Panicking all day. How to deal with it?

[australiantabbycat]

Hi everyone, I've only been dealing with severe anxiety and panic attacks for a couple months now and have endlessly been searching for help with how to deal with it. The only help I could ever find was "breath deep" but that only seems to make me feel worse or shift my fears temporarily. I've been having attacks all day and was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice on how to deal with them when out in public or at night.

Any help is IMMENSELY appreciated and I couldn't thank you enough. :(

[Fianna]

Have you been to see a doctor? I don't know how it works in Canada, but over here, if you go to a doctor and explain you're suffering from anxiety or panic attacks, they can refer you for a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and/or give you some medication.

This is also quite a useful resource: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91696. It's like a self help CBT with some really useful tips and work books. I'm using it to help with obsessional thoughts at the moment.

I personally also found a few sessions with a hypnotherapist to be incredibly useful in controlling the worst of my anxiety which then allowed me to get some sleep, so that I'm not in a constant state of panic anymore, so I would recommend that if you can find a good one near by and can afford the session.

Checking out the Therapy section of No More Panic might help as well: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=32. There is often good advice in there.

I hope some of that helps, and that you start to feel better soon. I know it feels terrible now, but you're not alone and you can get better.

[maggielea]

hi this sounds like you are under a lot of stress that your unable to talk about when this happens it comes out in our bodies in different ways and it sounds from what your saying very distressing for you I found having a elastic band on my wrist helps when you feel your body is starting to react, slap the band against your wrist it hurts beyond belief and then distracts you from the anxiety pattern, its about distracting your brain long enough to break the cycle your in, hope this helps I have more tips if it doesn't its about finding that one thing that helps you recover quicker until you start to be able to deal with what's coursing this. maggie

[jackie13]

Hi hun

I try and not give panic & anxiety any importance ( I know this is really hard). I try and let it whirl about in the background. I used to do deep breathing but then thought that was the final importance I was giving to this. Eg when my panic came on, I used to hold onto something, breathe deeply willing it to pass. I then thought bugger this, "why am I so scared of you, I am fuelling you with these thoughts and you are loving it".

My practises took quite a while to do and symptoms gradually faded, sometimes it does still beat me though:(

CBT really helped me, I did this at home, also on medication very small amount which I will be coming off soon, hopefully.

I teach golf and one of the main things is muscle memory, if you practise your swing enough your muscles will automatically remember how to swing correctly. I applied this to my panic and anxiety, I figured if I keep practising the things I have learnt, my brain will automatically help me beat the worries I am feeling.

One last thing, don't use Dr Google

Luv & hugs

Jackie xx

[BessieMae*candothis!]

I concur with Jackie. While it is hard to do, you are the one that is fueling the fire so to speak of panic attacks. I am in the midst (still) of dealing with anxiety and some days are better than others, I try to go about my day the best I can, I don't cancel plans, I don't call into work sick. I try to live normal and try to live with the panic. It isn't easy. I am on medication and that seems to help somewhat but there isn't a magic "cure" (god wouldn't that be nice?) Just remember to breath! And that you don't want to spend your life afraid of it!!

[jazzy4eva]

i have been told not to fight the anxiety and panic and to let it flow through and leave your body when it's ready, i know this is easier said than done through experience, today i have been particularly anxious as i am starting a new job tomorrow which isn't a great feeling right now, other things i have tried is writing things you are thinking about and worrying about and try to rationalize them, or try and change the way you react to anxiety, for example if your muscles tense, try and relax them, if you look down, look up etc etc, hope this helps

[cymraig_chris]

Hi everyone, I've only been dealing with severe anxiety and panic attacks for a couple months now and have endlessly been searching for help with how to deal with it. The only help I could ever find was "breath deep" but that only seems to make me feel worse or shift my fears temporarily. I've been having attacks all day and was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice on how to deal with them when out in public or at night.

Any help is IMMENSELY appreciated and I couldn't thank you enough. :(

Remove your fear of Panic Attacks.
Let it go.
What are we letting go?
We are letting go of our resistance.
We are no longer going to attempt to interrupt the process of adrenaline burn.
Withdrawl from panic at the last 1% is not enough.
See it through let it burn itself out before you react.
In order to remove our fear of panic, we must see it though from beginning to after its end.
In order to let it go, you must let it flow, let it flow under you, over you, through you,
Let it flow unresisted with a relaxed attitude, with untensed muscles.
Lay down your arms, Capitulate, Surrender, Submit lay down your distractions.

I'll give you an example of where and how to do this.
You have finished your daily chores, it's seven pm, you choose a quiet place to remain undisturbed.
In this example, your anxiety is high at this very moment.
Find the sofa.
Switch off the audible distractions.
Lie on the sofa.
Lie in a traditionaly comfortable position.
Head on a cushion.
Fingers loosly interlocked upon your lower belly.
Breath deeply and slowly. (We are not breathing deeply and slowly to remove the anxiety, we are breathing deeply and slowly to relax our attitude.) we are removing our resistance.
Watch as your anxious sensations and thoughts rise and fall like the waves.
Dont attempt to arrest the flow of energy.
Let them flow.
Let them rise.
As the energy rises, let it rise.
This is ok.
You are fine.
As the energy peaks, give it full permission to wash over you.
Willingly or even reluctantly step into the unknown.
Surrender.
Utter, utter acceptance.
Let it win.
That's all its been trying to do all this time.
Why? Because a panic attack is the body's very efficient and very effective method of burning off excess adrenaline that has built up over time.
A panic attack is an adrenaline purge.
You have been stopping it completing this process perfoming a ritual, by stopping the process, we are stopping recovery, by surrendering to the process, by accepting the process, we are accepting recovery.
Wait for the adrenaline to burn itself out.
Enjoy the sensation of adrenaline being burned up.
Go out and do something fun, or watch a film, knowing that you can do this any time you wish.
Realise that you could do this, sitting on a train, on a plane, in work ... etc
Whenever you need, wherever you need.
You did not withdraw at the last 1%

You have taught your emotional memory the 2 most important things:
1) That panic is not harmful (fear is removed from Panic Attacks).
2) That if we let it complete the process it ends (Fear is removed from Generalised Anxiety)

It will always remember this.

Our body will now drop the alert status.

At this point we no longer fear the intensity of the adrenaline purge, and we no longer fear the sensations as they are lowered to a manageable level akin to normal stress that we remove in the traditional way

You will not manufacture needless pretective adrenaline to guard against Panic and GAD as we now have experienced personally that it is not, and never was a threat.

Your negative thoughts will quickly loosen and dissipate. You will now without effort or will start to concentrate on external factors that are important/interesting/fun/engaging.

You now ourward perspective will expand your confidence and your subsequent positive activity will burn off any lingering stress naturally.

A positive feedback mechanism is established, consolidated, lived and enjoyed.

[noaalessi]

Hi australiantabbycat!

From my own personal experience, the only way to lower the levels of anxiety and panic in your body is to do a full meditation session with visualization, which lasts for about 30 minutes.

You'll want to get your body into a homeostasis, which will give you that sense of balance and stability back.

Good luck!