Re: Breathing and muscle-memory

Piuma, without a doubt, hormonal influences can be extremely exacerbated by anxiety disorders.  The fact still remain that anxiety is fear-based, and all that follows are physiological responses TO the anxiety and stress - there is no break in the hypervigilance or anticipation, so there is no emotional/physical/spiritual BALANCE, at any time, even in sleep. 

The hormonal imbalances could actually be caused BY the anxiety - because you are perhaps in a constant state of heightened awareness (anticipating the panic attacks, etc.), your body literally cannot experience any "down-time" to decompress, relax, regenerate, rejuvenate, and HEAL.  This is why stress kills - the stressors are going to be there, but how we process the stress determines whether or not we're going to develop medical/physiological disorders.  I have rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, and I might carry genetic markers for these disorders, but the stresses that I've experienced in the past 9 years have created permanent conditions for me.  I might cause a remission, at some point, but I will forever be "healing" because of the damages that STRESS caused my physiology.

PSYCHIATRY (which is what your pmc referred you to) deals in medications, only.  Period.  There are very, very few psychiatrists that actually engage in therapy, anymore.  PSYCHIATRY has become a full-blown pharmaceutical-based practice and, although they are very specialized physicians and have earned a degree in medicine, their intent is to MEDICATE their client/patients, NOT teach them how to cure themselves.

PSYCHOLOGY, on the other hand, is the study of behavior and behavior management.  Perhaps, a counseling therapist might be helpful to you, at this point. 

A medical doctor isn't trained in stress management, so you primary care physician may have all of the empathy and compassion in the world, but they do not have the training to help you process the triggers causing the anxiety attacks, NOR do they have the training to help you process whatever past traumas have created the triggers.

Certainly, improving diet, exercise, etc., will help you on a physical level, but the anxiety is NOT caused by a physical issue.  It is utterly reversed:  physical issues are caused by anxiety.

I've posted three of my favorite tools to manage my personal anxiety issues.  I am certain that there are as many techniques to managing anxiety as there are stars in the heavens. 

It will come down to what you're willing to do to get control of this under your own power, rather than looking for the "golden pill" or the "magic wand" that's going to sort this all out.  Anxiety is NOT.........not, not, not, not...........caused by menstrual cycles.  BUT......the anxiety can exacerbate the hormonal outputs, thus causing cycles to be far more intense and the physical reactions to be far, far worse than they need to be. 

Mind, body, spirit........it's all part of the human organism, and there is not "one thing" that is going to alter this fact.  Anxiety can be 100% managed by a person without the need of adding pharmaceuticals or outrageous protocols or spending ungodly amounts of money on devices, supplements, etc.  But, in order for this to become a reality, it will require a decision to accept that managing anxiety is a long-term endeavor and will require practice, trial-and-error, some stumbling, some triumphs, and more practice.  That's it.