Panic Disorder
 

So I think I have a panic disorder, but no doctor I have ever had has taken it seriously.. I have had a few panic attacks this week and I am seeing my therapist about it today.. I just don't really know what to say to him to show him that this is real and affecting my life...
I have read a few books, and several articles on the subject and I have no doubt in my mind that I have a panic disorder, I am basically a textbook case.
Difficulty breathing.... Yup
Sensation of choking or smothering.... Yup
Dizziness or feeling faint.... Yup
Trembling or shaking.... Yup
Sweating... Yup
Nausea or stomachache.... Yup
Tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes... No
Chills or hot flashes.... Yup
A fear that you are losing control or are about to die.... Yup
Persistent fear of having future panic attacks.... Absolutely
Behaving differently because of the panic attacks, such as avoiding places where you’ve previously panicked.... ABSOLUTELY

Has anyone else dealt with this issue?
What do I do..?

PS. I am not asking for a diagnosis here. All I am asking is for some advice for getting my therapist to believe me.. and do something about it, and it would be nice to know that I'm not the only one dealing with this...

I don't have panic disorder (as far as I know!) but I do frequently have panic attacks. I'm sorry you're dealing with this, I know it is really horrible and difficult to deal with. You are definitely not alone in it.

How did it go with your therapist? I hope they were helpful.. you really do deserve to be taken seriously. Sometimes ti can help to plan what you want to say in advance; what happens, how often you have the panic attacks, how it is affecting your life etc. Write it down if that's easier, or if it will help you to remember.

Have you found anything that helps with the panic attacks? You *do* need and deserve help from your doctors and I hope you can keep pushing until you get it, or see someone different if necessary. But there are lots of things that you can do to help yourself, too.

I really hope things get easier for you soon x

I always find if your describing your symptoms to your doctor, you need to describe your worst ever day so they realise how bad it can get. I would also show them what you've typed here

I talked to my therapist and described just how bad my panic attacks were and he agreed that I have a panic disorder.
He wanted me to go inpatient for a few days... and I wanted to as well (most of my panic/ anxiety stems from my home life) but as soon as i brought it up to my dad he found every reason in the world for me not to go... so I am not going as of now. Basically talking to my therapist did nothing... and I am just waiting until university comes so that I can move out and get away from the toxic environment that is my home.

Hi, did you manage to get your Dr to believe you? I am in the same place but my Dr tends to skim over when I tell him other problems, I'm seeing a different one this week and I'm hoping he will listen better

Yeah he believed me, but I feel like he is still a little skeptical. What I did was I told my Dr the exact symptoms that I was dealing with and I explained just how severe it is. Just make sure you stay on focus. I literally told my doc "Ok. This is what I want to talk about today..." and then I explained it and stopped him every time he got off subject.
PS you are free to PM me if you wanna talk more :)

Thank you, I'm glad you managed to get things sorted, hopefully I'm in on Monday to try sort mine :)

Good luck! Let me know how it goes :D