panic attacks

[h.wood]

my name is holly and lately i too have been having severe panic attacks about dying. i am a healthy 26 year old mother of one. i eat right . i exercise. i believe jesus died and rose. i asked him to be my savior 6 years ago. the problem is that i feel that i still dont make the right descions and havent earned my spot up there. i know the bible says i dont have to earn my spot but this intense fear started back in april and i cant seem to shake it or find any comfort. my husband has started to laugh at me and tells me i have nothing to worry about but i thank god for giving me another day every mourning. unfortunatley i end apologizing for disappointing him in my nighttime prayers. i also have started doubting the afterlife. what if we just stop? i believe in jesus so that means i cant go to hell right? what if he doesnt want me up there? how do i know i'll see my loved ones? i dont even like being in a different room from my husband and daughter. i need some kind of comfort and havent been able to talk to my pastor about my fears. can someone keep me in there prayers? or if you can relate maybe some soothing words to help calm me down . i could use alittle peace.

[FFC]

Hi Holly,
I am praying that God will take away whatever it is that is keeping you from completely trusting that He loves you unconditionally and constantly offers you peace for the taking. I don't know what is causing you to doubt His love and provision, but it will only continue to hurt you until you take a stand and truly and totally surrender to His faithful hands.

Whether it's the devil, or yourself, or the words of other people... you need to reject them and turn to the only one who truly loves you! When you see God's loving promises in his word you have two options. you can disbelieve them and call God a liar, or you can believe them and wholeheartedly embrace them because you know they are truth for you...and you know that God only wants His best for you.

You are in my prayers.
FFC

[Kurieuo]

i know the bible says i dont have to earn my spot but this intense fear started back in april and i cant seem to shake it or find any comfort.

That is correct, you don't need to earn your spot since Jesus has.

Think of it this way. If you had a massive debt with a bank, and say I paid it for you. Can the bank then chase you up for it saying, "listen, K paid your debt, but you still need to pay your debit." This doesn't make any sense because your debt has been paid regardless of who paid it. Likewise Jesus paid our debt to God in full. There is nothing for us to earn or left to pay. There is no longer any barrier between us and God. God freely invites us to be in relationship with Himself as we are.

[h.wood]

thank you very much i appricate your respones and prayers. i cant really explain what i've been going through lately. im sensitive to everything from watching movies and the news to just casual conversation- death and disappointments seem to be everywhere. even yesterday --- this is insanley ridiculous but at the dinner table my daughter was making jokes about not having teeth. (she is 7) i instantly thought -- wow if she had to come back as a zombie she would have a hard time eating. lol even i laughed at how stupid the thought was but then i started thinking . have i taught my daughter enough that in the event of my demise, she would be a moral person and grow to walk in christ, so that we would be reunited? then extreme panic. my stomach drops and twists up, my heart pounds, i breathe but dont get air. i dont want to be seperated from my family. i work and go to college as does my husband plus he does shift work. we are seperated enough what if its too much and we dont end up inheaven together. i cant seem to find the verses in the bible that deal with this issue? i know it says somewhere that we will recognize each other right? then of course i go back to maybe its me that wont get to be there. there are days that i dont worry but lately there are more where i do. then a whole other set of fears- isnt worry negative prayers?? he does say that we arent supposed to worry. i know that because i read it and worried about my worrying. lol. im a mess. does anyone else have issues that can relate or am i just way out in left field? thank you again for caring enough to responed it is so great to have somewhere to talk since it seems that god is so shunned in conversation everywhere else.

[Byblos]

thank you very much i appricate your respones and prayers. i cant really explain what i've been going through lately. im sensitive to everything from watching movies and the news to just casual conversation- death and disappointments seem to be everywhere. even yesterday --- this is insanley ridiculous but at the dinner table my daughter was making jokes about not having teeth. (she is 7) i instantly thought -- wow if she had to come back as a zombie she would have a hard time eating. lol even i laughed at how stupid the thought was but then i started thinking . have i taught my daughter enough that in the event of my demise, she would be a moral person and grow to walk in christ, so that we would be reunited? then extreme panic. my stomach drops and twists up, my heart pounds, i breathe but dont get air. i dont want to be seperated from my family. i work and go to college as does my husband plus he does shift work. we are seperated enough what if its too much and we dont end up inheaven together. i cant seem to find the verses in the bible that deal with this issue? i know it says somewhere that we will recognize each other right? then of course i go back to maybe its me that wont get to be there. there are days that i dont worry but lately there are more where i do. then a whole other set of fears- isnt worry negative prayers?? he does say that we arent supposed to worry. i know that because i read it and worried about my worrying. lol. im a mess. does anyone else have issues that can relate or am i just way out in left field? thank you again for caring enough to responed it is so great to have somewhere to talk since it seems that god is so shunned in conversation everywhere else.

Hi Holly,

Is your name really Holly Wood? That's cool (even if it's not). I'm somewhat acquainted with panic and anxiety disorders (there is a difference between them) as both my wife and older son suffer from them (respectively). My wife has had panic attacks since she was a teenager (a good 25 years). She tried medication for a while (I think it was Paxel or Zoloft) but she didn't like the way they made her feel so she stopped taking them, particularly that she was on daily medication for a condition that happens infrequently (sporadic and unpredictable). She still gets them and when they occur they are very intense but she learned to convince herself to ignore, control, rationalize her panic as much as possible. It's a daily struggle as the anticipation of having one can, in and of itself, trigger an attack (sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy).

Unlike panic attacks that are often triggered for no apparent reason whatsoever, anxiety disorder, on the other hand, is a little bit different as it manifests itself more frequently but more often than not has an underlying cause, however benign. The sense of worry for a person with anxiety disorder is extremely heightened. My son (he'll be 14 in September) could be in the yard shooting hoops; if he gets a splinter in his finger he'll come rushing in the house announcing he's going to bleed to death (and at the moment he believes it). He worries as to why he worries so much (I'm not kidding). He too decided against taking medication as he wants to try to control it on his own, again with different exercises that allow him to recognize an anxiety attack for what it is. For now, we are letting him. At some point, however, one needs to consider quality of life issues and what the trade-offs are.

I'm not trying to diagnose you in any way, shape or form (especially since I'm not qualified). I'm merely telling you my experiences in the hopes that it will help you in some fashion. Only a doctor can properly diagnose disorders and recommend appropriate medication, if any. You may have neither and require no medication whatsoever but it is important that you seek professional help, especially if the attacks are becoming more frequent and more intense. One thing is for certain, even though it might look like your panic attacks are unjustified, your feelings are as real as they can get. Don't let anyone tell you you're crazy or to just suck it up and be a woman. I bet when those attacks occur your heart rate is through the roof so it's not just in your head; although it starts in the brain (it has something to do with the levels of dopamine and/or norepinephrine), it does have an undeniable somatic effect.

Good luck to you and may the Good Lord watch over you and your family. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Byblos.

[h.wood]

thank you for your input. i have never been diagnosed with anything hopefully i will be able to calm down.

[Canuckster1127]

my name is holly and lately i too have been having severe panic attacks about dying. i am a healthy 26 year old mother of one. i eat right . i exercise. i believe jesus died and rose. i asked him to be my savior 6 years ago. the problem is that i feel that i still dont make the right descions and havent earned my spot up there. i know the bible says i dont have to earn my spot but this intense fear started back in april and i cant seem to shake it or find any comfort. my husband has started to laugh at me and tells me i have nothing to worry about but i thank god for giving me another day every mourning. unfortunatley i end apologizing for disappointing him in my nighttime prayers. i also have started doubting the afterlife. what if we just stop? i believe in jesus so that means i cant go to hell right? what if he doesnt want me up there? how do i know i'll see my loved ones? i dont even like being in a different room from my husband and daughter. i need some kind of comfort and havent been able to talk to my pastor about my fears. can someone keep me in there prayers? or if you can relate maybe some soothing words to help calm me down . i could use alittle peace.

I've wrestled at times in my life with panic attacks and depression as well.

Don't discount the physical and psychological elements that may be at work. Depression and anxiety can have roots other than lack of faith on our part. In my case, I had cancer surgery that removed a major organ and experienced some severe childhood trauma.

My faith certainly helps me in these issues and over time things have gotten better and overall continue to do so. Some of it is experience and learning that panic will not kill me and will pass regardless of how I feel at the moment.

If it continues to be a debilitating problem, there is nothing wrong with seeing a counsellor or a doctor for assistance with the issue. By all means however, use every resource, including a recognition that God's Love is the most effective agent to cast out fear.

[h.wood]

thank you for your imput. it is comforting to know that others have also struggled in this area. it has been helping to calm me down just talking about this and not holding all this in. it seems to grow and i have more attacks when i try not to say what is wrong. it is also helping knowing that people are adding me in their prayers because sometimes i feel that he doesnt hear mine. so thank you guys