I am away on holiday and have just woken up with, what I think is a panic attack. I have never been diagnosed, I'm not sure if you get diagnosed. But I woke up with my heart beating out of my chest and really worrying about anything and everything. I managed to calm myself down by breathing calmly and slowly.
I have found a good way of coping is to write my feelings down and I hope this is a space where I can do that and share what I am going through.
I find it painfully difficult to talk to anyone in 'the real world' as I'm never sure what they will say or whether I will get judged or told it's stupid.
Look forward to speaking to people about this. And thank you for reading.
CB
Written by
Charley1111
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3 Replies
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Hello Charley1111
First of all may I welcome you to our friendly and supportive forum.
What you describe does indeed sound like a panic attack however, Charley1111 I am not a doctor and if you do become worried about your symptoms please do seek medical advice.
I have had around 5 panic attacks and you definitely did the right thing by concentrating on your breathing, well done. I too chose this option as concentrating on your breathing is the most effective thing you can do when experiencing a panic attack.
A panic attack alerts the body's 'fight' or 'flight' response. It is very important to 'fight' the feeling by concentrating on your breathing to gain control and reassuring yourself that you will be ok. If you follow the 'flight' option, panic attacks may increase in severity and they may also become so much harder to control.
You are welcome to share your writings, feelings and experiences with us Charley1111, they will not be judged. I find writing my feelings down, writing poetry, etc to be very therapeutic and have shared these on other sites.
I look forward to future posts and enjoy the rest of your holiday,
We certainly don't judge anyone! so write away, a good way to keep stress at bay.
Panic attacks are the most frightening experiences, they really are and I know what I'm talking about. Hidden has give you some good advice and just to add to that. To help calm you, try and checkout and practise Mindfulness. The body scan on YT, about 12mins is something you can listen to with headphones, there are lots of different examples but I found this really helpful it really to keep stress free, it does work if you can go with it. The other thing that helps is if you exercise, running, skipping, anything at all uses up that adrenaline.
It's never stupid to be real. You just gotta vibe with who is around you, tread lightly, and ease into it. I've had some of the most raw and honest conversations with strangers. There's so many people who have self awareness and truly care about others and love to relate! I'm 28 and have been suffering with depression on and off since childhood. I always hid it and it really hurt me and made me sick. It is so freeing to let it out, it's not your identity, but a part of you. You wouldn't believe how many ppl suffer like you, and by you making the first move, maybe you can help them too.
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