Face the panic attack or do something to take your mind off it?

[mistykell]

Hi all, just wondering when we feel anixous or feel we are about to have a panic attack, do you think we should sit and let it pass ride it out or do we do something to keep our minds off it, When im bad i need to get out my house and walk especially when my hearts doin its galloping race horse thing or do i sit and stay put. What do you all think?

[Diamond of Neptune]

i think its easier to do something to take your mind off it...i knit or watch a movie.

but in the long run, i think it's much more beneficial to learn to cope with your anxiety and panic attacks. keep telling yourself that you are fine, and you are not in danger, and that it will pass. the more you convince yourself you are fine, the better you will be at controlling your panicking over time.

:)

[thetube82]

my answer is do whatever you fancy! it really dont matter cos it will still pass anyway, dont matter if you sit still, run around, go fishing, sing a song, bake a cake, try to stop it, try to make it 'worse',.....................etc etc, it will always pass

thetube82

[T101]

Personally i feel worse if i try and sit still, my instinct is to walk very fast outdoors where i can feel the air and cool down otherwise i feel like i can't breath. Unfortunately thats not always possible and i have had to sit them out in silence many a time cos i get them anywhere i have to sit still! Meetings at work were hell on earth (i now no longer work there!), even sitting in the doctors surgery brought on an attack. My psychologist told me it is 'best' to sit still and go with it, don't fight it or try and 'comtrol' it, just 'roll with it'. You know from experience it will pass, you won't die, you can breath. You cannot control the physical effects once they kick in so go with the flow and tell yourself it will pass. 2 things i try and do which may sound daft but one is that i always try and have strong mints with me because you can feel your breath when you eat them. I know that sounds really silly but it actually helps me to know i am breathing even though it feels like i'm not! It's quite comforting to feel the mint going through your nostrils!!! Secondly, i make sure i keep my head up and have a glance around the room at people. Again, sounds silly but i always had my head down and prayed i was invisible as i don't want anyone to know i am a wreck. Even though it's really hard, i force myself to glance around the room and again, its a small comforter to know i'm not under attack by anyone as i can see that no-one is actually even looking at me!

[GrafGrau]

I had my first panic attack in 3 years yesterday and I was not going to let it win. It was a major battle of wills on a train of all places. The fact is though, I won. I learned a long time ago, that I am not going to let this ever get the better of me. I appreciate that right now I am back on the meds, but I would rather take a pill than let anxiety screw with my life, and now having been off them before, I will be off them again once I have things under control again.

[onceagain]

wow this is a hard one, I always feel like I am trapped my heart rate increases and my stomach knots and everything in me is telling me to run.

Sometimes it is impossible to do this ie if I am at work, but some of my colleagues are starting to recognise when I am having an attack.. this in itself is comforting because I know that I can try and ride through it I'm not alone. It is worse if I am just left to let it build up. I am on annual leave at the moment and I've had so many wobbles that I am feeling confused, weak and tearful. I should be doing my run tonight but just want to curl up and be left alone but my partner works nights so he is in the bed and so that is out....

I want to go to the gym or be somewhere far away... I may return to work tomorrow just to stop this happening I wish I could pluck up the courage to go today but it has taken hold very badly today... I feel a total utter failure and I am so gutted to let my daughter down but I cannot face it at the moment.

Any advice would be good x

[T101]

wow this is a hard one, I always feel like I am trapped my heart rate increases and my stomach knots and everything in me is telling me to run.

Sometimes it is impossible to do this ie if I am at work, but some of my colleagues are starting to recognise when I am having an attack.. this in itself is comforting because I know that I can try and ride through it I'm not alone. It is worse if I am just left to let it build up. I am on annual leave at the moment and I've had so many wobbles that I am feeling confused, weak and tearful. I should be doing my run tonight but just want to curl up and be left alone but my partner works nights so he is in the bed and so that is out....

I want to go to the gym or be somewhere far away... I may return to work tomorrow just to stop this happening I wish I could pluck up the courage to go today but it has taken hold very badly today... I feel a total utter failure and I am so gutted to let my daughter down but I cannot face it at the moment.

Any advice would be good x

You are by no means a "failure"...i do understand fully what you mean by feeling that way though, i too feel like this, i feel useless and weak and that everybody knows it and is laughing at me. Truth is, we are none of those things and the fact that we can function at all is deserving of praise! It is really hard to be kind to yourself, lord how i know that!, but we do need to learn to be kind and supportive of ourselves.:hugs:
My doctor advised me to spend time doing at least one thing that i love on a very regular basis, it's a psychological thing and does you some real good without you realising it. Make the time to do whatever your chosen 'thing' is...mine is painting so i go and do it. My brain calms down so it does work as a little bit of well needed breathing space.
Remind yourself of what a good, loving mum you really are at least once a day and take stock of all the things you do and provide for your family who love you for it, even if they forget to tell you. You will soon realise you are not a failure!

[onceagain]

thank you so much x

[louiseevans222]

Best thing sit and stay put....

analyse your feelings and sensations, listen to any scary thoughts trying to scare you....

but dont judge them, dont judge the sensations,feeling or thoughts, just ANALYZE, this will break the cycle of your anxiety....

Hope ive helped :)