[CANDC]

Well who has ever experienced a panic attack? Come share your story and share a few tips how to prevent them.

This article will be the general focus but people are encouraged to share a synopsis of their panic attacks and how you avoid them.
How to Halt and Minimize Panic Attacks | Psych Central

Anxiety Support Chat is at 8PM EDT on Friday. Hope to see you there.

[AbladeintheMeadow]

Hey! Panic attacks of varying degrees have been a part of my life for many years. They vary from fairly minor occurrences through to the ones that make me feel like my legs won't hold me up & I'm going to lose consciousness.

I use the things below both when I feel one coming on to try & stop it before it takes hold & also while I'm having one. They don't always work 100% of the time. But it helps me cope.

With the less severe ones I find singing helps if I'm in a place I can sing. I find when singing (or even humming a song if I can't think of the words) I breathe at the natural breathing points in the song and for me that helps bring my breathing back into a regular pattern & the rest of the symptoms subside.

With more severe ones I was taught a technique by my counsellor to name (out loud if I can) 5 things I can see & then give 5 descriptive words to each item. The double action of my brain having to think & talking seems to provide enough distraction to stop me concentrating on the symptoms.

At other times when they've happened when I'm alone I've called my parents or a good friend & told them what's going on. I am lucky to have a small but very supportive group of people who I can call at anytime & once they know/realise what's happening they just talk to me about anything. The weather, the TV, what they had for dinner & when I can answer them I do & eventually the attack passes. Again it's the distraction that I think makes the difference, that and knowing that if I'm on my own, I have the comfort of knowing that at least the person I'm calling would be able to summon medical help for me if it became clear I was in too much difficulty or I stopped responding. That's never happened - the attacks have always passed in the end.

I hope this might help others

[-jimi-]

I'm kinda glad I can use meds cuz... there is just no way I can do anything of those on the list. I am so lost in the attacks I can't focus on anything, I can't even walk. I have to go down on my hands and knees. I have no idea about physical symptoms cuz my mental symptoms are so overwhelming. I might be hyperventilating my heart might race but I have no idea. I could not control my body to hurt myself as is suggested (Cold ice I think is a type of self harm) to refocus cuz i could never go get ice. I can't even come up with easy distractions like biting myself or anything cuz I'm unable to think of such things and unable to act.

What I CAN do is try to stop thoughts that lead to a panic attack. In my case most of my panic attacks are my childhood panics and they were all about how lost we are in this universe, how we don't know anything, how we live and die and are lost forever etc. For me that is not catastrophizing, these are hard facts, life IS this. All I can really do is hide those facts from myself and pretend I will live forever and so will anyone else, the earth is flat and the center of the universe, some deity watches over us etc.

I think all kids go through that stage when they find the "big questions", I did between ages 6 and 9. And I still relate to them just like that child, nothing has changed. At all. I have no idea how mature and put that behind me.

[CANDC]

Thank you for sharing your experience with panic attacks. I really appreciate it.

If you want more info you might find this article helpful. How to Halt and Minimize Panic Attacks | Psych Central

I think there is a difference bettween Panic and Anxiety attacks isn't there?

I certainly have experienced what I have thought as both. I once ended up in hospital convinced I was having a heart attack. I experienced a great deal of chest pain, thumping heart, and difficulty breathing. I've had less severe 'attacks' which I have called Anxiety attacks.

[-jimi-]

I think with new things like you haven't had a panic attack before, your mind will search on what it knows on symptoms. The mind does this for every new thing. What does this new thing look like that I know more about?

When I had my first panic attack at 6 I had no idea what a heart attack was. I just knew we had a heart that pumped blood and kept us alive, a sort of cool machine. That was what I knew about hearts. So having a panic attack then I didn't think about hearts. Growing up with them I knew from experience they didn't kill you, so I always assumed they only had to do with my mental state.

It's much different if you are hit with one as an adult and never felt that stuff before. I assume you are much more prone then to think it is something physical.

As for coping, I use my CBT a lot and my aromatherapy. I've neever had an anxiety or panic attack since.