josie, i went to the panic site and tried to register, but couldnt get the register page up,,, this is a wonderful site and reading the posts have helped me very much, i and understand where we are all coming from,,,, thanks for all the good advice and encourgment

Tutti, I have been having Anxiety attacks since I was 19. I quit a different drug then. After 9 mores years of these attacks I have learned how to cope with them. Then just recently I started having extreme ones again. I gave up smoking this time. I was looking all over the internet for support and answers to my problem then one day I read something that made me go hmmmm "Ask yourself which came first the anxiety or addiction?" Before, the only thing that could calm me from a panic attack was a cigarette. So after I gave up cigarettes the Nicotine receptors in my mind tried to use the thing I was most afraid of, "ANXIETY". Needless to say the severities of the panic attackes have subsided. Every time I feel a little anxious I go wrestle my dog, paint my nails, or harass my husband. These all help me tremendously. You will have to find something that helps you. Anytime you need some support please let me know. And ask your self "Which came first the ANXIETY or the ADDICTION". APRIL ;) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/15/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 13 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 276 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $58.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 10 [B]Seconds:[/B] 41

Hey Nonic, I think it's great that you're seeing a psychologist for your anxiety. Anxiety attacks and full blown panic attacks are an absolute nightmare. They can be so debilitating. Don't fear your doctor but do make sure that he doesn't impede with your quit. You've gained a lot of strength through your quit. How do mean he's acting as a coach for you on your quit? Do you remember your post about "the one in control of time controls the mind?" Remember to time your anxiety attacks. That technique really has helped me so many times. Oh, and when I drive to town, that's when I tend to have a panic attack so, I time how long it takes to get to town. LOL Phew, God help me if my watch stops. HA HA HA HA HA LMAO!! Keep in touch with me, Nonic. Okay? I absolutely hate it for anyone to suffer these attacks. Keep talking about them. Stay Strong with Me!! Hugs, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 18 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 842 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $54 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 34 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27

Hey KiwiKeith, Hot Dog!! This is great news!! I'm so happy to hear that you're feeling better. I know how anxiety can play those mind games on you too. The stronger you get, and you WILL get stronger, the more confident you will become. Then....no more anxiety. Stay in touch, okay? I really do care and want you to keep going strong. This is really great news. Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 18 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 840 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $54 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 41

Many of us who have quit are suffering from anxiety/panic attacks. I have had anxiety/panic attacks in the past and pretty severe ones at that. Both forms of attacks have been under control for a long time now. But, now that I've quit, I've been experiencing anxiety attacks, not panic but anxiety, since Day 3 of my quit. I will get the tightness and a burning sensation in my chest and shortness of breath. I know what that it is anxiety because I've felt it way too many times in the past. I feel that changing my lifestyle by my Quit has triggered my anxiety. What I do want to know is this a common symptom of withdrawing from nicotine whether it be a, physical or psychological withdrawal? I will NOT smoke. I don't want 'em and don't need 'em. But I sure wish this anxiety would come to an end and so do a lot of members on this site. Smoking won't make the anxiety attacks go away so I'm wondering the attacks are something that will subside in time. Thanks A Bunch, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 10 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 484 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $30 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 14

Kiwi, I hope you're following this thread. There's some good information posted so far and I'm sure we'll get more posts as well. Kiwi, did you have anxiety attacks before you started smoking? It sounds like they're something that has happened since you're quit but let us know. Okay? I've added your name to my buddy list on IM. Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 11 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 527 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $33 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 50 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

Great post Serenity!! You have great coping skills and we all need to write them down, and any others that come in, so we have a powerful arsenal. You're so right!!!...A panic attack is NOT pleasant. In fact, they're horrible!!! In my case, when I have anxiety without going into a panic attack, this is what happens: Shortness of breath, tightness in my chest, the feeling that I need to breath fast (makes the attack worse!), very hot, and I can even feel a burning sensation in my chest, back, arms, and legs. Not pretty but, the Panic Attack is even worse!! Panic attack: A sudden feeling of doom, absolutely panic stricken for some unknown reason, if I'm driving to town..I feel that I must rush to get back home to my safe haven, I get extremely hot and sweaty, faint, weak, very tight chest and labored breathing, and even some confusion sets in. My coping skills....(Took a while to learn these but they really have helped me tremendously) When I feel an anxiety attack/panic attack coming: 1. Tell myself what's happening and I'm NOT going to die. 2. Inhale slow and deep through my nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. 3. Repeat my name, when I was born, where I was born, when I married, who I married, the names of my children, all birthdates. I have to keep my mind thinking rather than focusing on the attack. 4. I have to cool off. Turn the a/c vents towards my face while in the car or splash cold water on my face if I'm at home. 5. Literally get mad and curse at the panic or anxiety attack. That makes me feel stronger and it releases the pressure I'm feeling inside. 6. Music, music, music....I make sure that there's music playing in my car as soon as I get in it. 7. Always have a cell phone with you. I know, most people do but put a loved one on your speed dial list. (The one you're most comfortable talking to about the attacks) Just knowing that person is a button away and is aware of WHERE you are and WHAT is going on, is a comfort and will start to calm you down. 8. Most SEVERE panic attacks last about 15 minutes or less so I time mine. When 5 minutes has passed, I start to gradually settle down. I get that feeling that I'm home free now. Safe. I'm going to make some phone calls and get more information that we can

There are many members who have contacted me, hoping to see this thread continue on for a while. Changing, your post is excellent and very informative. We can all exchange our personal coping techniques with eachother. That would be great. It is the truth that nicotine is a stimulant and actually makes anxiety/panic attacks worse. I spoke with a friend last night and she gave me that same information and I studied online last night. Caffeine is a stimulant as well. From what I studied last night, while smoking the nicotine may seem as if it's relaxing you but, it is actually making anxiety worse. After speaking with my friend last night, several studies I found on the Internet also indicated that nicotine may in fact CAUSE anxiety/panic attacks in patients who never had suffered from them before. Where I'm still a little blurry, since this is a new study for me, is why the anxiety/panic attacks can return when we Quit smoking. In other words, nicotine can cause the disorder to begin with yet, we can have more trouble when we quit. Hopefully, the panic/anxiety/depression will be corrected since we have quit. April asked a good question in her post. Did you suffer from anxiety attacks first or were you addicted to nicotine first? After studying, I can clearly see why she asked that question. It's a very good question. Myself, I was addicted to nicotine for 10 years before I ever had the first anxiety or panic attack. Did the nicotine cause the addiction or was there an underlying panic disorder that came to the surface? It's worth looking into because Kiwi is right, anxiety will kick your butt. We've quit smoking and I'm thrilled about that and very committed to my quit. I'll be damned if anxiety/panic attacks are going to debilitate us. I do not want to see one of us who suffers from anxiety, to slip back into smoking in hopes that it will relieve our anxiety. It won't. Answers to questions about our anxiety will help us. Please, share you coping skills. Your coping skills may help someone else. If your anxiety/panic is interfering with your ability to drive, work, leave the house, or function in some other way, please talk to your doctor. That's a must and there's no shame it. This is an illness like any other and it must be

The information below was sent to me by a friend who has been studying anxiety/panic attacks. My friend has also suffered from this disorder and was a smoker who is now a NON SMOKER: Just to let everyone know the anxiety you have been feeling for years may be caused by something you never would have suspected. Finally I came across something that rocked my world�Nicotine has been known to cause anxiety. You sit there and think I have had anxiety for years and smoking always helped me with a �Panic Attack�. Ok it used to help me too however I found myself thinking �which came first the anxiety or the addiction�. I know I smoked at least 6 years before my first Panic attack. After my first attack however I picked up a cigarette and it helped calm me down (Why I don�t know). After years of anxiety and smoking, my mind just associated smoking with anxiety (a little treat). I was rewarding myself for having an anxiety attack with a cigarette. How the nicotine receptors loved that. After I quit smoking I was having some of the worst anxiety ever. I wanted to cry, scream, yell, and curse. I was blaming myself the whole time. Thinking what is wrong with me? After three extreme days I decided to go online and find myself a cure. What I found was even more important than a cure it was the answer to my problem. What I found out is the Nicotine COULD be the cause of all my anxiety. They have found that Nicotine blocks a chemical receptor in the brain called a Nicotinic Receptor (I am not making this up). These receptors cause several reactions in the body. They are responsible for the release of many chemicals in the body that are connected with certain emotions. So now I think �Hey this anxiety isn�t my fault.� When I do feel a panic attack coming I just get angry and curse at the tobacco companies for doing this to me. How dare they not inform me more about the effects of nicotine. If you don�t believe me there are plenty of studies online that will correlate the two. Type in "Nicotine cause of Anxiety" into Google and you will get plenty of hits. So next time when you get anxious just remember this, the nicotine receptors in your brain now want their reward. They are using the thing that scares people (causing th

KiwiKeith, Anxiety/Depression/Panic is a strange thing and effects people in so many different ways. Some people will just break out in a rash without that terrible feeling of anxiety. If I were you though, I would get a second opinion if for no other reason than to give you that peace of mind. I think your doctor is probably right but, there's no better medicine than peace of mind if you're at all in doubt. The thing to remember too for you, so that you won't become worried, is that your chest x-ray is clear. You have a clean bill of health there and that's wonderful. Do you feel the shortness of breath/tightness in the chest at any other time besides those three that you listed? (Driving, walking down the street, and watching TV) I'm really curious about that because Driving is mainly when I'll have an attack. I won't have an attack while driving as long as someone is with me and that someone has to be a person that I completely trust and feel comfortable talking to. See, when I go to town alone, I'll think about having an anxiety or panic attack while I'm walking out to the car. So, I've got that dread already there. I've sort of jinxed myself in a sense. Now that I'm on medication, I'll feel real nervous about going to town alone but, I won't have an attack. Thank God. Another time that I'll have an attack is walking down the street. Again, if I have someone with me that I trust, the attack won't happen and I won't even think about it. But, if I'm alone, I tend to have an attack. The difference is, I DO feel the attacks coming. Whether it's anxiety alone or a full blown panic attack, I feel it coming. I believe in both cases, whether it's driving or walking down the street, FOR ME it's not so much a fear of people as it is that feeling of being closed in......stuck in the mob of cars or people with no way to get to an escape route. I never have an attack while watching TV. Well, I do feel anxiety NOW....now that I've Quit smoking. But, that has eased off a lot over the last two days since I've given up caffeine. I use to sing with a band and never felt anxious AFTER I was up on stage. I felt anxious before I walked up on stage. In fact, I thought someone would have to drag my skinny butt up there a lot of times. ha