I am a 37 year old male and have been struggling with panic attacks and anxiety for 3 years now and am on the verge of losing my job as I am avoiding more and more activities and some days can no longer leave home and drive. I wake up in the middle of the night with severe panic attacks and feel as though I am going crazy. I am TERRIFIED of taking pills as I react very easily to bodily sensations. My anxiety stems from irrational thoughts I am going to have a heart attack and die. I take my pulse 50 times a day and am always checking. I had a really bad response to Lexapro 3 years ago that 3 hours after taking it, I had the most severe attack of my life and ended up in the emergency room with sky high blood pressure, pulse and feeling of dread. The medical staff did all of the usual routine heart tests and ultimately diagnosed it as an anxiety reaction. I am terrified of the same thing happening with the Zoloft. My psychiatrist suggested taking it with a small dose of Ativan to counteract the initial negative effects. Is the adjustment period really that bad? I am terrified of it making me feel more anxious. Any positive experiences with this drug or stories about it changing your life would be very much appreciated. I need all of the motivation and support I can get.