Counselling re panic attacks - what to expect?

Back in 2009, I was raced to hospital (twice) with a suspected heart attack, both of which turned out to be panic attacks. The cardiologists washed their hands of me and told me to "stop-the-stress-get-fit-lose-weight-change-your-lifestyle-quit-your-job-give-up-coffee-relax-and-be-happy"!

A couple of months later I was unemployed, severely depressed, and utterly stressed out. I had a meltdown in my GP's office, and despite the (useless) Mental Health crisis team being called in, ended up attempting suicide.

I kind of pulled myself together and just floated through life for a while. Mid last year, I decided I was strong enough (and broke enough) to try to find a full time job. I finally started my new full time job at the beginning of March, and it now turns out I'm not quite as stable as I thought I was.

Yesterday the person training me in my new job finally got to me, and the stress levels got out of control again. It didn't help that the department caught fire, and we ended up evacuated outside in the rain while firemen ran around removing a washing machine belching black smoke. I had a meltdown last night, which ended up in a panic / anxiety attack. I couldn't go to work this morning, and my hubby took me to the GP this afternoon.

He has referred me for some counselling sessions. I have no idea what to expect - apparently he reckons I will hopefully learn to cope with stress without breaking down in a melting puddle.

What should I expect from these sessions? How expensive are they? If I end up having to quit my new job, how am I going to afford to pay for a counsellor? My GP refused to give me any meds to help me cope (possibly because in my previous meltdown I threatened to take the lot).

I have to go back to face my job tomorrow and the thought is making me feel ill.

Any suggestions on what may happen next?

Hi Suems

I had some counselling after my breakdown last year. Like you I needed some coping mechanisms to get back to work asap, especially for the panicky feelings that came out more after I started meds. I figured that I had time to work through coping with the depression myself later, but lack of money mean't i had to get back to work now!

My doctor offered me several options - basically psychiatry to look at the past or councilling to manage things now. So counselling it was.

I suppose there are different types but the one I spoke to just asked me what I needed to deal with, explained some about how thoughts work, gave me some methods to use like writing down how I felt on a scale of 1-10 and ways of looking at what was really happening instead of what I thought was happening (!). Finally she went through a few acting it out exercises to get some practice.

The sessions were about an hour long and roughly $140. She was then available to email. I had two sessions in all maybe a month apart. There was no pressure to keep coming and she was fine with my wife coming along as well (to make sure I told the truth ;-)

All in all it was good and what I needed at the time but involved a lot of writing things down which I soon got bored of and have turned to meditation instead.

The other option - psychiatry would have been $300- $350 an hour. There is free councilling available but it depends on how bad you are (not bad enough for hospital but too bad to be left as I was) - and even though the doctor hinted at the answers I should give to the depression test in his office I was still pretty low and didn't get the hints.

Hope this helps, I remember that my weekends used to end Sunday morning when I began to dread going to work the next day.

The anxiety is still there now but less and I manageable . . .

good luck

peter

Oh an one more thought - until you get the counselling you are still going to get panicky so you might need some more time off when it gets bad - do you have any sick leave left? and your doctor should be able to do a certificate no?

ps hope you don't mind me saying this but your post was great - I laughed out loud when the firebrigade came into it.

You don't do things by half do you ?

peter

Thanks so much for that Peter. I think I was pretty much in adrenaline overload when the fire alarm went off. My life is very weird - I didn't even mention getting stuck in traffic in among the police cars and ambulances in some sort of raid on the way home as well. When I have a bad day, I have a REALLY bad day. My GP says I need to learn to cope with stress better!

I am a permanent casual, so no sick leave. I went back to work today, I was a bit shaky, and had a splitting headache all day, but I told the woman training me I wasn't coping, and she backed right off. I also had a talk with my boss, and she told me the company has an Employee Assistance Programme - 4 free counselling sessions. I can't afford to pay for a counsellor, so I will take her up on the freebies.

Writing everything down is how I cope best, so what you had sounds like what I need. Thanks for the advice - I am a little less nervous about what this counselling is all about.

glad to hear that you got through today - and good news about the free counselling, sounds like the company is happy with you and wants to help, and that makes a big difference.

I have always carried a notebook with me and every week or so I take myself out for a cup of coffee just to think and write - it really helps me.

If you like writing then a cognitive approach might suit you, I have not read it but Wayne Froggat's "Choose to be happy"might be a good book to look at if you haven't already.

best

peter

if we approach our life like
those ppl who have an interest in themselves, like fitness freaks and yoga candidates and things of this nature, we seem to have the upper hand in self management, as we are incharge of ourself!
We are responsible for ourselves.

Amongst my self interests,
self realization became of interest to me,
which took me into such places as the Himalayas, North-East of Delhi, India
where i learnt pranayama and added to my knowledge,
'how our simple breathing can regulate our inner experiences in Life'.

As an example,
I had depression many years ago and found that I had sunk right down inside myself
and was unable to venture-outwards from such depth.
When my life-energy arose in me one day,
my memory furnished me the old breathing technigues i had learnt earlier on in my life....
and I was able to put into practice that which i never ever thought i would ever need,
but could see at the time,
that Others needed it

It was like a flash,
when my mind delivered the direction to 'use your breath',
and it was like, for a moment, TIME stood still, as the inhalation was yanked to the bottom of my GUT!
It became a weird moment of slower than life motion.
Having this appearing to me in slow-motion,
I was able to 'fill myself up' more conciously with the intake of air, and at the crest of that wave,
I slowly pursed my lips and allowed the air to escape gradually through the long-flowing exhalation
where upon i saw....a 'slight flicker' an heard a slight-click within me
and then the whole room filled with a pinkish hue colour.
( I am not certain if i was on anti-depressants at the time)
Immediately this happened to me,
I was no longer concerned about the RUSH I was having,
the anxiety became less when the Air pumped down into me and time stood still,
but upon the 'pink happening' I felt as though something magical happened
and i was floating in love within my own dining room; the Family was about me.

When you go for Councilling,
try to look at the occaision as self-developement and spiritual-awakening.
This attitude will serve you well.

Taking an interest in ones inner-workings
is a great way of developing your own self-healing technigues that you yourself have created,
having seen how LIFEWORKS with in you.

One first starts, by being interested.

Attitude is good to have,
even a bad attitude can be healing as we really do need to express our feelings.
But, never try to fixate your feelings on another person.
Thats karmic.

Dear Suems

Good on you girl, you go for the EAPS I did to help my anxiety attacks and I am working now on a casual basis.

The fear doesn't go away but like Peter and Alfio have pointed out so articulately, their experiences you can become master of your own thoughts.

It was a revelation to me Sue that we actually DO choose our own thoughts and they cannot just invade our psyches, we do have control, and like Alfio has learned in his training, "The man who controls his breathing controls his world". I think that is a quote from the Dalai Lama or someone equally as wise but its true.

The very best of luck and I will pray for you as well. (prayers help me)

Love Martinexx