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THE LATEST RED C poll shows a dip in support for the coalition government partners Fine Gael and Labour.
The poll, carried out for the Sunday Business Post, also shows increased support for both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, with the latter scoring its highest poll results to take in a Red C survey.
Here’s how the parties stand according to the poll:
A spokesperson for Sinn Féin told TheJournal.ie that while the party “doesn’t put too much emphasis on opinion polls”, the polls of recent months confirm what Sinn Féin representatives are hearing on doorsteps.
“That is that Sinn Féin is regarded by the public as the lead voice of opposition to the government’s failed austerity policies,” the said.
“Citizens are responding positively to Sinn Féin’s message of the need to reject austerity and to stimulate the economy and create jobs and growth instead and with our vision of a New Republic where the interests of citizens come before those of banks and speculators.”
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Great article Sara. I’ve had two panic attacks which were absolutely terrifying, ended up in an ambulance and A&E. They came out of nowhere. Learning how to control them and breathing exercises helped.
This is why our health system is strained because it entertains the illusion that a panic attack warrants an abulance & a stay in A&E. . I don’t doubt that it’s a frightening experience but is it worthy of A&E. ..
Yeah you sound like you know what you’re on about there.. I only felt like I was going to die when I had my first panic attack. What an ignorant comment.
Piohmy, it’s opinions like yours that perpetuate a negative view towards mental health issues. When someone experiences a panic attack, especially a severe one, it can feel like they are having a heart attack or stroke. These are physical reactions that often need the input of a medical professional. More resources are needed in our a&e departments to support mental health.
You do not understand what happens. The physical symptoms are phenomenally real. I had a year and a half of them – I would not wish the illness on anyone but maybe if you had just a week of it, you would think twice before you wrote such an ill informed comment again.
Would you recognise a panic attack if you saw one? Would you trust your diagnosis over a professionals? An ambulance was most likely called by an onlooker or someone who may have thought it was something else. A panic attack is hell on Earth. I wouldn’t wish one on Enda Kenny.
May you never be struck down by one
U obviously never had a Panic Attack it’s the most frightening feeling in the World wouldn’t wish it on my Worst Enemy
It must be great to have your life so free of anxiety that you can look down on the actions of others who actually feel like their heart is gonna explode. Shame on you for your lack of compassion.
Anyone anytime anyplace. No one is immune. Respect and understanding is what is needed.
Troll
Agreed, it is articles like this that over pathologize relatively common “ups and downs” that are just part of human life.
Subsequently feeding the culture of pill popping for every little blue feeling….
As a former heavy drinker and drug user I suffered a lot of panic attacks especially the day after a heavy session they only really went away when I gave up everything , couldn’t sleep properly for a year so I started jogging and slowly after a year I hadn’t one since that’s 7 yrs ago . I stil get a little bit anxiety very mild but I suppose different strokes for different folks .
A great article and something that is affecting a lot of people especially in this economic climate. Glad to see you are doing better Sara.
Piohmy, you obviously don’t have any idea of what a panic attack is/feels like. I didn’t know I was having a panic attack, it was more like a heart attack. So I have to disagree with your comment. When you’re sitting at home and suddenly your legs go stone cold, your heart pounds out of your chest and you can’t breathe, you’re shaking, feel nausea and dizzy and can’t stand up I don’t think ringing an ambulance is a waste of resources
Well done Sara in being so brave to write the article. I know sharing your experience will help others.
Anxiety attacks are really just the body being given a big unneeded shot of adrenaline due to a fairly minor trigger and then it cascades out of control. The effect of the adrenaline makes us feel all those things we feel (chest pain, shortness of breath, tingling hands and arms, dizziness, problems with vision), which causes us to become more anxious and breath too rapidly, which causes more adrenaline which causes more symptoms and so on.
If you can understand how the body reacts to adrenaline then you can understand at a physiological level what’s happening to you. With time and experience – and professional help – you can essentially stop an anxiety-attack before it goes too far.
If you are presented with a life-threatening situation – an animal attacking you – you get an adrenaline ‘spike’ (‘fight or flight response’). Adrenaline will help you run away very fast and it’s a good thing. Your heart rate goes up, your breathing rate goes up, your blood flow is directed to your muscles and away from your brain and GI tract, you sweat. All of these are good if you want to run very fast to get away from something trying to kill us. It’s how we evolved.
What can happen in anxiety attacks is that we get the adrenaline spike for no ‘good’ reason – ie a non-life threatening episode. Lots and lots of things can do this ranging from something in our mind to something physical such as a twinge of a muscle in our chest. This causes adrenaline to spike. But we don’t run. Our heart rate goes up – we feel a pounding heart in our chest, but it doesn;t need to be that high. If we are running and it’s that high we don’t feel it’s a problem, it’s normal. We breath faster due to the adrenaline but because we are not running our muscles don’t make extra carbon dioxide so the rapid (physiologically unnecessary) breathing causes our carbon dioxide levels in our blood to drop too low which causes a change in our blood acid level which in turn causes dizziness, lightheadedness, tingling in our arms. (Try it – breath really deeply and fast for a minute!). Adrenaline makes us sweat and gives us sweaty palms (so that we can cool down faster when we run and so we can grip with our now more grippy sweaty palms better).
All of these symptoms happening to us when just standing or sitting there will make us think we’re dying – heart pounding, dizziness, blurred vision, sweaty all over and sweaty palms yet feeling cold, unable to breath properly. These are much the same symptoms of a heart attack. So most normal people who get a big adrenaline spike and then all these symptoms will think they’re having a heart attack – and then will get more anxious, will get more adrenaline being produced, etc etc and will normally enough get sensitised for the next time it happens, so the next time it happens the response will be more pronounced because we’re on edge waiting for it to happen. And the more on edge we are then the more likely it will happen, and our adrenaline stays a bit higher than it should be the whole time and our cortisol stays higher and our blood pressure goes up and our intestines slow down due to these hormones being chronically raised above normal (gut cramping, pain), etc. And so on. It’s a big negative feedback loop that can be debilitating.
All caused by adrenaline!
If you can understand that all the symptoms you are feeling are due to that bloody adrenaline being realised for no good reason, and if you just sit it out and don’t breathe too fast it’ll all go away in a few minutes – then you’re on the right road. And then think back and work out what triggered the first adrenaline spike – and next time you’re faced with that situation you’ll be able to logic it out. But all of us being normal will need help from a professional to sort this out.
Great article Sara. You are one strong woman to get through all that and still be there for your children. I suffered from panic attacks when I was young and I understand how debilitating they are. I still get them, but now I know how to control them and I can snuff them out almost before they get started.
Stay strong Sara.
As a Hypnotherapist myself, people should know you don’t need to suffer with panic attacks. They can be controlled and in most cases cured in about 2 months of therapy. Go find a good local therapist folks, and get back control of your life. A good CBT or hypnotherapist will be able to help you
Great article Sara, well done!
Aidan I don’t agree about the therapy having spent €2500 on Hypnotherapy and CBT none of which help but seem to make me worse. Its not for everyone, its wrong trying to spread your business to people whom are most vulnerable and would pay anything to get rid of the feeling.
There is no quick fix! After suffering 15 years with Panic Attacks, collapsing so many times. Going as far as the stage one time where I couldn’t leave my home. The only thing I found that made me stronger today was being open about my anxiety talking to family and friends. The little things I feared the most I tried to do each day and pushed through the panic, this lead me to work on the bigger things that worried me.
The more you push through the lesser the anxiety and fear became.
Dee M, I agree. I’ve had CBT in the past but didn’t help at all.
sorry to hear that Dee. i wasnt here trying to sell my business. im not even qualified in CBT so i was just trying to suggest to people that there are options out there and that you dont have to suffer alone. unfortunately there are poor therapists out there aswell as many great ones. so to hear it made you worse because that should never happen.
Aidan I don’t agree with the therapy route with regards to Hypnotherapy and CBT. Controlling your breathing whilst in the mist of a panic attack is key as eliminates the fight or flight mode that controls us. The best form of method to help control breathing is yoga and meditation. Once your breathing has been brought under control our bodies need to learn to face the places we once feared by facing them head on. This also eliminates the panic even more. There is no quick fix, especially if you have been fighting it for so long. You have to retrain your body and work through the fear.
CBT is helpful in identifying and maybe understanding the panic attacks, yoga and meditation are helpful after you understand why they are happening and what they are. Yoga and meditation are complimentary therapies but in conjunction with something else (at least at the start).
You’ve either hit the ‘Bullseye’ or the ’180′ when it comes to articles on this subject .
I’ll second what Alan said- panic attacks are a massive surge of adrenaline, out of context and (crucially) misinterpreted in a catastrophic way.
Panic attacks truly are awful, but they are one of the most treatable using psychological therapies- which should include learning about the physiology behind panic attacks along with lots and lots of practice facing and tolerating symptoms until they no longer hold such terror. As Alan said, when we panic we actually take in too MUCH oxygen, which causes lightheaded feelings, dizziness etc.
I feel it’s important to point out that the vast, vast majority of panic attack sufferers do NOT pass out when having a panic attack- your blood pressure RISES when in a state of panic- to pass out (faint) your blood pressure must fall. I’m not sure what the author experienced but reading about her experiences of “blacking out” May actually add to fears of other people when this is actually a very rare occurrence of panic and may be related to something else (we don’t know the full story from this short article).
Glasgow Self Help (google it) has some great resources on panic. Or go see your GP and ask for a referral to your local HSE psychologist (doesn’t have to mental health service- primary care psychologists in some areas too) Yes, you may have to wait, but it’s free and at least you know you’ll get a properly qualified professional and not someone who did a weekend course before throwing a sign up outside their door!
Asking my GP to refer me to the mental health system was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. For panic attacks. Next to taking an “anti-depressant”, thinking it would help. How naive I was. Lesson learned. A painful. tough one that has changed my life for ever. I went looking for CBT and ended up being assessed by a Psychiatrist and on a mountain of drugs at one stage. Glad to be free of them and their drugging regime ! For over 3 years. And thanks to Ivor Browne for his honesty.
Panic attacks have a lot to do with proper breathing and this article mentions acidity. Certain foods are more acidic while others as more alkaline, so diet / what we consume would also be a factor ~
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/panic-attacks-as-ph-problem/
Piohmy! And that is why she says if it never has happened you, you will find it hard to understand. You havnt even made an attempt to understand. I don’t like to see others in any discomfort I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone. But I can guarantee with your attitude if you experienced a full blown panic attack and you were unsure of what it was. You would be riding in the back of an ambulance straight to A+E just like this person.
Comhairleoireacht. Ni thagann na hionsaithe seo as áit ar bith. Tá tráma de chineál éigean ann agus ní mór é a chíoradh agus de réir a chéile a scaoileadh uait. Chomh maith leis sin tá machnamh laethúil, aclaíocht, bia folláin agus féin-chúram an tábhachtach. Go néirigh leat. Grá agus Bláth :)
Gaeltán, if you’re trying to encourage people to speak their national language, you’re going about it the wrong way. I’m still at school, so I’ve done Irish every day for the past 14 years and I still only understand half of that! A translation would be nice!
Great article by the way!
Go raibh maith agat a Jennifer. Déanfidh mé machnamh air sin. Ádh mór ar scoil!
Dr Aine Tubridy wrote a good book on Panic attacks, that comes with a relaxation CD ~ http://www.amazon.com/When-Panic-Attacks-Aine-Tubridy/dp/0717144291
Panic attacks have a lot to do with lifestyle, breathing and ability to manage stress. A person needs to be careful with alcohol and other stimulants eg caffeine and sugar. Also to do with O2/CO2 levels in the blood and adrenaline. I rarely get panic attacks now and ry to build relaxation into my very day life, with Yoga, mindfulness and meditation.
I was prescribed the “anti-depressant” Citalopram for panic attacks in 2005. By 2008 I had symptoms of what is referred to as “Bipolar” from the drugs. The SSRI ruined my life, my hope and my dreams. It’s been a long 7 year road back to some kind of ‘normality’. Where I’ve met people who have lost loved ones because of SSRIs. Thanks to Prof Ivor Browne (86 this week) who told me the TRUTH and other doctors for their honesty about mental health and drugs. Our mental “health” system nearly destroyed me.
What’s happening? Am I dying? http://wellbeingfoundation.com/panic-and-anxiety.html
{ Do not stop or change prescribed psychoactive drugs without talking to your doctor, due to the dangers of withdrawal }
PS Dr Aine Tubridy is deceased and so is her partner Dr Michael Corry. Wish there were more good, honest doctors / Psychiatrists out their like them. That did not have so many conflicts of interest !
Dr Michael Corry interview ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c86c5fLqFwc
Free 21 day meditation with Deepak Chopra and Oprah (started yesterday so plenty of time to catch up) ~
http://www.chopracentermeditation.com
Self-awareness, aligning choices with goals etc
Different strokes for different folks Aine,citralopram has given me such relief and a sense of normality,I still have low moods and anxiety but nothing compared to before I started taking them,and it has been a long road for me I have had years of counselling,cbt alternative therapies etc but for now citralopram is working
At the end of the day Citalopram will not fix anything. Even if you stay on it for life. With all the risks that that entails. If it gives you some short term benefit then good for you. I was on it for 3 years before it destroyed my health. There was a stage where I did think it was working, but now I realise it was a mistake. It led to mania / “psychosis” and a misdiagnosis of “Bipolar”. The symptoms were caused by the drugs. I ended up on even heavier and dangerous drugs for 3 years. So glad to be drug free now. It was not an easy journey. It can also turn mild /. moderate “Depression” into a more chronic / long term condition. According to medical journalist Robert Whitaker and his book “Anatomy of an Epidemic” and I would agree with that ~
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11235925
My goal is that people have informed consent. Something I never had. If they then decide to take the drug then best of luck. Once on it it can be very difficult for some to come off due to “discontinuation syndrome” or withdrawal. And the other thing is not to get pregnant on it due to potential risks to the baby ~
Panorama documentary plus I also have other good sources of information ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMAEJ1exKPU
Escitalopram saved my life, no its not a silver bullet it won’t fix you but it made me well enough that I could engage properly with the mental health team.
Medication isn’t a cure all but it makes everything else a little easier.
When your told something will help you sometimes experience a placebo effect. I’ve also met someone on TheJournal whose mother was taken off Lexapro / Escitalopram incorrectly in a Psych hospital / ‘cold turkey’ and died a few days later. Not forgetting that Stephen Gately from Boyzone was on it when he died but we don’t hear much about that.
Lexapro / Escitalopram is a more expensive version of Citalopram through a process called Evergreening. The patent was about to run out on Citalolpram so it was “reinvented”. But basically the same drug. As pointed out by Danish Dr Peter Gotzsche, co-founder of Cochrane Collaboration.
While some people can tolerate these drugs, for a significant number of others it can lead to disaster. I have at least 5 friends who lost a son or brother because of SSRIs/SNRIs. The youngest Jake McGill was only 14. These drugs carry black box warnings in the US for certain age groups and we need such warnings here in the interest of informed consent and public safety. Where parents and the person themselves will be aware of the risks.
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/UCM096273
{ DO not stop or change prescribed Psychoactive drugs without talking to a good doctor due the dangers of withdrawal. Coming off these drugs can be very difficult for some. The top expert I know recommends getting a liquid form of the drug and it has to be reduced slowly eg10% reductions every 3 to 4 weeks depending on the person. Sadly it is hard to get a liquid form of these drugs in Ireland and the HSE don’t pay for it. That increases the chances of having difficulties coming off it and could even mean a person ends up on the drug for life, with all the risks that that entails to health eg increased risk of fractures, effect on the heart, sexual dysfunction }
http://wp.rxisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/RxISK-Guide-to-Stopping-Antidepressants.pdf
Great Article and can only be understood fully by those who have gone through Panic Attacks /Anxiety Depression and all the Symptoms that goes with it
Please dont take me the wrong way. Im know an panic attack is a very scary thing and yes it does warrant a trip to a&e despite what some commenters think. I was diagnosed with panic attacks at 17 in drogheda. Suffered them out four or five times a year until i had one at 33 and was brought to a gps office in the same building that i work in. I was lucky. His specialty had been pulmonary.
Took one look at me and said thats not a panic attack its your heart. Rang an ambulance. Paramedics arrived and i kept saying im grand its just a panic attack. Same thing in a&e in beaumont. Thankfully they ignored me.
3 weeks later met a cardiologist in beaumont and was informed i have in fact a heart condition. Arrhtymia. An electrical fault. It could not be picked up unless i hooked up to an ecg while having an episode. 9 months later had a procedure wide awake and sent home same day. Havent had another episode since. What i getting at is please make sure u get fully checked out. Dont just accept anxiety as a diagnosis if u feel it is incorrect. Its is a very scary thing to experience and that trip to a&e could save ur life. And if u get cleared than at least u know and can go about dealing with the cause of the panic attacks.
Sometimes panic attacks are brought on by something physical-your bodies way of telling you something’s wrong . I was having panic attacks along with other strange symptoms . Went to two different ERs in one weekend. On the suggestion of a nurse I got my thyroid tested- turned out I had almost 0 thyroid function. Dr. said coma would have been next and I could have died .Have been on thyroid medication now for a couple of years and no more panic attacks .
Great article.
I have dealt with these a lot over the last 18 months, convinced there from psychological issues, that Havbt been dealt with.
Paralizing fear, that effect me physically too, once I was driving and my whole body cramped up, terrifying stuff.
Havnt found a easy way out of them yet. Hope too.
Great article hope yourself and kids doing well suffered first one when partner was preg on second child only gave birth in December its tuf but like Sara gotta keep smiling
It sounds awful, thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully it will help others who undergo the same kinds of panic and anxiety.
I’m not an expert, but have experienced anxiety at times. For me, understanding the triggers and what was behind those triggers helped. http://www.thriveprogramme.org is worth a read.
For me, a good solution that helped me manage my anxiety and stress is a program called 60 Second Panic Solution, special designed to help face stress and panic attacks with ease. Following this, I managed to understand what caused me the disorder in the first place and how to avoid the negative thoughts that lead me to that breaking point. I have to admit, that this is not for everybody. It requires persistence and determination. Some people may not want to let go of their anxiety and find the technique doesn’t work for them because they don’t properly implement it. For those interested, here is a review:
http://understandingdepressionandanxiety.com/60-second-panic-solution-review-actually-work/
Sorry that last Comment was for
Phiomy
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