My name is Gabriel Camarena,

I used to have panic attacks, and with help I was able to overcome them. It's my desire that through this website you'll be able to find the tools and resources that you need to help you overcome anxiety and panic attacks as well.

Here's my panic attack story.

In January 2008 I ended up in the emergency room thinking that I was having a heart attack. It all began one day when I was driving with my wife and my son. All of a suddern I began to have chest pains, a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, my hands began to tingle and I had a sudden sense of inpending doom. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack and was about to die in front of my wife and son.

I then hit the gas pedal began racing toward a medical clinic not far from where we were driving. I thought, heck, if I'm going to go down I might as well go down in a medical clinic where I at least might have a chance of getting medical help if I pass out.

My wife got scared and told me to slow down. I reluctantly told her I was likely having a heart attack or was about to have one. When I got to the clinic the doctor examined me, and after asking me several questions said he felt that I was not having a heart attack. But just to make sure he called an ambulance and I was driven to a hospital for a full checkup of my heart. My wife was in tears.

After examing me and asking me a few questions, the doctor in the emergency room also told me that he felt that I was alright but would do a full checkup of my heart just to make sure. After eight hours of testing and waiting, the doctor said everything appeared normal and that I was fine.

I was very perplexed because I was sure that something was wrong. The physical pains and senstions I experienced were so clear and acute. I asked him if there could be something wrong with my heart that maybe wasn't detected. He said it was a possibility but highly unlikely.

During the next few weeks I had similar episodes. On one occassion as I was driving home from work I started having the same sensations, chest pain, heart racing, shortness of breath, hands tingling.  I actually got off the freeway and drove to a hsopital and parked.  I thought about what the doctor had said that there was nothing wrong with me, but I went and sat in the hospital parking lot anyway for about a half hour until the episode ended.

I began to get so concerned about these episodes and how real they felt that I thought maybe for sure there was something wrong with my heart and the doctor had missed it. So I paid around $400 to get a heart scan, just to make sure there was nothing physically wrong with me.

When the heart scan was done the analyst asked me to sit down. He told me the scan indicated good news that I had an ideal heart with zero plaque build up. He told me I was likely sufferring from anxiety and panic attacks.

I was relieved to find out that physically I was well but I began to strudy and learn about anxiety and panic attacks. After much reading, learning techniques, and putting into practice what I l had learned, the panic attacks decreased and eventurally stopped. Of course, my quality of life greately improved.

At the time when my panic attacks began, I remember that I had been going through a period of financial hardship as well as bankrupcy and some personal issues that had been weighing on me.

Besides learning to respond properly to my panic attacks, I studied and learned about the importance of managing stress, the need to live a balanced life, and importance of having meaningful relationships.

Thankfully, I've now been free of panic attacks for over a year and a half.  

For those of you who have never had an anxiety/panic attack, here's a good illustration of what takes place during an episode, courtesy of www.panicportal.com

Bookmark this page

Delicious BlinkList Stumbleupon Digg