Having a major panic attack :(

[Clairalou]

I dont know why im having a panic attack this bad i think it started with me getting indegestion and thinking i was having a heart attack, i knew i wasnt and i knew it was just indegestion but this panic has overwhelmed me and ive spent most of the evening in tears shaking and imagining im having every heart attack symptom ever :( my heat rate is fine and my breathing is good every now and again i feel like i cant catch my breath but im not struggling!
I know all this but why am i panicking?? im not currently on any meds and im starting cbt but i had such a good hold on this anxiety and i was doing so well 2 big panic attacks in 1 month is amazing for me considering i used to have them everyday.
I guess the worst thing is not knowing why itstarted and when its going to finish im absolutely exhaused from it :(
Why today couldnt i make it stop like i do other times when i feel it coming?
i just dont know anymore im so good at giving advice and helping other people but i cant take my own advice!
I just want it to go away. I just want it to stop :( im sick of being frightend!

Thankyou for listening i appreciate it!

XXXXX

[angels22165]

Hello, you ok can you go in chat and distract yourself, it will pass soon, try and not analyse it to much its a small setback

[Clairalou]

Thanks for your reply angels i know i shouldnt dwell its one of my first bits of advice i give out. Im going to take your advice and go and distract myself!
You know i get alot of stick for having anxiety but until you really have a major panic attack that leaves you terrified no one understands, thats why i love this site because everyone does understand

Thanks again xxxx

[angels22165]

Hiya Clara, I know what you mean nobody understands unless they have been there, its just so horrible the feelings we get, we just can't let them get to us, Im having a tough time at the moment and trying my best to stay positive and keep telling myself it will pass and just to hang on in there it is hard very hard but we are strong and we have to believe in ourselves distraction is my best way of coping always have my nintendo ds in my bag just in case

[WillowTree]

Hope you're feeling better now. I've been fighting a panic attack all evening and it was all triggered off by eating a big meal. Stupid I know but it seems that even when you tell yourself it's nothing serious your body doesn't believe you and carries on going "WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

[KK77]

PAs can be triggered by the smallest, silliest things, so I fully sympathise Claira. Sometimes you don't even know the trigger.

Well done for managing this condition without meds and I hope CBT will put you back on track.

[olderfella]

Hope it soon passes Claira take my hat off to you trying to manage without meds

[Anxious_gal]

it started because of your thinking and imaging bad things happening to you which made your body release Adrenalin.

also PMS can make you a bit sensitive to stress too.

try walking around to get rid of the extra engery

[Clairalou]

Thank you all for such kind and encouraging words, it's really helped! I think sometimes I'm a little hard on myself and over analyse why this is happening to me, I should except the odd relapse as part of life.
I guess this past few years have been such a struggle for me and I'm terrified of going back to that dark place again!
I've been distracting myself and keeping busy and in feel a little better still having some discomfort in my chest area but I'm thinking rationally and not letting it bother me!
I hope cbt can finally give me the skills to overcome this horrible horrible anxiety. I've suffered for so long I just want my life back!

Thank you all again for your replies

Xxxx

[WillowTree]

Hi claira, I totally understand what you mean about being frightened of slipping back to a dark place again. The problem is (and you know this of course) that the more you worry that you're slipping, the more likely it is that you'll trigger a panic attack. I'm marvellous for doing that (sarcastic) ; I'll have a couple of good days and think "Oh good, I'm getting better!" but then it'll only take a bit of random anxiety or a bit of breathlessness and BAM! I'm thinking "Oh God here we go again!"

I did a course with the British Red Cross about 18 months ago called Mental Health First Aid. It was only a 2 day thing but I wanted to understand mental health issues more and found it very interesting. One of the ladies there said that people think recovery is a definite thing in that once you are recovered that is it and there should be no setbacks. The reality is that recovery is an up and down thing. Just because you have a bad day or week it doesn't mean that you've failed and it's all going to get worse and worse. So many factors can affect how you feel that it's normal to have peaks and troughs in your mood and anxiety levels.

Hope you have a good day today