Dealing with Panic Attacks

@PhoenixAsh thank you for this Xx

@lowkeyem1001 yes

@PhoenixAsh

Hey guys, one great tip which I don't think is adviced very often is having a tight hug, it works for many please try it and also know there are so many people out there just like you so reach out to people . ❤️

@RosaSmith7

Yes, as cheesy as it sounds it actually works. When my brother has panic attacks we hug him and it works.

@RosaSmith7

I think it works well at least for my brother

My panic attacks last all day. Does anyone else have such sustained attacks? Or is this something else? I feel overwhelmed and dread, with some paranoia that bad things are coming.

@faithfulOak1349 I feel that all day long too. I dont know if its considered panic attack though...

When I deal with panic attacks at school or in public, I always go to a quieter place. I close my eyes, focus on my breathing, and try to relax. I focus on the air in my lungs going in and out. I imagine the tension in my body leaving. I remind myself that everything is okay.

@PhoenixAsh I seem to get panic attacks when something happens regarding money or my family. Never has a friend given me one. One panic attack almost had me seizing but I felt I could control it I just couldnt make it stop. My husband just kept telling me I was overreacting and I felt like that made it worse. To be honest, sometimes a slap helps me get out of it. I just read on this thread that a tight hug would work to calm these attacks. I just dont know how to tell my husband or father that instead to try to hug me. They dont really understand my anxiety, depression. Though my panic last all day, the attacks happen maybe once a month. Its like I have so many things going on in a loop and they wont end. And I feel stuck.

@PhoenixAsh

I would like to add that panic attacks usually have triggers. Is good to notice which ones we have, and how to deal with them.

Also that panic attacks do happen because we listen to our mean inner voice. Most people listen but ignore those hurtful, anxious thoughts. People with panic attacks tend to listen to it and it goes into a bigger scale.

p.s- this thread was so well done. The info well written, very clear, with good links.. 5 stars! :)

@Booklover95 Thanks for sharing! That's really true, knowing our triggers can help us understand what to expect from panic attacks. It's also a great point that listening to that mean inner voice can cause things to spiral into panic, that's a great thing to be aware of.

Thank you for the lovely feedback too, I'm glad you liked the thread ^-^

I suffered from panic attacks for about a year. It was unbearable. I thought that I was dying. But I came across one book that could help me when I had already lost all hope. Book title "Panic attacks are a myth of incompetent doctors: Get rid of them quickly, for free and for life". Here is a link on the Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FZH9PDS

@placidSail9625 That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing!

@placidSail9625

Thank you for sharing this book.

What I notice calms me down the most is a system Ive seen before as follows:

name these out loud to yourself

5 things you can see

4 things you can touch

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

Hope this helps!❤️

@Mycatissleeping8671 another thing that helps me is picking something to keep my eyes on (sometimes I get dizzy and the world starts spinning) and counting. Hopefully this also helps ❤️

@PhoenixAsh this is amazing what you put together here ash and im actually going to link to this thread and put it on my profile for people today great job

@PhoenixAsh

I actually came across an article on 7 cups that said one of the best ways to stop a panic attack is to splash cold water on your face a few times while holding your breath. This activates the diving reflex (a survival reflex for when you are submerged in water) which has the exact opposite effects of a panic attack. It slows your heart rate and oxygenation progress and clears your mind. I havent actually had the chance to try this yet (I only just read it a week or so ago), so I would be thrilled to hear if anyone tries this technique and how it went!

@OceanFox ja, i'll try nwn

What really helps me calm down is holding a stuffed animal or something, and then focusing on how it feels, how soft it is, how it smells, and how it feels to squish it. This just helps me get some of my stress out.

Whenever I have anxiety attacks I feel alone, unable to focus or think. It feels like an "impending sense of doom". I have had these from childhood based on several factors I had no control over. Whwnever I have an attack I reach out to a friend. However, I am so consumed that it takes he upwards of a good part of an hour to get me somewhat under control. Therefore, I found this group where I can learn strategies to aid me.

Well i have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for a few years. Firstly its knowing your triggers and recognising when it comes. A thing ive learned is its always slightly different symptoms and triggers for everyone so coping strategies tend to vary. Grounding techniques tend not to work for me same as a number of other techniques but threads like this help show new ideas and perspectives. Taking an ice cube and pressing against your wrist til it melts works best for me personaly as after a while the cold becomes the focus. The panic attacks for me tend to be me shaking, hot, feeling like im gonna be sick or being sick and the noise in my head is like a packed train station just a lot of noise and lack of being able to shut it out or focus so if anyones the same and wants a tip then theres a bit of advice from me and im always here to message 😊

@Axelfoley91 I feel like you described my attacks so perfectly. I have had depression for a number of years but anxiety is new to me over the past 18 months. It's got worse and worse and now I can't even sleep as these feelings keep me up at night. Thank you for sharing. I would like to message you in learning how some of your techniques helped.

Something most people don't understand is that panic attacks can be brought about at any time, and don't always have a clear cause or reason. Whenever I just start feeling panicky without a real trigger, most people assume I'm faking it, which gets very frustrating. 7 Cups has helped a lot in learning to understand and accept my feelings as they are, and not as people without anxiety think anxiety looks like.

Does anyone else have panic attacks triggered by driving fast like on a highway or interstate? That is my only trigger, but it is on the verge of destroying my relationship with my boyfriend, because we can't go on really go on road trips, which is important to both of us, but especially him. This is something I need to get under control ASAP to keep the person I love most. Any advice would be much appreciated.

@jubjubtheiguana7

yes. Not always, but most of mine have happened when I was driving far (20mins+) on the highway. A lot of the times I had coffee, so I've cut that out for the most part. Once or twice when I was the passenger. Makes me scared to drive after a bad one where I had to pull over. Other times I can drive a few hours and be totally fine - with usually talking myself out of the very beginning stages of panic ensuing before it becomes anything. So I feel you.

When I have a panic attack....... this plays

Sit tight, I'm gonna need you to keep time
Come on just snap, snap, snap your fingers for me
Good, good now we're making some progress
Come on just tap, tap, tap your toes to the beat

And I believe this may call for a proper introduction, and well
Don't you see, I'm the narrator, and this is just the prologue?

Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen
Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention
I aim to be your eyes, trophy boys, trophy wives

Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen
Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention
I aim to be your eyes, trophy boys, trophy wives

Applause, applause, no wait wait
Dear studio audience, I've an announcement to make
It seems the artists these days are not who you think
So we'll pick back up on that on another page

And I believe this may call for a proper introduction, and well
Don't you see, I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue?

Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen
Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention
I aim to be your eyes, trophy boys, trophy wives

Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen
Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention
I aim to be your eyes, trophy boys, trophy wives

Swear to shake it up, you swear to listen
Swear to shake it up, you swear to listen
Swear to shake it up, you swear to listen
Swear to shake it up, swear to shake it up

Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen
Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention
I aim to be your eyes, trophy boys, trophy wives

Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen
Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention
I aim to be your eyes

@reek

I appreciate this so much 😂

I used to think something was wrong when I had a panic attack, like physically wrong with my body. When everything checked out, each time I had one, I had to tell myself (literally, out loud) "you're fine. It's just a panic attack." Those "I'm dying" attacks seemed to have gone. Now, the panic attacks come on strong and I can't really talk myself out of it- like I'm scared of the panic attack. Also, most happen while driving longer distances.
Anyone else deal with this? Any good (car) coping mechanisms?

I really enjoyed this post and thank you for posting your citations. I think the only thing I would add was a strategy given to me by an old therapist. Know your triggers. If you know what causes your panic attacks you can try to work through them in therapy, but you need to note what might be triggering the attacks.

I find many of the comments in this thread to be very helpful. Panic Attacks are very scary and can be difficult to deal with, however reading these posts it shows we are not alone. While they may not be pleasant we are anything but broken. In fact, I think being able to talk about it makes us stronger. It shows the worry that they do not control us.

I suffer from panic attacks, and it's been a mix of triggered and untriggered for me. What works is kind words and reasuring during recovery from attacks. You're tired and shaking from what feels sometimes like a near death experience, even if it wasn't at all. What does NOT work is saying that they're dramatic, faking it, attention seeking, or that they should be fine. It's really hard sometimes to deal with an attack, no matter how severe it is. They're scary sometimes and we just need a little support and understanding.

Try putting your wrists under the cold tap if you have one to hand theres alot of nerves in your wrist and I think the shock of the cold helps bring you back to reality

I am having a major panick attack I feel. I can’t sleep I’m going into a spiral

For context, some outward symptoms (in order of severeness of attack) I have when I'm having a panic attack are:

- Unfocused eyes (looking like I'm far away)

- Trembling

- Hyperventilating

- Blurred/fading vision

What helps me most when I'm having a panic attack:

1. Finding a wall to lean against (marble is pretty good because it's cold, and wall because it most probably won't fall over)

2. Breathing exercises

3. Crying it out - it's a form of release for me

4. Go to a place where I feel safe, sometimes an open and large area, sometimes a small area with one exit so that I feel safe

What doesn't help:

1. Loud noises or background noise (like a large crowd)

2. People crowding into my personal space to ask if I'm okay - I noticed this when I was panicking over the thought of being claustrophobic (it's mild) and all but one person in the group came closer to see if I was okay; I really appreciated the person staying where he was but looking at me with concern.

3. Unhelpful/judgemental remarks (e.g. glossing it over)

Grateful to read here how I'm not alone.
One thought that I would like to add is that there are significant biological or natural responses that our bodies develop under stress. Many panic attack symptoms result from different forms of percieved social deprivation.
I was reading about it in this library book called "The Integrative Neurobiology of Affiliation" by Carter, Lederhendler and Kirkpatrick.
A few threads suggested that a good hug helps. Indeed, lacking touch and connection is a profound source of panic. Hugging is our primal way of communicating to each other that we are together.
There are some good but less "real" ways to simulate hugs when there's nobody around to braid your hair or give a massage like yoga, exercise, and hot baths.
Sometimes, I can feel my body releasing stress hormones when I think of holding and being held by someone. The stress comes because there is no one who I trust and who trusts me. The fear that I may be excluded from groups of humans who communicate with and care for each other can feel like a great fog or thick veil. Eventually, I think that most people (and animals) eventually break down without inclusive, empowering social contact.
The trouble with people is that many groups compete for the same territory. I feel affinity for people between groups. That's me, and it can be very lonely. Both sides distrust you. The yoga and hot baths are okay coping mechanisms, but eventually I will have to find solace and stop these visceral responses to alienation.

@PhoenixAsh this is amaxing

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@PhoenixAsh

Mindfulness

@PhoenixAsh Source: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101996408?q=panic+attacs&p=doc