Was doing well... then panic yesterday morning - now scared

[_Emma]

Hi everyone...

Well I have 2 confess, I haven't been on here for a while, and that is because I have been doing quite well, and when I come on here and read other people's problems, I start 2 imagine I might have them, so I find it best not to! Hope that doesn't sound rude or anything, it's just I'm a huge hypochondriac! (sp?)

Anyway, as I said, I was doing pretty well, seeing a psychologist, going through graded exposure for my agoraphobia (I can now get on a train!) lol. Also I hadn't had a panic attack in 5 weeks. I was starting to hope that maybe by some sort of miracle they had gone, but then yesterday morning (about 7am) I awoke feeling like I couldn't catch my breath, and then panic swept over me and off it went again. I tried to do all my breathing techniques which I had been taught, but they are so much easier to do when you're feeling relaxed and very difficult to do when you're feeling panicky! Anyway, it lasted for about half an hour, and then passed and I was able to get back to sleep.

My problem now is that I'm dreading it happening again, and feel so so so so disappointed that it DID happen, just when I was doing so well. I've been afraid all day, just expecting it to happen, and have started to dread going back to bed. Any advice on how to get over this? Feeling really disheartened right now, and I don't see my psychologist again until next Wednesday.

Thanks,

Emma x

[debs71]

Hi Emma,

It is so, so disappointing and demoralising when you have a setback, but what you need to do I think is focus not on what you think is the negativity of that, but the positive things which are NOT having had a panic attack for 5 weeks (which is fantastic) and secondly, the great progress you are making with the agorophobia. Both these things prove that you can get better from this, and what you have experienced is only a glitch. Keep in mind only your achievements and see the attack as just a blip hun.

Try not to have in your mind that this will happen again, but tell yourself instead 'I have done it before without an attack, so therefore I can again'. Positive reinforcement in your mind really does help.

Take care and stay strong,

Debs.xxxx:hugs:

[Nigel]

Hi Emma,

I’m sorry that you had another panic attack, but as Debs said – think about all the positives and progress. And the fact that you managed to control it and get back to sleep afterwards – that was amazing and I hope you’re proud of yourself :)

I had a cold last winter and I hope I don’t have another one this winter. But if I do, I wouldn’t look upon it as a failure on my part for getting another having already gotten over one before. These things just happen.

And panic attacks sometimes just happen too, and there’s little we can do about it. But what a person can do is learn how to cope if one should happen, and I looks like you did damned good job of coping :yesyes:

Take care,
Nigel

[Edward78]

.........Anyway, as I said, I was doing pretty well, seeing a psychologist, going through graded exposure for my agoraphobia (I can now get on a train!) lol. Also I hadn't had a panic attack in 5 weeks. I was starting to hope that maybe by some sort of miracle they had gone, but then yesterday morning (about 7am) I awoke feeling like I couldn't catch my breath, and then panic swept over me and off it went again. I tried to do all my breathing techniques which I had been taught, but they are so much easier to do when you're feeling relaxed and very difficult to do when you're feeling panicky! Anyway, it lasted for about half an hour, and then passed and I was able to get back to sleep.

My problem now is that I'm dreading it happening again.........


This is a question I've been asking myself. All these coping techniques we're given are nice but is it actually possible to be rational and implement them when one is in a panic?? I havent managed it so far. Cos after all when panicing we're in fight-or-flight mode, not sit-back-and-carefully-reflect-on-the-situation mode.

I'm looking for answers and want to improve my condition. And as I said in another post I'm sceptical as to whether the gradual exposure model works either. In my experience it just extends ones confort zone, but doesnt eliminate it. Why, because its not real exposure, we dont actually expose ourselves to the panic, we go to the edge of panic, eg, high anxiety but no further, if panic does actually strike we escape back to safety. Actually I shouldnt be using the word 'we' like I have the authority to talk for everyone, since what do I know, just easier to write like this lol :) .