Hi Mist,

I'm sorry to hear about your panic attacks. There is no need to go to the ER for these, as they are not dangerous (even though it feels like they are). I would recommend trying to get in to see a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders as soon as possible.

Some people with panic attacks benefit from medications such as Clonazepam and Xanax. You and your therapist could decide whether any of these medications would be appropriate for you.

Medication isn't the only answer, however, and some people don't need to take medication in order to get their panic attacks under control. One thing you can do right away is to educate yourself about panic disorder so you have a better understanding of what is happening. Part of what makes panic attacks so scary is that you don't know what's going on; this magnifies the anxiety enormously, and makes you feel like you are going crazy or going to die. But you're not going crazy and you are not going to die. The panic comes about largely as a secondary reaction to the initial anxious feeling. In response to this anxious feeling, one becomes even more scared: "Oh my God, I'm starting to panic."

Ultimately, one of the keys to managing panic attacks is to learn to accept the initial anxious feeling and not react to it with further terror. This takes a lot of practice and hard work, probably with a therapist--and in some cases, medication. It can also be very helpful to find a distracting activity any time you notice the first signs of anxiety coming on. For an activity to be really distracting, it is best if it is something that requires your full attention--something that does not allow you to think about something else while you're doing it. For me, these types of activities include close interaction with other people, writing, and sometimes watching movies or TV (which I can't really do no now because of the injury).

See here:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topic...er/index.shtml

and here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001922/

I know how awful panic is, but the good news is that it can be treated and you can improve.