Can depression cause panic attacks?
Panic attacks are are the sudden onset of severe anxiety associated with a number of physical symptoms. The most common associated symptoms are sweating, shortness of breath, heart pounding, dizziness and chest pain. They are very frightening, and, if you are experiencing panic attacks, you may end up in emergency rooms because you are afraid you are experiencing a heart attack or some other medical emergency. These attacks are more common when someone is depressed, and depression is common amongst people with panic attacks, but they more often occur in the absence depression. These attacks are so troubling, there is a high incidence of alcohol abuse amongst people who experience panic attacks and panic attacks are a risk factor for suicide. You may find as these panic attacks continue that you start isolating yourself at home. This is because you will reflexively avoid places you had panic attacks, and because you may feel embarrassed or more anxious when you have panic attacks in public. This can lead to agoraphobia, a fear of open spaces, and this can be quite disabling.
Your doctor is on the right track with the recommendation of antidepressants, but that should only be part of the treatment, and they may not be necessary. The first step for treatment is education. You must be taught these attacks are not life threatening and each attack will go away on its own, generally within 10-30 minutes. It is helpful for most people to learn relaxation techniques to help decrease the emotional response to these episodes. A talk therapist who is skilled in treating panic attacks can teach you guided imagery skills as well. This will help distract you from the frightening symptoms and perhaps will help to decrease the symptoms themselves. Panic attacks often occur in clusters and it is common the cluster is preceded by something stressful. Talk therapy can be helpful in identifying and managing the stressor and in decreasing avoidance behaviors that can lead to agoraphobia. You may find it helpful to get together with others who struggle with panic attacks to provide each other support and ideas. There are over 6 million people in this country who have them and they are more common amongst women than men.
Antidepressants are very helpful in the treatment of panic attacks, in fact they are more effective at treating panic attacks than they are at treating depression. The fact antidepressants are so effective in the treatment of panic attacks, however, does not mean it is because you have depression. These medications are very helpful in the treatment of panic attacks whether or not you also have a problem with depression.
Depression and Anxiety are two different diagnoses, though if a person has depression, having anxiety attacks too is not uncommon.
There are meds for each diagnosis and some cover both. These drugs usually fall into a class called SSRIs and many have side effects too. There are natural alternatives to try before going to perscrition meds and a major way to help is learning cognitive therapy which means developing a tool box of tricks to use when depressed or having anxiety to help prevent and/or reduce it. Developing this bag of tricks can even eliminate the need for meds or at least reduce the need. Find a therapist that does cognitive therapy is great and is not forever, read about it in books and on websites. You learn when leave, what your triggers are and how to avoid or deal with them, coping mechanisms, etc.
Over the counter products you can try are: Melatonin at night for sleep, is a natural substance we produce less of as we age.
Take a good quality multi-vitamin and a good quality multi-B complex vitamin daily.
Omega 3 (fish oil, or borage oil or flaxseed oil) of 2400mg day will help with depression.
5-HTP daily increases your brain's seratonin levels. You can start with the 50mg and see how it works and progress from there. You cannot take this with perscrition anti-depressants though. SAM-e you can though but it is much more expensive.
Increase vitamin C to 2000mg a day too.
My name is Charles. I suffer from Panic attacks and depression.-- (I think).. I really feel it is more appropriate for a person with this illness to describe what they feel than someone, even a doctor, who has never been through it. When I was 21 I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder and mild depression. I was prescribed Prozac. It worked very well. Then at 30, while I was off the Prozac, I had another attack and the Dr. again wrote me a script for Prozac. I took it that evening and in the middle of the night I had the most intense scariest episode ever. I woke in a State of major depression. The only thoughts I had were to swallow a bottle of pills because I couldn't take that feeling and you always think it will last forever. It lasted 2 days with the heaviest intensity that night. My point is that our bodies don't always react to the same medication. My dilemna, however, is what do I have Panic disorder or depression. Well, it just came back the past couple of days and I believe its depression. I just get so scared its amazing. I don't wanna live when these feelings arise. The scared feeling is panic but the general feeling is sadness. I imagine telling my children " Time for Daddy to go give him a big kiss " and I start crying because I imagine killing myself after that. Then the intrusive thoughts start.. my daughters severed head on a platter...I mean it's incredible!!! I am ok to write this now and I find those thoughts ridiculous, but I didn't want to forget what I was thinking so I can tell the psychiatrist. The other reason I feel I needed to write this is I don't have many of the symptoms of either panic disorder or depression. I have some but everytime I fill out a survey i come up normal. As far as panic... I never called an ambulance.. never thought I was dying, well only once on my first first attack. I never have cold sweats, never have clammy hands, etc... I just feel incredible terror so much it can't be described. Then with depression.. I never want to stay home or away from people, in fact seeing and talking to people make me feel better. I never sleep all day, never change my behavior but I do get those sad sad thoughts. Will someone please tell me what it is I suffer from? Thank you
Dear Charles, your answer right above mine had me identifying with you right away. I know just how you feel, i felt the same way but recently I got help from God. He's the only one that was able to help me get through the panic attacks . I suggest prayer and for you to speak to a pastor as soon as possible. I too had those intrusive thoughts and felt like dying when the panic attacks came by and Im only 18 so it seems like not many people my age go through this but I was able to get help at church and with a lot of prayer. Only God can truly help and I pray that God blesses you and helps you get through this as He has helped me!
To the Practical Expert: I have worked in Health Care for 30 years in various capacities; hopice and nursing assisting mostly. I personally don't experience panic attacks, but do know what depression is. I have found a formula which works for me.
I definitely agree with your stated answer here;looking for natural ways to build health and becoming more aware and responsible for our own health. I have found that the usual orthodox medications lead to complications and dependency, rather than developing tools to find solutions to the issue. I study natural health; alternative medicine. I have found that taking Vitamin D3 @ 5000 mg daily along with CoQ10 and Vitamin C @ 1000-5000mg daily, along with a natural source of Multi-vitamin w/ B-12 lifts my spirits, strengthens the immune system, gives positive energy even when stress and isolation points towards depression, for myself and many others. D3 and CoQ10 has been shown through substantial scientific studies to also be highly effective aids supporting bone health, and counteracts gum disease; an all around effective treatment plan. seekersusie, a new member
I forgot to include, somehow, my very recent experience helping a couple of friends who are in their late 90's and live down the hall from me. I have been involved in their care especially when I discovered he had a temp of 102. I called 911 and he went to the ER...then admitted to the hospital. He and his wife of 40 years had long been depressed. Five days after he was admitted his wife had a panic attack; couldn't talk, or catch her breath, so went to the ER also, then home, then had a stroke and back to the ER again. Their religious beliefs have meant experiencing life as victims, and when I have suggested she, especially, learn how to release her worries and ever present anxiety, she saw that as yet another thing to do, so put it on a list of to do's. They are both intelligent, and are actually now open to the theraputic help they are currently being offered! They don't like taking pills and want to stay independent. I learn a lot from them. seekersusie
Yes , indeed I'm am no doctor but my depression started with 2 panic attacks. The first one was small , but I believe the first one made the 2nd one much easier too occur cause it was easy to have one after u have had one. My 2nd panic attack was by far my worst. I seriously thought it was going to kill me. Which then remembering the panic attacks and the thoughts I had scared me slowly caused depression and before u know it it consumes your day. Like the doctor wrote above I quickly learned that alcohol stops depression and in which stops panic attacks. But it's only temporary once it wears off u still have the same depression. Another thing I noticed was when my girlfriend was around it was much easy not to get depressed especially if we were engaged in flirting or kissing or in a serious discussion. So it really helped having her around. I hope I have helped people by talking about my experience !
I believe depression can cause panic attacks. I have dealt with depression throughout my life, and have also had panic attacks (not as much now--I'm taking antidepressants/antianxiety medication). I have, however felt that the depression I am still experiencing lately (my husband left me after eight years of marriage, and he left the same week we had to bring my mother to a dementia unit in a nursing home). It's been approximately a year or so since these changes have taken place, and I still wake up full of fear. I don't always get a "full-on" panic attack (though I've had them)--but I get panicky and scared. I feel this way most of the time. The only thing I have found that has helped me to talk myself out of a panic attack has been to remember that it IS just a panic attack, and I try to think specifically what was I thinking about right before it happened. If it's something from the past that I was upset about, I remind myself I can't change the past. If I was worrying about the future; I remember that I need to stay in the present and worrying about the future doesn't and has never helped with anything. I've worried about many things that never even ended up happening.
