Is it an age thing?

[angieb]

I know that panic attacks can arrive with the onset of puberty but is there an age when they stop? I have spoken to lots of people in their 20's and 30's who suffer but don't really know of anyone older than that?

It would be interesting to do an age poll to see if there is a real pattern.

What does anyone else think on this subject?

(PS - I'm 36)

[rachel25]

i don't think it has anything to do with age, but if it's proven otherwise- roll on 40!!!!!!

Maybe you start to relax a bit more with age?? Although the oppposite is for me because my anxiety started when i was 22 (i am now 24).

Well done for yesterday by the way ange< when are you likely to hear about the job

RAch xx

[Clive Edwards]

hi

i had my first panic in my early twenties and still get them now. i'm 40 in May. If it is age related when does it stop?????

Clive

[angieb]

That is what I mean guys, I would love to see the figures, I think the findings would be realy useful. I'm obviously not suggesting that you hit your 40th birthday and hey presto but I just wonder if that the age when the number significantly drops?

[rachel25]

i don't know ange, is there a government website that may have mental health figures?

[Tracy68]

Really thinking about it i've suffered since i can remember and can't say its got worse with age but ain't that much of an improvement either. I'm 37 in May.
Take care
Tracy
x

[vernon]

hi. I had my frst bad panic and anxiety at about 16, but when i look back I was a nervous frightened child too. I am 56 now and still suffer. but, have had lots of good years between. no I dont think age has anything to do with it. Its just the type of people we are. tace care .Vernon

[razocaine_07]

i dont think age has anything to do with it. Its more of a mix between personality, and other factors out of our control

[lainey]

I don't think age has anything to do with it, mine started properly in my 40's. Although had probably had mild anxiety since my mid 30's.

Take care

Elaine x

[jill]

Hi Angie,

I don't think age has anything to do with it either.
My daughter suffered from the age of 3, she is now 11
and doing well, she still has a few symptoms now and again.
I myself suffered PA anxiaty last june I am 40, 41 this month.
I am 98% better.

TAKE CARE LOVE JILLXX


When you fear something,.
Learn as much about it as you can.
Knowledge conquers fear.

[Meg]

It has nothing to do with age but lots to do with life events and many of these happen when you're leaving school, uni, getting work, having kids etc..

There are another set who start when they lose their partners or retire who are much older but often are not on the net..




Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[carlin]

I agree it has nothing to do with age, mine started almost 17 years ago, after i lost my mum and had baby number 3 all within a few hours, i'm 50 now, but as Vernon has said, there have been good times in between,so it's not all doom and gloom. looking back i always say, if i knew then what i know now, about anxiety etc.. maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't have gone on for this length of time, but i don't give up easily, alhough it does seem like hard work at time.

[bubbles]

Angie,

I think age is immaterial with panic/anxiety.

I'm almost 57--& had my first major panic attack at age 55! Had suffered with anxiety all my life but nothing I couldn't handle. It started to build up after my mum died 10 years ago & came to "a head" following a lot of health anxiety stuff last year. As Meg said--life events.

Maybe what changes over time is that, with treatment & support, people learn to cope with the anxiety--but blips occur when things get to much or there's another major change or life event.

Linda. x

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.

[sandy]

I THINK LIFE EVENTS AS I AM 42, AND MINE STARTED LAST YEAR

[SickofIt]

I'm with Clive on this one. Started in my early 20's and I will be 41 in a month.

I have heard that they usually don't rear their ugly heads until young adulthood.

[FAN]

think it just waits til your vunerable then strikes i was really bad 5 years ago then improved 2 years ago it hit again

fan x

[sue447]

hi mine started when i was 19, i had it for 6 years, it went for a while, even though i did still get the odd symptom, it came back with avengance just before i became pregnant in nov 04, then i had a miscarrage, and now im quite bad with it il be 42 in april
luv sue

[Lilith]

I'm 48 and had my first panic attack 3 years ago. My doctor told me that panic mostly affects women in their 20's. With me I'm pretty sure it was a combination of life events and possibly hormonal changes.

[mjh74]

I remember starting with anxiety around the age of 7, I've had some great times between but I'm now 30 and going through one of my toughest yet.

Mark

[cookiemonster]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">i dont think age has anything to do with it. Its more of a mix between personality, and other factors out of our control

<div align="right">Originally posted by razocaine_07 - 08 March 2005 : 12:55:11</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

I agree. My genetics definately work against me when it comes to anxiety. I've always been a worrier even when I was really little.

[linjane]

I really think, as Meg said, life events have a major effect on how we end up. According to my counsellor my trigger was my dad leaving when I was 10, but as most of you know had major life events after.

I got really bad in my late 20's then a bit better, but by my mid 30's got even worse and have not got much better yet and I am 38 now. I am sure I will control things soon, though (I hope).

Take care,
Linda.