Panic attack followed by acute depression.

[giddyup]

Woke up a few days ago with a panic/anxiety attack. This eventually passed but what followed is severe depression. I might mention that I am now 79, so age may well be a contributing factor. Obviously a visit to see a doctor at Bkk/Pattaya hospital is in order, but am curious as to how the doctor will know which antidepressants to prescribe, if needed, as there seems like there's a lot of choices. Would like to know others experiences with antidepressants.

[Bluespunk]

Not sure about anti depressants but I used to get depressed after a heavy nights drinking. I quit alcohol and have been fine since. However that’s just me, other factors may effect others. 
 

Good luck with hospital visit and hope you are able to recover your old self. 

[shocky2012]

I'm 33 and been having anxiety/panic attack since I was 16. At first i was only having Tachycardia (fast heartbeat) but in July 2014 I've started having arrhythmia (heartskips, heart pausing, etc..) and went to a cardiologist in Chiang Mai that told me it was only benign PAC/PVCs.

Ever since I'm kinda always fixated on my heart and everytime I'm going outside (I have social anxiety) I sweat and my heart skips while my blood pressure skyrise. It's extremely annoying and made me stop a lot of things that I loved to do (Muay Thai, hiking, etc..) And to make matter worst my father unexpectedly dropped dead in 2018 from heart failure.

I personally don't want to touch antidepressants since I know a few people that had bad experiences with it but I highly suggest you try psychotherapy first to try to identify what's causing your anxiety. Sometimes opening up and letting go of how we feel to someone really helps feeling better.

Best of luck. Anxiety/depression really sucks and people that aren't going through it tend to not understand what were going through (and I don't blame them - even I feel lost at time don't really know what's going on).

Edited October 30, 2021 by shocky2012

[Moonlover]

A few days of walking in the fresh air is probably more in order than medication.

[freedomnow]

10 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Not sure about anti depressants but I used to get depressed after a heavy nights drinking. I quit alcohol and have been fine since.

Yeah man, that Thai beer - worst after-effects in the world for some reason.

If a person is an alkie or prone to depression...watch out for domestic Thai beer specifically....yes generally you get hangovers with alcohol but that Thai beer...ooooooooof.

 

Good luck to OP getting professional help asap.

[RJRS1301]

10 minutes ago, shocky2012 said:

I'm 33 and been having anxiety/panic attack since I was 16. At first i was only having Tachycardia (fast heartbeat) but in July 2014 I've started having arrhythmia (heartskips, heart pausing, etc..) and went to a cardiologist in Chiang Mai that told me it was only benign PAC/PVCs.

Ever since I'm kinda always fixated on my heart and everytime I'm going outside (I have social anxiety) I sweat and my heart skips while my blood pressure skyrise. It's extremely annoying and made me stop a lot of things that I loved to do (Muay Thai, hiking, etc..) And to make matter worst my father unexpectedly dropped dead in 2018 from heart failure.

I personally don't want to touch antidepressants since I know a few people that had bad experiences with it but I highly suggest you try psychotherapy first to try to identify what's causing your anxiety. Sometimes opening up and letting go of how we feel to someone really helps feeling better.

Best of luck. Anxiety/depression really sucks and people that aren't going through it tend to not understand what were going through (and I don't blame them - even I feel lost at time don't really know what's going on).

did you follow through with psychotherapy?

A good supportive network of empathetic folks is a safe guard, contact them when you need to calm self and come back to a liveable reality

exercise also can assist

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

A few days of walking in the fresh air is probably more in order than medication.

Ah! The answer to all that ails us.

[RJRS1301]

Sheryl may read this and be able to recommend a psycho-geriatrician who may be able to assist you working matters through.

Do have a supportive network of empathetic people around you?

Organisations also can do online consultations, Samaritans may be able to refer you to such an organisation.

Blackdog Institute  is one which comes to mind, based in Australia, but online support can assist.

https://onlineclinic.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

 

 

  

Edited October 30, 2021 by RJRS1301

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

@giddyupSorry to hear about what youre going thru.

 

I'm 51 but suffered a nasty clinical depression when I was 26/27.  At that time the doc gave me Zoloft, an SSRI drug (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor - whatever the fnck that means...)  For me the drug worked wonders. I couldn't believe how good I started to feel - after about 8 weeks on the pills (plus intensive counseling therapy sessions).

 

However, there were side effects ranging from trouble sleeping to.... not being able to come!  Talk about cruel. Doctor switched me to Wellbutrin but that drug induced extreme rage, so I stopped immediately and went back to Zoloft.  Went off Zoloft after a few years and haven't taken it since. Mind you, I haven't fallen into clinical depression since then. My guess is antidepressant drugs have likely changed since 1997. 

 

Depression is a strange beast. How much is precooked into our brains and how much is a result of our thinking patterns I've never been able to figure out.  And our thinking patterns can be affected by grief, loss, physical ailments, a whole host of externals.

 

I encourage you to seek help from someone you trust. Best wishes,

[scorecard]

16 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

did you follow through with psychotherapy?

A good supportive network of empathetic folks is a safe guard, contact them when you need to calm self and come back to a liveable reality

exercise also can assist

Agree with exercise, especially walking, because it gets you out of the house.

 

I read years ago that for people with depression/anxiety, should never stay inside with the curtains and blinds and doors closed closed causes further damage.

 

Outside, and plenty of light and natural sounds coming in when inside, seeing movement outside is helpful. 

[RJRS1301]

7 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Agree with exercise, especially walking, because it gets you out of the house.

 

I read years ago that for people with depression/anxiety, should never stay inside with the curtains and blinds and doors closed closed causes further damage.

 

Outside, and plenty of light and natural sounds coming in when inside, seeing movement outside is helpful. 

Vitamin K is from sunshine , converted by the body to Vit D and affects good bone health and also mental health, the physical exercise also helps keep the muscles active, which stimulates other hormones and things

Stimulation by outside views, and the possibility of the chance conversation with other walkers

Edited October 30, 2021 by RJRS1301

[MRToMRT]

Get your heart checked, it may not be a panic attack.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Woke up a few days ago with a panic/anxiety attack. This eventually passed but what followed is severe depression. I might mention that I am now 79, so age may well be a contributing factor. Obviously a visit to see a doctor at Bkk/Pattaya hospital is in order, but am curious as to how the doctor will know which antidepressants to prescribe, if needed, as there seems like there's a lot of choices. Would like to know others experiences with antidepressants.

Do you drink coffee or smoke?

 

If so, stop it.  Secondly, exercise rather than taking pills, especially at that age. 

 

I thought I was depressed one, a friend said try running 4 km 3 times a week before going to the doc, and cut down smoking and cigs. I did all 3 and haven't seen the doc yet. 

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Do you drink coffee or smoke?

 

If so, stop it.  Secondly, exercise rather than taking pills, especially at that age. 

 

I thought I was depressed one, a friend said try running 4 km 3 times a week before going to the doc, and cut down smoking and cigs. I did all 3 and haven't seen the doc yet. 

Haven't smoked for years, one cup of coffee with breakfast, enjoy one glass of red wine a day, walk the dog twice a day.

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Haven't smoked for years, one cup of coffee with breakfast, enjoy one glass of red wine a day, walk the dog twice a day.

Even that 1 a day for me made me more susceptible to anxiety. 

 

Another great way to prevent depression is swimming. 

[Bruno123]

 

scorecard is right to a certain extent. Some older people tend to get stuck in their ways; but those ways aren't necessarily good for them. 

To feel good certain things need to happen. When you climb a mountain and get to the top of it; all kinds of things are happening and together, they make you feel good.

You need to do the kinds of things that allow you to change your physiology and your mindset. But I have noted that you are very set in your ways. They are like fears, of which you are reluctant to let go. We need to relax you out of them. Then you will begin to feel better. 

Imagine you are doing a parachute jump for the first time. How would your mind and body be reacting? Now imagine you have done 1000 parachutes jumps; completely different mindset.

You need to do and to continue to pursue things that allow you to change your mindset and physiology. Don't allow age to enter into the equation. Any limitations you put on yourself will only hinder your progress.

It's another reason why I always push the older guys here to keep learning and improving; rather than thinking that they know it and have done it and don't have to do anything more.. The less they do; the less they are able to do. They get grumpier and less capable. When they should really be taking advantage of their free time to focus on mind and body.

 

Sorry if it seems personal; but these things are fundamental. If you act like an old person; you will be like an old person. 

Personally, I have family much older than you, who are still climbing ten metres up trees in their garden to trim branches. 

I read about the guys who are afraid of the soi dogs and afraid of this and that. All these are crippling. They blame everyone else, but they don't realise that it is they who are creating their world.

Another person walking the same path might have a completely different experience.

 

So I would advise that you find other ways to relax your mind and body rather than taking man made anti-depressants. Cycling, swimming(or at least playing around in the water, regaining some flexibility), eating, hydrating, sleeping..

If you just do the same thing every day; you won't feel any different. You have to DO something different in order to feel differently. Don't live just inside your head. Real life is interacting with nature.

Make friends with a soi dog ????

 

 

 

 

 

[HeijoshinCool]

.

 

One of these sometimes is quite helpful, just have to be sure and get the right one. Look for an older, laid-back, easy-going mutt.

 

The two brown ones are calm as cotton balls. Mine, the black and white one, is a sidewinder missile looking for a target, but is extraordinarily affectionate and obedient.

 

 

 

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, Bruno123 said:

 

scorecard is right to a certain extent. Some older people tend to get stuck in their ways; but those ways aren't necessarily good for them. 

To feel good certain things need to happen. When you climb a mountain and get to the top of it; all kinds of things are happening and together, they make you feel good.

You need to do the kinds of things that allow you to change your physiology and your mindset. But I have noted that you are very set in your ways. They are like fears, of which you are reluctant to let go. We need to relax you out of them. Then you will begin to feel better. 

Imagine you are doing a parachute jump for the first time. How would your mind and body be reacting? Now imagine you have done 1000 parachutes jumps; completely different mindset.

You need to do and to continue to pursue things that allow you to change your mindset and physiology. Don't allow age to enter into the equation. Any limitations you put on yourself will only hinder your progress.

It's another reason why I always push the older guys here to keep learning and improving; rather than thinking that they know it and have done it and don't have to do anything more.. The less they do; the less they are able to do. They get grumpier and less capable. When they should really be taking advantage of their free time to focus on mind and body.

 

Sorry if it seems personal; but these things are fundamental. If you act like an old person; you will be like an old person. 

Personally, I have family much older than you, who are still climbing ten metres up trees in their garden to trim branches. 

I read about the guys who are afraid of the soi dogs and afraid of this and that. All these are crippling. They blame everyone else, but they don't realise that it is they who are creating their world.

Another person walking the same path might have a completely different experience.

 

So I would advise that you find other ways to relax your mind and body rather than taking man made anti-depressants. Cycling, swimming(or at least playing around in the water, regaining some flexibility), eating, hydrating, sleeping..

If you just do the same thing every day; you won't feel any different. You have to DO something different in order to feel differently. Don't live just inside your head. Real life is interacting with nature.

Make friends with a soi dog ????

 

 

 

 

 

What leads you to believe I'm set in my ways, because I walk the dog and have a cup of coffee everyday? I haven't resorted to medication yet and I may try a natural remedy like St John's wort before I do. Comparing what your relatives do to others is meaningless, there's no one size fits all. I'm relatively healthy at 79, others less so, some already dead.

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

One of these sometimes is quite helpful, just have to be sure and get the right one. Look for an older, laid-back, easy-going mutt.

 

The two brown ones are calm as cotton balls. Mine, the black and white one, is a sidewinder missile looking for a target, but is extraordinarily affectionate and obedient.

 

 

 

Thought i already mentioned I walk my dog twice a day.

[scubascuba3]

56 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Haven't smoked for years, one cup of coffee with breakfast, enjoy one glass of red wine a day, walk the dog twice a day.

What's causing the anxiety, panic attacks and depression?

[giddyup]

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

What's causing the anxiety, panic attacks and depression?

It's a mystery, a chemical imbalance perhaps?

[The Hammer2021]

40 minutes ago, giddyup said:

What leads you to believe I'm set in my ways, because I walk the dog and have a cup of coffee everyday? I haven't resorted to medication yet and I may try a natural remedy like St John's wort before I do. Comparing what your relatives do to others is meaningless, there's no one size fits all. I'm relatively healthy at 79, others less so, some already dead.

St John's Wort has many side effects. Just because it's 'natural' does not mean it's not dangerous.

[giddyup]

Just now, The Hammer2021 said:

St John's Wort has many side effects. Just because it's 'natural' does not mean it's not dangerous.

Compared to the man-made medications?

[scubascuba3]

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

It's a mystery, a chemical imbalance perhaps?

Possible but sometimes you can lose track what's causing it, money worries, wife worries, friend worries, jaded, try and work it out what it could be.

 

A friend of mine had a mid life crisis, a very relaxed laid back guy, hit him hard from nowhere, i recall he wasn't getting enough serotonin, dr gave him meds for it and he got back to normal then weaned himself off

[Bruno123]

28 minutes ago, giddyup said:

What leads you to believe I'm set in my ways, because I walk the dog and have a cup of coffee everyday? I haven't resorted to medication yet and I may try a natural remedy like St John's wort before I do. Comparing what your relatives do to others is meaningless, there's no one size fits all. I'm relatively healthy at 79, others less so, some already dead.

 

I don't want to get into why I think that. I just think that you should listen to the general advice here to allow a change in your physiology. 

It isn't a meaningless comparison. 

Healthy is also relative. Is the pumped up guy who looks strong on the outside healthier than the slim and mildly muscular guy whose mind and body works in concert to make every day positive and buoyant?

Do you see yourself as a strong oak tree that never bends, but eventually breaks when a strong enough wind comes along or a more flexible variety that can flex with the changing conditions?

Your quality of life is relative to what you know and expect. But what if it could be much better? You won't know because your mind is closed to it or you have never experienced it. You are creating the panic attack without realising it. 

I see it in people around me all the time; I can help and coach people close to me to allow their minds and subsequently their bodies to understand that they can fix these things if they allow themselves to do the things they need to fix it.

Most people are resistant to that, as they just prefer to do what they think they know....compounding the issue.

Sometimes you just need a good kick up the butt. ???? But if you never allow anyone to do so...

 

It's your world. Change it or keep it as it is. Up to you. Don't be afraid to do it differently. Allow yourself to become more flexible and capable. But for that, you need to allow yourself to relax and to look inside yourself to fix what is wrong. If you don't ever learn how to do that; you aren't really living, but merely existing.

 

[The Hammer2021]

18 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Compared to the man-made medications?

There is no difference. eg Opium is natural but can kill you.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/st-johns-wort-can-cause-serious-side-effects/

Edited October 30, 2021 by The Hammer2021

[Bruno123]

15 minutes ago, giddyup said:

It's a mystery, a chemical imbalance perhaps?

Of course that is just one aspect. 

When I was doing athletic stuff, I got used to being at the top of the tree. Whenever I stopped for any amount of time, I would feel terrible. The chemicals that my body produced and it's physiology would change; so I felt different.

 

If you never learn about these things then you can have no control over them. That is what is happening to you now. You have no idea as to what to do. Try jogging with the dog. A longer distance each day. That will begin to stimulate your mind and body. Encourage you to breathe more deeply. Panic attacks are characterised by shallow breathing. The exercise will force you to learn to breathe more deeply and also to encourage your body to produce different chemicals. Don't think that drinking some tea is going to have to have the desired effect on it's own.

You actually have to do something. Leave the coffee alone for now; it only increases your heart rate and will make you more nervous.

 

[Sheryl]

A mixed anxiety/depressive disorder requires different meds than depression alone - if medication is required at all.

 

Not all psychiatrists in Thailand appreciate this distinction however, and in addition they often have difficulty "reading" what foreign patients tell them.

 

Giving the wrong medication to someone with underlying anxiety may well trigger even worse anxiety/panic.

 

in addition, medicating moods is not something that should be too quickly resorted to. It can be unavoidable in some cases but should not be done lightly or too fast, and should always be combined with some type of counselling or therapy.

 

As you have been depressed only a few days, I would certainly not start on medication so quickly. I would suggest instead that you start by talking to a therapist. See https://aseannow.com/topic/90910-mental-health-resource-list/

 

[ezzra]

My heart goes out to all of you guys that are going trough the dreaded anxiety and depression bouts nothing worse than the feeling of despair, fear and doom and gloom,

I myself had an open heart operation 6 months ago and now i'm prone to all the above and a serious memory lose owing to the the many hours on the operating table, so i was give to take a Lorazapam (ativan) 2.5mg half a tablet a day and it dose makes a lot of different to my day,

I'm not advocating to anyone the use of any anti depressant but should you want to consider one, give this one a try...

[giddyup]

18 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

A mixed anxiety/depressive disorder requires different meds than depression alone - if medication is required at all.

 

Not all psychiatrists in Thailand appreciate this distinction however, and in addition they often have difficulty "reading" what foreign patients tell them.

 

Giving the wrong medication to someone with underlying anxiety may well trigger even worse anxiety/panic.

 

in addition, medicating moods is not something that should be too quickly resorted to. It can be unavoidable in some cases but should not be done lightly or too fast, and should always be combined with some type of counselling or therapy.

 

As you have been depressed only a few days, I would certainly not start on medication so quickly. I would suggest instead that you start by talking to a therapist. See https://aseannow.com/topic/90910-mental-health-resource-list/

 

Thanks for the advice Sheryl, but this feeling of anxiety and depression can become pretty overwhelming and I'm not sure I could keep on going without some changes. With the panic attacks/anxiety it becomes overpowering and I have no choice but to go for a walk as I feel the walls closing in.

Edited October 30, 2021 by giddyup