What to do when you get an attack??

[debbsi]

Hi
I'm new to this forum, which is great by the way. What do you guys do when you get an attack. I had one in the cinema last night and its years since anything like that happened to me. It wasnt my heart this time, i kept getting this feeling of dread surging through my body. My arms and legs felt week, I had to keep fidgeting to take my mind off it and I got hot and felt trapped. When I got home I went straight to bed hoping that the feeling would be gone by the time I awoke, but I couldnt sleep, everytime I started to drift off that feeling of dread surged through my chest or stomach, it was horrible. What can I do to get rid of it if it happens again. I'm now panicking that it will happen whilst I'm at work.
Help!
Deb xxxx

[davidthegnome]

For me, it depends on the severity of the panic attack. If my heart is racing really fast or I feel short of breath, I will often practice breathing exercises. Breathing in slowly through the nose and feeling my stomach fill with air, then slowly exhaling through the nose and feeling it sink. Five minutes of that has always helped with calming my heart and making my breathing easier.

As for the feelings of dread and the rest, they are all normal symptoms. Remember, first off, that panic attacks can never really hurt you. As for getting rid of it, well, it's pretty common that panic attacks, and the fear of more panic attacks can develop into a cycle. When you feel yourself feeling anxious or afraid about a panic attack, try to distract your mind by finding something to focus on. Could be anything, a movie, a deck of cards, a game. If that doesn't work or you find yourself feeling more anxious, try breathing exercises.

If it gets really bad for you, you should probably see a professional. A Doctor could help you by perscribing some medication to help calm you. A psychiatrist could probably help you even more. If you don't like the idea of taking meds, you don't have to, I've just found that they help me.

Check out the forum a bit, there's a lot of good information and support here. Perhaps you'll find something to really help you out.

Good luck and God bless you, hope you feel better soon,


David

[clickaway]

Hi Deb

I just let it pass over me, even though it hurts. I have had so many now, I know its just another one that will be out of my system in a couple of hours.

Never had one in a cinema or similar, but understand that can't be easy without spoiling everyone's evening.

Take Care,

Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[kimmy]

Just accept its happening. Dont think about it and carry on! Dont avoid doing anything, just keep on as normal, I know its difficult but you CAN do it.

[debbsi]

Thanks guys thats really usefull, i've just been shopping and felt it coming on again but i got through it. I just try to take my mind off it.

Deb xxxx

[Rennie1989]

My attacks start off with hyperventilation then the effects of hyperventilating bring on more symptoms like dehydration, pins and needles, cramps (worst symptom apart from hyperventilating), loss of appetite and blurred vision etc etc etc. Mine come from out of the blue.

As the others mentioned don't fight the symptoms just let them happen. Fighting them make the attack worse. If you keep calm and do an activity to take your mind off the attack (in my case, photography and story writing) then it will go before you know it.

"My teddy last night was a paper bag, to keep my safe."

[kimmy]

Thats brilliant debbsi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Believe it or not if you keep doing that it does become easier because you start to recognise its not going to hurt you and stop! WELL DONE

[batchelor]

I have found it helps to tell someone nearby! I have been amazed at how many people are really helpful and tell me that they've had panic attacks too!The last time was at a dinner party, my husband was ill so I had gone alone, and although they were good friends, a massive panic started within fifteen minutes of arriving, and I hid it by pretending to look at a picture on the wall. Then I just told someone, and he said that he had panic attacks too. He once actually drove himself to the hospital at 2.00am thinking that he was having a heart attack !He had woken up shortly after going to bed, all the "typical" panic sympotms,his wife just said no, you arent having a heart attack, go back to sleep, and when he got to casualty, of course they told him it was just anxiety ! He couldnt believe that it could manifest itself this way, he had been so convinced he was dying it felt so terrible. He had been under terrible prolonged stress with work etc, and had to take a serious look at what things had wound him up to get this bad. That made me fee loads better! And I relaxed straight away.NOthing bad ever happens, and its important to think, hey, in four mins this attack will be gone.

[loopyangel]

i imagine mine as a green monster
ok ile explain bare with me..lol

this green monster in my bellie is angry an wants to make me feel like ****

when the first symptom arrises weather it be my heart or breathing its him saying hello

an in my mind i pretend he is someone i dont want to talk to so i say goodbye and ignore him

if the symptoms then go on i imagin its him gettin mad cos i wont answer him an then i start to smile because he is getting angry as i am ignoring him

i try to carry on with what ever im doing imaginin im ignorin him
because if i acknoledge him then he will be in control not me

all that may sound strange to some but it works for me
the moral is the same as most others
dont acknoledge it
anxiety is adrenalin
adrenalin can be good as well as bad but the more u think about ur symptoms the more u work ur self up an then ur feeding it

i try not to feed my green monster by trying to ignore it

good luck