Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

  • Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    I'll just copy paste what I wrote before on yahoo answers..

    1st.
    I'm 18 yrs old male. I first had my full blown anxiety attack back in February 2006. That was the lowest point of my life, I've developed what I believed to be 'Generalized Anxiety Disorder', 'Panic Disorder', and 'Depression', which I guess is a normal mental illness chain to have. My GAD develops to a Panic Disorder, and my PD develops to depression. Sometimes I get very happy, sometimes I feel very sad and hopeless. That happened for about the first 5 months of my first getting panic. The feeling went away somehow because I did a lot of internet research and they reassured me that panic can be very treatable and 'cured'. Just last night, I had a full blown anxiety attack which still lasts until this afternoon. I feel very hopeless and suicidal now..because I think PD is a vicious cycle that never ends..
    But can I get help from this? Or will I be stuck like this for the rest of my life? Please help I'm at my lowest point in my life once again.

    2nd.
    Is it normal to have terribly negative thoughts while having an anxiety/panic attack? I keep thinking pessimistically, and I just feel like I'm never going to heal from this. I'm 18 y.o male and I had Panic for about 2 years now, on and off. It was on for about 5 months when I first got my panic attack, it disappeared for a while and I only had mild anxiety attacks but just last night I got another full blown.
    I thought I was doing so good.. I was so hopeful that I'm going to recover from this.. but now i'm having anxiety again and I just think VERY negatively.. I am very hopeless and feel like giving up..
    Can panic attack be cured or can I get rid of it for a long time? please help me guys..I really need someone to comfort me..




    ---------
    Please help me guys...I have fought this 2 years ago and I was panic free for 1 year +. Now it's come back again and I find it very hard to fight it this time (Idk if I'm feeling like this because I have the panic or because I really am hopeless). Its hard for me to fight it again because I thought I was already panic free and that it wont come back to me again.. Knowing that it HAS come back and will haunt me again terrifies me.. and I did internet research and some people have success stories, while some last more than 5 yrs + (Which the thought itself scares the hell out of me)


    Please.. I'm too young for this.. I have a weak heart.. I hate mental illness.. God forbids but i'd rather have physical illness than this..
    Anyone can relate?

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    Well, you went a long time without having one right? Who says you can't do it again? I don't have the same problem you have, but I have depression. I get depressive episodes which can last weeks to months. I count the days they last, and I count the days I don't feel depressed. The days in between, are starting to last longer than before, so perhaps that's what you need to look for. You were happy before, hopeful, so you know you can feel that. There's no reason why you can't again. Are you seeing someone about it? You say you've developed "What you believe is.." So to me that implies you aren't seeing someone about these issues? If not, I highly suggest you do, because I'm sure that they'll be able to help a lot with this. No one can do it on their own.

    While you're not (I'm going under the assumption you don't see someone) what you can do on your own is think about what you want to do, what you want to feel. You've felt it before, and just keep thinking to yourself, I can do it again. Right now you're thinking negatively, which is normal. It's normal to feel the hopelessness you're going through.

    To answer your questions, yes you can get help for this. And yes, it's normal. You were doing good. And you can again. What you can do once, you can do again. You've gone through so much, and the fact that you're still trying to get help here shows that you know on the inside that you know it can happen. Look at what you've gone through over the past years, and the fact you're still alive should be comfort enough to know you can get through this. You just need to find the right help, and go through the process in order to get what you want, because it is possible for you.
    [LEFT][SIZE=2]"Adapt and Overcome"[/SIZE][/LEFT]
    [RIGHT]"Funny how the truth sounds so cliche"[/RIGHT]
    [RIGHT]~Jack Ingram[/RIGHT]
    [CENTER]
    [SIZE=1][/SIZE][/CENTER]

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    Well think to yourself, can you do this on your own or would it be better getting help from someone else?
    I mean, you could go to your GP and they could give you some advice, the internet can help too but i think you should see your GP too as they will help you stick to doing it
    [CENTER][SIGPIC][/SIGPIC][/CENTER]

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    But see, from this question I posted on yahoo answers :
    If Panic Disorder is treatable, why do I feel so hopeless? - Yahoo! Answers
    that girl Angie P says :

    I truly believe that most doctors and psychologists make you go through therapy just so they can get the money right out of your pockets. They don't care about you, so why would you go through what they think is right?
    In their therapies they're going to make you think a certain way they think is going to help you out, but that's just a general notion what they're trying to get through your head.

    They don't know who you truly are. The only one who knows who you truly are is yourself.
    Look, I panic. I always panicked. I am constantly nervous when I go out and even when I'm by myself talking to my parents. I tremble constantly and think of the worst. I am a socially awkward person and don't have many friends because I let my fear take the better of me. The truth is, going out there and facing the world is the only thing that's going to help you feel better about yourself and help you with your "panic disorder". No one is perfect, absolutely no one is perfect. I hate talking to people because I panic a lot and I sense that they can see that, but I have to anyway since it is essential to survive, and in time you'll get used to that. Everyone panics be it moderate or extreme.

    You have no "disorder". The "specialists" just say that so they can make you believe that they know what they're talking about, that you are in reality messed up and that the only way to "cure" this "disorder" is to go through their unnecessary treatment just so they can get your money.


    You will improve in time if you practice calming yourself down.
    Source(s):

    I'm 18 as well and I've improved without going to any psychologist or doctor. I'm not saying that I'm a social person and that I've ceased panicking, I still do panic and I am not social.


    ----
    It's life experiences like hers that makes me feel even more hopeless..
    Is what she's saying right? Does seeking help not help people with panic disorder? I haven't gone yet so I don't know. The reason why I'm very anxious in finding help is : What if treatment doesn't help me? What if medication and therapy don't help me at all, unaffected? How will I continue on living? Should I just kill myself? That's my worst possible thought..

    Oh my god..please pray for me so that if I seek help it will be successful

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    If the treatment doesn't work then you go for the most posative approach there is not the most possative aproach you can think of and also the treatment has been successfull millions of times and is most likely to be successful with you. The negativity you feel is proberbly because you are scared and worried which is normal but you need to try and think possative think of all the awesome things in your life :)

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    Thanks for your responses.. I really do hope that treatment works for me, if not, atleast eliminate the symptoms of anxiety attack.
    I feel so alone and i have got nobody to talk to, thats why I lean more on internet conversations.
    My mother doesn't care that I have this and she told me the reason why she acts so tough about it is because her life has been tough and she doesn't want to add more stress in her life. She said if she acts tough on me I will eventually 'man up' and the panic will go away by itself. THAT does not help, it makes me feel worse. And she's so persistent about it too, I've been telling her to stop being mean to me but she kept saying 'pshh..crybaby' or 'tsk..whatever'. I'm not saying my mom is a bad mom but she's like that.

    I just hope that this anxiety and negative thoughts only last for a few days.. just like before.. so I can be panic free again for a year.

    I must face these trials and tribulations in my life..it's not easy I tell you. Mental illness is the scariest thing a person can experience.

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    Thanks again. Yes Ashique I understand there are millions of people who have panic disorder, but so far, I've read more about the unsuccessful stories of it, how people say they can't cope with it, how medication and therapy do not help them. That kind of negativity really worsens the way I feel and make me even more anxious. I know there are some success stories too, but I don't know why my brain is only focusing on the unsuccessful stories and I always think about the worst-case scenarios.

    If i'm 18 and since that's relatively young, do you think I will deal with this better than those people? Since I did beat it for 1 1/2+ years alone without any help..

    I'm just anxious to seek help because if they fail to help me, what will I do with my life?

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    i too will tell you that medication and therapies doesnt really do THAT much of a thing. but it still does at least SOMETHING.
    but the main thing you have to understand is HOW YOU WILL GET OVER IT. its just the strength of your mind.
    and why are you only focusing on the negative things? just get an idea, think of it a lil, look for the positive things and just do it. that should be your attitude :)

    you may think thats its really easy to write suggestions here but they are hard or impossible to follow.... but in your case i'd say its totally not. :)

    chin up... the world is great because of its diversity.. how would it have been if everything were the same?

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    As we all know that depression is very common. And almost anybody can develop the illness it's certainly not a sign of weakness. It is also treatable. Just stay away from negative people. Find people with positive attitudes that like to smile and laugh. You may need to see a doctor, but there are things you can do yourself or things you can do to help somebody suffering from the illness. Just make an appointment with a professional mental health therapist to speak with him or her about the changes you have seen in yourself.

  • Re: Absolute hopelessness - panic disorder and depression

    Panic attacks CAN BE CURED. This is true, my mom had it for most of my childhoow and is cured now. She took medications for a long time ovbiously and stiff has a pill or two just in case. But she is cured.

    I have anxiety attacks myself, the worst ones I get are when I have some sort of discussion with someone, because I can't standhaving a discussion with anyone, my anxiety blows and it's bad.:/
    Whenever I get anxiety I like to wach stupid videos of youtube or do something that will make me forget it even if for a moment.
    I ovbiously still feel the chest pressure and so, but distractions are good.

    There are times when it doesn't work. I try to do something like taking a hot shower or so, because letting my anxiety get to me ends up bad and I get suicidal.