Help me fuck this panic attack off.

[Iamwearingmyglasses]

I cannot STAND random panic attacks. Led in bed about to fall asleep when BOOM, heart palls and panic just appear out of nowhere, now I’m led here feeling doom, panic, fidgeting, panicking. Trying the breath exercises but to no avail.

anything else that can distract me?

Have you got anything like adult colouring you can do to empty your mind? Or put some headphones on & listen to a podcast or music. These are all things that help me when I have panic attacks.

I’ve been trying to watch a series but you know when you just end up not-actually-watching it because althouhh gf your watching the screen your brain is focused on the panic? So I’ve given up with that. I have got colouring downstairs but I’m paralysed by the panic. This is the worst feeling I’ve had in a long time and I get panic attacks often 😂

What triggers it? How was your day? You going through some stressful times? Try chamomile tea in the evening before bed to help you relax. Hope you can get some sleep soon.

They can be random, but I am going through a stressful period of health anxiety at the moment.

I just hate it when I lose the control. I’m usually good at riding out and controlling my panic attacks, but that’s usually when I know exactly what triggering it. I haven’t felt unwell today so this is so out of the blue and I wasn’t ready and now I’ve lost the control.

Find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

Cup of hot tea

breathe

hope you feel better soon

Tea and chocolate? Try some breathing exercises. Something to distract you like a tv show, or rainfall recording.

Things are worse at night. I might get a cup of tea and wagon wheel myself 😁

Gosh I forget about wagon wheels! I used to love the ones with jam inside. Popping them on my next shopping list 😂

thank you all for the kind words and tips! X

Have you had treatment? Medication and or therapy? Has anything helped?
how is your anxiety day to day when you are not having a PA?

@blueleavesgreensky ive been in and out of therapy for many years. I’ve suffered since my early teens.

it got really bad again about a year ago, which led to be having some time off work and eventually quitting my job as I was just totally burnt out and not functioning. I referred myself back to therapy, waited over 26 weeks for an appointment; forgot to attend (bedridden with bad flu) and the immediately knocked me off the list, I rang to see if they would rearrange it and was told I was would get a call back. Never did. Gutted! So I’m on the waiting list again, just a waiting game now.

I haven’t tried medication yet, a mixture of a vicious circle of health anxiety, telling me I’ll have a bad reaction to it.. and the fact that I’m in such a bad place with my anxiety ect right now that the thought of SSRI’s making it worse before it gets better (common side effect) makes me worried it will genuinely tip me over the edge and I won’t survive it.

i just dont want to feel this way forever

Wear an elastic band around ur wrist and snap it if you feel you're about to have one. Breathing into a paper bag also helps

I find caffeine is a terror and gives me a sense of impending doom. If you drink tea/coffee/fizzy drinks, can you cut them out?

This is probably it. I’ve had more caffeine than usual today, I’ve also had a G&T and I stopped drinking a few weeks ago so I think I’ve just overdone it today.

Depending on your age it could be perimenopause as l found suddenly my heart would start beating rapidly out of the blue and its very difficult not to panic as you think something is happening.
And definitely coffee was the worst trigger for me..l seem very sensitive

The horrible thing about panic attacks is that once they slicker, they’re impossible to stop in the moment. But they DO pass. If you can lie down with your eyes closed, and, under your eyelids slowly ‘look’ up, down, left, right, slow roll / like you would do at the optician’s / it can give you something to focus on with calm breathing.

I’m sorry you’re up with a panic attack and can empathise!

I agree to try and force yourself to do something like make a cup of mint tea, wash your face or some other routine task.

when I feel I can’t move from where I am I sometimes try to type out as many countries as I can beginning with A and then B and so on in the notes part of my phone, or try to recall all 50 US states. Distraction type games.

if you feel able then try to focus on doing a breathing technique (I know you know this but so hard to do in the moment)

https://www.innerhealthstudio.com/overcoming-panic-attacks.html

ive also used this for honestly about 15 years - I read it to myself either out loud or in my head

This may sound dumb but try playing Tetris! Something about the methodical nature of it helps my brain level itself out so much and it requires just enough focus that my mind doesn't really wander so my subconscious can do its own thing and sort itself out 😅

Do the five things trick.

Five things you can see (skip this if it's dark, obviously)
Five things you can touch
Five things you can smell
Five things you can hear

Extend to ten if it keeps going, then 20.

do anti depressants not work for everyone to prevent/reduce panic attacks?

Distract yourself? Tetris as someone said, or Candy crush whilst also listening to a podcast/ audiobook?

Various things work for me. In the thick of a panic, I find distraction works well or physical exercise.

In in your position I would likely get up and go running in the pitch black of night like a mad woman. Something about getting the adrenaline out through cardio just works. But I understand this is strange behaviour!

The other thing to repeat is « this will pass » and really think about what it will be like when you return to normal. Everything changes in life, nothing is permanent so you won’t feel panicky and horrible forever. You will get to rest again. You will get to sleep again. All you have to do is let time pass.

Hoping some of the ramble helps!

No they don’t.

That’s disappointing. I have anxiety but not panic attacks so much. ADs have helped brings the anxiety level down to a manageable level. I’m so sorry they don’t work for everyone. It’s just awful.

Op get up and splash your face with very cold water.

Then jump up and down/run on the spot to dispel some adrenaline.

Have a look at the tapping technique, some people have found it very helpful.

Do some pottering/cleaning. When things have reduced a bit then absorb yourself in trash tv or something distracting.