Feel fearful very anxious/panic attack

[marcusmaximus]

Hi guys need help last night had anxiety build up on me and resulted in a panic attack, never really experienced it this bad before, it seems to be a feeling of fear and death/furutre for no real reason can anyone tell me will this leave me i am so low today and shake at times. What should i do. thanks

[Rach29]

Hi its scary isnt it so horrible but the worst thing you can do is keep thinking of it coz then it wont go try to distract yourself if you can it will pass, have you read the symptoms page on here that will help explain why your feeling the way you are hope your ok :)

[marcusmaximus]

Hi thank for the reply i was that worked up i wanted to hear from someone if that makes sense i will have a look now. thanks

[marcusmaximus]

Hi i had my first session with a councilor today and i feel worse. What the hell is this normal im meant to go back next week but im in two minds if i should feeling how i do now. Anyone got advice

[Lousicle]

You're worse after seeing the counsellor because you had to speak about it , & the thoughts of what you said what your counsellor said etc will be floating around in your head , the best thing really is to distract yourself as hard as it is :/ trust me I know all too well how disabling anxiety is.
Take a bath , watch some tv or a film may be anything that you can focus on & if you feel yourself starting to think about your anxiety get up & go make a cup of tea or make a snack to take your mind off it then go back to the tv/film/book/music whatever u like.
Hope this helps & as counselling progresses u will see a change , mention to ur counsellor next time that u did feel anxious last time & they will explain why :) ok gud luck

[kittikat]

I agree with Louisicle, you can initially feel worse at the start of counselling. Are you seeing a counsellor or a cognative behaviour therapist? I am on session 10 of my CBT and I have to say, although it has been difficult at times, I am maknig progress in the right direction. The more you understand your thoughts and feelings (and the physical symptoms that come with them) the better equipped you will be to deal with this. I wish you lots of luck.

Kitti :)

[marcusmaximus]

Thank you so much, i'll try that. Could you tell me how long it took with your counsellor before you started to feel good again, maybe i shouldn't be asking for timeframes is that a wise thing to do?

---------- Post added at 21:38 ---------- Previous post was at 21:31 ----------


I agree with Louisicle, you can initially feel worse at the start of counselling. Are you seeing a counsellor or a cognative behaviour therapist? I am on session 10 of my CBT and I have to say, although it has been difficult at times, I am maknig progress in the right direction. The more you understand your thoughts and feelings (and the physical symptoms that come with them) the better equipped you will be to deal with this. I wish you lots of luck.

Kitti :)

Yes i am seeing a cognative behaviour therapist, his first thoughts where i hang onto the negative too much and think about what may happen and very fearful of the future, i know if i can come to terms with that aspect i'll be much better but it's getting there which i can;t seem to master.

[Lousicle]

I also had CBT but that was a while ago , it taught me good coping skills & about why panic/anxiety happens , also about negative thoughts why and how they manifest & how to replace them with positive thoughts.
For example : instead of thinking 'what if' , think 'so what'
Answer what ifs yourself don't leave the question open. Eg 'what if I go to the supermarket & have a panic attack & can't escape & faint or throw up' then answer with 'well so what? it would happen , I would feel bad for a little while but then when the panic stops ill feel better'
'But what if I made a fool of myself it would be so embarrassing!?'
'So what , doesn't matter what anyone thinks as long as I am healthy and happy that is what matters'

Its all about positive thinking, as hard as it seems it is possible.
You have to attack those what ifs with so what's

Hope this helps once again.

---------- Post added at 21:53 ---------- Previous post was at 21:50 ----------

Also don't question when u will feel better , it doesn't happen over night its gradual but u will look back & think wow, have made so much progress :)

[marcusmaximus]

This is great help, I can relate to your last sentence anytime if feel good i question it and for some reason think i'm just covering up the real feelings which are of fear, but again thanks for the tips

[kittikat]

Well it sounds like it's very early days for you atm. Negative thinking is a 'learned' behaviour which you need to un-learn. Anxiety and panic can fill your thoughts with dread about everything. If you therapist is good (mine is brilliant) and I think sometimes that can be pot luck, you should start to learn techniques to help you within the first few sessions. You need to be positive about it and be open to changing your thought/behaviour patterns. Read up as much as you can about how the mind and body react to panic. There are some interseting articles here on this site. You don't say if you are on any meds atm or how long you have been experiencing this. Thoughts are just that, thoughts. And anxiety/panic attacks can not harm you although they are very distressing. I have been 'taught' to go with the panic, breathe slowly and deeply from the stomach and eventually the panic will subside naturally. It's still not easy, but I am dealing with the anxiety much better and having fewer panic attacks. I am determined to get there and still have a long way to go, but I would say don't give up on it....it's normal to feel worse before feeling better....personally I would recommend CBT to anyone and can only say it has and continues to be a very positive experience for me. I could barely leave the house back in November, I was a quivering wreck and had 3 months off work. I was on 12mg diaz a day. I am now back at work and slowly reducing my meds. I know exactly where you are coming from and can honestly say things will get better for you even if it all seems so hopeless right now. All the best. Kitti :)

[marcusmaximus]

Kitti thanks so much I'm not on any meds, I really don't want to i feel they are last resort, your words have given me a boost and that there are people out there happy and postive after being in such dark places. thanks

[kittikat]

No problem. I really admire you for not going on the meds. Stick with the CBT and you will make some progress in the right direction. Let us know how it goes, stay positive and I wish you all the best in your journey.

Kitti :)

[marcusmaximus]

Thought i was coming out of this, but just been hit hard with the feeling again

[mandshere2000]

Hi
I know exactly where you coming from
Lying here not to good, here I'd you need to chat
Manda

[marcusmaximus]

Hi guys thought i'd give you an update. Ive been to two sessions the first one was horrible but the second one was really different, i've no idea what was different about it but its helped alot. Also i've started to take St Johns wort and omega 3 supplements, i still get a blast of fear but not as lengthy. I'll update next week.

[kittikat]

That's great news :) keep at it and you will get there. Look forward to your update next week. Good luck, Kitti.

[nantia]

Hello! :)

I can feel you so much! I also need to get counseling ,but I'm starting next year, and won't get any medication either. My first visit to the counselor was awful, I went home shaking and spend the whole day in bed in severe pain and tachicardia trying to calm myself down. It was absolutely horrible considering that I am really scared to trust people in general too. The second session was really good as it kinda helped me understand what was wrong. So more or less the same situation.

I'm glad you're better now. :) Keep going and do your best! :)

[marcusmaximus]

Hi guys had a good enouygh week had cbt yesterday felt great before it but had a bit of a downer last night and today but not as bad just need to keep at it, im doing six before i go to a gp to check if i am depressed

[lleksam]

My CBT therapist showed me a graph of how a "normal" trend in therapy starts. It normally starts with heighten anxiety and negative thoughts as you are facing them but slowly over a period of time they will decrease with new learned behaviors and thoughts from the therapy.

When I had CBT for OCD my anxiety went mental for the first 3-4 weeks but slowly over time the more I learned and practiced the techniques the more in decreased to a point where OCD barely effects my life at all.

I hope you find some comfort knowing it will get better and do not give up on CBT it will help you but it does take time as there is no quick fix for anxiety disorders.

Best of luck

[marcusmaximus]

Thanks for that man its unreal its the small things like this that really help.

[Lingus84]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. For many, many years I took anti-anxiety medication and I found in my experience that it was only a temporary solution. When the medication wore off, I was more anxious that before. With the help of my doctor, I eventually weaned myself off and today I no longer take medication for anxiety. And, I also no longer have panic attacks.
I would encourage to focus on eating healthy, drinking lots of water, avoiding caffeine, and exercising. This will help your body detox faster. Plus, it's a great way to burn off the excessive adrenaline that can create those anxious feelings. I now bike and run everyday. It's a great way to stay healthy body and soul.

[marcusmaximus]

Hi guys had my 4th CBT today I am getting better each week i was told today the change from session 1 to today was vast and notable. I did start the omega and st johns wort the same week so maybe there is a combination evolved. My CBT councilor believes it's because events happened recently that I shurrged off and didn't manage properly & they manifested in the anxious and panic about the future and death. I would suggest to everyone its not a revelation or anything but talking really does help.

[lane]

Hi guys need help last night had anxiety build up on me and resulted in a panic attack, never really experienced it this bad before, it seems to be a feeling of fear and death/furutre for no real reason can anyone tell me will this leave me i am so low today and shake at times. What should i do. thanks
Hi iv just had a bad one tonight i find breathing into a paper bag slowly can help and also reading the symptoms of panic attacks can help because you dont feel so low