Question:
: EXCELLENT post, Arthur. : : As you said, I read in a panic disorder tome once where a man with PD : who, earlier in his life, was among the soldiers landing at "Omaha : Beach" (the Normandy invasion in WW II), said that the level of fear he : experienced in a full-blown PA far outweighed his fear at Normandy. : Amazing! He said, that given the choice, he would choose to have to : re-experience (is that a word?) the invasion over and over again. He : stated that at least at Normandy, one ‘knew’ why one was terrified. Yes. It can be difficult to convince allot of people how truly severe a panic attack can be. So many people have been conditioned by highly dramatized and fictional depictions of heroism that PD seems mythical in comparrison. After all, it’s just more comforting for people to imagine themselves as Rambo than to identify with a real war veteran writhing in horror in the safety of their home. The reality of PD is simply something that many people would prefer to ignore. Best Wishes, Arthur
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: : Muchisimas gracias amigo! No problem amigo! 
Best Wishes, Arturo
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I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear? I don’t know how to describe this except that the person who did this to me is a person I corresponded to from here.
I’m sorry to hear of your experience. We like to think that this newsgroup is a safe forum, but the reality is that it is comprised of human beings (and an occasional bot) and human beings are by nature not perfect. But overall the intention here is to seek help, give help and receive help. As is the case in 12 Step program meeting rooms, we ain’t the healthiest people in the world. We will fail ourselves and others at times. What is important however is that we try and try again. So I will say to you what they say in the 12 Step rooms. Keep coming back. Take what you like and leave the rest. Mary
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I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear?
Yeah, unfortunately…*sigh*…have had this thing thrown back in my face a time or two by the 2 closest people in the world to me. Thank heavens that was long ago and they now understand just how REAL this is. As for others that have done that – well, it is odd, I have developed a VERY thick skin about who I let get very close to me over the past decade. Had to do alot of learning and accepting that things may be forever changed for me. Meet alot of people but very few that I would call a *friend*. And this isn’t just limitted to the PD, if anything – it kinda taught me about people. It could have just as easily been anything else – like MS or diabetes – that interfered with expectations people put on *friendships* (that I don’t see as such now). What I an TRYING to say is – anyone that does anything with the intent to hurt you isn’t a friend, in my book. Hurt in a friendship happens accidentally. Gwen
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I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear? I don’t know how to describe this except that the person who did this to me is a person I corresponded to from here. I have got this thing so bad that the attacks have reached a point of being like a seizure to which I have no control but to let the panic attack do its damage and hope to wake out of it alive. I don’t even know why I’m writing except that I don’t do cruel things to people and make them for guilty for having them. Its sort of like a friend is a friend until you have a panic attack and can’t just be fine the next second. Maybe theres nothing to say. I guess I just vent my dissappointment.
I don’t blame you for wanting to vent. I find it pretty despicable that someone from here would turn your anxieties against you. One *assumes* that everyone here has an anxiety problem of their own, anyway – surely? Try to pay as little attention as possible. The world, sadly, is filled with a multitude of types – some of whom are just plain rotten. Fortunately, most aren’t. — Gary Cooper
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There are people out there that think they understand PD, but really do not. Some Useful Facts: 1) Troops who have experienced wartime combat situations and years later developed panic disorder have described panic attacks as *worse* than facing death in combat.
More wonderful facts sniped. Arthur!!!! I love it!!!! I am going to copy this and frame it, and also shirnk it and carry it in my wallet to show to whoever tells me "Oh…I get scared too" grrrrrrrr Muchisimas gracias amigo!
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: I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could : trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have : it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt : you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear? I don’t : know how to describe this except that the person who did this to me is a person : I corresponded to from here. What kind of idiot from here could possibly use your pd against you. Not asking you to name names, but logically if they are from here, the last thing that they could use against you is pd. CW
Response:
I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear? I don’t know how to describe this except that the person who did this to me is a person I corresponded to from here. I have got this thing so bad that the attacks have reached a point of being like a seizure to which I have no control but to let the panic attack do its damage and hope to wake out of it alive. I don’t even know why I’m writing except that I don’t do cruel things to people and make them for guilty for having them. Its sort of like a friend is a friend until you have a panic attack and can’t just be fine the next second. Maybe theres nothing to say. I guess I just vent my dissappointment.
Unfortunately, I feel it’s all too common for some ppl to "use" other ppls missfortune to their own gain. Of course their "gain" may not be obvious, but it’s likely due to some inner weakness. They mistakenly feel that they compare themselves to someone that they "beat" they somehow feel stronger, but then they always get "beat" by someone stronger than them, and have to resort to such tactics again to "feel" better. Unfortunately, all too often this other person that "beat" them was actually within their own minds (ie their internal parent). Much of my fear of ppl is due to the "aggressive" sort, that at the first sign of weakness zeros in, because these are the ppl they feel they can "beat". And I don’t hold up to aggression well. I suppose the only thing that is possible, is to realize that what they do is DUE to weakness on their part, and try and get past it as quickly as possible. And besides this, try and surround yourself with more supportive types (but don’t try too hard to avoid the aggressive ones…cause then your living in fear like me). One "trick" I have learned in dealing with them tho, is to try and not "show" how much they hurt you. Instead talk to someone who is supportive about it. And don’t forget…there are alot of understanding "friends" on here and in the world…so don’t give up hope. Your (new) friend Frank
Response:
I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear? I don’t know how to describe this except that the person who did this to me is a person I corresponded to from here. I have got this thing so bad that the attacks have reached a point of being like a seizure to which I have no control but to let the panic attack do its damage and hope to wake out of it alive. I don’t even know why I’m writing except that I don’t do cruel things to people and make them for guilty for having them. Its sort of like a friend is a friend until you have a panic attack and can’t just be fine the next second. Maybe theres nothing to say. I guess I just vent my dissappointment.
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: I was just wondering if anyone has ever had someone they thought they could : trust in regards to panic disorder ( which as all of you know who really have : it is a dibilitating and terrifying condition) ever use this condition to hurt : you and throw it in your face and set you back with even greater fear? I don’t : know how to describe this except that the person who did this to me is a person : I corresponded to from here. I have got this thing so bad that the attacks : have reached a point of being like a seizure to which I have no control but to : let the panic attack do its damage and hope to wake out of it alive. I don’t : even know why I’m writing except that I don’t do cruel things to people and : make them for guilty for having them. Its sort of like a friend is a friend : until you have a panic attack and can’t just be fine the next second. Maybe : theres nothing to say. I guess I just vent my dissappointment. There are people out there that think they understand PD, but really do not. It is no exaggeration to use words like "horror" and "terror" when describing such attacks, and they surly can be overwhelming. Some Useful Facts: 1) Troops who have experienced wartime combat situations and years later developed panic disorder have described panic attacks as *worse* than facing death in combat. As someone who has faced death myself in different situations, I know damn well that panic attacks can be worse than facing death. 2) The suicide rate for panic disorder is higher than the suicide rate for clinical depression; demonstrating that many people would rather die than spend their life suffering from panic attacks. 3) Despite psychological screening, the military has learned that even the bravest of people have limited endurance for tollerating prolonged exposure to fear. As a result, military research is exploring the application of medications (like benzodiazepines) to deal with prolonged fear. 4) Chemicals naturally produced by the body (especially CCK4) have been shown to induce panic in *anyone*. Clearly, certain forms of panic disorder have a biological basis (are medical problems) and are NOT an issue of cowardice, weakness, or poor psychological character. 5) Severe panic attacks *can* cause a person to faint or become temporarily paralyzed. Attacks can last hours or even days in severe cases, and the disorder can last years if not appropriatly treated. Anyone who doubts the potential severity of anxiety and panic disorders should be made aware of the above facts. Any humane person would have to agree that no one should be expected to simply tollerate panic disorder. Best Wishes, Arthur
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