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I have been told I am prone to having panic attacks. I have had them off and on for years. I can’t tell you how many times I went to the Emergency room with the symptoms. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack each time. It’s a very frightening thing to happen. You feel like you can’t breathe right, gasping with every breath. Your heart starts racing, your body begins shaking, you feel light-headed and you feel sweaty. That’s a panic attack. You honestly believe you are dying from a heart attack.

With the economic situation these days more and more people are having panic attacks. There is little wonder why this is happening. Husbands come home and tell their wives they have been laid off. Most families rely on the husband’s paycheck to make ends meet, with the wives working part time or at a lower paying job. There is the very real fear the wife will also be laid off. Unemployment doesn’t give all the security a job gave…there are no benefits is someone in the family is ill or injured and needs medical attention. Hospitals cannot turn you down, but they will keep calling for payment afterwards.

According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association 83% of women say they are stressed about money. The ones who are the most worried are in the age bracket of 44 to 62. Therapists have reported seeing more women patients with symptoms of panic attacks. The feeling of doom women experience leads them to seek help. Some never get the chance to seek help since they just can’t afford it. Women outnumber men 2 to 1 when it comes to having panic attacks.

Most women do not get an accurate diagnosis for panic attacks. I know I didn’t at first. It wasn’t until the 4th or 5th episode when I really learned what was happening to me. Doctors are trained to rule out most disorders, but panic attacks aren’t always recognized. Most of the time you will get a prescription for anti-anxiety medications, but that doesn’t always mean the end of panic attacks. Therapy can help along with trying to replace the negative thoughts you are having with some positive ones. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America can give you a list of doctors in your area who are able to treat panic attacks. You can reach them online at adaa.org.

If you do find yourself getting the symptoms I mentioned in the first paragraph, seek help. It can only get worse if you let it go. I find an ability to cry very easily at times, going into a rather depressed state of mind. I also feel achy, pain coming at me in different areas. I’ve lived with panic disorder for years, having it sneak back into my life when things start going downhill for me. There is also online therapy, which may help, but until now I didn’t even think of trying that route. There is still a fee for that type of therapy, which right now most of us affected with this disorder cannot afford. If you do want to check it out, please go to mytherapynet.com. Online therapy has only been used in the past 15 years and has not been studied enough to say it works. You are better off checking with a doctor in your area who has treated for panic attacks.