cycle of fear

[Annabelle]

Hi

So i've got myself in a bit of a tizz. I started my totm today and had stomach cramps, no probs took some paracetamol and immodium for ibs which gets worse round this time. Ive been pretty good all day, been out to work and walked the dogs and staeyd calm during an impromtu trip with my sister i hadnt planned on. But now ive got my head into a spin and i dont know how to break this cycle of panic ive got myself into.

Fuzzy head - im going to faint!
nausea - im going to be sick or im going to faint
funny eyes - im going to faint
waves of panic and heart going mad - im going to faint

Now the logical part of me is screaming - ITS A PANIC ATTACK! All these symptoms are classic panic which are being made worse by the totm. but the illogical part is convinced 1 or all of these is going to make me faint/go blind/ be sick.

How can i make this stop - ive tried deep breathing, a bath, peppermint tea, rescue remedy - how do i make my brain be quiet and convince it im not ill! feel like my thoughts are running together - hence the spelling is so bad as my fingers are trying to keep up with my thoughts.

please help!

Anna xxx

---------- Post added at 20:27 ---------- Previous post was at 20:02 ----------

please? im losing my mind

[rockydog]

Hi its horrible isnt it, maybe just typing and talking will distract you a bit. They are all classic anxiety things arent they and i find there is no rhyme or reason to when they come on.
Im sure you have had them all before and got through it without anything bad happening havent you ?
They will go off in time remember they have come and gone and just try and feel like you will be out of the other side soon x
I will make it short in case you want to reply to distract yourself x

[Annabelle]

thank you for your reply. I think my mind is starting to slow down - i've been playing mindless computer games to distract myself which is helping. I just dont know what to do when my head gets like this. Im usually pretty good when it comes to calming myself down from a panic attack but when i get it in my head im going to faint or be sick I cant seem to control it.

Any tips for calming racing thoughts?

[rockydog]

I hate it when it gets like that. I have to go and sit quietly upstairs sometimes and have no noise as it seems to make me worse. Other times when I have been bad with it i have had to have someone on the phone that talks a lot so i cant think ;) I think writing lists of what you are thinking sometimes helps people and then looking at it and asking yourself what you would say to someone else that told you this stuff and writing down your replies. I know other people who have to go outside into the open to feel more real and less faint. Thing is when you are panicking my therapist says its highly unlikely you will pass out as your blood pressure rises not drops ;)

[Annabelle]

ugh - ive been alright all day again and now my heads gone very dizzy and im freaking out again - I want this to stop now :(

[rockydog]

I used to always get it back in the evening.. thing is you have felt like this many times havent you and it hasnt got any worse or anything happened to you so it really wont this time.
Its horrible isnt it that feeling, but you are probabaly shallow breathing and causig it without knowing it. Try the slow calm breathing for a while, not just 5 minutes but like 40 minutes and im sure it will calm down :) But make sure you are actually relaxed when you do it not got your teeth clenched or shoulders hunched :)

[faxfire29]

the breathing techniique really helps me when they occur. and only concentrate in ur mind about the breathing and nothing else..block everything out of ur head and just breathe frm the abdomen slowly X