Wow, it feels really good reading all of your stories and seeing that
I really am not the only one who goes through this. I just wanted to
tell all of you my story... I have had panic attacks for as long as I
can remember. When I was really really little, like 5-7 I had panic
attacks really bad and that caused some phobias that I still have
today. I went to a therapist when I was younger but she didn't do
anything so that was a waste of time. Anyways after the age of 7 they
stopped happening, then when I entered the 7th grade they started
occuring again. My therapist that I have right now says that they
came back when I was in 7th grade becuase I had back surgery in that
grade and I couldnt walk or move by myself for 6 months so I felt
trapped. I think that is crap, it sounds kinda weird to me but o well
it doesnt really matter. Anyways they started happening in 7th grade
and by 8th grade I ended up missing almost half a year because my
panic attacks were so bad. They slowed down during that summer but I
would still have them every so often. By the end of ninth grade they
had gotten so bad again that I chose not to go on a church mission
trip to Honduras because I was scared I would have them there and I
would be left all alone. None of my friends knew that I had panic
attacks because I was so embarrassed to tell them, so they thought
that I had a stupid excuse as to why I wouldnt go with them to
Honduras or anywhere else. Finally last summer I started going to a
physchiatrist and a physchologist and I was perscribed Remeron. It
started working really well, of course I gained 20 pounds in two
months, but I didn't care, as long as I was getting better. So my
doctor said I could start taking less of the Remeron to see if it
would still work. It worked for a little while but one day at school
I was in class and it was so bad that I had tojust get up and leave.
I called my mom and see came and picked me up. We decided to go back
to the full Remeron. By this time I had scared myself so bad that I
would have panic attacks about having panic attacks and so the
remeron wasnt doing me any good anymore. Finally, about a month ago I
started taking buspar and it has been working fine so far. I am
hoping that this medicine will be working for me better than Remoron
did. Also, I have been reading so many books about how to overcome
your panic attacks and they have really helped. I can't believe it if
you are still reading this :P lol well that was kind of long but it
made me feel better. talk to you all later!
~Katie
*BTW I dont know if I mentioned my age- im 16