hi again- thanks for the welcome! I really like the information available on this bb. I've seem some really bad bbs- and that's not what I think panic should be associated with. I think we are all given this for a reason and that we can learn from it- gain an inner strength. I still wish I could take a written test, but I find now, twenty years later, twenty years of panic disorder, and I think it's helped me become who I am today. I would love to know what life without panic would be like, but I'm getting there. The meds I'm on now are the best I've ever had, and I can lose weight and fix all the little side effects. The one thing I guess I didn't know was that symptoms /attacks could change. That kind flipped me the first few times. I don't want to say it's nice to see others are the same, but it is nice to know I'm not alone. Thanks again!

Dear darhkhorse, Just wanted to let you know, it is very common for attacks to change form and length, and perhaps even the precursor. Welcome to the site, Keep your thoughts and concerns coming. We are all here to help. Susanne

Hi again (I just posted on another one of your threads) Welcome to the community. I'm constantly impressed with this site and forum too. :) I've had panic disorder since I was about 14. I'm 22 now. It's only been at it's worse this year. Promting me, earlier this year, to seek help and discover what it was I was suffering from. I've been doing a lot of looking back of recent. Analysing the changes and manifestation of this disorder. Through my teen years I'd get very anxious in particular situations, mainly to do with my school environment. My first experiences with panic attacks occurred when I started doing drugs (mostly pot). Stupidly I assumed it was just a 'bad trip' and continued smoking the stuff up until september this year when I gave it all up. I said to myself "jeeze why on earth am I doing this?! I don't even enjoy it!" Anyway it was always while intoxicated that I had panic attacks. So I figured, ok cool I'll just stop doing this and all's well. A week after I'd given up smoking pot I was at a friends place chatting about stuff. Out of nowhere it seemed I had a full blown panic attack. It felt exactly like I was stoned all the symptoms even the lethargic effect of dope was present. I knew logically there was no way I could possibly be stoned. The week that followed was hell I was pretty much confined to my bed. aanyway needless to say I was pretty angry to find out I couldn't just stop taking drugs and everything would be rosey! lol But that's how panic disorder manifested for me. It's like you've opened a door and you just can't close it again. Like we learn how to bring on a panic attack, it's so easy once we know how. It's also very hard to unlearn it. The way panic attacks change for me is firstly it's just BOOM and a big 'where did that come from?!' At the moment it's paranoias and Obsessive Compulsive behaviour. I'm paranoid about all sorts of things. Shifts from day to day. Even though I've had panic attacks for a few years. I'm still very new to this but I have noticed a lot of changes in the panic symptoms. Changes in the patterns of when and how they occur. A lot of people here on the site have said it goes through stages and this is something I can relate to. I haven't had a full blown attack for about a few months now. Like I

Hi there. I just found this site and I'm rather impressed with it! Some of the sites out there don't really help people with this disorder. I've had PD now for over twenty years, and I'm not yet thirty five. I was diagnosed at fourteen. Things have been really good, and really bad, good, then the worst ever, then better...you know the deal. What I'm curious to know is....did any of your panic attacks change in how they manifested? Mine always were long, and slowly rolled in to a panic attack(then all hell broke loose- inside me, noone new on the outisde). now? My attacks hit me all of a sudden- with that sudden "OMG!" but..with no reason. Before, I'd be anxious for no reason, but they never hit so 'fast'. My doc said this can happen, so I was just wondering if any of you had noticed changes?