Feeling panic

[nmp1]

I'm guessing I've slept for an hour. I'm making tea I'm feeling scared because I don't want to have a panic, I'm a little shaky and staring to shiver and feeling a lump in my throat, sometimes what I feel is overwhelming. I'm trying deep breathing

Please help with any advice, thank you

[Jeff1943]

nmp1, if you are overwhelmed by your bad feelings then you must talk to your doctor without delay and accept medication without reservation if offered.

The lump in your throat is a well known symptom of anxiety called Globus Hystericus, irritating but harmless. It will pass so long as you do not feed it with fear - just as all your symptoms of anxiety will pass so long as you 'accept them for the time for the time being' instead of flooding your over sensitised nervous system with fear never ending

You say you don't want to have a panic attack. I suggest the opposite: you should welcome your next panic attack as it is an opportunity to practice accepting this anxiety symptom calmly and without fear, using the untapped reserves of courage you will find lie within your power.

By constantly practicing acceptance then with the passage of time you will recover and recapture your peace of mind.

[begentle51 in reply to Jeff1943]

When I think about welcoming a panic attack I get scared of what the outcome might be. What if I have a total breakdown and lose all control? 🌸

[Jeff1943 in reply to begentle51]

You cannot begin your recovery worrying about 'What ifs'. Obsessing about 'What ifs' means frightening yourself to death over things that haven't happened as well as the symptoms of anxiety that have happened. It is piling one extra layer of fear on top of the other.

Fear is what feeds and prolongs anxiety disorder. Our over sensitised nerves need less fear to recover not more fear based on 'What if'.

The power of anxiety to harm you is limited, unfortunately our imagination is not. Breakdown is never complete, loss of control is never total. There is no way round high anxiety, you have to go through it to recover. You have to experience the bad feelings and 'accept them for the moment'. You cannot accept them and fear them at the same time so acceptance overcomes fear. Less fear restores sensitised nerves to normal health, normal nerves play tricks on you no longer.

But acceptance takes time and lots of practice. You can only practice on the bad feelings when they are present, so bring them on!