[Stronger]

Just trying to get new ideas.
What coping skills work well for you in a panic attack?

Hm-m-m-m... well I don't really have what I think of as panic attacks. When I'm out in public, which isn't all that often, I just get progressively more anxiety-ridden until I finally get out of the situation. (There have been times when it got so bad I began to feel as though I was floating outside of my body.) Then, once I'm home, I get really tired. I don't really have any particularly good coping strategies. I just tough it out until it's over. If I'm in a shopping mall, I may try to find a quiet place to sit for a while. Or I might go to a quiet area of a bookstore if there's one available. Occasionally, I'll just go sit in the car or walk around outside for a while. The standard types of things that are typically recommended, such as deep breathing, actually make matters worse. One thing I've thought about, but never done, was to have some sort of "worry beads" to handle... don't know if having something like that to fiddle with would help or not...

[kaliope]

I was once told that it is physically impossible to panic and relax at the same time and discovered this is true...even if you are fake relaxing. so when I had panic attacks I would just relax my body like a wet noodle, just go totally limp and it would stop the panic attack...sometimes I would have to repeat the process repeatedly but it would work. something else I have is my anxiety meter. I imagine a meter in my head. the needle is registering 8-10 when I am really anxious. I simply breathe and turn the dial down till the needle is about a 4 and my anxiety is manageable again. hope these help.

[healingme4me]

Before I determine meds are necessary, which are indeed, at my disposal, i try techniques, first.

If I can, sit crosslegged, still, meditation pose. Try to center my core. Still mind and breathing. Sometimes, hold hand to heart or play with necklace.

If not able to sit, stand tall, same focus. Give myself a few minutes, to see if I am changing my breathing to normal.

If all else fails, palpitations exist, med time.

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[live2ski66]

I'm not as strong as the others. Depending on the intensity of my anxiety attack I take half or an entire 0.5mm of generic Klonopin. I try to stick to the half a pill in case I need more when I go to bed. For some reason my panic attacks tend to occur when I go to sleep. In addition to the Klonopin, I play soothing music, sometimes I read a book that doesn't require much intellect, practice breathing exercises and mindfulness as best I can. My cat is very in tune with my emotions so if I'm having an anxiety attach, he'll hang out near me so that I can pet him.

[Little Lulu]

For panic, I use many tools such the traditional deep breathing, focus on one object intensely, get up and walk around, drink a glass of very cold water, but the three that work best are 1) tell myself that no one has ever died from panic 2) tell myself that this will pass, it always does, and 3) gently pinch my arm and say STOP IT to myself for anxiety that is severe ... somehow that seems to bring me to my senses when the other techniques don't.

Kaliope - I use the play with my necklace thing, too.

[avlady]

i go with the worry beads and pray till it ends

[Gus1234U]

i have posted coping skills in other forums, i'll give you the links here. basically, i just out-wait them, while doing other things to make them tolerable.

http://forums.psychcentral.com/dbt-d...ng-skills.html

http://forums.psychcentral.com/anxie...nt-skills.html

here they are all posted together~

Self Comforting Skills
we are social creatures, but getting what we need when we need it from another is not always available. here are some of the suggestions from the DBT handbook on Self Soothing Skills:

think of soothing each of your FIVE SENSES

1) Vision: Notice what you see, find soothing things to look at.
(i go to a blog that has lovely pictures: C PTSD - A Way Out | A place to check in daily )

2) Hearing: Pay attention to what you can hear around you.
(put on your favorite music...)

3) Smell: Be aware of the memories that smell can bring.
(i like to do aroma therapy. there are many Essential Oils for that.)

4) Taste: Carefully savor flavors that the day brings you.
(keep a favorite hard candy on hand, for the little sugar boost, too.)

5) Touch: Find comfort in touch.
(keep a special pillow or blanket with a favorite perfume on it.)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy/Distress Tolerance Skills/Self-soothing - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

these are not listed, but i find them handy, too:

A) Reassurance: Tell yourself that you are OK, safe and unharmed.
(the danger is past, you have survived this before and now
you are stronger and more skillful than then.)

B) Take Action: Go for a walk, or exercise or clean house or cook. (use your
body's natural focusing powers to leave the fear behind.)

C) Refocus: Think about pleasant things. Push the hurtful thoughts away.
(have a hobby or a story, or a book that you like, to take your
mind to a better place.)

Coping With Anxiety and Panic:

1. Remember, feelings of panic are just exaggerations of normal bodily stress reactions.

2. Sensations are neither harmful nor dangerous - just unpleasant. Nothing worse will happen.

3. Anxiety is temporary. Instead of fighting it, relax into it. Just let it be.

4. Focus on facing the fear rather than trying to avoid it or escape from it.

5. Stop adding to the panic with frightening thoughts of where panic will lead.

6. Stay in the present. Be aware of what is happening to you rather than concern yourself with how much worse it might get.

7. Notice that when you stop adding to panic with frightening thoughts, the fear begins to fade.

8. Wait and give the fear time to pass.

9. Look around you. Plan what you will do next as the panic subsides.

10. When you are ready to go on, do so in an easy, relaxed manner. There is no hurry.

11. Think about the progress made so far despite all the difficulties.

Some Specific Actions:

1. Manage your breathing, if it is rapid, breathe into a paper sack to lower oxygen uptake;

2. Count your breaths, 1001, 1002, 1003, ect, up to 1020, then start again, slow down the count to slow your heartbeat. counting interferes with anxiety;

3. Delay doing anything about your anxiety or panic, just follow the steps and focus on getting thru it;

4. Distract yourself, with anything that requires you to focus and is simple and handy - at home you might read something easy, like a magazine, or knit or wash dishes, whatever engages your attention;

5. Eat something to replenish the blood sugars that adrenalin has burned up, and give yourself at least 15 minutes for the kidneys to clean out the 'ashes' in your blood;

6. Write these things down and keep them with you, until you have made them a habit

practice these skills before you need them, or when you are just mildly anxious, so they will be familiar when you are feeling very upset. i hope you find this information helpful~

best wishes~
Gus

[Fuzzybear]

[Little Lulu]

One thing I know for sure - trying to 'run' from the panic does not work. A panic attack in full force is bigger than me! Gentle acceptance and trying my best to 'float through the anxiety' works better than denial.

[caturday15]

What works best for me is to never do anything differently just because of the anxiety. When I do certain things just because of my anxiety, the number of triggers increase and my world becomes even smaller and scarier. I notice that if I continue to do things as if I don't have anxiety, things get better and the less scared I am of the situation / trigger.

I remember one time, I went out of the house because I had a panic attack inside my room. Then, even the thought of being inside my room scared me. When I was about to go back home, the walk to our apartment was so frightening. It was as if my house turned into a monster or something. Running away made the link stronger. My primitive brain was thinking, "Why are you running away? That means your house is dangerous. I must give you all the fear signals next time you enter the house." Hence, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The next time it happened, I just accepted the fear, even if it felt so real, and tried to continue with what I was doing. It was a long battle but eventually, I wasn't scared anymore and the link between fear and my room disappeared.

[Mustkeepjob32]

Wow, being scared of your own house seems like it would be the worst thing in the world. You're home is supposed to be a haven. I'm glad that you no longer have that fear.

[littlemiss44]

One thing I do is hold ice cubes in both my hands until they melt. This takes the focus off the anxiety and shifts it to how cold the ice cubes are. If course this can only be done when yr home tho.

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Unfortunately, for me it's Xanax or Ativan. However, when I actually get to the point where my anxiety is so bad that I feel like I am going to die and I don't have a med with me, something in my brain snaps and turns it off so I don't have a panic attack out in public. At home, it's a different story.

propranolol 40mg sorry I know yore asking for techniques but this drug fkn saved my life. without it im sure I would be dead now

[Jolisse]

I try to focus on something else, if that doesn't work I take a Klonopin.

[avlady]

thanks for these suggestions!!!

[987catjump]

Hi everyone. I am posting to this thread for the first time. I am currently "stuck" at home. My anxiety has rendered me friendless and lonely once again. This type of isolation is depressing. I can not even get out to see my Therapist. I get anxious just thinking about it. Does anyone have ideas for getting out of this rut? This is my longest bout yet. Thanks.

FLEEING

(and hiding in the mens room)

Originally Posted by 987catjump

Hi everyone. I am posting to this thread for the first time. I am currently "stuck" at home. My anxiety has rendered me friendless and lonely once again. This type of isolation is depressing. I can not even get out to see my Therapist. I get anxious just thinking about it. Does anyone have ideas for getting out of this rut? This is my longest bout yet. Thanks.

The best thing I'm aware of is called "exposure therapy". Basically it's just a matter of going as far as you can go, realizing it's okay, & then repeating the process over-&-over going just a little bit father each time. This is, I believe, typically done with the help of a therapist who is experienced in this type of activity. YouTuber: "idranktheseawater" recently put up a short video describing this type of therapy. You might check it out: