Panic this week

[JLR40]

The last two weeks I have been experiencing major panic attacks. I don’t know if it’s the stress of going back to in person work or hormonal imbalance. I hate this feeling, I am lonely and I don’t have friends I can talk to. My family is deeply religious and believe I can pray this away . Just wanted to drop a line..

[Anonflake]

I started having panic attacks when the pandemic started. Wowza did it feel like a heart attack! I was shocked how strong it felt. It’s not something that can be simply prayed away. I hope you find solace in the fact you’re not alone. That’s a beautiful flower.

[OnTheLoneHill]

Hi JLR40,

That sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation. While prayer and meditation may be helpful for some, it isn't fair to assume this can magically eradicate the uptick of adrenaline in your body. (Prayer might help a diabetic cope emotionally with diabetes, but it can't replace insulin!) I know you know this, I just wanted to echo that your anxiety is justified.

I noticed that you posted a lovely rose photo--do you use calming images to help you get through anxiety attacks? I have had some luck with this, and your photo made me stop and stare for a little while. It's a pretty flower!

While you may have already done all of this, I just thought I would offer a few pieces of advice based on my own experiences with panic attacks:

-Tell your physician. There are sedatives that can help get you through the worst of the attacks and keep away the feeling of having a heart attack. If possible, set up with a psychiatrist.

-sidenote: if you are on hormones this could absolutely impact anxiety. When I went on estrogen therapy I spiraled badly. Let your physician know.

-Self-validate. It sounds like you don't have strong family support for the seriousness of what you're going through--if you can reach out to a friend, do that, but you can also reach out to yourself. Talk aloud of it helps--tell yourself you are justified in feeling worried but you will be okay. Even if you don't feel this way, saying it aloud actually can have an impact on your body's response! (I never bought that until I tried it myself.)

-Create a safe space or a you-space. Some place where you can go when you have anxiety attack symptoms that you can, over time, come to affiliate with conquering and surviving the attacks. This can be a corner of a room or a whole room or even just a piece of furniture where you sit. It sounds odd and is probably not standard advice, but it really helped me, so I thought I'd pass it on.

I'm sorry you're having such an awful time of it, and please feel free to DM me if you want to chat!

[MARYRD27]

I agree with OnTheLoneHil. I also recommend getting The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Bourne. I found it to be a lifesaver. Also, pay attention to your breathing. When you start feeling anxious, there is a tendency to hyperventilate which can trigger a panic attack. Just take a few deep breaths and that should lower your anxiety.

[catch_the_music]

Panic attacks require different things to stop them. For me - sometimes it is just as simple as facing my fear and doing the thing I am afraid of (assuming it is a good thing). Even if it bombs out - I can try again another day. Another thing I like to do is listen to Praise songs on stations like KLOVE. I start going over the words in my head - that calms me down usually. Reading Psalm 23 is another good thing - thinking about quiet streams. Deep Breathing helps too. Sometimes I seek the help of a counselor - there are some good ones around that can help me be less stressed. Hope that helps. God Bless!