in need of positive vibes

[Ajrea2]

what does everyone do to distract yourself when the awful panic takes hold. I'm usually a really positive person,but the last two days I've been stuck in my head with negative thoughts. my panic stems from the awful physical symptoms. I have a hard time not over thinking and dwelling something awful is about to happen. so any positive thoughts or ideas would be super helpful. T.I.A❤

[Jeff1943]

Ajrea2, don't distract yourself from your panic and anxiety, accept it for the time being and pass straight through it. You know it isn't life threatening, can't disable you or send you crazy. It's not a nice feeling but you overcome it by accepting it for the moment refusing to be cowered by something that is a blip in your nervous system. Acceptance helps you to lose your fear of fear and allows sensitised nerves to recover whereupon the feelings of panic cease. It's all explained in a small book 'Self help with your nerves' written years ago by the late Doctor Claire Weeks available on Amazon and Ebay.

[saturn2k]

Its simply awful. It's totally exhausting and can consume your whole life. Trying to deal with mental gymnastics, feeling like you are suddenly being stalked by this uninvited brain intruder. So you are left dodging anything that might be the trigger to the next attack. After a while you become so fearful of the next attack all you can do is crawl into bed and stay there, barely having the energy to get up and clean your teeth. Finally after being in bed for over a month, my poor husband and my sister intervened and took me to seek help - first to the doctor who was wonderful and gave me medicine to allow me to calm down. (Serapax 15mgs). I was terribly fearful of taking meds but she closed her door and sat with me until the panic passed. She helped me to breathe deeply and softly spoke to me that it will pass. The next step was to see a Psychologist, who I ended up seeing for two years. I fought most of the time as I was fearful of nothing working so refused to try. Then slowly the fog cleared. The little chants of This Will Pass became believable. That I am NOT dying. I am NOT going insane had truth to it. It just shows you how powerful out bodies are and how we can reclaim it back. I have not had a panic attack in about 10 years. I am on antidepressants as my depression became to the point of suicide. We tried twice to wean myself off under medical supervision, but had two relapses and now accept that this is part of my life. I do get some anxiety attacks but nothing more than everyone else. Even after being a full time carer for my darling mum, who passed about four months ago, even after such a heartbreaking time, I was able to deal and cope with it all, and didn't need any extra meds to help me cope.

Please seek help from your doctor. There are so many ways to deal with this. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is designed to help change negative thoughts and behaviours, it gives you strategies to change unhelpful habits of thinking, feeling andbehaving. Once I stopped holding on so tight and let go, things changed. Sometimes medication is what is needed. But not always. This was just me.

Avoidance was my worst thing. I developed so many fears, like when my husband got back from a project overseas, he had a fit and convulsions and I had to try to get him breathing again and the ambulance was called. Turned out it was a severe food poisoning attack and he was severely dehydrated and his kidneys were borderline to collapsing. He merrily recovered after a few days and yet I after about two weeks, fell into a complete heap, with PTSD, and so my nightmare began. I couldn't go upstairs for SIX months because that's where it all happened. My OCD was a living nightmare, I became totally obsessed with preventing germs. I lost 20 kgs in one month.... In the meantime my husband carried on without any problems.

I was the most stubborn person you would ever meet. Clinging on so tight to what I thought was right. Desperately trying to protect myself. Once I finally let go, it was like OH, THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN. I just couldn't grasp what the Psychologist meant ! It all sounded like airy fairy mumbo jumbo. Things like Mindfulness ? Breathing techniques !! Seriously ! I thought MY problem was so awful that these sorts of things couldn't possibly help. Well they DO. I had so many triggers before ending up being diagnosed with Panic/ Anxiety Disorder OCD and PTSD... so if it helped someone like me, I can guarantee you 100% that it will help you.......We aren't THAT unusual .... sorry for being blunt... there isn't anything the doctors and psychologists have not heard before.

In the meantime, breathe deeply through your nose, hold for the count of five and slowly exhale through the mouth and breathe out for the count of five. In my early days it would take me 10 minutes to get some relief, now it's a matter of a minute. Tell yourself that nothing dangerous is going on, it will pass. Treat it like a mantra.... say it over and over.

The help is there. Get it now because the sooner you do, the sooner your life can be reclaimed. You've got a lot of things still left to do. Just because it took me two years, please don't think the same will be with you. Even just a chat with a doctor maybe all you need. I just wanted to show you that even in extreme cases, there is help out there.

[Katie204 in reply to saturn2k]

Dear Saturn - many many thanks for writing your piece. You really seem to have been through the wars - I wouldn't dismiss events like your mother dying or your husband being so ill, as they would shake anyone. I am glad you have found help and are doing better - all the best to you.

I have recently re-connected with a friend who is going through a situation very much like the one you have described. It is so helpful to see how this feels from the inside, and to know that there are things that could be of benefit. According to her husband, she is also being very stubborn and resisting medical help, and from what you say this could also be due to fear and self-protection. She has been ill like this for over 10 years. I will bear in mind what you have said, and hope I can use it to help her.

[saturn2k in reply to Katie204]

Thank you so much.