I think I've always been kind of socially anxious, and over time I've developed general anxiety as well, but I've had a laundry list of surreal and traumatic experiences throughout my life and I have ADHD and that's also a factor.

This sounds like a fairly pronounced anxiety/fear response for you not to have some kind of traumatic experience. Without digging into the specifics of the conditions of your physical and emotional environment (which is pretty personal information to go into with a stranger) the only real acceptable opinion I could offer is that you may want to talk to a therapist/doctor and try to engage in a treatment or management regimen, depending on what a qualified medical or therapeutic professional has to say on the subject.

I'm not, for the record, a fan of big medicine or big pharma, nor am I a fan of the way we, as a culture, overmedicate and over diagnose the problems in our society, because it's important to remember that sometimes the conditions of our existence ARE objectively unpleasant and our environment is a contributing factor to our dysfunction, and numbing them with medications is like using a band-aid to cure cancer.

But sometimes an issue requires chemical intervention because something in the brain is out of balance chemically, sometimes therapy is an appropriate avenue to facilitate the process of understanding the subconscious motivating factors which inform our behaviors outside the control of our conscious minds.

Recently my daughter, 28, had a panic attack that resulted in her being taken to the emergency room. She suffers from PTSD after being raped at age 19. Claire was sleeping in her bed at college when she was raped and beaten.

After years of therapy, Claire still wakes up screaming. Her doctor prescribed Clonazepam; he said Xanax is extremely addictive.

I called a friend, Bruce, MSW, who is one of the wisest men I know.

"You can teach Claire a breathing technique that stops panic attacks," Bruce said. "I teach it to my patients who have panic attacks. It stops their panic attack immediately."

You can do this sitting or standing:

1. Lace your fingers and put your hands behind your head.
2. Spread your elbows out as far as you can. Keep your elbows spread.
3. Slowly inhale for a count of 5.
4. Slowly exhale for a count of 7.
5. Repeat for 10 minutes.

"This position locks your upper chest muscles, forcing you to breathe deeply from your diaphragm," Bruce said. "During a panic attack, you breathe from your upper chest. This is an involuntary muscle reaction.

"You can retrain your muscles to prevent panic attacks," Bruce said. "Practice this breathing technique for 15 minutes, three times a day, for a month. With my patients who practice, this completely stops their panic attacks."

Cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation and clean up your diet as well as exercise. Medication may become necessary. This can be dealt with but don t delay. Re sooner you handle it the easier it is to control.

You need to seek help... not here... Real, Professional, Help.

CBD oil helps with mine. When I feel it coming, I take it and feel better in 10 minutes.

Therapy without your parents is a must. You have to be able to be open and honest in therapy. And learn techniques that will work to get you through the attacks.

I've had them in the past but it was brought on by situations I was facing ( Worried about job, parents health ). One of them felt like a genuine full blown heart attack. I would talk to my regular doctor ( as therapy isn't always available, and it may take a month or longer to get an appt.) about the severity of the situation. A good short term anti-anxiety medication like Lorezepam or Clonazepam might help and he could or should be able to recommend a therapist.

that sounds rough ild talk to a mental health specialist don't let it get to the point you are suffering beyond what you can deal with i know i did and it was not a pleasant experience

I have anxiety attacks often. Are you on medicine for anxiety? Do you see a therapist? I highly suggest both, and sticking to the medicine. If it's not working, work with your med person until you find one or a dose that works. If you can afford it or get your insurance to cover it, alpha-stim is an amazing tool that seriously helped my anxiety when I had the ability to borrow it. It sends little electrical pulses to disrupt the parts of your brain that are over acting to stimuli and causing anxiety. They don't hurt, and it's very soothing.

My patients often get help with CBD oil. I like cannabomega from Designs for Health. THis is related to your brain function, so feed your brain essential fatty acids and avoid inflammatory foods which can often be lectins like grains, commercial cow dairy, beans like kidney beans, some nuts like peanuts and cashews for sure and some people need to avoid nightshades like tomatoes and peppers.

There are many good suggestions advising you to seek professional advice.

Consider your diet. If it is standard American of too many carbs, sugar, inflamatory oils etc, change it. It isn't a direct link but it is always a good place to start. Prioritize sleep, exercise.

Try CBD oil. It can be bought in most health food stores.

A 2015 analysis of previous studies concluded that CBD oil is an effective treatment for numerous forms of anxiety, including social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
[medicalnewstoday.com]

Yes I have the often. I have scizo-affective disorder, and among many inflictions, anxiety is on of them. Although through a good therapist, and medication Iv'e been able to controll it better.

Cognitive behavioral therapy from a clinical psychologist will usually help [helpguide.org] A prescription drug or non-prescription kava kava may help in an emergency, but to get rid of panic attacks you need to change your thinking.

Yes I had them. I also got past them with professional help.

I used Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) I believe it's supposed to block adrenaline receptors so the attacks became less intense over time.

Hi Veronica, Anxiety is usually a normal part of our survival instinct. It is normal to worry and be listening for intruders. Theres a few factors which can affect/effect (which ever one it is) feeling that way, if you have consumed lots of caffeine this will make anxiety worse. We all will sit at home and work our selves up over thinking and imaging all the different outcomes of situations. As you’ve said you don’t go out and talk to people often I feel this may be part of your anxiety. When I said anxiety is usually normal, it is in situations where we perceive a threat or have an emotional tie to, we wil subconsciously tell our bodies to exert extra resources and this will lead to increased thinking and being “hyper” as such. I think if you are at home a lot and not having different types of stimulation we often retreat into our heads, i would suggest trying some exercise or any sort of activity which will occupy your mind. If you hear the noises in your house again , I usually say to myself - I have lived for 24 years and I have been safe. I thek listen to the noise and ty to identify what it is, depending on your living situation will help or hinder noises, I have a dog so she can be noisy however if you don’t you will find it is either pipes/heating or it will be wind. If you can’t pass the anxiety I would really suggest speaking to someone, I can't message yet but would be happy try and help.

You should go and see a mental health professional. If you need to take medication that's okay and you shouldn't let anyone shame you for it, but remember to try what the therapist tells you. Breathing exercises, for example, might seem silly at first but they help in the long run.

Going to take Anti-Depressants to treat panic-attacks are the same as smoking or drinking as a solution because all it does is numb the panic by numbing the person.I am just not sure what Veronica is decribing is a panic attack because usually panic attacks are started by a trumatic event in your life ,could be from when you are too young to remember even.That is not a panic attack is what i am thinking here.You say it is getting worse so maybe you need to investigate your past.

It is a chemical rush in your brain usually due to trauma. The brain is stuck on high alert or just goes into it with out any stimuli. See a doctor for help. I did & have never regretted it.

Wow - that sounds intense. The worst panic attack I ever had was years ago when time just stopped. I thought 15 minutes had gone by , but it was more like 8 hours. I get upset when something goes wrong at work and even some social anxiety, but nothing like what you described.

I do. It tends to involve an overwhelming workload that I alone am responsible.

There are a couple of books out there by a Dr. Claire Weeks one of which is called Hope and Help For Your Nerves. It helped me understand what was going on and provided some tools to manage the issue. It may help too.

You need to seek out some medical attention it could be something as simple as a chemical imbalance or you may have some unconscious underlying issues that you're not aware of that could be causing these things I would suggest a mental health counselor

I can get really anxious at times, but I don't know if they can be considered "panic attacks". I imagine the distinction is whether there's any impact.