Panic Attacks

[just.me]

Hey dudes and dudettes, good morning.

I thought I would start this thread to see how people cope with panic attacks.

It might help newbies and others cope in times of crisis, and give them some pointers as to how to overcome the feelings that invade us when we are suffering.

So.

How does a panic attack effect you, and what have you found helps you and calms you down?

[hummm_mabbe]

Hello

I havent had panic attacks for years, but when I did get them they were always in front of groups of people. I may get something akin to a panic attack now if something triggers me, but it doesnt feel quite the same. I never really found anything back then to help them, they sort of went away on their own, though public speaking is still hard for me. If I know I have to make presentations (eg when working) I will go to the doc and ask for propranolol as that stops the panic gripping your body.

Also though a technique I learned called 'external focusing'. The problem with panic is the fact that you become hyper-aware of your body, so it becomes like biofeedback - you feel anxious, then anxious about the anxiety, so it builds into a typhoon. If you push your mental focus onto something in the room eg the people or one person who doesnt seem threatening, or you become more aware of the paint job in the room etc, it can take that internal focus away. It seems to help a lot.

There is a book called "when panic attacks" by David Burns. Its 400 odd pages of techniques for overcoming panic and anxiety. Is very CBT oriented if you like that kind of thing.

Ross

[just.me]

I tend to have them less, mine are focused around specifics. Like in a position where I am not in control, but the person I have to see would be, like a Social Medical, or a Back to Work interview at the DWP offices.

I panic too when there is a significant change that I cannot deal with.

I have not had a large one for sometime, whereby I could not breathe, I was hysterical etc.,

I tend to find that not putting myself in a position where I can panic helps, albeit I do understand that you should face your fears in order to overcome them.

[Roses]

Great thread idea babe xxx

Um... I've only had a few full blown, full symptom, you can see symptoms panic attacks. In all cases I almost passed out and was rendered completely defenceless against living or breathing or thinking. In these cases I didn't cope at all and just had to ride out the physical symptoms.

On a daily basis however I have kinda silent panic attacks (don't know if anyone else suffers with these). They are like painless migraines (I get those too) wherein the body goes through the same process but without the major physical symptoms. If I had a CAT scan on my brain it would go through the same stresses and physical symptoms as another migraine suffere who is vomiting everywhere which actually makes them more dangerous as you dont know they are there and you could (for instance) carry on taking birth control pills and really damage yourself. Or not rest when you need to. The smaller symptoms I get are flashing lights and stuff which lets me know.

Likewise with the panic attacks more often than not I don't even realise I'm having one until I disocciate and cut myself or isolate myself or run home in floods of tears for no apparent reason, so it is very difficult to know how to cope with something you aren't actually aware is happening. I guess this may not be helpful but maybe some of you are the same as me? Is it denial? Is my perception or the world and reality so fucked up I am not even aware or my problems on a grand scale? I don't know. Propranolol helps and the CBT for SH and generally the DBT helps. In learning why I am afraid of certain things I can come to terms with it in a roundabout way so although I am not attacking the panic attacks head on, it should have a domino effect.

[Dani]

i found that when i had hypnotherapy it reall helped me.

i now do reathing exercising when i feel one coming on.

concentrating really hard on breathing can really help.xx

[just.me]

I have yet to master how to control them, when the stress hits now I feel rage! it is horrible.! Ouchamuss.

[donnam]

hi

i do the wrong thing i think, i avoid stressful situations, (dont think i have had full on panic attack, as i bolt as soon as breathing changes), i only go out to places i feel safe, and am taking the radical approach of getting a support dog (will be unofficial, as not approved yet in UK, but GP and HV support me, and will have a jacket and properly trained) so that i feel safe and more able to cope, as i cant even go food shopping/clothes shopping or taking kids to park by myself, any more so having a companion will help, and can be trained to pick up on imminant panic attakcs etc.

cad

[ziparmux]

Hi

I have bad anxiety today had major panic attack earlier. I feel really down because of it, when will it all end? Sick if using diazepam and alcohol to manage it. I live in state of constant fear of everything. The diazepam sucks bad, been on it too long now to come off it (20 + years), but it does its job and brings me down from major attacks, which then sends you into depression about it, a total vicious circle one, I can no longer escape. I get so fed up with it sometimes, death seems an escape worth the price, sorry if that sounds awful, but that’s how I feel about it today.

>>> Lawrence

[hummm_mabbe]

I have yet to master how to control them, when the stress hits now I feel rage! it is horrible.! Ouchamuss.

Hi Sioux

Its actually the 'trying to control' that makes them worse. Panic happens because of the persons relation to anxiety - either it means something bad about them (weak, ineffectual, not the sort of person they would like to be), they feel it will lead to judgement or rejection, or they fear it will lead to going mad or having a heart attack or some other extremely negative result. It makes sense to want to control something potentially dangerous, but its this belief that it is, and the attempt to make something that 'is', 'not be' - that actually leads to the vicious cycle. Its an attempt to deny reality that tends to bite the sufferer rather than reward them (CBT would call them 'should statements' - eg "I should not feel this way".)

When people 'overcome' their anxiety it doesnt actually go away - they just change their relationship to it. Anxiety and the butterflies stay as just that, and are no longer amplified to panic and all the coping strategies that come with it such as avoidance and overcompensation. This again is the big A word - acceptance. But its very hard to accept something we would give bits of our anatomy to be free of.

Thats why some CBT approaches to panic include the exposure method - the person brings on a panic attack so that they can actually emotionally experience (as opposed to just intellectually 'see') that the feared thing does not happen. This works best for the 'out of the blue' panic attacks more than it does for the socially caused ones, because its so easy to 'find' the feared outcome in a social environment - a flicker of a face, a partially caught look and so on. Social panic may really needs an entire social anxiety approach, and for some CBT can help (look up the Clark and Wells approach to social anxiety, or the very good book by Gillian Butler), though that is only some. Being granted the freedom to be seen to be anxious by accepting others can be enormously helpful, as its often the fear of being rejected for being nervous that drives the panic.

That book I mentioned above has hundreds of things you can try, but be aware that so often with emotions, trying to 'get rid' of them tends to backfire. It seems to be more helpful to start from a position of welcoming in or accepting what is now, before you can alter anything in the future. Effing hard to do though....

Panic also comes and goes. Like I said my panic sort of went away in my late teens.

Ross

[just.me]

I have bad anxiety today had major panic attack earlier. I feel really down because of it, when will it all end? Sick if using diazepam and alcohol to manage it. I live in state of constant fear of everything. The diazepam sucks bad, been on it too long now to come off it (20 + years), but it does its job and brings me down from major attacks, which then sends you into depression about it, a total vicious circle one, I can no longer escape. I get so fed up with it sometimes, death seems an escape worth the price, sorry if that sounds awful, but that’s how I feel about it today.

CBT therapy is supposed to be really good for anxiety.

I am sorry your post was not answered, this was a general Panic Attack thread and I was hoping for some input into how to deal with them.

Death is never the answer Lawrence. Therapy and talking does however help though.

[icu_baby]

My panic attacks happen if I am reminded of my suicide attempts and how close I was to dying or my studies (eg an impending exam).

I usually lie in my bed with a warm water bottle in case of my flashbacks from my past attempts.

For my studies I find that doing reading and being productive helps reduce my stress.

[ILostHer]

I have panic attacks every time I go out, usually worse at appointments like today I have the dentist. Mine are centred around fear that I need the toilet, which in turn makes me need to go! I hate them and they have ruined my life.

The only thing I have learnt is that the anxiety has to reach it's highest peak in a panic attack before it goes down, so waiting for it to reach the "I am going to literally die from this" stage at least you know that the anxiety/panic has nowhere else to go apart from back down.

It's all to do with adrenaline being pumped into your body when it's not needed isn't it? I asked them to take my adrenaline gland out but I don't think it's possible ha.

[smellyjelly]

I quite often get panic attacks. I can get them if I worry about getting them so if that happens to anyone else just try to take your mind off any anxiety but doing a change in activity.

[Villan]

just wanna throw summat into the mix here if that's ok...

i belive that a lil anx can be a good thing...

kinda keeps you in check - if you get what i mean...

like if you are going somewhere new and you are a lil anxy about it, it kinda reminds you to keep your wits about you, especially if there are also people there that you are unsure of... like a protection thing to keep yuo safe...

i find it helps me to recognise when it is that, and then i tend not to worry about the anx and so i find it easier to kinda keep control of things... rather than the feeling cycling out of control like it can do...

dunno if that helps anyone :)

[Jelly-bean]

i suffer from panick attacks have done since i were a child, first one being at the age of around 6 7 yrs old or something like that at the moment where i am going through a very stressful time i get them near on every day.....had one yesterday cos i had an absess and took off of my mum some of her painkillers but had nothing to eat be4 hand so got a reaction of servere pain in my stomach which came on strong and caused me to panick that and i just went to a meeting so were very anxious anyways......i tried to breath knew what were happening but lost control cos of the pain had to get out of a car full of my family and stand in a busy street tring to gain my breath but i were breathing so much i hyperventilated........i used a bag to get my breathing back and rode through the pain in my stomach,

one way someone told me on here if you don't have a bag to hand is to draw on paper two circles one inside the other makeing the one inside smaller then the out side one then as you breath in draw a line from the outer line to the inner one and breath out draw the line to the outer line this shows you that you are breathing and after awhile this calms you down it worked for me thank you rael hunnie i so miss your wiseness!!!

distractions - calming down if at home music- drawing- colouring- danceing to loud music

feeling a panick coming on go lie down somewhere quiet and listen to your breathing nice even breaths......(((((((hugs)))))))) to everyone panick attacks suck big time i wish i didn't have them or i could cope when i do xoxoxoxoxoxoxo and i feel for everyone that suffers them (((((((hugs))))))))

[fedup!]

**fedup! squeezes hands of all those who live with panic attacks**

I've not hada full blown panic attack for a few years now, depression kind of overtook everything. And while dep is debilitating, vile, a waste of time, foul, all-round-yak....I know panic attacks are worse. I've ran screaming into A&E so many times its embarressing.

I found carrying a photo around with me, of me and my best friends on a night out, was really reassurring. It gave me something very 'real' to focus on, to take my mind off the idea that i was convinced I was dying yiyiyiyiyiyyy!

**fedup! shudders at horrid panic attacks**

Love to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[tribalbutterfly]

Not had a full on passing out panic attack, been lucky I guess,

Hugs to the people who have to live with them,

Had a mini panic attack in town, was ambushed by someone I work with

(currently off work and have been for about 8 months)

put on the front and tried to pretend everything was fine but was terrified he could see through it and didn't want to be seen in that state,

could feel myself hyperventilating, hid the corner of an alleyway, closed my eyes and turned my music up to deafening point until the world stepped back a couple of inches and I felt I could manage to get to the car.

My Ipod is my lifeline while I'm out!

[barry28]

I get them quite frequently, and they often come out of nowhere which makes it harder to deal with.