having a panic attack help x

[charlish74]

hi i have panic attacks were i dont always get the breathing problems that seems ok but im sure it does happen to me im just not as aware of it ,its like a scared feeling rushing over me. anyway i have to take my children to school tomorrow and im scared to death really am.i take my 3 year old to nursery and my 5 year old to school there at the same school thank god its a 15 min walk there but i have to pick my little girl up from nursery at 11.30 ever day my husband or my daughter picks my son up after school i just have to get them there and collect my little girl when nursery finishes so 4 trips all in all taking them walking home picking her up then home again. i think it started when i met my friend on the way to school last week i was fine i got near the school and bang i paniced i kept going i told my daughters teacher she said well done for getting here this was friday now were on sunday i dont know if i can do it have not been out for 3 days now so scared even though i tell my self im ok. im on propranolol (beta blockers)bach rescue remedy havent used that yet im scared if i carnt leave the house again as i feel so safe at home please advice needed so scared about tomorrow i feel hot sick xx

[LeeBee]

Hi charlish, I don't suffer from agoraphobia (sounds like what you have?) but I am familiar with the feeling of dread of tomorrow when there is something that I have to do that I am nervous about. Don't know if this will work for you, but maybe if you visualise the walk to school? Holding your children's hands, walking across the road, and getting there safely. Maybe repeat it a few times, each time you could see all the familiar sights on the way, and getting there safely at the end.

Then I would leave it for the rest of the day and do something relaxing and absorbing, like baking, or reading, or whatever you enjoy doing. Perhaps you could have a nice hot bath tonight before you go to bed. You're going to be fine :).

[charlish74]

im going in the bath now try to relax im just fed up of feeling i need some one with me all the time adult wise when im out only had this for about 4 weeks now im a reck already some people have had this years.how can you fall so quickly from being out going to feeling like this i dont really understand it,i know when i may of started. ibs attack in morrisons feeling wobbly sick scared.i always thought you got them if some thing bad had happened ect. thankyou for your kind words, i just need to learn how to stay in control i carnt stay in for ever i was always going out on school runs kids partys ect i can see how people get so low xxxxxxx

[Anna C]

Hi,
Well done for asking for help so quickly, have you asked you're GP about being referred for counselling, as I think it would help you.

I can relate to how you are feeling, I am doing CBT at the moment, I'm doing exposure were I have to do things that I find hard and scary.

I know with two young children you probably don't have a lot of time, but if you could have about 10 mins to yourself before hand you could try breathing - breathe in through your nose for a count of 3 (pushing your stomach out) then breathe all the way out through your mouth for a count of 5 (making your stomach go flat). Also tensing and relaxing different parts of your body for a count of 5. Also what is working for me is distraction - anything that takes your mind off how you are feeling. Could you take your mind off your anxiety by talking to your children when you are walking them to school, try to make them laugh about something or get them to sing you a song, or ask them about school or christmas.
I try to describe what is going on around me in a lot of detail, also telling myself I want to feel worse, I want more panic, I want to feel hotter, make me more frightened, give me more anxiety, make me feel sweaty and terrified actually has the opposite effect and makes me feel calmer! There are lots of different distraction techniques, I told my counsellor that when you are in the middle of a PA sometimes you can't think about anything else, and she said that it takes practise, but it does work, and shes right it really does.
Good luck for tomorrow, I do know how hard it is, but you can learn to control your panic and anxiety it just takes a lot of practice, and CBT could help too.:)
Anna xx

[charlish74]

hi i got my little ones to school but i had take a diazepam before i left and calms and my beta blocker i hated taking the diasepam havent had for a while i feel so fed up with my self for doing that taking diazepam that is. i felt like ok i carnt do this even though i new i could some how i still have to collect my little girl soon but i think the tablets are kicking in i even took bach flower rescue remady aswell just to be safe im ok at the moment feel a bit sick and upset tummy nurves i think xx

[Wenjoy]

I used to walk my kids a mile every day to schoool and we would count snails - one would count the stripey ones and one would count the yellow or brown ones then the winner got to chose bedtime story ! Wenjoy x