I fear I'm having a nervous breakdown

choille

Bachs Rescue Remedy is very good for anything like a shock & panic. Just a few drops on the tongue. I always found it good for the use in stressful situations.

Some use Valerian - Kalm Tablets, which are herbal, but you should be careful if you are taking any medicines with those. Always wise to read the label.

Breathing exercises are great - again back to the mindfullness. Just concentrating on the breath is very helpful.

You are doing really well & I would think it is a day by day thing. It would maybe be useful for you to keep a journal or keep the thread going & let us know your journey if that would help you to share it.

cavegrrl

I spent a lot of time doing my own research and using trial and error but there are lots of supplements and/or herbal preparations that may help you. The problem with panic attacks is they deplete your body of some nutrients essential for your nervous system to function normally, and often you can't get enough from food to top you back up after an attack, so you end up feeling on edge, then another attack pulls you down further etc. It's a cycle that's hard to break without some sort of supplementation.

Anyway, I'm not a doctor and everyone is different but the things I would suggest you look into and/or talk to your doctor about are:
- vitamin b complex (especially on the days after an attack)
- magnesium (this is an essential one for relaxation that many people are deficient in. I take magnesium tablets but they say magnesium is best absorbed through the skin - if you are having a bad day and feeling on edge, a hot bath with 500g of epsom salts/dead sea salts/himalyan salts will help restore your magnesium levels)
- omega 3 fish oils (or vegetarian equivalent)

and the main thing I contribute to my recovery thus far is taking an adaptogenic herb - these are herbs that help the body adapt to stress. There are different ones out there and I had to try a couple (I took a combination supplement called Super Cortisol Support for a long time).

Hope that helps!