Laura-CCC4
Senior Guinea Pig
*Hugs* Jenny. x
Panic Attacks
- Thread starter Beautifulmess
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Julesie
Senior Guinea Pig
Aw I'm terribly sorry. I suffer from panic attacks so I know how distressing it can be.
Everyone has their own ways with dealing with them. The only thing I can help with is saying what I do when I get mine.
Usually I try to force my thoughts elsewhere or distract my mind.
The best things I have found that help are
Carrying an ipod around with me, that way I can turn it on, put the music loud and try block my panicy thoughts that way.
Try to focus on a hobby if you are indoors. I try and colour or write. You have to focus to do both which again, helps take your mind off of it.
Suffering from pains in my stomach when my attacks hit, I usually take heat pads around with me. If the pain kicks in I place that over my tummy and within about 5-10minutes the pad relaxes me and usually the panic attack is gone.
If worse comes to worse, I will have to force myself to lay down and try to take a nap. The best way I find to fall asleep when I am suffering my attack is to keep my bedroom light on, lay down on the bed, resting on my side, trying to take even breaths and make the breathing normal, not racing. With the light shining on my eyes, I close them and with how blinding it is, I find it helps me fall asleep because otherwise it will hurt.
I hope you can find your own way to cope. They can come at any time, most of the time there's no reason to even get a panic attack.
I wish you good luck x
Everyone has their own ways with dealing with them. The only thing I can help with is saying what I do when I get mine.
Usually I try to force my thoughts elsewhere or distract my mind.
The best things I have found that help are
Carrying an ipod around with me, that way I can turn it on, put the music loud and try block my panicy thoughts that way.
Try to focus on a hobby if you are indoors. I try and colour or write. You have to focus to do both which again, helps take your mind off of it.
Suffering from pains in my stomach when my attacks hit, I usually take heat pads around with me. If the pain kicks in I place that over my tummy and within about 5-10minutes the pad relaxes me and usually the panic attack is gone.
If worse comes to worse, I will have to force myself to lay down and try to take a nap. The best way I find to fall asleep when I am suffering my attack is to keep my bedroom light on, lay down on the bed, resting on my side, trying to take even breaths and make the breathing normal, not racing. With the light shining on my eyes, I close them and with how blinding it is, I find it helps me fall asleep because otherwise it will hurt.
I hope you can find your own way to cope. They can come at any time, most of the time there's no reason to even get a panic attack.
I wish you good luck x
Ah I'm sorry to hear you have been having panic attacks, I started having them nearly two years ago after I was in a car crash,so I know how you must be feeling. Someone went into the back of my car and I couldn't move for a while as the ambulance crew were checking my neck, and so the feeling of being trapped and helpless is what started them off.
I know it is frustrating when they happen, I spoke to my doctor and started counselling after a couple of months, as I was feeling like they were taking over my life. On a night out in a club with friends I had one so bad that I collapsed - it scared everyone and I didn't want to have this worry whenever I went out. Also, I had a panic attack while driving on an A road - so they were putting me and others in dangerous situations.
The counselling did help, basically I learnt about breathing techniques and thinking about other things when I felt the panic starting. I've had a couple since I finished counselling but I've dealt with them a lot quicker and I've never collapsed again thank god.
I always have the same symptoms as you've mentioned-the tingling in my face and hands, and the sudden irrational thoughts that something is going to happen and I'm going to be trapped. The counselling may be an option, it definitely worked for me as I get on a crowded tube everyday for work and if I ever feel anxious I know how to deal with it
I hope what everyone is saying helps you, there are loads of different ways to help out there, just gotta try and beat the panic attacks so they don't take over x
I know it is frustrating when they happen, I spoke to my doctor and started counselling after a couple of months, as I was feeling like they were taking over my life. On a night out in a club with friends I had one so bad that I collapsed - it scared everyone and I didn't want to have this worry whenever I went out. Also, I had a panic attack while driving on an A road - so they were putting me and others in dangerous situations.
The counselling did help, basically I learnt about breathing techniques and thinking about other things when I felt the panic starting. I've had a couple since I finished counselling but I've dealt with them a lot quicker and I've never collapsed again thank god.
I always have the same symptoms as you've mentioned-the tingling in my face and hands, and the sudden irrational thoughts that something is going to happen and I'm going to be trapped. The counselling may be an option, it definitely worked for me as I get on a crowded tube everyday for work and if I ever feel anxious I know how to deal with it
I hope what everyone is saying helps you, there are loads of different ways to help out there, just gotta try and beat the panic attacks so they don't take over
xHi
I first started to take panic attacks at the age of 17, i am now 43. My panic attacks have been from mild to severe. I can not think of a day when i have not felt anxious.
I have avoided medication as i have seen people who rely on it too much. They then become trapped in the medication cycle.
I have worked since i left school and have never taken a day off work due to anxiety. People always state that i do not look like the type of person that would suffer with panic attacks. I can be very outgoing but a lot of it is forced.You can become very short tempered with people around you as a lot of people do not understand the feeling of intense anxiety. You can get very angry with yourself for allowing these feelings control your life. Some days you can think to yourself that you cannot have another day with anxiety and other days you will think i am stronger than this and i am not letting this beat me. It sort of depends what frame of mind you are in at the time. I have noticed over the last 20 odd years that the panic attacks can be more escalated when due a cycle. I think this may be due to hormone change but i am not a doctor.
I have left shopping in supermarkets, have avoided nights out, avoided places where i have had a bad panic attack previously and have spent a lot of money on taxi's when i have felt that bad i could not drive my car. In a small queue in a shop i have pretended that i have had a call from a friend and picked my mobile out of my pocket and put it to my ear and walked out of the shop so people did not know i was having one.
You will learn to control them with experience. This will not happen over night sadly. You need to find a technique that is suited to you as it varies with different people.
I find the breathing technique is better for me. This is very hard to master. It is very difficult to control breathing when you think you are taking your last breath and your heart feels like it is going to burst out of your chest and your head is exploding.
Try to breath from your lower abdomen and not from your chest as you will not get enough air into your lungs by breathing from your chest.
Breath in through your nose slowly and count
1 thousand
2 '' '' ''
3 '' '' ''
4
Making sure your abdomen expands and not your chest. You can feel your abdomen rise if you put your hand across it
Breath out from your mouth and count slowly
5 thousand
6 '' '' ''
7
Repeat until you have it under control.
There are several self help books available, lots of information on panic attacks forums and a lot of people that understand what you are going through. You are not alone with this and the more you understand panic the easier it is to control.
Good luck and i hope my info helped.
I first started to take panic attacks at the age of 17, i am now 43. My panic attacks have been from mild to severe. I can not think of a day when i have not felt anxious.
I have avoided medication as i have seen people who rely on it too much. They then become trapped in the medication cycle.
I have worked since i left school and have never taken a day off work due to anxiety. People always state that i do not look like the type of person that would suffer with panic attacks. I can be very outgoing but a lot of it is forced.You can become very short tempered with people around you as a lot of people do not understand the feeling of intense anxiety. You can get very angry with yourself for allowing these feelings control your life. Some days you can think to yourself that you cannot have another day with anxiety and other days you will think i am stronger than this and i am not letting this beat me. It sort of depends what frame of mind you are in at the time. I have noticed over the last 20 odd years that the panic attacks can be more escalated when due a cycle. I think this may be due to hormone change but i am not a doctor.
I have left shopping in supermarkets, have avoided nights out, avoided places where i have had a bad panic attack previously and have spent a lot of money on taxi's when i have felt that bad i could not drive my car. In a small queue in a shop i have pretended that i have had a call from a friend and picked my mobile out of my pocket and put it to my ear and walked out of the shop so people did not know i was having one.
You will learn to control them with experience. This will not happen over night sadly. You need to find a technique that is suited to you as it varies with different people.
I find the breathing technique is better for me. This is very hard to master. It is very difficult to control breathing when you think you are taking your last breath and your heart feels like it is going to burst out of your chest and your head is exploding.
Try to breath from your lower abdomen and not from your chest as you will not get enough air into your lungs by breathing from your chest.
Breath in through your nose slowly and count
1 thousand
2 '' '' ''
3 '' '' ''
4
Making sure your abdomen expands and not your chest. You can feel your abdomen rise if you put your hand across it
Breath out from your mouth and count slowly
5 thousand
6 '' '' ''
7
Repeat until you have it under control.
There are several self help books available, lots of information on panic attacks forums and a lot of people that understand what you are going through. You are not alone with this and the more you understand panic the easier it is to control.
Good luck and i hope my info helped.
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