Please calm me down

[ohfucketyfuck]

Hello all

Sorry if this is a little Rambly but I can't seem to get my words out or think straight.

I think I might be having an anxiety attack? I suffer from depression but have been quite well for the last few months on medication

However after a wonderful day out with my dd, dsd, and DH driving home just me and baby DD I came over reaaaaaallly panicky and couldn't shake this horrid feeling. My hands began to tremble and I just feel horrid like something bad is going to happen.

It made me feel sick and want to cry.

Whilst I've calmed down a lot I still can't shake the feeling and I'm too scared to go to bed. It's just me and my 1 year old DD who is about to fall a sleep on my lap. DH is working but could be home in as little as a few hours

I don't know what to do I'm stressing so much I'm giving myself a headache and making it worse

Breathe in to a count of four. Do that now, one, two, three, four. Hold for three, one...two...three. Now exhale for five..one, two, three, four, five.

Now repeat

I'm doing it too!

One, two, three, four....hold. One to three. Out, one,to, three four five.

Now breathe normally. List five things you can see, five things you can feel, five you can hear. Feet flat on floor to ground yourself.

You've got this.

It sounds like an anxiety attack. I have had them out of nowhere too. Breathe!

@Flyingarcher it's helping a bit. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

It's been happening for about 2 hours or so by now. I've never had it before and I'm scared shitless.

I've got terrible insomnia and usually smoke a teeny joint before bed to help me sleep. I don't touch it during the day or any other time except for bed. But now I'm too scared to have it in case it makes me more paranoid.

But then if I don't have it I will be awake all night worrying?

It's a vicious circle and I just want to cry. And cry. And cry

I do worry about your use of marijuana. It has been clinically proven to make things worse rather than better.

Please go and see a doctor but do not let any of the authorities know about your habit!

Sorry if that wasn’t helpful, but really, go see your doctor. They have some very good advice and medication that should help.

Please be careful with the smoking, I had my one and only panic attack after an evening of smoking, was almost psychotic and it frightened the life out of me, had always been ok with smoking small amounts before. Try breathing exercises, etc, I wouldn’t add any mind-altering substances when you’re feeling vulnerable

I once had a huge panic attack at university, at a time everyone was smoking weed. I didn’t even smoke that much. I stopped for that reason.

A joint might make it worse. Do you have anything absorbing but not too stimulating that you can do until tiredness kicks in? Adult colouring books, a cross-stitch kit, some ironing while you watch Homes Under The Hammer on demand (if you have Sky).

Or a warm (not hot) bath, a few drops of lavender oil on a tissue in your bedroom, feel-good book.

Camomile tea can be good for helping you sleep, too.

Try some relaxation /hypnosis videos for anxiety on YouTube, lie down with earphones on and listen, Michael Sealy is good

Smoking a joint will exasperate your anxiety not calm it.

You’d be better listening to some chill out music on YouTube.

Game apps help distract me, incase this helps in the future. Word games, Pictoword and the like. Nothing too tricky, just enough to centre the mind.

If anxiety stops me sleeping (the amazing pointless replaying of things) I play a mind game, starting at a and working through the alphabet naming something beginning with the letter. Sometimes places, items of clothes, things I would like to own. It’s not foolproof but can help end the cycle, you do have to mindfully bring yourself back to it if you start wondering back to the replay. This has massively improved my sleep.

I hope you’re feeling better this morning.