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raeanna74 · 12-12-2005, 07:11 AM

Here's one for ya.

I have addressed this subject here before (can't remember if it was just in my journal or not) and got a few helpful comments. I have told my Dr about it but since it's not completely debilitating she has not addressed the situation specifically.

Since hubby had a very severe head injury about 4 years ago I have suffered from panic attacks. Barely minutes before I discovered he'd been injured I was on my way home in the car. An ambulance approached me from behind, passed me, and minutes later approached again from in front of me (this time with hubby on-board). Second later my neighbors informed me that he'd been injured. SINCE this situation I cannot handle the sirens of ambulances passing me. I am fortunate that the sirens of fire trucks or police cruisers do not send me into a panic attack. I call it a panic attack but I have not been officially told that is what it is. I have read descriptions of panic attacks and my symptoms seem to be the same. IF an ambulance passes me going in any direction I have the symptoms. I have even experienced the symptoms when an ambulance has passed my house or once when I heard them in the background while on the phone with a friend who was in a car. My symptoms are: heart races (I checked my BPM once and it was 140 bpm, while seated in a car as a passenger.), palms get sweaty, hyperventilating or even gasping for breath, crying at times, shaking all over, and even once in a while blurred vision.

I have been able to calm myself better and better but then there are times when the sirens will catch me off guard and I flip out. This happened just last night when I was in bed and heard an ambulance fly past on the road outside. I felt the impulse to jump out of bed and run around in a panic. I couldn't sleep for almost an hour after. When I'm driving there are times when I cannot control my response and am forced to put the car into park and sit for about 5-10 minutes to gain control again. About 2 months ago I past the firestation just before I got to the medical clinic. An ambulance pulled out behind me and started their siren. After I got to the clinic I sat and tried to meditate for a few minutes, and had managed to calm myself somewhat. YET when they took my blood pressure it was 140/89 - I'm normally around 120/70 and rarely any more. I told the Dr what had happened just before arriving so she is aware of that as well.

What I'm looking for are suggestions for dealing with this. I have controlled it some but there are just times that I completely fail and I'm a wreck. I have realized that a part of my fear is from a feeling of helplessness or lack of control over the situation. That realization helped some. I even thought I had it beat for a while. Would any of that 'systematic desensitization' type of approach help at all?? How would I go about it? I would imagine it would be best to have someone with me. Any other suggestions or even explanations??

12-12-2005, 07:11 AM	#49 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Here's one for ya. I have addressed this subject here before (can't remember if it was just in my journal or not) and got a few helpful comments. I have told my Dr about it but since it's not completely debilitating she has not addressed the situation specifically. Since hubby had a very severe head injury about 4 years ago I have suffered from panic attacks. Barely minutes before I discovered he'd been injured I was on my way home in the car. An ambulance approached me from behind, passed me, and minutes later approached again from in front of me (this time with hubby on-board). Second later my neighbors informed me that he'd been injured. SINCE this situation I cannot handle the sirens of ambulances passing me. I am fortunate that the sirens of fire trucks or police cruisers do not send me into a panic attack. I call it a panic attack but I have not been officially told that is what it is. I have read descriptions of panic attacks and my symptoms seem to be the same. IF an ambulance passes me going in any direction I have the symptoms. I have even experienced the symptoms when an ambulance has passed my house or once when I heard them in the background while on the phone with a friend who was in a car. My symptoms are: heart races (I checked my BPM once and it was 140 bpm, while seated in a car as a passenger.), palms get sweaty, hyperventilating or even gasping for breath, crying at times, shaking all over, and even once in a while blurred vision. I have been able to calm myself better and better but then there are times when the sirens will catch me off guard and I flip out. This happened just last night when I was in bed and heard an ambulance fly past on the road outside. I felt the impulse to jump out of bed and run around in a panic. I couldn't sleep for almost an hour after. When I'm driving there are times when I cannot control my response and am forced to put the car into park and sit for about 5-10 minutes to gain control again. About 2 months ago I past the firestation just before I got to the medical clinic. An ambulance pulled out behind me and started their siren. After I got to the clinic I sat and tried to meditate for a few minutes, and had managed to calm myself somewhat. YET when they took my blood pressure it was 140/89 - I'm normally around 120/70 and rarely any more. I told the Dr what had happened just before arriving so she is aware of that as well. What I'm looking for are suggestions for dealing with this. I have controlled it some but there are just times that I completely fail and I'm a wreck. I have realized that a part of my fear is from a feeling of helplessness or lack of control over the situation. That realization helped some. I even thought I had it beat for a while. Would any of that 'systematic desensitization' type of approach help at all?? How would I go about it? I would imagine it would be best to have someone with me. Any other suggestions or even explanations?? __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.