Panic Attacks Support Group
A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...
I've read enough posts tonight of people expressing genuine anguish over suffering from and through panic attacks and there's just not enough time to sincerely respond to every one, though each and every deserves it. In reading, however, I've also seen a few unique methods to effectively dealing with them, and feel at least SOMEONE's night may be made a bit better by taking away something from this exchange, so...
My question is, what's your personal most effective way of dealing with panic attacks? Either before they start, or when you're smack in the middle of them?
For myself, largely due to the fact that the majority of my attacks just love to happen right in front of customers (I'm a cashier at a grocery store) I've HAD to increase my reaction time in dealing with it. Stressful and scary, yes, but it's also forced me to humbly get 'good' at it.
1. Firmly ground myself. Since panic attacks tend to overwhelm you with fear, making your head go all over the place, I find internally slapping myself silly helps a lot. Being bluntly realistic. "Wake up, you fool! You're having a panic attack!" Looking at it for exactly what it is, not trying to lie to myself saying "I'm ok, I'm ok!" Learning that attacks are coldly scientific things, natural bodily responses, instead of invisible demons trying to gobble you up through the floor (though it initially sure as hell felt that way!) helps you to immediately accept what's going on and run its course.
2. Breathe dammit! I think every other tactic has to follow these first two. Once you realize what's going on, what must run its course, whether you want it to or not, the next things to start breathing. I won't use the word 'relaxing' as attempting that, for me at least, seems to make things worse. Let the body do its job. It knows what it's doing. Right now, your goal is just to feed it sweet precious air, like you're ventilating a room filled with toxic gas by now exchanging it with refreshing clean good spring breeze. But YOU'RE the one who HAS to flip the switch for that to start.
Yes, it's all still scary and leaves you sweaty and weak in the knees, but if you know what to counter with, it helps a lot.
Anyway, please feel free to share what Works best for you personally.
The 557 breathing technique is take 5 deep breaths in while thinking good thoughts about yourself like I am calm, I feel relaxed, I am OK and then hold the breaths for the count of 7 focusing on those words about yourself, then let out the breath slowly for 5 seconds letting go of any anxious, self-defeating, unhealthy thoughts. I do this one to three times a sitting.
The other method is called Emotional Freedom Tapping (EFT). It is like acupressure but you do it yourself while saying positive things to yourself. Look it up on google there is a great document to follow that shows you all the tapping points. YouTube also had demonstrations of it.
Lastly, I know the more I pray and let go of things and give them to God the better I feel. Taking my mind off of my worries and concerns and on God seems to help bring me some comfort and peace. I will be praying for you and all that do suffer from anxiety and depression.
Knowing it is an illness and that I am not making my struggles up, they are real and others struggle like I do also has given me some relief and comfort. Hugs and God Bless