Dealing With Panic/Anxiety Attacks.

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

I have anxiety so I know how it feels to have an anxiety attack. I'm going to talk about what it's like to have them and how to deal with them.

Panic/anxiety attacks consist of the above. For me personally, panic attacks include trouble breathing, irritability, a heavy feeling on my chest, a sore throat/feeling like I'm choking and my hands will shake uncontrollably. Whenever this happens I simply do the following:

5,4,3,2,1

I look for 5 thinga I can see, 4 things I can touch, 3 things I can hear, 2 things I can smell and 1 thing I can taste. It allows me to get a calmer sense of my surroundings. When I do this, my chest won't feel as if there's a lead weight on it and I can usually breathe and think clearer.

Sit down and put your head between your knees.

I will sit on the nearest curb/seat and I'll place my head between my knees with my eyes closed. Whenever I do this, it helps me to block out everything around me and I get a better sense of stability.

Take a shower.

Sometimes whenever I feel a panic/anxiety attack coming on, I'll go take a shower regardless of if I've already showered or the time of day. I'll play some Beethoven (I love classical when I'm about to have an attack), and I'll turn the water on as hot as it can go. The steam of the hot water calms my senses down and I get to detach from real life for a little while.

Deep breathing.

Now this might not work for everyone but deep breathing helps me. There's some thing that says "breathe in for 4 seconds, hold in for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat a few times." It helps me more often when I just breathe in for 5-10 seconds and release it for 5-10 seconds.

Writing facts.

If you can, grab a notebook and a pencil. Begin writing down facts. If it's about yourself, other people, a place etc.

"I have brown hair."

"The weather is warm today."

"The date is 4/10/16"

It allows a sense of stability to be surrounded by these facts when your head is full of worries and anxious thoughts that aren't even happening.

Self-soothing.

Look for something you can touch. A stuffed animal for example. Just focus on it.

Look for something you can hear. Birds outside or a lawn-mower. Focus on it.

Look for something you can taste. Your last meal or toothpaste. Focus on the taste.

Look for something you can see. A bird flying or cars driving by. Focus on the movements.

Look for somethiing you can smell. Cooking dinner or flowers. Focus on how it smells.

This is also a way of grounding yourself to your enviroment.

Panic attacks and anxiety attacks can severely hinder someones everyday life, if it means not going out to the store or not seeing a certain friend for 2 months.

If you have anxiety, I recommend trying these out.

I hope they help in some way!
Tell me, what do you do when you feel an attack coming on or when you're in the middle of one?

Feel free to PM me if you need someone to talk to about anxiety.

[BaileyisDarcy]

Id love it if any of these could work for me. But i dont anticipate attacks. They just happen.

I mean a few of them i have felt that build up, but i never recognised it for what it was. Because one moment i feel like i know im about to cry, and the next everything is happening and i feel like im falling and nothing can catch me. My mind shuts off and im left with being unable to breathe and dizziness and chest pains and uncontrollable shaking and if there are people around then bodiless voices that float in between my own mind screaming stop.

I hate it. The only thing thats worked is the first attack i got i was in the shower, and it lasted from me first realising something was wrong, to me getting out and wrapping a towel around me then running to mum. Crying about how i can't breathe. She made me sit down and told me to slow down, and kept telling me to until i felt like i was breathing absurdly slow, and kept me at that level until i could stay there on my own.

[ThisAndThat]

Then I assume you have panic attacks and I say welcome to the club. I don't know where your write up came from but if it's your own it looks like you have established your own system what works for you. But like you said near the bottom it may not work for everyone. My parents and my brother liked to take trips back in the late 80's and 90's that I would avoid, most of them, it was easier for me to just stay at home rather than to ruin their trip. But when they'd drive off I would start getting real panicky and paranoid. Staying at home in my own fimilar enviorment has worked for me though I became a prisoner in so many ways.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

I like a lot of them especially the 5,4,3,2,1 idea - All great ideas get your mind focused on something rather than the panic and anxiety - It must be scary for the younger folks when having their first few, it has been so long since my first few that I have probably forgotten most of the extra panic/anxiety - While it sounds daft as you get older knowing what is happening is a blessing but you can feel it coming, you know it will pass and you know what coping mechanisms will work for you - Also another thing I have noticed over the years is you are shattered physically, mentally and emotionally after a Panic/Anxiety attack give yourself time to recover and look after yourself, put yourself first as much as is reasonably possible, you don't want a relapse to another attack.
For anyone that suffers, best wishes

[AnayaWilliams]

I get panic attacks especially when I am driving. I am in the process of getting my license but its just whenever I get behind the way my heart feels as though its going to pump out of my chest. I try to take deep breaths but nothing seems to work. My hands and my whole body shakes.

[Pooping]

Do you have any tips for people around someone having a panick attack? Or at least what works for you? My ex has had a few. She called me once and I helped with her breathing and stuff like that but didn't know what else to do. I wanted to help but was scared of accidentally doing something wrong.

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

Just tell them to breathe slowly+rub their back if you can.

[Pooping]

Thanks

[snowangle]

I get panic attacks sometimes - not as often as I used to. I never really found a way to find relief while they were happening, other then breathing deeply. Thanks for this!

[RedAmulet]

I used to get them around 4-5 times a week during the night from noises outside. Was not fun, and ny dad (he's a doctor) actually said you shouldn't breathe deeply but shallowly bit whatever works I guess :)

[Mesonfielde]

I cannot relate to panic attacks AT ALL.

Never had any experience with anything even REMOTELY similar.

[HookingSwan]

I get anxiety attacks, which I think may be worse, since they tak longer to pass

hate it. especially when I need to study. -____-

[fauchelevent]

I have GAD, I always did the 5 senses thing too when I used to get my attacks :)

[damnwinter]

Awesome!! I'll try it next time an attack is on its way...

[CorporalClegg]

What usually works for me is rolling over in my bed and breathe through the pillow or folded quilt that I have by my head (pillows are overrated! XD).

[ResonantGuy]

^ THIS! This is exactly what I do.

[Melissas_Life]

you're awesome. Thanks :D

[ThisDudeHere]

Thankfully I have never had anything like them.

[Viperkiss]

Nice work!

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

Thank you :)

[SunnyCaliGirl]

Thank you for posting this

[Lostsoulman]

These are very good tips, I like the 5-4-3-2-1.

[LiveFreeorDieHard]

why do people get panic attacks like these.

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

because of anxiety.

[FinnishBeautyGirl]

Had both panic and anxiety attacks...

[BackupAccount]

I just drink till I'm numb and cut myself.