Panic Disorder and being prescribed Xanax p

[MollyM94]

Hi all,
Was looking for some advice. I have terrible panic disorder. I’ve had it since I was 17 and am now 25. It just doesn’t stop. Some weeks it goes away a little but it always comes back. I can’t do really anything alone. Can’t drive to far ( maybe 25 min top) can’t take trains alone, can’t take any trains that go under tunnels, can’t take the subway or airplanes and boats I can take unless they over 30 minutes long. When I’m going on trips with friends the whole time I am nervous. I think about how I’ll be able to get out of a panic attack comes without them seeing it happen, etc. my dr just prescribed me Xanax to take when I have panic attacks. She said I’ll be able to do a lot more and finally live my life. Are the bad side effects of this drug though not worth it? Or is it? Any advice? Thanks. I’ve never been medicated before in my life except for an anti depressant when I was 20 that I only took for a year or so.

 

[triceps]

Hi all,
Was looking for some advice. I have terrible panic disorder. I’ve had it since I was 17 and am now 25. It just doesn’t stop. Some weeks it goes away a little but it always comes back. I can’t do really anything alone. Can’t drive to far ( maybe 25 min top) can’t take trains alone, can’t take any trains that go under tunnels, can’t take the subway or airplanes and boats I can take unless they over 30 minutes long. When I’m going on trips with friends the whole time I am nervous. I think about how I’ll be able to get out of a panic attack comes without them seeing it happen, etc. my dr just prescribed me Xanax to take when I have panic attacks. She said I’ll be able to do a lot more and finally live my life. Are the bad side effects of this drug though not worth it? Or is it? Any advice? Thanks. I’ve never been medicated before in my life except for an anti depressant when I was 20 that I only took for a year or so.

Hi Molly. I was on Xanax for many years and it was well worth it for almost all of them. I was on four .5 mg per day(2 mg total). I really didn't have any side effects while on it but went through some serious withdrawal symptoms. I was advised that those withdrawal symptoms get much better if you're on a daily dosage of 1.5mg or less.

My advice on the panic attacks would be to let your friends know of your anxiety disorder. Your true friends will accept you still, the ones that don't you shouldn't worry about. This will make things more enjoyable when you're around them as then you don't have to worry about having an attack and probably will be less likely to have one.

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Hi all,
Was looking for some advice. I have terrible panic disorder. I’ve had it since I was 17 and am now 25. It just doesn’t stop. Some weeks it goes away a little but it always comes back. I can’t do really anything alone. Can’t drive to far ( maybe 25 min top) can’t take trains alone, can’t take any trains that go under tunnels, can’t take the subway or airplanes and boats I can take unless they over 30 minutes long. When I’m going on trips with friends the whole time I am nervous. I think about how I’ll be able to get out of a panic attack comes without them seeing it happen, etc. my dr just prescribed me Xanax to take when I have panic attacks. She said I’ll be able to do a lot more and finally live my life. Are the bad side effects of this drug though not worth it? Or is it? Any advice? Thanks. I’ve never been medicated before in my life except for an anti depressant when I was 20 that I only took for a year or so.

Hey there, and welcome to the site! That sounds really rough - I'm 40 now, but I also had a lot of panic attacks and panic disorder in my early 20s. At some point, the panic attacks themselves become so big and so powerful in our minds that we end up bringing them on ourselves.

I like @triceps advice above about sharing with your friends - being afraid to let anyone see what you're going through will make the attacks more frequent and harder to manage. You can also learn tricks to get through them when they come, and that can help take away some of their power. Are you seeing any kind of therapist? If not, have you checked out any online resources on getting through panic attacks, and how to help manage them? I'm at a point where I have lots of anxiety, but the panic attacks themselves, when they come, are MUCH less scary than they used to be because I know what to do with them. They don't control my life anymore, in other words.

I hope today was a good day for you...