Think Positive

[wavey]

Hi there everyone,

I left a message a long time ago wishing everyone well on here. As I said then, and still believe, you are all very brave for continuing your fight against panic attacks. My heart goes out to anyone suffering from the dreaded PA's. I know how hard it can be when you are in the in the depths of despair - that feeling of 'what if I never get better' keeps popping up! I've been there!

So, I'd just thought I'd tell you - YOU CAN and WILL get over this! :yesyes:

Years ago, I was where you are and had the same thoughts. Guess what? I can now move around freely, go on holiday and do what I like....and if I can - so can you! Trust me on this - all you need is knowledge of what your body is doing to you.

I used to pay far too much attention to all that adrenalin, so much so that I thought I was going to collapse if I walked to the bus stop. Since then, I have learnt what these feelings really are - natural bodily reactions mixed with an over-active imagination! Nothing bad was ever going to happen to me and nothing bad is ever going to happen to you! Stop making your panic attacks feel important and start laughing at them.

I can tell you that the panic attack you feel as you walk down the road/get on the bus/sit in the class/etc/etc/etc are all exactly the same. It's what you are thinking that makes one PA seems worse than another.

The trick is to change your thought pattern as the panic attack jumps up on you. Let it pass, get on with what you were doing - guess what - you are still here and nothing has happened to you.

As I said - knowledge is power. Learn about the human body (adrenalin, fight and flight, breathing etc.) and why it does these natural things. Change your way of thinking - THINK POSITIVE and your body will gradually stop doing these things to you (until you need them of course - like if you are about to do a parachute jump!)

I am living proof that if you stop giving PA's so much attention, they don't mean as much. Try this - next time you have a PA and you have a terrifying thought with it. Remember the thought. Wait until a quieter moment when you are relaxed and think that thought. With out the PA, it doesn't mean anything.

My favourite positive saying: "Angels fly because they take themselves lightly". :yesyes:

Come on - enjoy life again...
Take care,
David

[nomorepanic]

David

Thanks for sharing and yes what you say is so true.

It is all about thoughts etc and once we conquer them we are well on the way to recovery.

Good post!

[mirry]

David , my sister got over her panic attacks and agrophobia and tells me I will do so too, and I believe her!

I think if we are depressed we have more negative thoughts which makes us more panicky, I find if I am happy I can let my panic attacks not control me as much. Interesting.

[Lindalou64]

THAT WAS A GOOD THREAD DAVID IM SO GLAD YOUR DOING SO WELL.....ONE THING I MIGHT ADD THO WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN THINKING THIS WAY FOR 19 ECT YRS HOW DO WE REPROGRAM OUR BRAINS EVEN THO I KNOW YA HAVE TO BE POSITIVE AND THEY CANT HURT YOU AND SO ON...IT IS DEF THE THOUGHTS BUT HOW DO YOU REALLY I MEAN REALLY CHANGE THEM WHEN YOUR IN SUCH A STATE?......LINDA XX

[wavey]

Hi Linda,

It will be difficult to think a different way after 19 years I agree - there's no magic wand unfortunately. But it's worth it right? I would add, you are still with us after 19 years - nothing has happened to you. I'm sure that tells you something. You are paying to much attention to those thought whilst panicking and making a mountain for yourself.

If you can try the experiment I mentioned - when you are calm and relaxed - remember the thoughts that terrify you during panic attacks. They won't have any importance. That tells you it's the panic attack that makes the thought terrifying which brings on another panic attack which makes the thought more terrifying which brings on another panic attack etc etc.

You will know by now that panic attacks aren't constant - they come in waves. Your body can't constantly produce the chemicals of panic attacks (or fight and flight as it's called in the natural world!). Therefore, you will get a lull - probably every few seconds. In the lull, enjoy it, don't think anything, just concentrate on your body. If the next PA comes - concentrate on it and see how quickly it peaks and then goes. You are in the lull much more than the panic attack and it's your thoughts that keep bringing the PA back.

During the lull, take a deep breath and breathe out s l o w l y. Your heart rate will drop, you will prelong the lull. With practice, if you learn to concentrate on what your body is doing before a panic attack - it's possible to take a deep breath and bypass it. It's also possible to have the panic attack and know that you can control it during the next lull which is literally only a few seconds away. In fact, by the time you've done this enough, the panic attack will slowly start to have less importance.

I would stress (but a nice relaxed stress!), that this takes time. It won't work everytime, especially if you are caught off guard by a sudden situation - but do remember, as I said in my initial message, your panic attack is the same in any situation - the shops, the bus etc etc. They are the same chemicals produced, but just a different thought.

Take care,
David

[Zanxiety]

So, I'd just thought I'd tell you - YOU CAN and WILL get over this! :yesyes:

Years ago, I was where you are and had the same thoughts. Guess what? I can now move around freely, go on holiday and do what I like....and if I can - so can you!

I used to pay far too much attention to all that adrenalin, so much so that I thought I was going to collapse if I walked to the bus stop. Since then, I have learnt what these feelings really are - natural bodily reactions mixed with an over-active imagination!

Those brilliant sentences you wrote are very comforting. I always love to be reminded that my Panic Attacks and Anxiety happen because it's just the thoughts I am having.

It certainly is quite true as well, because there have been a very few times just briefly, where I haven't had any anxious thoughts and during those times I've felt completely normal, so that also makes it so convincing to know it's just the thoughts making the way how we feel.:)

[Greatdane]

Dear Wavey

Nice post and very inspiring. I suffer from PA and high anxiety. Most of all my PA and high anxiety are brought on by strange thoughts. Give an example I dontt belive but i thibnk collegues at work are aginst me or they are talking about me, i feel like someone is watching mke all the time when my anxiety is high, i look through the window and all i want to do is close it, i feel my boyfriend may be spy on me, sometimes i get fixated on empty chairs espacially at work and i get anxious. Now I am not shcizophrenic but i feel this most times that i ma beginning to belive i ma not right maybe and there is more to my anxiety that what i have been told.

My psychiatrist said i am not schizo but said i do have some sort of paranouid borderline thoughts. I feel so down and scared. I styarted to takle 20 mg of Citalopram and for 3 days i felt good this was upping from 10mg after few weeks. I have tryed everything with my starnge thougts, not give it importnace, say stop, write them. I feel i am out of ideas and sometimes i go so down i never felt this way. I am always on the alert for danger. My nerves are so tense like a srting of a violine. I do relaxation and other things but this feeling of uneasy been spyed on is always with me. what can i do ?

Please help

GD

[Nibbles]

Great post David. Yes thoughts are such a major factor with anxiety and learning to control them is not easy but so worth it. My counsellor explained anxiety very well this week when she said it is an emotion like any other. Love comes in many forms and is expressed in lots of ways. The same is true for anxiety and so acknowledging that anxiety is unpleasant but harmless is a really big step towards recovery.

Greatdane your thoughts do not sound strange at all and lots of people get paranoid people are talking behind their back, are being scrutinised etc. Have you tried saying outloud positive statements each day such as 'I'm not strange, I just suffer from anxiety but will overcome it because I'm trying'. Also have you tried distraction techniques when getting these thoughts such as thinking of a country for each letter of the alphabet?

Take care,

Mike

[wavey]

Hey GD and everyone else,

First of all - you are not alone. Many, many people are going through the same thoughts and feelings that you are.

All I can say is that there is no magic wand to suddenly wave this away. It takes determination, bravery, acceptance and positivity. As I said in a couple of posts - anyone suffering from panic attacks is very brave - to battle through those feelings and carry on with everyday life is not easy.

But you must put it in perspective - these are NATURAL feelings bought on by an over-active imagination. With prolonged anxiety - we have so many panic attacks that our body becomes skilled at bringing them on at any given moment. Eventually, we start to think - I REALLY have got a problem, I'm worse than everyone else because they KEEP happening to me!

:lac: Wrong, these are the same feelings you had at the start, the middle, the end - whenever! It is called adrenalin and it's a necessary chemical reaction for humans to stay alive. Unfortunately, by paying so much attention to them, we program ourselves into bringing on the adrenalin or 'fight or flight' feelings when they aren't needed - if we're sitting in a crowded train for example etc.:wacko:

Nothing's going to happen to you - read as much as you can about panic and start realising that it's natural. You are adding your thoughts (whatever they might be) to the feeling and creating a mountain.

A good tip to everyone (although I understand it's not always possible), is to exercise - I mean, proper completely wear yourself out exercise. This will release endorphines (good chemicals) and give a nice feeling of relaxation. It also teaches you that, to a certain extent, you can make your body create the chemicals you want.

Want to feel relaxed? :yesyes: Exercise!
Want to have a panic attack? :lac: Start thinking those scary thoughts!

GD - start listening to the positive voice in you - it's much more helpful. Next time you get a thought, tell yourself that no one is spying on you (deep down you know it's true anyway), it's just a strange thought bought on by prelonged anxiety. Sometimes saying it out loud can help - "my boyfriend is spying on me!" This emphasises how ridiculous the thoughts are. Each time you move on because you realise that no-one is spying on you, listen to the positive voice and congratulate yourself on bypassing the moment. :yesyes:

Remember - determination, bravery, acceptance and positivity...

Keep going with it! Float through the panic and land in the relaxed zone!

Take care,
David

[PUGLETMUM]

:) hi to all, i just want to say to any body who is looking for a magic 'cure' to their panic/anxiety needs to read and BELEIVE what they have just read! it cannot be stated enough to the guys who are on here looking for a cure and denying that they are not involved in their own situation.

i love it when i read this stuff because it takes away all the mumbo jumbo about anxiety!!! this is all it is and like i said it cant be mentioned often enough. not sure wavey will read this post because he is probably getting on with his panic free life, but thankyou to him anyway!!! the upshot is that even if we know it we are still involved in the invisible battle with panic, but by constantly reading these posts we can see that we can be free!!! we just have to keep trying to get rid of the over active imagination and get back to the calmer more rational people we once were:yesyes: emma

[Lindalou64]

Thanks Wavy For Your Reply I Totally Agree With You And You Also Emma :)......................tc Xxx Linda