Panic attacks

[db179]

My name is Bob. I need help with panic attacks . I'm healthy by these attacks have taken over my life

[Sandia]

I’ve been there, what I did was seek professional help. I found a therapist and psychiatrist and over time I learned to be able to use coping mechanisms to stop my panic attacks. It is not easy but it can be done, I would also try and talk to someone you trust or find a support group in the area. I went to one called Emotions Anonymous. I hope this helps.

[Maxiomargie in reply to Sandia]

Thanks for the tip about Emotions Anonymous. I'm going to look that up and see if there's such a group in my area.

Peace to you,

Maxine

[Agora1 in reply to Maxiomargie]

Maxiomargie, it's a good support group that can be very helpful. Good Luck x

[db179 in reply to Agora1]

Thank you. What do I do. How do I contact them

[Agora1 in reply to db179]

db179, Emotions Anonymous (EA) is in over 35 countries across the world most of the meetings being in the United States. I'm in Chicago and use to attend the meetings at my local hospital.

However you can just type in Emotions Anonymous Meetings in ______. Fill in with your city and it should bring up a list of meetings places and times. Hope this helps.

[db179 in reply to Agora1]

I will do that. Thank you so much

[db179 in reply to db179]

I can't find one near my home. I would really like to attend their meetings

[Agora1 in reply to db179]

db179, They have those meetings on Skype as well as phone( I think)...maybe that would work for you.

[Maxiomargie in reply to Agora1]

Wow, I found a meeting right in my town. Thanks so much for this information. I'm familiar with 12 step programs so I should feel comfortable in this kind of setting. Good to know there's free help out there. Thanks again!

[Agora1 in reply to Maxiomargie]

Maxiomargie, I'm glad you found a meeting so close. They are quite abundant in the U.S. Good luck in finding comfort. xx

[db179 in reply to Sandia]

I am seeing a therapist now. I have dealt g with these for 10+ years and have always been. Able to deL with them but in the last month it seems like I need extra help. When I exercise and when I'm at church or with my therapist I'm good but as soon as I leave they appear

[Agora1 in reply to db179]

db179, I understand how that "good feeling, I've got everything in control" leaves as soon as we are out of that reassuring safety zone. Exercise, church and your therapist are doing what you can with practice. That is comforting your mind with Affirmative thoughts

Panic Attacks are basically a negative thought gone wild. Once we experience an attack, it tends to go into "What if" as well as playing repetitively in our minds on how scary it is as well as anticipating the next attack without any provocation.

First is accepting that a panic or anxiety attack is not harmful, uncomfortable yes, but not life threatening. As you practice accepting these feelings as not more than your brain playing this game with your mind, the attacks will start becoming fewer in between as well as less intensity.

A book that may help you in understanding this more is by Dr. Claire Weekes who wrote "Hope & Help for your Nerves" can be purchased through Amazon. Her videos are also on YouTube if you want to take a look and listen before buying the book.

You've spent the better part of 10+ years now and have not been able to leave anxiety in the dust. I hope you will give "Acceptance" a try. It has been the key for many of us (including myself) who after 30 years of suffering have finally reached my goal.

Wish you well in going forward, remember we are all only a message away.

[db179 in reply to Agora1]

Thank you. Your response is on point. I got by this week trying to believe what you said. I know I'm in good health and I know that panic attacks are not dangerous but talking to you and others are very reassuring. Thank you again. I'll keep trying and focus more on your advice

[Beevee in reply to Agora1]

I strongly recommend Dr Claire Weekes’ books which show you how to recover from panic attacks and any other fear based disorder. Practice what she teaches and it will banish those panic attacks as sure as night follows day.

[flimsymimsy]

Hi Bob I also suffer quite badly with panic attacks. The rule of panic attacks which I know is easier said than done is try not to get into the panic cycle which you may or may not be aware of. So for example we fear the worst as there is always a trigger to a panic attack, then the more we think of the worst thing that could happen you get into a cycle and increase the panic further. See where I am coming from? the aim is to try and break that panic cycle before we get to the panic attack.

I have been trying the dare response which is very helpful when having a panic attack and with practice it works.

Defuse: Say “so what” “who cares” or whatever sentence you need to say to realize that you are not in real danger.

Allow: Accept the anxiety that you feel and allow it to manifest in whatever way it wishes. Welcome it, let it stay, move with it, become the observer.

Run towards: You can run toward your anxiety by telling yourself you are excited by your anxious thoughts and feelings.

Engage: After you’ve applied the previous three steps of the Dare response your anxious mind will naturally look for ways to tell you back into a state of worry and fear. In order to avoid this, you need to engage with something that takes up our full attention.

Find an activity that will really engage your mind and take your full attention, such as reading, focusing on a specific task, having a conversation, exercising anything that will keep your mind from checking in.

Another thing you can try is when your having a panic attack is to lie on your bed or sit on a chair. Put one hand on stomach and one hand on the chest and concentrate on your breathing. The aim is to make your belly rise and not your chest. Close your eyes if it also helps. In time the panic will subside once breathing is back under control.

Please also look into accessing a course of CBT with a therapist as this is great for anxiety and especially panic attacks. There can be waiting lists depending on the area you are in or if you dont fancy working with a therapist there are many books on the internet you can order for self help cbt. Claire weekes has some good ones out and also there is a book called mind over mood.

Meditiation in between having the panic attacks is also excellant at keeping the body calm and relaxes the mind. Have a nosey on youtube and type in guided meditation for anxiety and panic attacks and there are loads. These are best listened to with headphones and just need go through them until you find one you like. I would probably advise doing a 10 minute session once a day to start and build it up from there.

All the best .

[Beevee in reply to flimsymimsy]

Hi

In my experience, trying to stop yourself feeling anxious or trying to stop a panic attack before it happens isn’t really accepting or allowing. Accepting/allowing is about letting it all happen and observing the thoughts and feelings instead of getting involved and adding more tension and fear. Let the symptoms wash over you without trying to do anything about them such as avoidance measures, deliberate distraction, controlling or trying any other technique to stop yourself from feeling anxious etc etc. To break the cycle, feel it all with as much willingness as you can muster but don’t “do” anything about it and let the storm pass, which it will. You may have to pass through the storm many times but gradually, the fear of the panic attacks will diminish to the point that they will no longer matter whether you have one or not. When you are past caring about them, they will disappear. Fear or the fear of the feelings of fear is the root cause of all anxiety related disorders so it’s all about losing the fear. Deliberate distraction implies that a person has not fully accepted and still fears the symptoms which leaves the person vulnerable to more panic attacks because they haven’t fully learned how to cope with the symptoms the the right way and lost all fear of them. The more you practice acceptance, offering zero resistance in any shape or form, the more you recover.

Hope this helps

Regards

Beevee

[db179 in reply to Beevee]

Ok. Here we go. I'm a teacher who teaches with a strong passion and it helps big time when these attacks Occur. I know they are harmless. I know they aren't dangerous. I know I'm healthy and I'm so into my teaching I get through them quickly so today was different. I was so happy and rocking my first 4 periods. I mean no panic at all. 5th period started and it was awesome and then out of nowhere it hit big time. I embraced it. I knew I wasn't in any danger and I kept teaching but it kept increasing in power. I had to take a Xanax. Low dose But I made it. I just need to know where in the hell did this come from. Did a great cardio workout and fell great but for 40 minutes this afternoon I struggled

[db179 in reply to Beevee]

Thank you. I'm really trying How do you lose the fear. I felt so good yesterday until my last class . I felt I was accepting then it hit. Now I am a mess

[db179 in reply to Beevee]

Again I want to say thank you like I said before I'm trying to lost the fear but I need health that

[db179]

I teach school so when one hits I just put everything into my teaching. Thanks for the advice. I will take your advice.

[TruthSi72 in reply to db179]

Hi @db179

Well, there could be many reasons for your panic attacks, from a missing vitamin or mineral to your mind playing out a narrative from a past event. It sounds like they have been building up gradually for a while...has anything happened in the past with your teaching that was something that was a challenge for you, a time that made you worried or embarrassed, perhaps a time you found difficult or perhaps another event that took place in front of people that might be linked in some way...anxiety normally is an irrational result related to an experience of some kind.

[db179 in reply to TruthSi72]

I've taught in urban areas for 25 years and it was stressful 24/7 and I never had attacks like these. The last 5 years I've been at a school that's stress free. I love this place. I got a great rapport with the students and my principals. Like I said earlier I usually deal with these attacks at school because my mind is focused 100% on educating my students so this afternoon came as a complete surprise because my last class started off Fantastic

[TruthSi72 in reply to db179]

It doesn’t have to be specifically related to school but to be honest sometimes it’s not even necessary to know...

Anxiety events will have a narrative that it plays out every time, for example, it will have trigger, it will start somewhere on the body and possibly move somewhere. There will be operators, rules or sub-modalities that our minds will act out to allow these attacks to happen...what we need is to change these modalities so that the brain plays a different narrative. Let me know if you want to find out more.

[db179 in reply to TruthSi72]

I really don't know what else I can do. I'llListen to anything if it will help

[justdee]

Try CBD Oil without the THC. It’s helped my a lot for anxiety

[km147]

Hi bob! first off, panic attacks can range from extremely serious and life threatning to mild. So if they are serious I really hope that you see a professional about them. when i do get my panic attacks, (which are pretty mild) I just let them run their course. I focus on that fact that it will end, and I will be okay. I usually focus on my breathing and try to clear my mind by focusing on something in the room like a wall, or if i am outside in a car, I look at the sky or the trees. hope this helps. good luck <3

[db179 in reply to km147]

I'm confused. One guy on this site told me I need to accept that panic attacks are harmless and are no dangerous. One guy told me I need to embraced the attacks. I know how these panic attacks work I know they will run their course. I know why I have them but it seems the ones that come with SUPER strength are the ones I don't know why they show up