I also recommend laying down with a cool, wet cloth on your forehead and back of your neck.

I'm not trying to make this "about me," but when I hear people describing anxiety attacks, this is different than my panic attacks. Are they two different things? I've had psychs call them both, but while I have moments of severe anxiety (which I'll say could be what you all mean by anxiety attacks), when I have a panic attack, meaning literally, PANIC, I can't focus on cooking, or typing, or anything. I'm literally running, screaming, begging for help, please make it stop, oh god, oh god, help me!!!!!!! The attacks are fear itself, and I'm afraid of the attacks themselves. People can't seem to wrap their minds around that; they want to know what I'm afraid of, what I'm afraid will happen. The attack is what I'm afraid of. It's like a seizure, coming on suddenly and intensely. Quite literally, I'm afraid of fear itself. I remember a shrink who told me I can choose not to scream when I panic, but no, I can't. I try not to, because the whole display is embarrassing. People look at me like I'm crazy--and maybe I am.

I'm real sensitive when I see shows like I've seen with Maury Povich where people with phobias come on and are exposed to their fear and get all upset, and the damned audience is laughing. I saw a guy with OCD on Divorce Court, a 2-part thing, and the judge didn't get it, not understanding how you can't just stop the OCD, and the audience was laughing. I know we're bizarre, but it hurts that people are laughing while we're in such intense pain. If you make fun of a person with a limp or injury, you're insensitive and cruel. But if the person has a mental problem, well, screw'em, they're crazy.

I'm just trying to understand about anxiety vs. panic, and got into a bit of a rant there. I'm not trying to overtake the thread. You can ignore this post if you feel I've said too much away from fayerody. No offense taken, and none meant. And I don't think I'll ever really understand people's cruelty, nor stop it.