What's do you do for Panic Attacks & Agoraphobia?

[Ambience]

What do you do when you get panic attacks or feel agoraphobic? Please let me know what you do personally, how do you deal with it when it happens to you or what measures do you take to tackle this problem and how well does it work, i have outlined some ideas of things you might do when you are in this situation? Some constuctive some not. Please be honest about what you really do. Thankyou.

[Ambience]

Personally i try to avoid my panic wherever possible, and when this is difficult i do the majority of these things to take my mind of it. My boyfreind really helps me by walking up and down my legs and feet. It's an accupunture technique, very relaxing and effective, but make sure you get someone who's trained in it to show you how it works or it can be dangerous. There are several technques for reducing anxiety, one being to press on the point between your thumb and forefinger, you know when your at the point because it will hurt, but it can also work miricles :)) Good Luck p.s i suggest you read an accupressure book, they are only about £5 from the local book store!!

[eeyorelover]

I guess the way I usually handle an attack is to say to myself that it will pass and I won't die from it. It usually helps to remember that I've felt that way before and I've made it through so I can do it again. I also try to stay busy if the panic gets too bad (it takes my mind off it).

[chucklehound]

I try to think positive, even though it doesn't always work

[mazz]

deep breathing and frsh air help me , also a very understanding boyfriend helps me

[sun2sun1]

For the longest time, I felt unable to do anything about Agorophobia. The mere thought of going to the store was too much for me! But I am taking small steps, and that is what works 4 me. Say, if u want to go to a restaurant, pick a time when it won't be as crowded. If you go to the grocery store, start w/ a small one and work ur way up, but only if u feel like it! If u find urself in a large crowd, and it isn't possible to leave, just try to get through it, and focus on how peaceful it will be when u get away from the crowd! Hope this helps!

Paul

[joanne w]

i usually have 1 at night when im trying to relax,i cant switch off.my husband is good at calming me down but if hes not there ill ring a friend up and try and take my mind off it
jo xx

j waring

[Nicki22]

i really would like to know wot people do to get through a panic attack ?
and how do your partners help you through it ?
as im suffering really bad and dont know how to cope and my partner dont know wot to do to help wich upsets me !!!

[chellebelle]

When I get panic attacks (and I know this isn't terribly popular, since it is seen as better to get through them without meds), but when I am albe I take a xanax, put a comedy DVD on and read a book.

I have a question for Joanne, or anybody who may have advice, following on from what Nicki said, just wondering what your husband does to help you get through it? My partner is gets really frustrated which comes out as anger, cos he just can't understand (he does try). Luckily my parents are really understanding, but I don't want to have to run to mum and dad for the rest of my life!

"This too, shall pass"

[sheena]

I usually get panicky when I have to go outside of my home. I get a lot of what ifs. So I go through my what ifs and try to assure myself that their is a small likely hood of them happing. For example I am terrified of having an accident in my car and been trapped. I have to go to the dentist this afternoon and worry that I might have a panic attack in the chair. I did, once, get very near a panic attack but I told the dentist what was happening to me and he stopped treatment until i felt okay. I also if needed take an ativan. However, I have improved during the last few months as then I could not go out by myself and always took my ex partner with me to the dentist.

Sheena

SHEENA

[kate]

I must confess that even after 20 odd years of having panic/anx, I still try to avoid situations when I know I will be anxious [:I].

When I do have to go into such situations or something panics me I do try to control it through breathing.

Chellebelle, my husband is usually completely unsympathetic!

Kate

"Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same"

[maxmagnum]

i let it happen

maxmagnum

[Ellen70]

It depends on the severity of the anxiety/panic I am feeling. This evening I took benzos because I felt that the anxiety was so severe that it would escalate into an uncontrollable situation if I didn't 'nip it in the bud' with meds. If the anxiety or panic isn't so severe I will distract myself by going on the net/phoning someone/play loud music/generally anything that will distract me from my fear.
I save meds for the truly bad times but lately I am taking tranqs three or four times a week. When I go to bed at night I play music to distract me from the thoughts in my head. For medium anxiety/panic, I repeat to myself 'These are just unpleasant thoughts and feelings, they can't harm you' and I keep repeating it over and over. As I said what I do totally depends on the severity of the anxiety I am feeling at any given time.

[xBettyBoopx]

I avoid going out which is where I mostly get panic attacks, but I get them indoors too and when I do, I have to come on pc and play games or anything to take my mind off of it. I live alone, so find it easy to talk to myself lol, as if I spoke to someone else the way I spoke to myself, they'd send for the men in white coats!!
I know by reading Dr Weekes books that you are not supposed to do something to take your mind off of it, that seeing it through without getting to upset by it, is the long term answer, but I've never been able to do that, which is why I still suffer after 32 years!!
I hate this illness and everything which comes with it:mad:
Elspeth

[jude uk]

The biggest fear is fear...Fear that what we fear will actually happen and thats what stops most of us from moving forward....I believe in small steps and each one of these steps will take us to our goal but we need to keep taking the steps.....As soon as we use the words I CANT, we give power to the panic.....Dont forget to praise yourself for each time you move forward

[Iheartray]

I wanted so bad to vote as "I talk to someone about it" as I think it would help me alot. The problem is, i don't think I know a single person in real life who is suffering from the same panic/anxiety as I am, so they have absolutely no idea how it feels. When I try to explain it I just feel crazier, and I think it's pointless because there's no way they could possibly know unless it's happened to them. It's horrible.

[KLK1107]

Chellebelle- I am a little late posting to what you wrote, but I figured I would try and help.... a couple years back I had a boyfriend that didnt understand what I was going through and when I would get a panic attack he would get really mad mostly because he was frustrated like you said. My panic attacks stem from my emetophobia and one time sticks out very very clearly in my head... back when we were in high school I wasn't feeling well so I started getting nervous and had a panic attack, I was sleeping over at his house and it was pretty late and I asked him for some tums(which are kept upstairs in his parents bedroom) and he said no they are up there I don't wanna wake up my parents blah blah blah... so couple min. passed and I asked him again and he flipped... punched something and walked upstairs to get them... my fiance now completely understands my panic attacks. He will actually take me for what we call "panic drives" haha... when I have a panic attack I feel the need to get out and something about sitting in his durango driving around makes me calm(which is odd because I usually get car sick). If your boyfriend gets frustrated maybe try to sit him down and explain what exactly is going on. Although I must say if someone has never had a panic attack they just DO NOT understand what we are going through. I know my fiance is very very understanding, but he still has no idea what i'm going through and it shows sometimes when he is trying to calm me down by saying you're gonna be ok, they always pass... because when you are having one you don't think of the times they went away you are thinking of what you are feeling right then which is complete panic!... I think my fiance is so understanding though because he actually went to therapy with me and was there when I was talking to the therapist and all... he listened to what the therapist told me to do and what the therapist told him to do and therefore he is excellent at calming me down... hope this helps!


and as for the question about what you do during panic attacks... since my attacks stem from the emetophobia like I mentioned above, I am constantly panicking that I am going to throw up, so what I do is (because I am always real gaggy)... I have what my fiance and I call my "panic attack mints" and I bite off little pieces slowly... I have no idea where and when this started, but it seems to help... I also pace, try to breathe, and sometimes go for our "panic drives" which I never drive because I am to shooken up... if all else fails I have my xanax :smile:
__________________

[Zanxiety]

To get my mind of Panic Attacks and to reduce the risk of having them I always say to myself that they will not physically hurt me, no matter how painful they can seem and keep believing it. I often do so work in the garden or a few jobs around the house to help me not get them, or at least not getting them as intensifying than I usually do. Doing the breathing exercise can occasionly help weaken the physical symtoms of a Panic Attack.

If The Panic Attack really starts to bother me I go on the computer and go to either this forum, the Official Nintendo Magazine forum, play games or just write a stroy on Microsoft Office Word. I like to try and rush things when I'm out at places and get out of the place making me feel panicky as quickly as I can. At College I've been coming on here more and more as I do suffer from a bit of Agoruphobia at College, so I come on here to distract myself and help me get through the day until I have to come back to my safe home.:winks:

[Piglet]

Think this thread has some good ideas and could be added to our 'pamphlet' thread! :yesyes:

Piglet :flowers:

[decker6869]

i voted other. i used to just do deep breathing and try to remain calm. but i started earler today (june 9th,2007) taunting the panic and anxiety. egging it on and realizing that it can do no harm! i also tell myself hey, i have been severely out of shape and limited in exercise since my panic started months ago, so the heartrate speeding up is normal and is for all intents and purposes good for me! Increased heartrate = aerobic exercise for my ticker! so i see the positive in it and i know for a fact panic attacks can do no harm. i have had some real doozies in my time, so i can speak about it i feel fairly confidentally. Today i felt more alive then i have in months! I was able to help my cousin with a menial task instead of always being the one receiving help! Now my GERD on the other hand is still a bother,but im hoping the apple cider vinegar honey 1/4 tbsp of baking soda remedy will help with that. Also, i still overbreathe,hyperventilate. But it doesnt scare me anymore and i use slow down techniques, i still breathe deep too much to the point that it hurts the lining of my chest wall. guess all the diaphragm breathing and sometimes chest breathing irritate the lining around the lungs or what not. anywho i dont let it scare me anymore because i know exactly what it is and how it makes me feel! so all in all today was a marked improved day. i got up off the couch numerous times, walked around and took a shower without losing it! i felt in control for a change!

sorry for the ramble!

[sunshine-lady]

I usually go into my bedroom, close the curtains and lie on my bed strange I know, but it helps me blank somethings out and I feel safe so can help calm myself down

[Dizzy-Dave]

I embrace any panic attack now.

It wont make me faint and i wont die from it so i allow it to get bigger and bigger, as scary as it wants to be.

It's not easy but when you embrace panic, it dissapears.

I'm hoping to have a panic attack on film soon (crazy i know!) so i can show people who arn't ready to believe it yet.

http://www.youtube.com/user/AgoraphobiaProject