Resolved question:
Hello Sir, I really request you to help me with my problem.. one month i ago i had panic attack ( anxiety )...i was feeling uncertain pressure ( tension )....i was not able to breath properly.....had to try hard to breathe....i was feeling uneasy....did not eat anything...not able to concentrate on anything i was doing....wasen\'t feeling to do anything... felt like i was going crazy...felt like crying loud.....it took one day for me to recover from that mood or anxiety....i never felt this way before in my entire life....this feeling was really really really bad...
After this attack, for few days, i have been feeling dullness ( sudden dullness )....
I have been doing yoga and taking some ayurvedic medicines for these many days,
Now i am fine....but sometimes i feel like ( if i am sitting idle )...i have grown old now ( i am just 28 ).....fear of death...little dullness..negative thoughts...
if i am doing something....i am fine....
i don't like doing what i used to love doing before panic attack or anxiety attack ( watching my favorite movie or listening to the songs ).....i feel dull when i get up in the morning.....
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Psychiatrist
Hello
Thanks for using DoctorSpring for posting your query.
I have gone through your query in detail and I can understand what you are going through.
I understand that you have a panic disorder and you did have a bad panic attack sometime back. However now the complains that you have stated , that of, feeling dull, reduced interest, reduced energy, reduced pleasure, negative thoughts, fear of death, all suggest that you might have landed up with a depressive episode.
Anxiety and depression both have similar causes and have more or less the same treatments. You have mentioned that you have started doing yoga and taking ayurvedic medicines but have not mentioned regarding any psychiatry medications. I understand that probably you are not on any psychiatry medicines.
You should consider visiting a psychiatrist who can start you on either paroxetine, mirtazapine, or escitalopram. These medications will help you in improving your mood as well as controlling your anxiety and need to be taken for 1 year.
Along with these medications (and independent of them if you are not willing for them) you can seek help from a psychologist who can help you with cognitive behavioural therapy. These are weekly sessions of 20 min duration and you will need around 10-15 such sessions. This therapy will help you in thinking about your own thoughts and analyzing them thoroughly. They have proven benefit in depression and anxiety.
Other than this try to have a healthy lifestyle with fresh fruits, daily aerobic exercise and inculcating some hobby.
Its not a very difficult illness, but you need to be patient and be sincere in your approach.
Hope that helps
Regards
Dr. Srikanth Reddy MD
Hello Doctor,
Thanks for the quick reply. I have few questions. Could you please help ?
1. Are these medicines addictive ( paroxetine, mirtazapine, or escitalopram )?. Any side effects ?.
2. Are these behavioral changes permanent ?.
Basically, i am not like the person i was before panic attack. This thought is killing me. I was a very enthusiastic and fun loving person.
3. Will you be able to tell me the natural remedies for this or alternative medicines ? Like specific fruits , vegetables or may be yoga etc.
Hello,
Thanks for the follow-up. I will go by your questions one by one.
1) Nine of these are addictive. However they have to be taken for a long time like 1 year and if you stop them abruptly, they may cause withdrawal syndrome. But they are not addictive and you can be easily weaned out of them.
2) These behavior changes are not permanent. They can be treated.
3) Alternative treatments: I discussed with you cognitive behavioural therapy. Thats a form of psychotherapy which doesnt use medications and supposed to be working the best and highly scientifically proven. Other than that regular aerobic exercises, fresh fruits, and early morning awakening will all benefit you a lot.
Hope that helps
Regards
Dr. Srikanth Reddy