Have I just had a panic attack?

[Lovellama]

I guess I need a handhold more than anything 😞 I really felt like I was dying at one point ...I was really struggling to breathe and gasping ..

I feel really so low at the moment anyway and I know I have major anxiety issues .. had a really shit Christmas and new year!

I really don’t want to worry my mum ...OH has lost patience with me and says I bring it all on myself! He is a good dad I guess but no good at emotional stuff ... he never asks me how I am.
We never do anything as a family and after 14 years, I cannot bear it any longer and I am contemplating leaving 😞
Have nobody else to talk to x

Sounds like a panic attack to me. Are you able to get to the doctors tomorrow and see if they'll give you something short term (e.g. diazepam) and put you forward for talking therapy. If you can, you need to try and point out to your OH that you don't want to feel like this and it's something you don't have any control over. It can be a long, hard road but you've got to take the first steps.

Thank you flesh Xx i genuinely have never had one before and it was really scary ... my 10 year old daughter came into my room and I couldn’t even speak to reassure her ... she’s ok (i hope)
I will try and get in at the doctors tomorrow 🙄 ... I’ve suffered for years with anxiety / depression after losing my dad .
my dad died really suddenly aged 46 left to go on his first holiday abroad and died the following morning in Spain ..
I genuinely don’t think I have ever got over that and I can’t bear to see anyone leave me since.. counselling wasn’t available so readily 20 years ago so I’ve just tried hard to deal with it myself!
I did go to doctors in 2013 ... was prescribed citalopram and some sleeping tablets ...
I ended up in hospital after trying to overdose so am really dubious now about taking pills as I can’t be trusted
I tried talking to OH earlier ... turned into a huge argument and made me feel so much worse ... he’s not a bad man ..he really doesn’t get it and thinks it’s something I should just snap out of ..
I feel so terribly low and feel like everyone would be better off without me! Xx

Sounds daft but one of the best things for panic attacks really is a brown paper bag.

Is it? Thank you xxx

@Lovellama
Sorry your feeling like this, it does sound like a panic attack. They are so frightening after having them for the last 20 years I still think I'm dying every time! It's really isn't something you can snap out of it, if it was we'd all do it because no one wants to feel like this. I think it is hard to understand how someone feels when you've never experienced it before but he needs to be calm and patient with you. Do you have anyone else you can speak to? Some of the things I have been trying recently is the head space app, I have a relaxation exercise I can do on my Fitbit, I have bought an electric diffuser to put essential oils in but I do also take medication. Always here if you need someone to talk to

@Lovellama
I also lost my dad suddenly when he was 50, I feel like you, that I have never gotten over it

There is an app called headspace where you can practice mindfulness techniques - with practice and routine these helped massively with periods of anxiety, can be useful if you dont want to just use medication.

There are some videos onthe nhs website which are useful too.

Lovellama
Panic attacks are really frightening. The advice that I was given is to try and focus on 4 things you can see, examine them in detail and really try and focus your mind. Much easier said than done. I end up striding around the garden saying very loudly I'm going to be alright and this is just a panic attack. I'm doing ok here. Try and breathe deeply and concentrate on inhaling and exhaling

Thank you for all your lovely comments ... this genuinely is the first one I’ve ever had and it was really frightening! ...
I do have the headspace app on my phone but haven’t used it for a while ...I was quite low anyway and think Christmas has overloaded me this year and sunk me to rock bottom ... we’ve had my OH father here and it’s been a really long struggle ... I didn’t feel able to cope with him before he even got here but wasn’t going to say no to him coming! I cleaned house, made his bed and looked after him... he has dementia (weeing himself every morning etc .. but seems to be my job to sort it out) ...

With the breathing, there is a technique that could help. Just hold one nostril closed and keep mouth closed and breathe slow and deep in the open nostril, then breathe out through your mouth very slow and deep. Then switch, hold the other nostril closed and repeat the process, switching nostril each time. I know it sounds mad, I never thought it would work for me but it did.

Something that can help anxiety, that has helped me massively too, is cutting right down on sugar.

Hope you feel better.