Is anyone up? Panic attack

[Bruuno]

I'm on the verge of a major panic attack

Cat woke me up plating on the bed, then found I had minor right sided temple pain which I now can't really feel but it sent me into a panic and now I'm on the verge of a panic attack. This is not uncommon for me but I'm 8 weeks pregnant with my second, 7 long years after my first, and my anxiety has become utterly unmanageable. Convinced I'm going to die. Why is everything so much worse in the middle of the night? Anyone around to chat and calm me down?

We're here op

Take some deep breaths

Maybe have a brew and a snack?

I've got the kettle on

Why does anxiety feel so physical? I find it unbearable. It's got so much worse.

Ahh, yes I'm up. Just feeling nauseous.

Is anyone with you? Can you get a glass of water and try breathing steadily?

NHS 111 could direct you to speak to someone OOH🌺

Sending calm vibes

I feel I badly need mental help. When I've spoken to the GP before they've just tried to give me sertraline, which doesn't help me

I've used this app. You breathe along with it and it calms you down really well. I'm sorry you're feeling this way it's so distressing.

It's in the play store.

Yeah, they can be too quick to foist drugs on you. Would any background music help?

I've popped the radio on. Dh is asleep oblivious

I would so love to know what it's like to not have anxiety. I've had it since I was a young child. The only time in my life I remember not feeling anxious was in hospital after an operation when they gave me morphine. Even diazepam doesn't help me.

There are people here tonight. One of the good things about MN is that it's quite high volume so there's always someone around!

It's just making me giggle as on Reddit someone messaged me saying his name is Armani. I don't know why he decided to message me, I hope he's not a pervert!

Oh god I really feel for you op. I had awful postnatal anxiety and you are so right the night always seems the worst. My partner had a breakdown last year and one of the techniques he used and still does to this day to manage his anxiety and panic attacks is the 5 senses techniques. So you do 5 things you can see, 4 things you are touching or your body can feel right now. 3 things you can hear. 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. It really helps to ground you and think right in the present and to distract you somewhat from the anxiety. That along with breathing exercises ( some really good meditation breathing videos on YouTube you can just listen to to regulate your reading) and also the bus technique where you envisage a bus arriving you out the worry or anxiety on the bus and then watch the bus drive way with your worry and anxiety on it. And you tell yourself you will come back to the worry another time when the bus comes back around. But by this point hopefully the panic has passed.

I really hope you can get some sleep and try and work through the anxiety and panic attack. It's crippling but know you aren't alone and there's so many things to do to help. If medication isn't for you (not for everyone) then breathing techniques and these other anxiety techniques will really help to calm and centre your racing thoughts ♥️

How you doing now? Hope the worst is over.... bedtime panic is the pits, isn't it? I listen to old favourite kids' audiobooks to help me calm down (AA Milne, Beatrix Potter)