Thanks everyone for all your replies and suggestions!
I'm actually feeling much better today. I'm not completely up to par but I'm not as deep in the haze as I was.
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Originally Posted by Roz_G
is it your first time in therapy? or your first time talking about a particular thing?
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Actually, no. I've been talking with my therapist for about a year now. I actually started going to her because of this very issue and I'm still working on it to this day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roz_G
when i spoke with my doc about therapy once she warned me that it always gets worse before it gets better as your bringing things to the surface and acknowledging them for the first time.
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That's a really good point for me to remember as there are still some things that seem to be pushing their way up to the surface.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shezbut
Have you tried contacting your therapist? You could try calling, and see if he/she has some tips to help you make it through until your next session.
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Yes, I actually did try calling but the only number I have for her is her office number; It was well after closing time when the panic attack came on. I've thought about asking for an "after hours" number that I could get in contact with her but I thought that might be inapropriate as she has not offered anything like that.
I did have some notes and some handouts she gave me that help remind me of what to do when these types of emotions and feelings come up, but, even though they often help me, they didn't seem to help me in this particular attack. It was a very intense one.
However, I did journal about everything I was feeling and how intense it was so that we can discuss it in our next session. I've realized how important it is to document it when these things happen. It's also one of the reasons I started actually talking on this forum.
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Originally Posted by shezbut
You could always call crisis counselors for a sympathetic ear and ideas that might help you gain better perspective towards life. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255): Suicide hotline, 24/7 free and confidential, nationwide network of crisis centers.
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I was actually thinking about calling a crisis line but I wasn't really sure about how that worked. I have never called one before and I didn't really know what to expect. I wasn't suicidal so I didn't realize that I could still call that type of a hotline. Would it still be appropriate for me to call even though I'm not suicidal?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leed
I also like to draw, paint, etc. When I got into those dark, awful times, I just FORCED myself to start drawing or painting again and once I started it seemed to bring me out of the darkness little by little. Then I'd really get into it -- it really helped.  I don't know if the same would happen to you, but maybe it's worth a try?
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I'm glad to meet a fellow artist!
I can usually make myself start "arting" (as my sister says) but I just felt like even that was empty. I don't know how else to describe it.
I love expressing myself in really emotional pieces but I just couldn't find any meaning in my colors. You know what I mean? There were billions of colors in my digital painting pallet but, when when crisis grabs hold of me like that, they're all the same shade of gray.