panic and endorphins

ladybugny
ladybugny Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know this is going to sound strange but.... I was in a pretty scary car accident in 2014. A year later I experienced an anniversary affect and developed a panic disorder. I have never experienced this before and never even knew this type of thing existed so it was quite alarming to me. Long story short I was able to overcome a lot and my last big fear is exercising. For some reason my exercising would start great (I have no problems in the moment) but once I got into a routine I would experience the endorphin rush later in the day and panic. I now realize it's because endorphins are the same chemical that was released during my panic attacks so I must be relating that "feeling" and causing an issue. I get scared and then stop exercising. My question is has anyone else gone through something similar and if so how did you overcome it? I feel silly even asking about this but am hoping there is some support out there. I want to get fit but this last milestone keeps setting me back.

Replies

  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I had a similar experience after a car accident. I was having panic attacks, and felt like I couldn't breath, which stopped me from exercising much for a few months. I went to a therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy and worked through it. Now exercise is how I cope with stress.
  • ladybugny
    ladybugny Posts: 10 Member
    I did that to learn to function in normal life situations (driving was a big one) but didn't realize I had this issue until just recently. It took more time to surface since the others were a higher priority. Maybe I need to go back? What techniques worked best for you?
  • bernadettemariev
    bernadettemariev Posts: 23 Member
    I know this is going to sound strange, but after dealing with panic attacks for years, I read somewhere to tell yourself to just go with it. Like I'm taunting it in my head. When I feel one coming on, I tell it "Go ahead, bring it on! I'm ready for you!" Then I'd sit and wait for it to go full blown, but strangely it would calm down instead. I went from several a day to almost none. I haven't has a full blown one in over a year now. I still get anxious, but nothing like it was before. It may or may not work for you, but it's worth a try.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
    Whoa, your post clicked with me. I was in a terrible boat accident in 2013 and would have died if I had not been pulled from the water. I have had panic attacks and anxiety ever since. I never thought there would be connection between exercise endorphins and panic endorphins. I can't say that I've personally experienced a connection but I will say that since my accident it is as if I have lost all desire to exercise. Working out was a lifelong habit and a touchstone of my life for 20+ years prior to the accident, but the desire to do it went away overnight. In fact, at times I have felt agitated at the very idea of going for a walk or going to the gym. You have made me wonder if I started to associate it with the accident in some way.

    I worked with a therapist last year on cognitive behavior therapy and made some progress to the point that I stopped seeing her, but lately my "fear of the worst case scenario" has become all-consuming and I'm going to be going back to her again. I am going to ask her about this topic as well.
  • ladybugny
    ladybugny Posts: 10 Member
    Wanderinglight: Have you tried EMDR? That worked for me except we did it with tapping each side of the body rather than with eye movement.

    My issue is I am fine while exercising but when the endorphin rush hits later in the day I get panicked and then shut down from resuming my routine. This has been occurring now for a bout a year but I JUST put it together why I was shutting down. Now I want to just push through it but that's always the hardest part.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    Speak with a psychiatrist who can set you up to work with a therapist. The MD can prescribe short-term meds that may help. The therapist can help with the behavior. The triggers may be alleviated better if you work with both doctor and therapist.

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