I’m feeling very anxious, how can I keep calm to prevent a panic attack?
Monday, August 31st, 2009 at
5:19 pm
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Filed under: Panic Attacks
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Hi Myke–So sorry to hear you are going through this. I have been through these and they are very real and very scary. The best thing is that you are aware of what you are going through and understand what you are feeling prior to the panic setting in…that is a great insight for you and can be very helpful. First off, the "yellow stuff" is probably because your stomach is empty, assuming this is happening fairly regularly which Panic often does. You will be ok…once you get a handle on this, the rest of your health will hopefully fall into place.
The best way I have handled it in the past is to consistently remind myself that I am OK. My attacks were alway surrounded by the feeling that I had a disease or something was wrong with me that no one knew. So the actual panic would revolve around this, although the physical symptoms of your panic attacks can make you believe you are in grave danger. You aren’t. You will be ok…breathing techniques and talking to someone about the things that are worrying you are great ways to get a hold of these emotions.
I used to lay flat and put my hand on my tummy. Being very conscious of the slow way to belly breathe (like a baby does) is a good physical and concious way to slow yourself down and try to avoid panicking over the physical things you are feeling prior to the attacks. Breathe in through your nose and fill your belly with air. Do this by the count of 3. Then breathe out through your mouth at a count of 3. Some people say 5, for me 3 was more comfortable, do what works for you. It will naturally slow you down and let you get control of your breath.
Panic is like a scary catch 22–you feel the panic coming on, your body and brain react…it feels scary, you panic over the feelings and you are off to the races so to speak…Sometimes you don’t think anything is bothering you, but when you really sit down and pinpoint some of the stressors in your life, you can surprise yourself and find that maybe your body has reached the breaking point. Sometimes the anxiety just comes out when you don’t let it out on your own.
It’s important to take care of yourself before any of these symptoms set in…try to stay hydrated with caffeine/alcohol free drinks, eat well and try to get sleep. Try to do something physical, but comfortable. Whether that is hardcore excercise, a quick, quiet walk or yoga, or just 5 minutes stretching your body. When you are in the grips of anxiety, it can knot your muscles up like a pretzel which will certainly make it difficult to relax and it won’t make you feel very good at the very least. It is hard to do when your stress level is so very high, but it truly will help you get a sense of control back which can be very helpful.
Also, I would personally recommend seeing your primary physician to tell them about your symptoms that you are having, concerns you are facing so they can rule out any illnesses or conditions that can cause anxiety. I would also recommend that you have a depression screening since this and panic attacks can go hand in hand. I don’t know what your personal feelings are re: meds, but there are some very good medications out there to help you get a handle on things and get you back on your feet so that you can take care of yourself and feel confident that you are ok. You don’t have to take them forever and you will be able to address those concerns with your doctor. I take Zoloft at a very low dose daily. I originally took it following a bout of post-partum depression which was absolutely horrendous and was paralyzing with daily and twice, three times daily panic attacks. I took it for a year, then went off it, and was perfectly fine, even through my second pregnancy and post partum. The depression returned so I took it again for antepartum depression with my third child. The benefits far outweighed the risks for both my child and myself (he is perfect by the way). My depression seemed to be correlated with the fluctuating hormones of pregnancy, but it and the anxiety that comes with it definitely are prominent in my family.. I went off it again and just realized I feel better when I am on it. It is the lowest dose, I don’t feel tired and it hasn’t caused weight gain. Try to talk to family if possible, These types of issues tend to run in families and you may be able to gain some powerful info regarding this and how to manage.
I hope this will be helpful to you…I know this is very scary, but Doctors are so much more informed now than even 10 years ago. It is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing you need to suffer with. Obviously, you know the internet is a great resource, but don’t forget books, workbooks and a good old deep breath!!! Good Luck to you–I’ll be thinking of you and hoping you find some peace tonight and some sleep…
I used to have panic attacks years ago and went to a doctor about it. He showed me a breathing technique that really worked everytime. You breath from your stomach instead of your chest. watch as you breath your chest goes up and down well try to make your stomach go up and down instead. by time you get this going which sometimes is hard to do your mind is off of the panic attack and focused on breathing from your stomach. Another thing that worked is I usually had my panic attacks at night when I layed down so I would do exercises before i went to bed because panic attacks take alot of energy to have so if you use your energy else where you are most likely to not have any panic attacks. Hope this helps if you have any more questions please feel free to write.
Lisa
Sure you dont have a thyroid problem?
breathe in and out of a paper bag.