Agoraphobic panic attack

[Chasingmyowntail]

Hey guys,

Im currently having one at the moment. I'm with a group of ppl in a social event and I have to keep leaving the area to come to the bathroom to calm myself down... Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, cold, tingly hands and shaky. I have 1.2 more hours of this event that i cant leave cuz of having had cancelled prior events with them before. Thank you for hearing me out. I'm super scared right now. Super super scared. I know all will be well when were in the car on our way back. I just have to manage for the next hr 20.

[Mermaid16]

The best advice I can give is to allow the anxiety to come, try not to be scared by it. Accept that it is there, there is nothing you can do to stop it and then once you have accepted it ground yourself. Practice mindfullness, take note of what you can see, smell, hear etc, try to be present in the moment, not thinking about what ifs. These are good to use in the short term, long term I would recommend purchasing two books. The first being 'Dare' and the second being 'The Happiness Trap'. Your anxiety is caused by your thinking, both these books teach you to change your thinking and ultimately reduce your anxiety. Good luck.

[Chasingmyowntail]

The best advice I can give is to allow the anxiety to come, try not to be scared by it. Accept that it is there, there is nothing you can do to stop it and then once you have accepted it ground yourself. Practice mindfullness, take note of what you can see, smell, hear etc, try to be present in the moment, not thinking about what ifs. These are good to use in the short term, long term I would recommend purchasing two books. The first being 'Dare' and the second being 'The Happiness Trap'. Your anxiety is caused by your thinking, both these books teach you to change your thinking and ultimately reduce your anxiety. Good luck.

Thank you so much mermaid. Your words and response in general was helpful. I'm home and feeling safe now. I had a crying episode in the bathroom. I think it was just a culmination of the panic. Yeah the night's event went by in a haze like I wasn't even there as every moment I was tense with anxiety worrying.

I will have to check that book out. :)

Are you prone to panic attacks yourself? No pressure on sharing if that's personal of course.

[Mermaid16]

Hi! Yes, mine started twenty years ago. I took Sertraline and I had been panic free for almost 20 years. The Sertraline stopped working in July last year and I relapsed very badly. I tried many different medications and have finally got myself together again. This time though I have had to do some of the hard work myself because of the agoraphobia. Both the books I have mentioned have helped me on my way to over coming my agorophobia. The Dare book is more to do with exposure therapy and The Happiness Trap teaches you how to change your thinking. Together they have both been essential for me in my recovery. I also am doing an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy course once a week. This course is based on The Hapiness Trap book. Good luck on your journey. X

[KarloShen]

Hey guys,

Im currently having one at the moment. I'm with a group of ppl in a social event and I have to keep leaving the area to come to the bathroom to calm myself down... Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, cold, tingly hands and shaky. I have 1.2 more hours of this event that i cant leave cuz of having had cancelled prior events with them before. Thank you for hearing me out. I'm super scared right now. Super super scared. I know all will be well when were in the car on our way back. I just have to manage for the next hr 20.

Can I ask you to specify what is that really causes your social anxiety? Can you pinpoint it?

is the the fear that you might good up and look foolish?

Is it that you're afraid to lose control?

I'm asking because I don't want to give an overgeneralized advice and to give you a really helpful answer I have to know the specifics.