Panic Survivor Members Blog

Has anybody taken Sertraline or Zoloft? I have taken Sertraline for about 5 days. It hasn't really help me reduce my anxiety (Doctor said it would take about a week at least). However the main problem is that I cannot sleep at night. I was told that this is a side effect and that I should go away soon. However I feel really tired in the morning. I took the medication in morning to reduce the impact at night but I still struggle to sleep.

I would appreciate any feedback from anybody that has taken a similar medication

Thanks and have a good day

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What is anxiety? I guess everybody we suffer for anxiety had our own definition for anxiety. For me, anxiety is a amplifier such as a microphone or magnifier lense that increases my fears, worries and negative thoughts. It increases my body sensations and make me feel my heart beat louder and stronger and make ware aware of any nerve in my body until the point of be scaring.

I want to believe the challenge is to realize that any thoughts and sensations during anxiety are only exaggerations, over estimations of both the odds and impact of something bad that could happen. My anxiety also produce that I underestimate my own capacity to overcome my situation.

I like to think that little my little I will be able to reduce the amplification level in the same way I can reduce the volume on a radio until it will no longer increase my fears and no longer decrease my own capacity to live. Some days it seems really hard to do it but some days it seems that I making progress.

Well, what is anxiety in your own words?

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 I just started to read the book "10 simple solutions to panic" by Martin Antony. So far, I like the book but it is too soon to tell how effective are the techniques. However, I liked the first exercise which asks to write down what my motivations are for overcoming panic.

So just for sharing, here are my motivations for overcoming panic/anxiety:

• Enjoy my life again, specially with my family
• My kids, my beautiful 3-years old girl and my cute 10-months son
• My lovely wife
• Feel happy and feel that it was worth to be in this world.
• Be proud that I could overcome my fears.

So what are your motivations? I would love to heard the motivations from other people suffering the same problem as me.

Thanks and hope everybody have a good day!

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I have read that keeping a journal of the panic attacks (place, circumstances, etc) help to overcome the panic/anxiety. Has anybody benefited by using a journal? If yes, how you do it, do you write immediately after the attack or some hours later?

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 This week has been a week of up and downs. Sometimes I feel good and sometimes I don't feel that good. I haven't had a really bad panic attack but my level of anxiety goes up and down, sometimes it goes quiet high. Sometimes, I able to handle it by breathing, relaxing and trying to put my mind together. Sometimes I have taken a pill of Xanax to feel better.  I can go from feeling good to not that good very quick.

Is anybody is experimenting something like this? What to do you to avoid those big changes?

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I start to realize that one of the main sources for my anxiety/panic is a inexplicable fear to be sick. If I go to the doctor and my blood pressure is slightly high, I think I'm propose to a heart attack. For example currently I have had upset stomach for several days, mainly bloating. I went to the doctor and said that is acid reflux probably cause by my anxiety. However I'm still feeling that something worse might be behind this. I start experience anxiety/fear.

Is anybody having this type of fear? What do you do to prevent negative thoughts? Is anybody having stomach problems due the anxiety?

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Hello everybody,

 I'm new here. This is a great site. Just knowing that there other people struggling like me, make me feel much better since I understand that I'm not crazy. I introduced myself by a "survivor story" but for some reason it hasn't been posted, so here I go again.

 I'm 40 year old men. I suffer anxiety and panic attacks. My first panic attack was a year ago. It happen during a business trip. After a long day, we went for dinner and started feeling very uncomfortable. I just wanted to leave the place, the it became hard to breath... I think most of the people knows the rest, I thought I was about to have a hart attack and a coworker took me to the ER. Doctors said everything was normal and I was released with a diagnostics of "panic attack". After a week a had something similar but I was able to handled it by taking a walk and talking with my wife. I tried not to give much importance to the situation. A week ago, I had another very hard panic attack. This time on my last day of a vacation. I was on a beach resort with my family, a beautiful place. I couldn't understand why I was so scared and with that level of anxiety. Last week has been hard with several attacks but I started looking for help. I saw my doctor to confirm that my hart is OK. I started seeing a psychology and talked to a priest. I found this site and started reading the stories. I know that it will take time and some effort but one day I will post my story about how I resolve my problem. Today was a good day. I felt good and with hope.

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