panic related to flashbacks

[invisibletome]

has anyone got any advice for panic attacks brought on by flashbacks.. i am not aware enough to control my breathing or even here someone telling me too.. is there anything i can do before or after.. or anything anyone else can do to help me which mite help?

[melody]

Hi,

I don't know if the way my memories haunt me is the same as a flashback, or if flashbacks are worse than that?

I only know the way I deal with a normal panic attack which is brought on by someone treating me in a certain way & that reminds me of something traumatic. My mind blanks out on me & floods me with words, maybe the words are images for you??? Everything goes black or grey for me.

This is what I learned to do. Learn this when you aren't having a panic attack. Then it can be used after a panic attack as well.
Place your hands on your belly. Feel your breath go into your belly as it rises & falls. Then place your other hand on your chest. Feel the breath go into the chest, into the belly. Then out of the belly, out through the chest. This is the natural progression for breathing that can be lost in stress & anxiety. It helps calm you down so you can breathe & your brain refills with the oxygen that can be depleted in a panic attack.

If you can realise you are having or about to have a panic attack something you can do is:
Suck in a very deep breath as hard as you can. hold for a second or two.
Slowly as you can exhale. Get every little last bit of breath out. Hold for a second.
A little slower breathe in. count to learn, 1,2,3.... going up to 5 seconds if you can.
Exhale slowly & smoothly as you can 1,2,3 up to 5 seconds if you can

These techniques are excellent as they get the oxygen into the brain & release built up carbon dioxide levels, which will quickly reduce the feelings of unreality. It also distracts from distressing thoughts or images.

I hope this can be of some help. It took me years to perfect it, but now it works every time & sometimes I can stop them before they've barely even started.

Good luck

[mysonmarcus]

Hi Tome

Sorry to hear you are suffering from flashbacks, they are a haunting and troublesome aspect.

As a coping mechanism the advice offered by Melody may be useful.

However this is a coping mechanism that is trying to control the level of panic and even if recommended by therapists and councellors has the effect that a coping method inevitably has which is to 'manage' and to interfere to a point that anxiety fails to reach peak.....Perfectly ok if that is the goal of the sufferer.

I can mention many coping mechanisms, counting, dancing, singing, argueing on and on and on. They do the same thing and dont remove or address underlying cause, and miss the goal posts by a very wide mark......as you may be able to tell by the amount of people on this forum who use these methods and remain troubled.

The 2 factors of panic that everyone should have etched on thier soul is ...

Firstly that panic is to be embraced (I am not suggesting this is AlWAYS possible but this should be the sufferers intention with every onset). By embracing, I mean inviting, living with and increasing (come on lets panic more)..........or any such wording you like to use.

Further this intention to 'increase' (incredibly courageous to do) panic reduces tension as the best benefit (benefits are always noticed a lot later with an anxiety disorder)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trying to decrease it increases it. Also I do mean increase panic including symptoms such as pains, dizziness etc etc.........NOT intrusive thought though! ....tricky this isn't it?

...and secondly the only interuptor we should use, is the intention and concentration to 'take away thought', still the mind, add nothing..............people use different forms because they procees information in different ways, some allow them to come and go as they will(as per Claire Weekes philosophy), others will use STOP, QUIT (myself) or some similar words during intrusive thought (be aware at the top level of a monsterous panic, we must wait till after peak).

Controlling the mind and emptying it is the initial step before we can address the core beliefs that bring us to anxiety in the first place. So far the people who's posts I have replied to are in the anxious state. In my humble opinion the core belief as cause of the condition cannot be addressed while at this point.

I wish you the very best.

Mark

[invisibletome]

my main prob is firstly my flashbacks are very physically violent, i fall and contort and scratch at the floor, fold up, i end up bruised and physically exhausted, but whilst im in that terror im completely unable to speak, unable to understand speech mainly and the flashback is almost thrown upon me, i try to use methods such as reminding myself im safe, looking at my environment and reminding myself this is an ok place etc over and over is helpful but sometimes they come on sooo fast i have no way i can find to even tell myself its ok, im so involved in the panick

my flashbacks arent visions they are silent but as though i m somewhere with my eyes closed.. its mainly sensory stuff feelings and thoughts from the time, it would seem i was very young tho when the abuse occurred.. so ive been told i may never fully remember or get visions..