I just had a huge anxiety attack..?

Anxiety is a real bad "Friend" But, its a FUNNY Friend..It can come when U feel LOW, it can also come when U feel HIGH...and it does NOT send U a Telegram or an Email informing U that its coming.

The feeling in your stomach is called "nervous dyspepsia

U did mention the aching pain in your chest**. This is Anxiety, and is caused by the chest muscles tightening..as does the Lump in the throat..There is NO Lump..the neck muscles tighten with stress (anxiety=fear)..The description of PAIN is false..It is NOT an "actual" pain as in real pain EVEN though U ACTUALLY feel it as pain..U feel it,,but its a Phantom pain> I can describe this Later more accurately for U, to fully understand.

Zoloft is for Depression, BUT< many doctors also prescribe it for Anxiety Panic Attacks. It can and does have side affects that for for "some people" strengthens the Anxiety attacks. It is also with "some people" known to cause suicidal thoughts. Discuss this with your Doctor, In YOUR "situation" I DON'T think U should be on Zoloft.

NOW..to your MUM..unfortunately many Mothers develops that thinking "I got away from it all"

BUT, for the kid/s..when time must be spent with each parent and the kid/s is NOT real sure of WHY the breakup occurred, then for the child/children..the levels of worry, as in anxiety/stress are high. Kids don't think of those "feelings" u describe as in a word called ANXIETY or Panic Attacks, let alone understand the Terminology or the actual causes and feelings that happen inside U/them.

When I speak of Kid/s, I refer to ages from 6 years to 17 years, maybe up to 19.

Also, for U, I think U may be facing "some" stress, from your Mum, in her lack of understanding for the way in which U actually feel about this situation.(sorry for blaming Mum, but I DONT apologise for saying it)..U are the No.1 person to be considered in THIS Situation.

I know U mentioned the Drinking of your Father..BUT, perhaps may I suggest that this may NOT necessarily have been the REAL cause of the breakup. Alcohol can always play a role..but is NOT "always" THAT main cause for marriage breakups.

AND> Then there's the kid/s who may even blame themselves to a degree for the breakup..Yes THAT happens.

CAN U alter your Q. for add, details again and just mention your age. IF U are over 18 I think U may need to take a Restraining order out for yourself..IF U are happy living with Mum, do so. IF U have an opportunity to live with a Friend do so and I am NOT pushing U into any Relationship. For U, at THIS point in time, to be in a relationship would NOT be a good thing for U, or the partner. I am talking about a GirlFriend or other closer relatives who might be more understanding. I don't know U,,U may NOT have these opportunities. IF, not, then U are faced with one thing and one thing ONLY..HOW to deal with the Anxiety.?

Email me IF U WANT TO..I will advise u HOW to control your Anxiety..I will advise u HOW to understand what Anxiety IS and HOW the affects on your Mind and Body can be controlled, or even eliminated (its NOT an overrnite cure, but its effective) In the Interim, please be WELL assured that NO MATTER how bad these feelings are (which are based on FEAR) they will NEVER harm U AT ALL.

The FEAR.,.causing the feelings is from the Pancreases organ releasing Adrenalin, that causes the Heart to beat stronger..this in turn places stress on all parts of the body, even the Brain.

The heart is beating abnormally NOT because its SICK, but because its "fearful"..Its the body's way of reacting to stress.(Anxiety=Fear) , however, UNDERSTAND, that IT IS NOT harmful and wont kill U, no matter HOW BAD U may feel.......Repeat>>NO matter HOW BAD u feel.

I don't get why you are 'seeing' your dad at all. If he's a drunk and has the capacity to be violent, why is your mother allowing you to be in his presence. First off, he hasn't earned the right to have a minor in his responsibility. Second, what mother would put her own child at this risk. She obviously knows what he's like. Why is she trying to push a relationship under these circumstances???

Your body is showing the signs of stress that your mind cannot tolerate any longer. When the stress starts showing physically, you are in a really bad state..but I think you know that.

When I started getting anxiety attacks it was because I was at rock bottom. I was an adult with no money, no direction. My dreams had been shattered. It was a bad scary time. As things improved, I have the attacks less. And when I start to feel one coming on, I switch on the radio, the t.v., whatever distraction will work to get my mind off the track it started on.

It's disturbing to me when I hear what some young people have to deal with, especially when one of the parents is clueless and insensitive. They might not be directly involved in the abuse, but they abet the abuser by being so naive. Just remember, you started off in this world as a beautiful, perfect, happy and inquisitive child...it's the adults in our lives that screw us up, and it's up to us to not let it ruin our whole lives. You need to educate yourself, get yourself involved in healthy pursuits and have goals. Maybe just focusing on what can be will help reduce the severity of your depression.

Unfortunately this is common with a lot of families. In regards to your anxiety attack, it sounds as if its a combination of many factors, such as your family situation, the lack of communication, the anxiety you probably have, the stress that your feeling, etc. Controlling these things is sometimes out of your hands, but what you can do is try to open more communication between your mom or at least open up to someone in your family who knows what is going on. If you can't do that, finding some social support outside of that, by talking to friends who care for you will help you out, but be careful who you choose to open up too.

Also, the reason why your stomach ache happens is because of the amount of stress you have. When your stressed, your body tells itself to enter stop certain functions, such as digestion - and the more stress you have, the less you would feel like eating because of it. So to get rid of it, you would need to find a place where you can go which makes you feel calm, because once you start feeling calm, that's when your stress will subside and your stomach should start to feel better.

Medication as you know is not always the answer, but yes it can help. As for all of these answers here which people are contributing, I'm sorry that many of them have such horrible advice for you. The truth is, we cannot walk through this with you, nor provide a safe haven for you. But what I can tell you, is that God knows whats going on in your life. Many people get angry at Him for these situations, but people take their problems out on Him more than they give Him their problems.

I know you said you felt like crying and you kept yourself from that. I can identify with that. But in all honesty, sometimes you need too. Sometimes I will pray and just cry during the whole time, and you know, things change. Maybe not right away, but eventually they do, and through it all i know that Jesus Christ, as much fun as people make of Him, honestly cares for us and hurts with us as we go through our trials and tribulations in life.

I'm terribly sorry about your situation. However, I think I can help. My father was also an abusive alcoholic who beat my sister and I frequently. I have also suffered depression and anxiety as a result of this. The first thing you have to think about is your safety, and by the sound of it, you've taken necessary measures to protect yourself and your mother, for example, setting a restraining order against your father, setting the alarm, keeping away from him, etc.

Now, as far as anxiety attacks go, there is a lot you can do to ward them off. First you want to make certain that you're taking the right medication. There are a lot of anti-anxiety medications out there and they work differently for different people. Also check to see if Zoloft is having the right effect on you. If you are still overwhelmed with negative thoughts and feelings of hopelessness then you may want to check with your doctor about either increasing the dose or being prescribed a different anti-depressant. Tell your doctor about your recent anxiety attack and explain to him in detail what happened. He may want to re-think your medication dose or prescription.

Now, about what you can do personally to help yourself. Whenever you feel like you're in a Panic state of mind, quickly pull out a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil, and write down all the reasons that you are safe. List, for example, the alarm, the locked doors, the restraining order, or the simple fact that your father is nowhere near you and cannot harm you. Take a realistic approach when making your list of why you are in fact as safe as you can be. When you're finished with the list, read over it again and repeat those reasons to yourself. Think about how lucky you were to get out safe and out of the way of a dangerous alcoholic. Do not dwell on thoughts of him or your fears of him.

Just keep telling yourself that you are safe, and eventually you will begin to feel the effects. Also, try sitting on your bed in a comfortable position, and breathe deeply. Listen to your breathing, breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do this, and you will begin to feel slightly euphoric, given the fact that oxygen can have this effect on your brain. This in and of itself will calm your nerves. Lastly, start keeping a journal of whenever you feel depressed or panicked. Write down all of your thoughts, that way you get them out instead of letting them stew counter productively in your mind.

I really hope that this helps, if you have any more questions, feel free to e-mail me.

Also, it does not sound like your mother is coping very well, which is understandable. It may be productive to go to "Alanon" meetings with her for group therapy. Alanon is an organization much like "Alcoholics Anonymous", but they devote their time to helping victims of alcoholics. Check your local phone book for meetings listings and contact phone numbers. I went to these meetings and it helped me greatly.

Ask your therapist about biofeedback, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises or relaxation exercises.

Call the police yourself.....