i'm very sorry to hear you're having such a difficult time. i, too, am closing in on my 6th decade,and i wonder if it will get better. i hope that your doctor understands the concerns you have with your meds & offers alternatives. zoloft appears to have worked for some, but others, like yourself, have intolerable side effects. as far as your attacks,i've tried just about everything...walking,counting,talking out loud...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. worth a shot, anyway. let me know how your day plays out.