From no where and with no triggers, sometimes I get anxiety attacks when I'm fully awake, and panic attacks when I'm about to sleep. Does this happen to you?

[Lost_in_the_woods]

Yes. It does!
Get them a lot at night. Makes it hard to sleep. Either end up ruminating or dissociating. panic attacks are the worst...and they can be triggers as well too..which then perpetuates the cycle. Damnit! I had to read this right before signing off!
Not making lite of the situation just trying to not let it get stuck.
Something I find that helps sometimes. It's become an automatic practice by now bc I've been doing it since well guess my dad actually started it..then I eventually became able to do it on my own. So since memory serves I suppose.
It's like a mantra. But for me it's the short chorus to a particular song. As soon as I let my head hit the pillow I'm half singing half speaking it in my head already. I try to align my breathing to it slowly. As noise crops up..I try not to stop..pay it no mind....just keep repeating and breathing...if I allow a thought to intrude sometimes I can start up again before it takes hold..if not fear and panic set in...then I know what you mean about panic attack or nightmare..because sometimes the panic is like a nightmare that starts before I'm fully asleep. So I will twitch and startle awake easily...also been told I will talk nonsense and sometimes even yell and cry and stuff...it's scary! When alone...which seems to be decided forever now I often wake up curled up in my blanket on the closet floor. But if woken or calmed then just start singing silently and breathing again after the shock wears off. Maybe you can find something that calms you I hope Distress tolerance tools are usually sense oriented. So if you can pinpoint which sense to soothe for your panic attacks/night terrors then it will.help some of the time especially after it becomes second nature. If it's smell find a scent that you like in oil form or candle or lotion even, for sight sometimes I leave the nightstand lamp on or some people like ceiling wall projectors or glow in the dark stars.., for taste any kind of hard candy, mint, or beverage maybe...touch I use for other kinds of anxieties, personally smooth stones I can put in pocket and rub in the palm of my hand other people use stress balls or play dough or a piece of soft fabric or at bed a soft stuffie to snuggle we have a lot usually only one in the bed tho ..and hearing of course music book on tape or relation meditation guide or white noise or hum or mantas.
Hope this helps you! And if you can't sleep you can always hang out on PC...I do a lot of nights...there's always someone around
-J lost♡

Usually when I get the panic attacks while I'm half asleep I wake up. But when I get anxiety attacks while awake, I don't know what to do to let it go. I tried breathing and meditation, but it seems I'm not good in focusing on my breath. Some suggested to count, but I loose counting, too . My mind wander quickly. Eventually it goes away, but it takes time. Thanks

[Lost_in_the_woods]

Prepare ahead. Meditation and counting breathe are just 2of many grounding tools. As mentioned above panic attacks are a response to certain stimuli. If you can figure out or know what stimuli triggers these attacks. You can then figure out how to best prepare for encountering it. Anxiety and panic attacks occur when you are overwhelmed by memories and emotions associated with certain stimuli. The sensory tools I mentioned above are used to combat the offending external stimuli by distracting and grounding the mind giving you a pleasant sensation to battle the unpleasant associations. So if you employ these tools. Early enough it can help stop or at least lessen the intensity of the attack. It also acts as a reminder that you will get through this. And it's only temporary. Thus distress tolerance. It took many years of practicing these skills sets along with other mindfulness and grounding teachings to get to a place where I could employ these skills almost automatically. It is not a cure but it can certainly help reduce frequency and intensity. To stop them from occurring takes more in depth work. But a good place to start is to create a distress tolerance toolbox. It can literally a box of stuff. ..or it can be an inventory of known external triggers, where/when they are most likely to be encountered and a list and cache of tools in these given situation that you can have at your disposal and employ either before or at the first signs of an impending attack. Hope you find something that helps
- lost