Stopping a panic attack deep breathing dont helping

[bethany_leeds]

I have long been suffering anxiety but only recently more so with panic attacks and the advice given to me by the GP was to breath with the belly, slowly and increase the breath count.

...BUT this advice has increased my symptoms and sent me into a full panic attack several times where my body is physically paralysed, I cant speak, use my arms, mouth loses muscle function, fingers curl up etc...

When I start to feel the symptoms like minor shaking, eye twitching and panicky feeling I send the attack coming so I start to deep breath with the belly but this seems to massively increase the panic attack and induce hyperventilation.

WTF!! is going on? Do I breath slow and deep or what? the advice seems really mixed.

Please help I feel like I can stop the panic attack in its tracks with the right technique

[Scass]

If you google it you’ll find the way. It’s difficult at first though, especially when you’re in the grip of panic.

You could try breathing into a paper bag too.

Also, maybe some grounding techniques- google that too, and find your favourite x


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[bethany_leeds]

I have looked everywhere and the advice is super mixed.

Lots of places say breath deep and slow THEN totally different advice like breath shallow.

No idea whats best.

[Scass]

So you put one hand on your tummy and one on your chest.

Breathe in through your nose, a nice deep breath - your tummy should rise with the in breath and go down with the out breath. Your hand on your chest is to show you if you’re breathing from there, you’re not supposed to.

I don’t count or follow a particular routine. I just breathe in and out a few times until I feel a bit more centred. It can make you feel a bit light headed at first, but practicing helps.


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[Deep Blue]

Scass is giving you good advice. Try to get a bit of control of your breathing, just for a few seconds at a time. If it doesn't happen at first don't worry. Don't try to breathe really deeply.
I suffered an horrendous panic attack last week. Couldn't see or stand or get any control of my breathing for what felt like ages BUT I was still breathing. It was awful but breath went in and out. My heart didn't explode though it felt like it would. Like every other panic attack I have ever had, it eased, it passed.
I find the hardest thing is not panicking about panic.
You will get through it.

[js1803]

eat some wasabi.

[Lilliput]

You need to practise the breathing technique when you're calm and relaxed so it comes easily then you will be more likely to succeed when you're feeling panicky.

Also, have you read through the cbt4panic workbooks which are flagged up in a number of places on this site and are free? It's one of the things that's helped me a lot.

[ankietyjoe]

It's probably important to realise that breathing exercises will not stop a panic attack. Nothing will stop a panic attack.

The purpose of breathing exercises are to calm and control your response to a panic attack. You are sending a signal to your brain that it doesn't need to panic more about what's happening, which in turn lessens the effect of the NEXT one. It's something you have to practice over time, weeks and months.

[Scass]

It's probably important to realise that breathing exercises will not stop a panic attack. Nothing will stop a panic attack.

The purpose of breathing exercises are to calm and control your response to a panic attack. You are sending a signal to your brain that it doesn't need to panic more about what's happening, which in turn lessens the effect of the NEXT one. It's something you have to practice over time, weeks and months.

Do you believe that? I find that really interesting. So do you think that if you’re having a panic attack it just exhausts itself and nothing you do will help?

[ankietyjoe]

Once a panic attack has started, you are full of adrenaline. There is nothing you can do to stop the effects of adrenaline. It's the main hormone designed to keep you alive when you're in danger, and not something you can just stop in it's tracks.

It takes 5-10 minutes for adrenaline to naturally die out, and assuming you control your breathing and tell yourself it's going to pass, it will.

If you sit there (like I used to do) saying 'oh sh*t, I can't take this', gulping in air and generally giving the anxiety more fuel to feed on, more adrenaline will be released.

By sitting with a panic attack and controlling your reaction to it, your body and your subconscious will learn that the initial trigger of anxiety isn't really something to worry about.

Not only do I believe it, I put it into practice over the period of 5 years and now don't have panic attacks at all. I used to have 5-10 a day at my worst.