panicing

[sosplz]

two weeks ago I learned that one of my classmates died of cancer and I had a panic attack. I didn't even know this person I only passed them a few times in the hallway but when I got home I couldn't stop thinking about them. I just kept on thinking about their friends and family and how horribly sad they looked when I saw them that day. I was all alone in my house and I just kept pacing and pacing back and forth through my kitchen, my hands clenched into fists and my nails were digging into my palm. I couldn't slow my breathing and my heart felt like it might explode. Meanwhile my thoughts were buzzing so fast I couldn't make sense of any of it. Eventually I just ran to my room and laid in my bed until my heart slowed and I could actually think again. does anyone have any advice on how to calm down during a panic attack because If this happened in class I would have been totally screwed.

[_Denise_]

Different things work for different people. Deep breathing can help. Sometimes a really cold drink helps me to relax a little. I recently bought a supplement OTC for stress & anxiety, it helps a little.

Have you ever been prescribed medication?

[sosplz in reply to _Denise_]

No, I haven't even really seen a doctor about it

[_Denise_ in reply to sosplz]

Might be worth a try...¿

[Beerglass]

I know how you feel. My papa died on my birthday a few years ago and I have not enjoyed since. It's been 5 years now. Two colleagues of mine died in a horrific car crash two years ago. I am unable to drive in busy situations now because I get road rage and I am affraid I am going to kill someone or get killed. So now I sit at home and wait, I take powerful medication that makes me sick every morning. I'm stoned all day long because that is what helps the dizziness. My mood is improving but I don't trust people or like people at the moment. I live close to a major city, where I get almost every professional sport concerts, word class restaurants and I don't want to go anymore, I want to move north, so north that we are isolated from City people.

[Hidden]

My experience of panic attacks for what it's worth is that you feel that you are going to collapse but it never actually gets that far. Perhaps the worse thing to do is run away, it is better to get beaten up by it than bow down and run away. But that' a tough decision, it's a very scary feeling