Paranoid panic? Normal?

I didn't have paranoia first though. I had a panick attack then paranoia came a week later during my second panic attack. Does paranoia cause anxiety or anxiety cause paranoia?

They go hand in hand. One can lead to the other. I am thinking PTSD is what is causing the paranoia. A trauma earlier on in life that your body remembers and reacts to. A trigger for your anxiety, and panic attacks. You are afraid to have panic attack in public, afraid of people judging you or thinking you are crazy, therefore triggering the paranoia. Make sense? 

Absolutely! It's spot on actually. I'm just wondering why my psych pinned bipolar on me in the first 30 minutes of seeing me then retracted it, and said it's anxiety and give me lexapro for anxiety. Yet that could make bipolar worse. My mind is stuck on that manic words.....I'm sure that's my anxiety. But I'm terrified to start the meds for that reason. So many anxiety and panic symptoms mimic bipolar symptoms 

Hi there,

I agree with David. One feeds the other, so you can get into a vicious circle. a lot of people with bipolar disorder have completely reasonable fears which others put down to paranoia, which must be beyond frustrating.

That's what I'm saying though, she diagnosed me bipolar within the first 30 minutes of treatment but the very next session she said I weren't. She's still saying I'm not, but I'm worried I am because she said it the first time. 

Doctors play a guessing game based on what you tell them. They prescribe what has worked for others. Everybody reacts differently to different meds. We are all unique and so is our body's chemistry. This disorder is only now being taken seriously in these last few years. And the right treatment can take a few tries. So just hang in there. And see a therapist. A psychiatrist is great and all but they push meds at you, while a therapist will try to get to the root of what's triggering you. 

Maybe I need to try a therapist instead

Oh, I see.

Yes, that is extremely confusing. It is very important that you discuss this with your psychiatrist so that you can get her to explain what exactly she means. It isn't exactly helpful, is it, when a doctor tells you two different things?

Why not try both. I see 2 doctors (primary care and psychiatrist) and a therapist. I take lexapro for the anxiety, xanex for the occasional panic attack (lexapro just started taking 3 weeks ago and needs to build up in my system), I take nexeum as stomach acid blocker. Anxiety plays with your appetite and some meds also causes gas, diarrhea, and acid reflux. Lost some weight. And then the therapist actually explains to me what's going on in my brain. It all works together so I can function and manage. I feel so much better. All the appointments are a pain in the butt but it won't be forever and it really helps me. But by all means, start with a therapist. It may take a while to get into see one as their appointments usually span out a month and some can't see new patients, so that's another obstacle. But I would start calling around Monday. If you can hold out that long. If not, go to primary care and get some xanex or kalonipin to help with the initial panic attacks until you can get into see someone. Just start the process soon. It can get a lot worse if you don't get help soon. I know this from experience. I am the type to never go to the doctor and hate meds. But life changes and I stopped rebelling against myself and it's really helping me. 

Hey David - I love the way people in the States can just go to their \primary and ask for Xanax or Klonopin.

I have mentioned this to you before. In the UK, GPs would throw you out of the surgery with or without a prescription for 2mg diazepam for 10 days!

There's a big move int eh UK at the moment to stop doctors from prescribing benzos freely or for long periods of time.

Sounds familiar. They gave me klonopin originally and I didn't like. So when she gave me the lexapro she prescribed xanex with to get me through the first few weeks of taking the lexapro. Maybe I should just quit worrying about it and try the meds 

I asked her about it at my last appt. she said she thought bipolar because I was talking really fast and the paranoid thought. But she said I have a lot of nervous energy she thinks that is why I was talking fast and she thinks anxiety was causing the paranoid thoughts I was having. Or thought I should say. I was linking my panic attack to the one I had when I smoked weed. I knew I hadn't smoked it so I assumed my husband put it in my food. Which was really irrational my husband nor me smokes weed. haha it was just so out the ordinary for me to even think this way

I just respond to the posts. I have no way of knowing where everyone is from. There are many meds to chose from for short term relief of panic attacks. Adavan, kalonipin and xanex. They must have equivalents in UK, if they don't then they should. These are not given out like candy here in the USA. They are narcotics and controlled substances. However I am 47 years old with no prior history of drug abuse. The dose I take is .05 mg of xanex and will not hurt me. I am not trying to be insensitive to how the system is run in UK but my guess is that they have equivalents if needed. These are not uncommon drugs in any country. Third world countries have them. It's at the doctors discretion to prescribe them. If the doctors in UK don't prescribe them then maybe they are influenced by pharmaceutical vendors who ask them to push something else, for possible kick back to their wallets. I can't know for sure. 

Well, honey, that does sound like paranoid delusions to me, so it seems that paranoia is your prpoblem, which is feeding your anxiety.

So do paranoid delusions come from being bipolar? But I'm having anxiety too? 

Sweety, listen to me. Please. We all get paranoid delusions. It stems from fear of being labeled by others. Omg what happens if I have a panic at a store or work. Is so and so watching me? Why is she looking at me like that? What did he mean by that? I don't like his tone, why is he so mean ? Why are they laughing, are they laughing at me? .... yeah I get it. You are not alone.