Panic-stricken doctor shares words of advice, comfort for other victims
ANDERSON, S.C. – Nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, facial tics, migraines, irregular heart beats, heartburn, esophageal spasms, acid reflux, constipation, teeth grinding, coughing, and hand tremors are some of the symptoms regularly experienced by victims of panic disorder. Sounds pretty awful, right?
Needham Long, M.D. experienced some of these symptoms for decades, even after therapy successfully removed his disabling panic attacks. His new memoir, Escape From Panic: Ending an Odyssey of Fear, tells the true story of Long’s efforts to be released from a gripping panic disorder.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, panic disorders affect about 2.7 percent of Americans. About half of those cases are classified as “severe,” meaning the fear is so intense that it causes the victim to withdraw from his or her intended course of action.
Long’s irrational fears did just that—causing him to withdraw from some professional duties and from attending crowded, formal gatherings. Simple tasks such as getting a haircut, going to the grocery store and attending church were nearly impossible for the 32-year-old Long.
“I was severely handicapped by these panic attacks, and highly effective drugs for this condition didn’t exist 48 years ago,” Long said.
Now, almost 50 years after his therapeutic rescue, Long has a single goal in mind: to help others suffering with mental illness.
Long’s personal journey, told in Escape From Panic, is a roadmap for others seeking relief from crippling symptoms of panic disorder that reveals the value of self-help in the relief of panic disorder.
Escape from Panic: Ending an Odyssey of Fear
By Needham L. Long, M.D.
ISBN: 978-1-46852-390-4
Approx. 104 pages
Paperback 6x9
Retail price: $14.95 E-book price: $3.99
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, AuthorHouse
About the author
Needham L. Long is a pathologist, retired after 41 years. At the start of his career, Long was disabled by recurrent panic attacks. Three decades after his therapeutic rescue, he felt the urge to record the emotional gains that came from the recovery process. Now, his goal is to help other victims of panic disorder realize that help is available, and successful treatment is possible. Long has played the violin for 60 years, and still does—a source of ongoing pleasure. He and his wife of 51 years live in the Piedmont region of South Carolina.