Anxiety attack - handhold

[Onlyhumanafter2teas]

Evening all. I appreciate many are probably busy with new year festivities, as I should be - but currently in bed trying to come back down from an extreme anxiety attack.
Long term sufferer of health anxiety, but well under control until recently and a bucketful of stressful situations hit.
Been feeling under the weather for the last couple of days with a headache (suffer with migraines so this isn't unusual) but had this sudden wash of exhaustion come over me... And there it spirals! Huge stomach churning feeling, and uncontrollable shakes that I just can't get under control. For some reason my current fixation is sepsis, I find myself checking my body for any other signs and finding things that are realistically completely unrelated and just linked to my current state of panic, but I'm convincing myself they are much more. I now feel so tired, but at the same time don't want to go to sleep.
My husband is amazing and has been sat breathing with me and passing me drinks, but at the same time I don't want to be faffed with.
Not 100% sure the point of my post, perhaps keeping me occupied on something else, or wise words, or maybe a handhold.
Anxiety sucks!

Do this. Take a small objection - your phone, or a small bottle of water or your wallet - and throw it gently from hand to hand, watching the throw and catch movement of each hand. Keep doing that until you feel calm.

It works because it forces the two hemispheres of your brain, the logic and the emotional, to communicate and work together to coordinate.

Will hold your hand when it's no longer busy!

Here to handhold as well. You'll get through this. Would it help to snuggle up in bed, nice and cosy?

Thank you! Never heard of this one before, currently playing catch with some of my daughters Christmas play-doh and it does seem to be working. That one is going into my anxiety self help bag!

Can you watch something that you like? I binge watch The Big Bang Theory or Frasier whenever I am going through a difficult patch. I’ve watched them both many, many times.

I'm snuggled up in bed flitting between Mumsnet and rubbish TV trying to distract. Feeling better than I was, the shakes is the worst, just when I feel like I'm getting it under control they hit again

When they do, grab that play-doh and show yourself how easy it is to get it back under control. If you want to show off, try juggling it...

If I'm in a crowd when anxiety starts to niggle I rub one of my calves with the other foot.

To everyone around me it just looks like I'm scratching an itch but it really does focus the mind!

I sometimes feel like other things can magnify the anxiety, so for example like the new year can set me off, like a big kind of build up and I can struggle and it makes my anxiety worse. I have been writing in my notes on my phone my feelings and I feel better after writing it down. I never re read it just get it all down x

Thank you all for the tips and comments, I got a bit of sleep before being woken up by the new year fireworks, but feeling much better, although still a tad wobbly.
I'm going into the new year with a few more tips for when anxiety starts to get the better of me, and perhaps a call to the GP when they reopen as these severe attacks do seem to be getting more frequent.
Hope everyone had a lovely evening, happy new year 🎊

Are you on any medication? My husband started with panic attacks last year. Came completely out of the blue but he gets the terrible shakes and dizziness etc and it’s awful t witness when he gets them. GP have him beta blockers which he takes when he feels one coming on and they have worked well for him. They relax him and stop the shakes in their tracks and helps him get himself back under control.

I know that medication isn’t for everyone but they have really helped him. He doesn’t get them often but it’s good to know he has them for when one starts to rear its ugly head.

Hope you are feeling much better this morning xx

I used to be on citalopram and weaned off when I was feeling like I had it under control. It's all been pretty under control until this last year where a lot of changes spiralled it again. I think it's worse when they come out of the blue as there is no pin point trigger that's caused it. I'm glad your husband has found something that works, unfortunately due to a heart condition I don't think I can go on beta blockers but definitely feel I need something to help, in the moment everything learnt from therapy just flies out the window completely.
I'm feeling a lot better this morning thank you, just very tired and achy muscles from where I kept tensing and shaking. Nice gentle day today xx

I am really sorry you are having to cope with it again. Anxiety is awful and I really feel for you. I have generalised anxiety but thankfully have never had a panic attack but seeing my DH go through them is really pretty distressing for us both. Like you say, all your learned methods go out of your head when you are in the throws of a nasty one. I am thankful that DH has been able to go on the beta blockers as they really have changed his life.

I am glad you are feeling much better today. Rest up and relax if you can. I know my DH always feels exhausted the day after he has had one and needs to take it easy while his body and system 'come down' properly.