Panic attacks

[Cjchester]

I am really struggling with panic attacks ,mostly being out of the house anywhere with people is particularly bad , but this week even being at home, the panic attacks have often been overwhelming, does anyone have any experience /advice to share on how to manage them?

[Richa25]

Hey dear....I became a veteran in getting panic attacks...and was more panicked about getting them...which got into a vicious cycle.Initially had rushed to the ER thinking I am getting a heart attack...on my second visit it for diagnosed. ..I hvae been on and off them since 2008...I know how scary it is...It is only when I started observing them as something that comes and goes was I able to overcome them...I would tell myself...OK I am getting a panic attack but it will not kill me and I don't care if people think I am weird...I truly hope I can help you out...but don't worry there is hope ...I got out of it when I never thought I could

[Gambit62]

I used to get really bad panic attacks around people which turned out to be caused by a vitamin deficiency that wasn't dietary but down to absorption problems - B12.  Unfortunately the link is one GPS often aren't aware of and to make things worse the test that they do isn't one that you can just interpret on results but needs to be looked at in the context of symptoms ... so double whammy on the not being aware of the symptoms.

This is a link to a checklist of symptoms just in case other things on the list ring a bell.

pernicious-anaemia-society....

If they do then I recommend joining the PAS forum on health unlocked

healthunlocked.com/pasoc

Like Richa25 I found that mindfulness techniques helped with coping -recognising that they come and GO is really important as worrying about them whilst they are happening just makes them worse.  It also helped me a bit to understand how the areas of the brain that deal with fear work - sending images of the danger ... which is good if you need to run away from a bear but not so good if the problem is stress as the thought of the panic attack makes it worse and things quickly spiral out of control - a lot of what you are feeling is your mind warning you that you need to go and do something else for a while but if you don't understand that that is the message it is just like getting on the rollercoaster at Fear-central theme park.

I was also lucky in as much as I never had a problem or felt great amounts of anxiety about talking to people about what was going on - think that helps as well as if people understand then there may be the odd idiot that is unpleasant but the vast majority of people will be really supportive

[cazzie727]

hi i have suffered from panic attacks on and of from the age of 13 im 67 now ,the key to this dont be scared of them they will not kill you ,the more you worry about them the more they will come ,try breathing slow deep breathes in for 3 hold for 3 out for 5 breathe from your tummy not your chest ,also distracting yourself from the situation should help ,i feel for you hun they are not nice do you know what brought them on i lost my mum at ten i think that was the start of mine sending love and hugs xxx

[Hidden]

Hello Chester

Healthunlocked has another site on here called Anxiety Support, you could try that site, sometimes I visit there as well,

If you ave not been already you could try talking to your GP if not already He can arrange some CBT for you. If you need to chat we are always around

BOB

[DAISYTHROWA1973]

Hi sweetie, yes I use to suffer real bad ones and at one point it was a constant panic in my body, I was feeling fizzy going all around my body, in my sleep the lot every day all day I was trying to control a panic attack, I was under a lot of stress, losing my husband to cancer bringing up 3 teenage boys plus menopause, coz I had cancer at 21 , so I went to see anew GP and he diagnosed me with panic disorder and put me on fenaflaxine, Iv always suffers from panic attacks , so maybe go see your GP and ask could it be panic disorder and the only too control it is with meds coz it's an unbalance part of our brains, I hope this help and let me know how you get on....make breathing your best friend xxx

[Hidden]

Background music or the tv on low may help your mind to hear the music or tv so your not fully concentrating on the bad stuff. hope this helps.