I've suffered from anxiety/panic attacks for about five years now. I have no idea where it came from or what prompted it. A couple of cousins and an aunt suffer from some disorders, and my mother had mild depression. But otherwise, until I was about 22, I was doing just fine. I have never been on medication, and the attacks are off an on. Sometimes I go months without an attack, but general anxiety rears its ugly head from time to time. I have seriously considered going on meds, but not if it means going on something for the rest of my life. I try to manage it with diet and exercise, and am currently trying something new (Isagenix cleanse) to see if it helps.

Lately I have been pondering something. If anxiety is going to be something I have to live with for the rest of my life (and at this point, I think it will be, to an extent), then why not at least try to embrace it? Not as a whole, of course - anxiety sucks. But maybe there is something good we can take from it. For me, it gives me time to reflect on my health, and what I can do better. When I'm having an attack and want nothing more than to just lay in bed until it passes (and it always passes), it gives me time to think about the ways I can improve my health and I am that much more motivated to do the best I can. For example, I have no idea what started the attacks, but I know for a fact that they are made far worse if I drink the day/night before. I used to party a little too hard in my early twenties, and I think in a way, anxiety may have actually helped me stop drinking as much. If I didn't have consequences more than a hangover to suffer, then I would likely still be drinking as much as I used to. But the fear of a severe attack has helped me manage that.

I'm not sure if anyone here has gone through something similar, but if not, perhaps this can help you have a similar epiphany (as bitter sweet as it is) and realize that maybe anxiety can help us in a way.

Alcohol is a grand factor in Anxiety/Panic attacks. My anxiety is few far and in between now, but when I was a heavy drinker, I used to have to drink to relieve myself of that feeling of impending doom. Another thing is even though you may not have genetics linked directly to anxiety, 40% of caffeine drinkers are said to develop disorders like panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I've suffered from Panic Disorder since I was about 10 "17 years" and now at the age of 27, I am finally able to handle myself better. I used to drink a lot, then drink caffeine to counter-act my sluggish actions from alcohol's after effects the next day. I helped to dig my own grave, and now I live with it for the rest of my life. In fact, before I quit smoking, I used to have attacks for taking in nearly any amount of caffeine as if I was allergic to it. Bad habits can cause lasting effects, and anxiety or panic disorder are amongst them. I've been without medication for over 6 years now. I have been through hell and back, on a blazing stallion and now that I have paid my dues, I find that it is treatable without medicine, but you have to want to live healthy. I eat better, don't drink things like soda or energy drinks but once a blue moon if at all, I exercise but not to the point that it causes anxiety, and I have things that I do if I am having an attack to quail it. You really have to be in tune with your body, learn it's limits, break those limitations to learn from your mistakes, and get your tolerance of different things down to a science, but if you can do it "and you may think you have it right many times than BAM! It rears it's ugly head" it's worth it's own weight in gold. Peace of mind is hard to find with such a mental illness, but if I can do it with Panic Disorder, I have faith anyone can. By the way, I have been on many medicines, and so far the only one that works and allows me to be myself is overcoming it. Mine is genetic, and it runs very heavily in my family. I am the only member diagnosed with it to be able to control it without medicine.