Why have they started again?

[mjh74]

Hi all,

After posting on here over the past 6 or 7 months, I'd got to the stage where I've managed to go back to work almost full time, the panics had stopped around July time and I've been leading a pretty 'normal' life. Today I woke up and I had that feeling as if something wasn't quite right but couldn't think what. I'm not sitting here and I'm going through a panic attack, a strange one though, not the full blown thing but I feel like I have burning hot blood soaring around my body, sweating and heart pounding with that "intense" feeling you get with these attacks. What I can't understand is why now?? I can't think of anything that's changed and I'm really disappointed. I thought the panics had long gone but now I feel scared again after building my confidence back up after all those months :(.

Is it common to have rebound effects? I'm sure if things get bad again work will just ditch me this time.

Mark

[Meg]

Hi Mark

Good to hear you have done so well and have been back to normal.

This is just a blip... and we know they do happen sometimes during the normal recovery course.

You know how to manage it and how to put it behind you as soon as possible.

Try to resist pondering beyond this week about work , it is currently not even on the horizon and the sooner you allow it to pass the better.

Just check that you're still looking after yourself well.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[wavey]

Just replied about the same sort of topic on a different thread.

What I said on there was - if, over a long period of time you train yourself to panic at the wrong times, you can't expect be able to untrain yourself and stop the feelings overnight. However, once you accept that there will be setbacks and you deal with them in a positive way, you are really on the way to recovery.

To me it sounds like you have done that by not letting this feeling develop into a fully blown panic attack. You've learnt to listen to your body in a more positive way and realise that these are natural feelings just at the wrong time. Accept it and don't dwell on them as Meg says. Eventually you'll be saying, "aha, here's my old friend panic again, come on, do your worst", and they'll subside because they don't hold as much fear anymore.

take care,
Davey

[mjh74]

Hi Meg and Wavey, thank you for your replies....

Meg:
I've done exactly what you've suggested and come to work as normal. I did wake up at 6am trembling so I ate a banana and took 2mg of valium and laid down for another hour and started to feel ok. I'm now at work and it's passed and I feel pretty well! I think the shock was that it caught me out of the blue and I tend to try and attach an event to the cause but this time I couldn't.

Wavey:
Funnily, your post describes "what I do" when I have an attack like this, I usually dwell on what's happened and analyse it for a reason rather than just saying "well I feel ok now, lets get on with it". I am doing that today (getting on with it) but when I first woke this morning I was considering not coming in to work at all. Glad I did now


Mark

[Meg]

*I think the shock was that it caught me out of the blue and I tend to try and attach an event to the cause but this time I couldn't.*

Yes Mark , We like to attach something and make some sense of these blips - but sometimes it is not possible and you have done exactly the right things .

Hurrah and congrats and a big hug for doing so well Mark ..You have had it so tough but have come through and we are so proud of you .

Meg xx

[mirry]

I agree that the way to get over these panics is not to make it such a big deal (not easy but possible).
I had one in Iceland yest and when i got outside the shop all dizzy I went straight into another shop just to get back into things again.
It passed because i allowed it to.Rather than dwelling about it.



mirryx

[wavey]

well done for going to work - that's the best way to get through these anxiety attacks - don't let them ruin your life - you're the one in charge! Face them, accept them, say thanks to your body for putting you through it again and then get on with your day.

Being at work is a great way to help you not to dwell on these natural feelings. If you aren't working, find something else to do, something that takes concentration - decorating, gardening etc - basically any chore with a goal.

The key is - don't dwell on them and give them so much importance.

take care,
Davey

[D]

hey
I'm the same. I came off the pill because i thought it was causing my panics, lo and behold a few days later it all came back with avengence. I've been able to handle minor panics for the past year or so. This batch seems to be the worst i've had, certainly lasting a lot longer than the others (going on a month now!).
Last week i had 4 good days, slept perfectly fine, no real anxiety. Come sunday and i was all panicky again. Last night i had another major panic, probably the worst ever. I rode it out but have been a bit jittery ever since. So now i start to wonder why its all started again after i seemed to be going somewhere.
But i'm under tremedous stress at my job and i think that has a lot to do with it. I also got my monthly's the day before it all started again so obviously the hormones have a lot to do with it.

Its hard work but i know this will eventually wear off. I've got to start doing some exercise besides yoga once a week, and start eating healthier too.

Sorry for babbling, just had to get it off my chest as i don't really have anyone to talk to about it and when i do i just get told i'm focusing on it too much and need to start enjoying life and getting back to normal (isn't tha what we are all trying to do anyway).

anyway i just wanted to say that you're not alone and stick with it. I 'm going to and i know it will eventually go away as it always has done in the past.

D

[Sue K with 5]

Hi Mark !

Hey do you remember that first time we spoke on Chat! The conversation about the lap top on your lap!

It was at a point where you were very low and your throat was very bad and you pulled it through you have achieved so much since back then and this is as Meg says a blip!

Dont give in Mark you have done so damn well! The panic sensations are all a part of our healing process, we never know when it might strike but now you are prepared for it and you do know how to cope !

Fight this one mate ! If you ever need to talk you know how to get hold of me


Sue with 5



scknight

[mjh74]

Meg:
Thank you so much for that, that's really kind of you to say and thank you also for your help throughout, it's very much appreciated!
I didn't let the Thursday night blip stop me (especially after reading the posts in this thread!). I got the train to wakefield after work on Friday and spent the weekend with Dominic, we went to visit friends of his and did a fair bit of driving, we also spent this morning shopping. To top all that off, due to an accident on the way to the train station for the journey back, I missed my train and ended up having to change at Notts and wait for 45 mins, finally home now and even though I've caught yet another cold I'm feeling really happy after achieving another weekend away.


Sue:

Oh yes I do remember that, how could I forget! hehe
That was a really bad time, I remember that night feeling that I'd never be able to cope again..... oh how things can change! Thank you so much for your encouragement sue, it's lovely and reassuring receiving support from great people on here. I am almost at the stage where I can drop a panic and divert the thought that has caused it, it's just being strong enough to hold the good thoughts but I think I'm getting better at it!
...and I'm sure we'll get to chat again soon and thanks for your kind offer, I'll pop onto chat sometime soon and catch up with folk!

P.S. Once again I am downstairs with the laptop balancing on my knees but let's not even go into that one again! lol!


D:
Hi D and thanks for your reply. I'm sorry to hear about your rough time too. I don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with the monthlies too! You sound like you have the right approach going on there but as you say, when you're stuck in the middle of the panics, at that moment in time, you feel like it's back to square one again don't you. I am just starting to learn to accept blips and that it doesn't mean that I will carry on feeling 'that' bad again, I just try to let the episode pass and carry on. And you're not babbly at all, your post is a great read and if you want to see babbling you should look at some of my previous posts .
As you've mentioned, you're under great pressure with your job which is what caused my inital attacks too, you're handling things great D and I'm sure you'll carry on doing so!


mirry:
Thanks for your reply, you are so right about not putting too much importance to these attacks. It's taken me almost a year to try and make them feel 'less serious' but doing so seems to have taken their power to control me. Well done to you for carrying on shopping after your attack in iceland, especially diving straight into another shop after it was passing!


wavey:
Thank you for that and yes! acceptance seems to be the way to take the power out of these things. I can manage to do it with mild attacks but I still tend to feel all 'serious' what I have a big one. Still, I'm practising and hopefully will get there with the bigger ones should they arise in the end!
Sadly 'dwell' is my middle name, or should I say 'was'! As I've mentioned above, I'm starting to learn to lighten up a bit when they happen and accept that they happen.