please help, having a panic attack

[JaneFonda]

please, someone talk to me and calm me down :(

What's up?

What's up my lovely, why are you panicking?

Deep breathes, in and out, focus on that

Jane take a deep breath and let it slowly in and out. Everything will be OK. What is on your mind?

I don't know, I'm just so overwhelmed by everything :( I don't know how to solve things and I'm so upset by things that I shouldn't be and DP isn't here to reassure me, I think I need distracting but when you're alone in the middle of the night it's so hard to distract yourself from anything.

Do you want to distract yourself by telling us what you did today?

You're right, things always look worse in the middle of the night.

Have you tried writing a list of the things you're worrying about? Even if you can't deal with them now it could give you a ficu to hatch a plan with DP when he comes back, or tell us and we'll try to help?

Write them all down in a list, then you won't need to keep juggling them all in our head constantly.

Write down a possible solution next to each thing that's upsetting you then try and put them out of your mind. You've written them down, you don't need to remember them.

Okay, I'm writing a list now, thanks ladies.

It's strange that it's reassuring me somewhat that there are other people awake at this time too (different time zones or waking children?), but thank you for talking to me, I feel a lot less alone.

Different timezone here but frequently worried at 3am. Lists really help.

Different timezone here too (but I was awake at 3am too turning stuff over in my mind).

I second the list idea. Hope you're feeling a bit calmer.

I'm here because of bloody pregnancy insomnia. You'll find me here most nights about this time forever more

Where do you all live, if you don't mind me asking?

West Coast of Canada. It's evening here and the DD just went down. Last night my 3am was that the new nanny was going to kidnap my daughter and sell her. Also, work were going to mess my hours up and I was going to have to not go back to work.

I live in Minnesota, it's almost 10 pm here.

Deep breaths in and out, everything's going to be fine.

I'm a uk Person (in the north east where, by the sounds of ut, it's raining and blowing q gale!) but can't sleep - off to hospital for monitoring / induction tomorrow so mind is a whirl! Giving myself a drink and an hour up and then going back to bed!

Good skills with the list - apart from anything else, seeing it written down makes it look a bit 'less' somehow, sometimes?

Where do you live Jane?

Oh, I think you're 12 hours behind me, Mrs TP. I'm in the Middle East, nearly 8am here.
DH is in Nigeria which worries me in itself. I was also churning ove that after 3 weeks away he'll only have 1 night at home before heading off somewhere else for 9 days, then might possibly have only 10 days at home before heading off again just before new year.
DH also heard that a chidlhood friend, who's also wife of a friend, died unexpectedly on tuesday leaving 2 young children. That played on my mind.

I'm wondering of labour has started slowly. I'm in the UK too but wide awake and eating biscuits!

You all live in such interesting places!

So sad about your friends wife, GM. Although horrific at any time of year, it somehow seems worse in the run up to Christmas, especially with young children.

Ooh, exquisite! How exciting!

Pottering, I'm also in the UK :) Good luck for tomorrow, I'm sure it'll be fine!

Terry, is it the West Coast of Canada that is constantly covered in snow? I hope your new nanny is very lovely, and not involved in the secret trading of children...

Giserable, what is your DH doing over there? :) That's really sad about his childhood friend, I'm sure they've got a lot of family support right now though, if that reassures you at all.

He's there for work, gets places like Libya, Yemen, Saudi, Algeria, Iraq.

He's really shocked about this lady, her youngest child has severe health problems. Thankfully it's a very close knit family and community and everyone will close in around them and support them. Even so...

Terry, my lot are in alberta (I'm not Canadian)

I am in the tiny corner of Canada that is not constantly covered in snow. I wouldn't live in the frozen North. The nanny had a trial day today and so far so not-selling-the-baby.

I think Miserable wins the most glamorous place to live contest. However, eek, Nigeria. Although, I have travelled in Africa and had no issues. He will be really careful there, I'm sure. Your poor friends though.

Jane you haven't told us your woes (or are we distracting you enough?)

Sorry Giserable, got your spelling wrong. Alberta, eh? See how Canadian I now am?

Ohhh, you are, you are! I have a Maple Leaf Fridge magnet that I bought in Walmart this summer with Eh? written on it :)

Not made it as far as the West Coast but since 2007 it has been my plan to retire to Penticton.

Only took 5 years to sprinkle my speech with "eh"s. Good luck with Penticton. Looks like the OP has gone back to bed Good for her.

Goodnight Jim Bob, goodnight Mary Ellen.