When I was first prescribed Propranolol I was scared to take it as it triggered my panic. but much like Alexa this was due to reading the side effects. In the short term though the Beta Blockers helped but you should never take optional medication for too long as becoming dependent on anything external is a safety behavior and should be avoided.

I am new to this forum so firstly I would like to say hello This time last year i was attending university after finally finding a course I was passionate about, building relationships and friendships that were not only beneficial to me in my personal life but a few that may have helped my professional career. On top of this i was the lead singer and guitarist in a band. and although not top 40 standard we were given a lot of opportunities to play in front of some large audiences. The stage was where I felt most comfortable, I was hooked. One day while at work, a particularly busy shift on the bar i suddenly found it difficult to swallow. i began to panic thinking my throat was closing up or that i couldn't breath. fearing an allergic reaction I moved to the back area so as not to concern the customers. It was then that a full blown panic attack kicked in. Sweating Shallow breathing Heart racing Feeling as if i was going to vomit. I told my manager about this and he calmed me down over the course of about 20 minutes and then sent me on my way. After this event the anxiety and panic quickly spread like a virus through every aspect of my life. Firstly my ability to do my job, then traveling using public transport, next it took away my ability to perform on stage. This cut me to pieces soon after it had forced me to stop performing with my band my life took on a downward spiral over the course of the next 4 months i wouldn't leave the house unless it were to collect my prescription. I became severely underweight (having always been quite slim anyway) i had become too paranoid to even accept food that was cooked for me or drinks made for me by someone else. And all through this I was just worried what it made others think of me. I hated the way it made me feel weak, the way my friends who had previously looked at me with admiration now seemed to pitty me. Now 10 months since that first attack i have managed with the help of an incredible councilor and some amazing friends, I have slowly began to put my life back together. I am by no means back to the way i was, but i am gaining weight, setting myself goals week to week and progressing slowly. I guess my reason for writing this is that for all of the time I spent thinking i would never be me again. Or that I would never be able to do some of the more simple things that made me happy, things that I had previously taken for granted. If I could have given myself one piece of advice it would have been to learn to accept that it may happen and keep trying anyway. If I feel like I might be sick if I get on a bus. I tell myself, "for all the times I didn't do something because it made me feel like i was going to pass out or throw up, how many times have either of those things actually happened" challenging the irrational thoughts is the only way to beat them. build yourself an archive of evidence that proves the thoughts to be wrong and eventually your body and mind will begin to realize it too. This is the first time i have ever posted on a forum so I'm not sure if this is ok or a load of old rubbish but it has been immensely therapeutic to write this all down. Please share your stories and ask any questions you like. I think it is amazing that there is a community out there where we can support and share with each other. as this can be a very lonely condition

This is something I struggle with also. I worry mostly about my heart and having a heart attack. These irrational thoughts are common for people with anxiety and panic disorder. You have to tell yourself that your thoughts are based on an irrational idea. I recommend getting a test for HIV done, this will set your mind at ease. When I begin to panic i like to stop what i am doing immediately and tell myself to stop, whether that is in my head or out loud. then take a few deep breaths and let your rational thoughts speak. In your case think about: How unlikely the scenario you are imagining is to be true. The reason you are fearing the worst is due to your fight or flight instinct being triggered. most importantly look back on all the times your panic was caused by something that didn't happen or just wasn't true. you've had panic attacks before and you are still here. don't trust the panic. its nearly always wrong