Anxious after a panic attack, worried about another, how to cope?

[Olivia9933]

Just had a panic attack and really anxious about having another one. Advice needed. Anyone with similar experience? How do you get through it?

Years ago the Dr told me to use a paper bag, but just looked it up and this is no longer recommended. This is what is recommended instead:
Controlled Breathing:Inhale slowly through the nose, then exhale slowly through the mouth.
Cupped Hands: Cup your hands over your nose and mouth to simulate the effect without the danger.
Belly Breathing: Use the diaphragm to breathe deeply, ensuring the stomach moves rather than the chest.
Grounding Techniques: Focus on your surroundings (e.g., 5-4-3-2-1 technique).

That's the thing with panic attacks – you think you're going to die and therefore you are terrified of the next one because that might be the one that kills you.

But bear this in mind – no one ever died from a panic attack. Ever. As horrible as they feel, they can't hurt you. Once you know this you can stop being afraid of them, and once you stop being afraid of them, they will stop affecting you and then simply stop happening at all.

If you feel one creeping up sit down somewhere quiet, do some of the breathing exercises above and focus on what you're going to have for dinner, or what you want to watch on TV tonight. Within a few minutes it will have passed and you can get on with your day. take away the fear and they will no longer happen.

What works for me is fresh air - going outside or puttinghead out the window and then doing something like sudoko or a logic type puzzle. I can’t do anything like scroll facebook or think about things as my mind goes crazy and comes up with panicky scenarios. I need something that occupies my mind but doesnt have connections to things.

Identify a sound you can hear in that moment “I can hear the trees rustling”
Identify a scent you can smell “I can smell next door’s Bon fire”
Name something you can see “I can see a cat on the fence”

Take a moment after each to reflect on the experience, and then repeat. Go slowly and breathe deeply.

You go to see a doctor and ask them to recommend treatment.

I used to have a weekly work presentation which I used to cope with. Then I gotva new boss, a very critical one, andvthe weekly presentations became unpleasant and I dreaded them.

After my first "panic" attack during one of them (which I was able to hide - itvwas a very odd type of stress reaction), the stress of the weekly presentation was compounded by the worry about having another panic attack. Which guarantees it will happen.

Then I started worrying about having the panic reaction in other settings, and did.

Please seek GP help before this kind of creep happens.

That really sucks about your panic attack - they are the worst feeling. If I feel one coming on, what really helps is touching something really cold, like bare feet on the kitchen floor, or running my wrists with really cold water. If someone is with you, distraction helps as well, asking them to talk about something really random (if you can) sometimes helps the mind focus on something else. It is such a horrible feeling though, and I find it depends how bad the panic attack has got :(

Propranolol from the dr. Works in 20 mins or so - and you only need to take it as and when you need it, not every day.

This is a bit bonkers, but it did actually come from a book, I haven't made it up. Talk to the anxiety. "Oh hello anxiety, I see you and I feel you, I just need to put my socks on and I'll come back to you'. Keep repeating but put longer tasks in the gap each time. Preferably ones that give you a sensation to think about, washing up has a smell and the warm water, getting dressed has the fabric, cleaning your teeth has a taste. Eventually the gap gets so long, the panic has stopped. At first you may need to pre-think of things you're going to do, jot them down so you've got them ready. The talking to the anxiety rather than trying to outrun it seems to work for me.

i had a panic attack today - I really sympathise. I’m finally in bed and I feel so unbelievably worn out. You really do have to just allow to panic attack to rise and fall, quite literally reach a peak (at its worst and it’s awful) and then it will come back down again. You just need to try to remember they will not kill you as much as you feel they will. Easier said than done I know.