Hello All,

I really want to help my wife out.
Currently we are moving so she has been stressed, and she says that she's been feeling like a panic attack will come one soon.
I usually can help calm her down, but I thought I would see if anyone else had good ideas on how to help

It's been almost 7 years since she's actually had an attack, mainly because she has been taking Zoloft.
Well, about 6 or 7 months ago, she stopped taking Zoloft. I don't think on purpose at first, but then she started getting scared of swallowing pills, even little ones.
We have tried breaking them up, but does no good.
So she has a fear of choking on everything. She eats very slowly which is not a big deal with me, I would wait to the World's end for her.
I just feel so helpless sometimes, especially when I'm at work, because physically being there really helps her out.
I am hoping once we move, that it will lift and she can go back to feeling normal.
I have never had experience with this sort of thing. I don't get stressed easy, and have never had the thoughts she has.
She says her tongue will feel tingly, and jaw feels funny. So then she starts thinking she will swallow her tongue, choke and die.

We went to the hospital, and they helped by showing her how to breathe in a paper bag which helps the anxiety calm down.
They said when you start breathing fast, you inhale to much oxygen and don't exhale enough Carbon Dioxide or something like that.
They said when you breathe in a bag, you inhale more Carbon Dioxide instead of Oxygen which helps the body become stable.

Medication in the forms of pills is out of the question. I haven't been able to find anything in liquid form yet for a Zoloft substitute.
I would like to find a more permanent solution, like partial hypnosis or something, but I have no idea if she will even want to.

Thanks,
A worried Husband

 

 

 

Reply

i was thinking of the paper bag trick myself (having just watched a DVD of STUCK ON YOU where matt damon's character experiences anxiety and panic attacks too), but i see that it has already been recommended by the hospital and tried by your wife. i would think that that is the most accessible and readily available non-medication option, so keep a paper bag handy everytime, everywhere.

since you have already been to the hospital, perhaps it would be better to see a specialist to deal with the problem and have the proper medication prescribed. it's hard to be self-medicating since there could be adverse effects. better to have a medical professional handle things when it comes to medicines. hypnosis could work since it could be just a matter of psychological reaction which she experiences when she feels under a lot of stress, so hypnotic conditioning can help. maybe talk to a hypnotherapist first to know the details of the process, then discuss the option afterwards with your wife if she can be amenable to such a procedure. it's not that scary as it is not invasive (at least physically) anyway.

 

 

 

Reply

Hypnosis will only work for a short period of time, but if you feel like it will work for the time needed, then go for it.
As her husband you need to understand that sometimes being a women isn't easy. We suffer from PMS and a bunch of other crap that isn't pleasant. If she needs something done, then offer to do it for her. Just give your all to help her stay calm. and if she does have a panic attack, just hold her and tell her nice things, don't talk about anything stressful and stroke her hair, eventually she'll calm down.

Reply

As one who used to suffer from anxiety disorder and panic attacks, I can assure you that most of this is Psycho-somatic, or self-imposed, brought on her own fearful "beliefs" that she will choke on pills or have another attack. I think it is best for her to see a therapist about the root causes of these fearful beliefs so she can get rid of them once and for all.

Medicine may not be the answer for her at all, she may just need to come to terms with something that seems totally unrelated to pills. I think the paper bag thing, although well intended will continue to feed these fears she is having, however, I know how horrible panic attacks feel, and the best advice I can give is listed above. Just don't try to do everything yourself, seek out a really good therapist for her, if she isn't already seeing someone who is helpful about these matters:)

Reply

For people that cannot swallow pills, what my family does is they hide it in food, such as a spoonful of whipped cream. I think whipped cream works the best, and it's the easiest to position the pills. Other foods that work as well include apple sauce, yogurt and pudding. A more advanced technique is to chew up a cracker or pretzel, and right before you are ready to swallow, toss a pill in, and swallow the whole shebang.

As for her anxiety, you can never cuddle and hold her enough.

Reply