Panic Attacks?

Inkedkitten

If anyone suffers from them or has suffered from them is anyone able to tell me how to deal with them?

Thanks alot

linni

I am a sufferer too. I try to just stay calm and sit down if I can (or I fall down!). I like to be left alone and not anyone panicking around me. I can't breath so I try to breath slowly and control it as much as possible. Awful thing to have and I feel for you. Hope it improves. Has your Doctor given you anything for it?

red

try meditation - doing it regularly helps keep you centred. also, try to work out what the triggers are...then you are more likely to approach situations with a little more preparation.

hope it works out for you xx

LADY_A_5

hi, may i first suggest going to your gp if you haven't done so already.
second, a paper bag does wonders, it helps regualte your breathing/oxogen levels, so breathing in and out of one helped me.
third, are you getting any support? do you know the 'trigger' of your attacks?
it could be a colour/smell/sight. its hard to reconise at the time, but think back to every attack..is there anything consistant in any of them? ie.. i was in a crowded supermarket/shopping center or it could be a pressure thing ie had to speak in a meeting/give a speach type of thing (pressure)
i tried cbt therpy for mine, but can only say that medication worked best for me. everyone is different.

suep

Im another sufferer, it's usualy crowds that set me off, I try to take some slow deep breaths but Ive heard of the brown paper bag thing and would like to try this although I would probably feel even more anxious about having to do it in the middle of a crowded supermarket. I dont want to use more medication than Im already on .

tamsin1982

you wouldnt believe how many people suffer with these, people that have never had one really dont understand how awful they can be

like the others have said is you need to find what triggers it for you, so you can start to deal with it.

ive always managed to talk myself back to normal cos i know there is no reason for me to be panicking.
when facing a new challenge that makes me anxiuos i find being with someone i trust a great help

Purchaseruk

I started with a panic attack on a sunday night that stressed me out so much that it just continued with ongoing anxiety till it reached the stage I couldn't sleep as I couldn't breathe properly & so the vicious cycle continued. I finally went to my GP who ran blood tests to rule out anything else & also had an ecg. I knew work was stressing me out amongst other things, so I managed to get a week off for a break & see if that helped. The doctor thought it could be depression, but I really didn't think it was that.
For me a combination of S.A.D setting in, stress, alcohol at night, caffiene (incl decaf!) & lack of sleep all seem to trigger me into ongoing anxiety. I've had to cut out all caffiene (even including any pain pills that contains it!), not drink much alcohol (at night time anyway!), listen to a bunch of relaxation music in the evenings to create a calm environment, get into a night-time routine of logging off the internet by 10pm, getting ready for bed & going to sleep around the same time each night. I also take st johns wort for the S.A.D, which I think helps me out during the winter months...
I've also taken steps to try to minimalise as many stressful factors at work as possible........and so far I've been rewarded by feeling 'normal' again :j

I was speaking to an ex who also went through similar symptoms & his doctor just gave him a bunch of pills to take for a month or so that seemed to take care of his anxiety.....however my doctor never once mentioned any such pills.

KittyBoo_2

I suffer from these too.
The brown paper bag technique works and also just slowing your breathing down (I know it's easier said than done when you think you are going to choke)
I unroll my polo neck and cover my nose with it just to try and gain some control.
I rang the local mental health team and the sent me some booklets about panic attack, stress and anxiety.
I have tablets from my Dr for an emergency and I think I feel less anxious cos I know I have got them.
Try and distract yourself if you feel one coming on - do a crossword or anything to take your mind off it.
Good luck in learning to cope with them.

belfastgirl23

I found that exercise helped a lot, even just regular walking. Seemed to get me into a good cycle of eating well, sleeping well etc which was overall good for my general health and therefore for my 'mental' health if you want to call it that. But also hypnosis really helped with one specific situation where i used to get panic attacks (flying). I have to say though that I would never put myself in a situation of being part of a big and boisterous crowd even yet because this was also one of my triggers - I can cope with busy but not eg football crowd type thing.

It also helped me when I could see that they weren't really something to be ashamed of, a lot of people have them and they aren't just about me being rubbish, they're a part of life unfortunately.

Believe me they can disappear from your life (touching wood as I say this, I need to fly in a few weeks time and am hoping the calm holds )

hardpressed

I've heard that you trying counting to 40 without stopping, if you stop you have to back and start again, I think the idea is to make you concentrate on something else.

rb1

The best thing to do is to concentrate on your breathing-take deep breaths in through your nose and exhale through your mouth slowly. (Sounds obvious I know but during a panic attack the tendency is to hold your breath or take rapid shallow breaths, which just makes things worse. ) Concentrating on your breathing in this way though calms the body down and the mind. You may be quite a tense person and just taking time out to practise this sort of breathing during the day or when you go to bed can help too.