Panic Attacks - Don't Lock Yourself Away For 20 Years, Get Some Help For Your Panic Attack Symptoms

The title seems a little outrageous doesn't it? Well for some people it is not. I was just reading an article on BBC about a woman who was locked away on her own initiative and just left the house the first time in 18 years. Her first panic attack happened at a local library. When her father died they had to bring his coffin into her house because she was too afraid to go outside. She was even married in the front room of her own house. She actually found relief, or the beginnings of it, on the Internet. I'll put a link to the news piece later on in this article. If pessimistic thoughts are making you anxious or you're seriously considering medications or your mind jumps to conclusions that are quite false, it's time you got some help.

Many times stress leads to pessimistic thinking. This alone, can lead to extremely anxious conditions and could be considered one of the mental panic attack symptoms. If those anxious feelings are not dealt with one can end up having recurring panic attacks. Anxiety attacks tend to feed on themselves. Once you have one it generally leads to another and a vicious cycle is set up. Obviously, if things get to this level one needs to start looking for some additional help.

If you have already sought help and are on medications or are seriously considering them as a panic attack treatment you should read about SSRI side effects. You would be well advised to look up any medication on the Internet for side effects and symptoms to watch out for when taking them. What is interesting is that one of the first side effects listed with many SSRI type drugs is anxiety. The following is a list of the common side effects from one of the popular drugs used for anxiety:

Anxiety; blurred vision; constipation; decreased sexual desire or ability; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; gas; increased sweating; increased urination; loss of appetite; nausea; nervousness; numbness or tingling of the skin; stomach upset; trouble concentrating; trouble sleeping; weakness; yawning.

Now that is a list for common side effects. Lots of medicines cause side effects and some people don't have any. But you need to be aware of what is possible. Now for severe side effects it can get really scary. You should check out any drug on Drugs.com. Maybe you're not at the stage where you are considering using medications. You should also be aware of some of the other mental symptoms.

When in the midst of an attack your mind can start to play tricks on you. You need to realize that whatever you're thinking during a panic attack is being affected by the anxiety. Your mind can end up jumping to conclusions that have no basis in reality. These ideas feel very real and threatening when in the midst of a episode. You need to realize that these are false conclusions and you need not believe what your mind is telling you at that time.