Why is it that people with panic disorders and anxiety think that they are going to go insane?
Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at
5:47 am
I am a teenager and I have had a Panic disorder and anxiety for almost a year now. So far I have been handling it pretty well, but sometimes I just can’t control my thoughts, I begin to question myself and my sanity. Sometimes I get scared that I will go insane and have to be locked up in an asylum Is there any way to stop this unreasonable thinking process of mine. I don’t want to be insane!
Filed under: Panic Attacks
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Well fist off, you should have nothing to worry about. all it is, is a chemical imbalance in your brain (or whatever that term is).
you wont need to be locked up in an asylum, trust me I’ve been in one. you sound like you don’t qualify. all you need to do is to stop being so paranoid of your life and everything, Anxiety is usually caused by something that’s going on, or something that you think might happen.
Just gather your thoughts and insanity and ask your doctor about pills you can take. or talk to someone you can trust. like a good friend or relative that your close to.
These are just your thoughts you are contolling yourself so as long as you don’t do anything your thoughts direct you then you wont be in an asylum. They have medication for you, you know this…they can medicate just about anything now.
I have had Panic Disorder and Anxiety Attacks since I was 16…I’m 28 now. There have been many times when I thought that I was going to go insane, but the trick is to distinguish reality from your fears, and unfortunately, it can be hard to do, since the basis of Panic Disorders is unfounded Anxiety and Panic. Its kind of similar to how you often feel like you are going to die, or jump out of your skin when you are having a Panic Attack.
For the longest time, I had the fear that I was crazy, and frequently called myself that…you know what helped me? I went online and researched the disorder more…I read other peoples stories, and chatted with others. Their insight helped prove to me that I wasn’t the only person that felt like that, and that it was very common. In fact, even though I have pretty severe Panic Disorder, I discovered that I am not the worst by far…this is a very common disorder, and many people suffer worse than you or I do. The problem is that it can also be embarrassing, so most people don’t openly speak about it, and that lack of conversation can make you feel alone.
When you can’t control your thoughts and such, it is a sign that you are having a Panic Attack. You need to relax, and take steps to help the Attack calm down. If you are hyperventilating, breath into a bag, or try to take deeper slower breaths, and hold every 5th one. This will help balance the Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen in your blood so that you can breath better. Try to ‘go to your happy place’, or do progressive relaxation [starting at your feet, tighten each muscle, hold for 5 seconds and release...move up to the next muscle until you have done this on your whole body]. Also, cut back on the caffiene and other things that make you hyper, as it will increase the likelyhood of Panic Attack.
If none of that helps, you may want to go over this with your Dr, and see if you can get an Rx for a fast acting antianxiety pill like Ativan or Xanax that you can take on the spot to calm you down. I prefer Ativan to Xanax, as Xanax can be quite addictive, and will pretty much put you out of commision for the rest of the day.
Hope I could help, and above all, know that you are not alone in this. Panic Disorder is one of the most common Mental Disorders, and there are always people that can help.
Firs of all let me say that I completely understand where you are coming from. And second of all let me tell you that you are not going to go insane.
Panic disorder releases a chemical adrenaline in your body its your flight or fight response that goes off in your brain. Some people fear that they are going to die, they get a rapid heart rate and sweat, hyperventalate and some even pass out. But ultimately we all wake up and end up just fine.
Then there are some that have the response like you indicated where you fear that you are loosing your mind. Panic disorder also comes from lack of Seratonin not sure spelled it right but anyways it creates a misfire in your brain chemistry and therefore you have unreasonable thoughts, the only difference is people that are going insane do not FEAR it they don’t even realize they are insane. Panic disorder simply gives you an irrational fear of something due to people placing the stigma on Panic or Anxiety problems as a mental disorder, when in reality its simply your inability to release your tension and let go of what is bothering you and put aside your fears and worry.
My favorite quote is: I have never seen worry or fear change the final outcome of anything….
Worry doesn’t change anything. So why let it take control of you if it is useless. take time to realize how smart you are how much love you have to give others. Take a walk outside.. Sunshine is an awesome cure for Anxiety and Depression the sun has the most wondeful abundant amount of vitamins and nuturition you can’t get from anyplace else. Watch your diet and try to eat less preservatives. And just enjoy being you. Your not going insane.. Your not going crazy… You’re just simply more aware and your senses of things are more extreme then most. It will pass once you realize you have the CONTROL!!! Good luck… I wish you well…..
First, take a deep breath and relax. You are not alone. Anxiety and Panic disorders make you feel the way they do by triggering a "fight/Flight" response in your body. Without a proper target for that physiological response, there will be stress.
Second, it can be treated. Many anxiety disorders can be controlled with SSRI’s, such as Paxil. While it is true that anxiety and panic attacks can be part of major depressive disorder, they can be stand alone diagnoses, like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and even Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. A Psychiatrist would need to evaluate you for medication as many are not appropriate for teenagers.
Third, seek counseling. Many schools have counseling available. If not, many agencies around the country provide counseling to teens. Look for one in your area, or ask you doctor for a referral. Many people respond well to breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Hang in there! I see many people every day who feel the way you do, and they go on to feel better about themselves, and their live. Almost all have gotten improvement from therapy alone, so medication is always the answer. Take a walk. Listen to your favorite music. Talk to your friends. Read a book. Stop and smell the flowers. Walk barefoot in the grass. Relax, life is beautiful, take time to notice it. Good Luck!
anxiety usually goes along with depression and other mental disorders, if you have anxiety you almost always have some other type of mental problem. you dont usually get anxiety unless some other disorder is causing it.
These are irrationation thoughts so you cannot expect a rational answer. It just is the way you think sometimes.
It happens to more people than you might think.
Please see someone who can help you and it may be easily fixed.
You don’t have to be like this. There is help out there and you can be well.
Hi i have suffered with the same for 27 year’s,and believe me you are not going mad.I myself have been sectioned 3 times,because i thought i was going mad.Ask your gp to get you an appointment with a cognative behavoural therapist,it really changed my life,and dont be ashamed to ask for help,it is out there,good luck.
No. The "Insane" thought is just pure believe which isn’t true.
There are 2 programs out there that are famous for treating Panic Attacks and Anxiety successfully.
They are: Panic Away and The Linden Method.
You may wonder, "Which one is better?" Don’t worry, you’re not the only one with that question.
The Panic Away program is more appropriate for people who can cope with their Panic Attacks or Anxiety well.
Linden Method is more for those who aren’t really good in coping their Panic Attacks or Anxiety well.
Check out the reference for the full comparison.
Crazy people don’t know that their crazy.
I had pretty bad panic attacks to the point where I actually quit my job too. But I got prescribed lexapro [anti depressant] and now I barely have it at all. It’s a long-term medication which is something you should really consider. Xanax and other benzos are only short-term medication, intended to take the anxiety away for a little bit.