Affecting my daily life
My first time having a panic attack was about a month ago when I thought I was going to be fired from work for calling in sick the day before. I had a panic attack at work the next day but was able to calm myself down because I didn't know what it was. I thought I might just have had a bad stomach ache. Since then I have been finding it difficult to go through with my daily life. I have trouble breathing sometimes because it will resurface out of no where. Everyone said that there is a trigger, and I know my trigger is work stress related but my mind still wonders around. My doctor has said that there is nothing wrong with me and that my heart and lungs sounds healthy, but then threw in a bombshell saying I might have high blood pressure. So my attempt to feel better about myself from a professional stand point down falled on me when they said I might have this instead. I mean, it's a "might." But still, it sucked hearing that. Now I need to get my blood tested to see if I do have it. But I still have these side effects from anxiety and panic attacks. Every so often I would have difficulty breathing out of no where and my heart beat will be increasingly high. I would have upset stomachs and my body will ache all over because of everything. I cannot sleep. More like nowadays I am afraid to sleep. I don't know what it is but everything around me is just bothering me. I have to wait 2 weeks to meet with a therapist only to see if I need to continue therapy after the first one (so it kind of sounds like a quick check up instead of a therapy session.) I haven't been able to eat lately either because I do not know what to eat with all these news hitting me at once. I was perfectly fine and was calling 2020 my year just a month ago until this happened. Now I live in fear for my next panic attack and the thought that this will be with me for a very, very long time.
@dxiong2
Welcome to our Anxiety Support Community. Coping through anxiety and navigating panic attacks for the first time can be really shocking and overwhelming. Anxiety disorders revolve around a central concept— that, our brain is trying to prepare us against danger within our environment— its our flight-or-fight reflex, our means of survival. Its possible work stress evoked this out of you because work is your livelihood and when you truly believed you were at risk for losing your job, that threatened your survival instincts.
Focusing on your breathing is so important when we experience anxiety. The first time you were experiencing panic, you mentioned being able to stay in control because you didnt realize exactly what was happening. Now that youre aware, its still possible for you to stay in control with even more empathy toward yourself, and patience. Its all about grounding ourselves again. ♡
More than ever, there is much information available to us online about coping through anxiety and panic, we even have a neat lil Anxiety Guide here on 7Cups here.
You arent alone in this. There is support available 24/7 here, and Id recommend finding a listener through the browse menu page @ 7cups.com/browselisteners/ because you can do an advanced search for listeners who have lived experience with anxiety and also take on chats regarding it. ♡ Find a few listeners who communicate with you well and that you can trust— building your support system will be so beneficial at this time.
If you have any questions, feel welcome to voice them here with us. Thank you for sharing you story with our community, and please, keep us updated with how things are going for you.
— zaat
