Panic attack?

[Jourdain11]

I've had a lot going on lately and just over the last couple of weeks, I've been getting overwhelmed by really panicky thoughts and fears. It isn't there all the time - it's more of an underlying anxiety - but every so often it just escalates and I can't stop my brain doing "what ifs".

Last night I had what felt like a full-blown panic attack. I was lying in bed, worrying, and my heart felt as though it was banging really fast and I felt that I couldn't breathe. I went to the bathroom and honestly, for more than 20 minutes, I just felt that I would die. I felt like my heart would burst out of my chest, that I would choke, that I would suffocate. And even when it stopped, I couldn't stop shaking.

I never want to feel like that again! And I'm terrified it could happen in front of my husband or kids and frighten the life out of them. I need to somehow get myself into a better headspace... but I don't know how to do it!

Any recommendations - books, activities, mindfulness strategies - are welcome! I'm not anti self-help, I've just never particularly needed to do it before and I don't know where to start

Time to see the GP. Perhaps a low dose of anxiety medication might help while you work through the problem. As for that part, there must be loads of stuff related to anxiety and panic attacks on the internet. I have had them before, and felt a constant need to escape every situation including basic things like talking with my young daughter and I know it's awful.

Take care

Anyone? Sorry to be needy...

@Boomerwang

Time to see the GP. Perhaps a low dose of anxiety medication might help while you work through the problem. As for that part, there must be loads of stuff related to anxiety and panic attacks on the internet. I have had them before, and felt a constant need to escape every situation including basic things like talking with my young daughter and I know it's awful.

Take care

Thank you! Mm, I know there's a lot online, but I'm quite keen to try an app or something, or read through maybe a guidebook type of thing? Just something strategic rather than dipping into lots of different things...

Tai chi meditation etc
Cbt. Talk to someone know your triggers
Theanine from herbal shop think it's what's in green tea.
Reading, jigsaws keep your brain busy
Are all tricks I use to get through rough patches.
Also I find I'm worse certain times of month

Self help for your nerves by Dr Claire weeks. It is old fashioned in some ways...but the central message which is a four point action planned is simple and effective.

Agree with @joyjester
Great approach

In fact I think it saved my life.

The bookS “Panicking about Panic” by Joshua Fletcher and “Your bullshit free guide to living with anxiety” by Caroline Foran both helped me a lot.
The Anxiety Guy’s videos on YouTube also helped.
Short Guided meditations on YouTube by The Honest Guys were great at calming my breathing down.
I had to give up things like alcohol and caffeine and too much chocolate as they all trigger me. If I don’t sleep well my anxiety is through the roof too so I have to stick to a strict bedtime routine.

I had a panic attack once and only once but I was also terrified of it happening again but hopefully just a tiny bit of reassurance that it may well never happen again. Yoga I swear by. Adrienne on you tube is good but a bit chatty for me. Also running or any form of exercise even just walking. Sorry op it's all a bit shit at the moment but I completely believe you can and will come through stronger and flipping proud of yourself.

Thank you - I'm going to look into those books!

Medication is something I'd prefer to avoid if possible... but maybe I am taking the wrong approach?

My anxiety was awful to the point I barely left my home for a couple of years. I avoided meds and did all the self help type stuff. It’s a slower process to recovery but I’m 90% better now and dealt with the root causes of my anxiety. Meds can be really great for people who need it sorted out a lot faster though.

I suffered from panic attacks too op, exercise is very good in terms of lowering anxiety, and I would massively recommend speaking to your husband about it, you will feel LOTS better! However, if you put these improvements in place, and there aren't 'real' things, like a bereavement, but you still get these symptoms, I would genuinely consider some mild form of pharma that your gp reccomend. The thing about anxiety is that it can rapidly lead to other issues developing, originally I was only mildly depressed, but as I didn't properly get treatment, it has morphed in to whole list of problems, and has very nearly ruined my life. It may be that medicine will sort you out, so if you still have these feelings, please dont discount it, as I genuinely wouldn't wish what I've suffered on anyone.

Hey @jourdain I've had these a few times, so bad I've taken myself to A&E. My friend who is a psychologist has recommended a book (I'll go find it later for you) but also said there are some really good coping mechanisms when this happens. Run your wrists under cold water as it physically reduces blood flow and also look around the room at different objects and count to 10. It distracts the mind. Once you figure out how to cope, I've actually found they happen much less. x

I don't know if I'm worrying proportionately or not. My thoughts feel like they're scattered all over the place - I can't get my head together

I saw a hypnotherapist who gave me techniques to de-escalate panic attacks and work through the underlying anxiety. I still use the techniques these days if necessary. I'd suggest you have a look on YouTube to see if there are resources on there, I found it helpful to have the hypnotherapist talk me through the techniques. Panic attacks can be terrifying, I used to be woken up by them and became so scared of having another one.

No more panic and No panic websites are great. The former has a symptoms page which explains why they happen and can be very reassuring and the latter has a recorded message imbedded that can help talk you down.

I've had them on and off for a while and have had CBT which helped examine the root of my anxiety and panic. I wouldn't discount medication, I was reluctant to try but found citalopram made me feel 'normal' instead of constantly on edge which was exhausting.

I visualised my panic attack as a person. Every time it tapped me on the shoulder, I told it to fuck off - I knew that nobody ever died of panic attack. Haven't had one for 15 years.

I'm not anti meds per se, but I'm having chemo at the moment (that's the reason for most of my stress!) and I'd need to speak to my consultant before going on meds, in case of interactions and so on. And I'd prefer to try behavioural management strategies, really. But I will try to keep an open mind!

When I was diagnosed, they did say that there are therapy groups for people going through treatment etc, but at that time it was all "suspended due to Covid". I don't know what the situation is now.

I get panic attacks occasionally and weirdly my heart doesn't seem to race. But I get this massive sense of impending doom and I feel as though my head doesn't belong to my body. It is very strange and I once went to A&E as I thought I was dying! They told me I was having a panic attack and gave me a sheet about panic attacks. Mine often appear to come out of the blue. I have never mentioned them to my GP as they do not happen very often, but I have just ordered the book by Dr Claire Weeks recommended above.

www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/looking-after-yourself/panic

Feeling anxious when you're in a situation to be having chemo is a natural response, not a disordered one. You're having intense feelings because you're in an intense situation and that is entirely normal.

But there are ways to understand what your brain is doing, to take care of yourself, and to prevent it turning into a bigger/long term problem.

Panicking and trying to push away the anxious feelings won't help. It's a bit like banging your head against a wall to try and make a headache go away.

Better to be kind to yourself and watch as the panic rises and falls - because it will, and reinforcing to yourself that it's a temporary wave of emotion you can survive is how you feel stronger.

Your brain and body literally cannot sustain the intensity of a full blown panic attack for more than a limited time. So even though it can feel like it will last forever in the middle of it you have to keep reminding yourself it will pass. Paying attention to how your feelings are changing can help with that.

Alongside all this you need strategies to soothe your mind and body and calm your nervous system down.

Reading a little about trauma in terms of how the brain responds to a threat in the environment may also help, because it sounds like that is a factor.

Sometimes understanding what our brain is doing and that it's behaving normally in abnormal circumstances, or just doing its best to protect us, can help things feel less overwhelming and out of control.

Thank you very much for this, you've given me some ideas for how to approach this and I'm really grateful!

Hi OP, I found this very useful m.youtube.com/watch?v=32K-rEIbBgE

It’s from the ‘DARE’ programme but openly based on the excellent Dr Claire Weeks’ approach mentioned by others above. I find this video very reassuring.

Hope you’re OK at the moment.

Thank you! I've ordered the Claire Weekes book, it looks like my sort of thing

I'm not feeling so bad as earlier. My heart keeps randomly racing and it's a bit off putting. And I can feel that I am tense. But I haven't been panicky and tearful like I was for most of yesterday!

Progressive muscle relaxation can be helpful. I'm having the racing heart thing just now, it's a pain in the arse isn't it?