8 years ago I had my first panic attack. Today, I have not had a panic attack in 3 years.

This is my story, I hope it gives you a piece of something that you may be looking for.

My story is about how anxiety and panic attacks were triggered by work pressures and my struggle to manage them over the last eight years. Learning to make the right choices, enjoy the small things in life and laugh at its absurdities has been part of my journey.

For most of my 30+ year career I have been a workaholic. I enjoyed my work and was very good at it. But for the last few years I have been working less, and have been much less interested in working. It is like I am trying to swim through "Jell-O" just to get up in the morning and sit at my desk. I think it started with my depression, and now the anxiety pretty well limits my output and interest.

Posted by: 4Him on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 11:00 PM

(posted by ceejay September 2006) 

Most of my life I was pretty quiet and good. I was a cooperative kid, and generally got along well with people. Sometimes I would get freaked out by confrontation and arguing, but I always thought I was doing okay.

Posted by: RedbeardNC on Wednesday, August 08, 2007

I am a 34 year old male, about 225 pounds, in decent but not the best shape. I suffered my first panic attack at age 23 - I didn't know what it was then. I was a music teacher who was invited (translated: set up for disaster) to conduct a supposedly-all-arranged community orchestra for an upcoming musical, and at the first rehearsal o­nly two musicians showed up.