Panic at the Mall
I was walking in the mall with my new boyfriend when I got flushed, hot, and dizzy out of the blue. I had to get out of there as fast as possible because I thought I would pass out if I stayed in the mall. It was so embarrassing because I did not know what to say to my boyfriend. Why would I get a panic attack in the mall when I was not even feeling anxious? Now I am afraid to go back there! What do I do now?
Night Panic
For the last few weeks, I have been waking up with panic attacks in the middle of the night. After the panic attack I have trouble getting back to sleep. I am exhausted but I’m afraid to go to sleep at night. What do I do?
Diet, Exercise and Panic
I have been dealing with frequent panic attacks for a while and I don’t know how to stop them. One friend told me to try a gluten-free diet. My brother believes that daily exercise is the only cure. My mother wants me to cut out sugar and white flour. My doctor has been on me forever to change my eating habits and exercise more. Will any of these really work? Does lack of exercise cause panic? I cannot keep going through this because I am a mess.
Vitamins and Anxiety
I came late to the vitamin party; I never took a multi, and I couldn’t hold down my prenatals. I guess I didn’t really believe supplements made that much of a difference. So imagine my surprise when, several years ago, my doctor suggested I undergo a comprehensive nutrient evaluation as part of my treatment plan […]
Why Panic Makes Us Feel Like We’re Dying
Recently, we spoke with an Anxiety Brother who copes with his panic attacks by sitting in the ER—without checking in. On one hand, he knows that he is probably having a panic attack and won’t need medical attention. On the other hand, just in case this time he is having a heart attack, he wants […]
Why I Take Anxiety Meds: 10 Women Speak Out
From Katherine: I tried medication, reluctantly, when I was much younger but it made my heart start racing and I wanted to crawl out of my skin. After that, I was never going to go on meds again. I would just deal with my anxiety the best I could. Living with severe OCD became more and […]
Family Gatherings & Anxiety
Turkeys are not the only ones who get freaked out in November. Holiday gatherings stir up my anxiety something fierce. It starts around now in anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner at my brother’s home. When I think about that event, my heart starts to thump loud enough for me to hear. My breathing gets shallower and […]
Grief & Anxiety
My mom died a few months ago and I am devastated. In the last few weeks, I have begun to have panic attacks, or at least that is what my doctor calls them. I’ve never had these attacks before. Why now? First of all, we are so sorry to hear about your mother’s death. We have been through it: My mother died 12 years ago, and I am still struggling to process the loss.
Anxiety Relief Strategy: Spin Kits
As a former professor of communication, I know that how we talk to ourselves about our experiences shapes how we view those experiences. Whenever I hear the term “panic attack,” it usually makes me feel panicky. So we Anxiety Sisters decided to adopt a kinder, gentler term for “panic/anxiety attack:” spinning. We like this term […]
