How do you cope with anxiety/panic attacks?

Hey alfie, don't let it get you down.

I suffered from panic attacks for many years and eventually discovered the breathing technique that helped me win through.

It's really just the sort of breathing you do when in labour.

I was also referred to a specialist who said that I should "go with it" rather than try to fight it, and the attack would pass and I'd be fine.

What I did at that time though was hurry home to my bed and sleep!

I found that on wakening the attack had gone, but I was left feeling out of sorts for a day or two.

I also got a book (can't remember name) which I read and found that it helped.

Apparently, somepanic attacks are due to a hormonal imbalance,so it's very likely to be tied in with your pregnancies.

Just try the breathing thing and see how you go, it might be all you need.

Big hugs, hopefully they will soon pass. I know how hellish it is!

Those two points are excatly things which happen to me. Today I came home and went straight to bed then felt a little better on waking up but after lunch I had to come back up to bed as it is the only place I feel "safe" as to speak. Also like you said I will feel werid for a few days afterwards.

Oh help, not the "safe" thing!

Many a night out was ruined as I had to get back to my safe place.

My attacks began when I was 14 and ended when I was 39 years old!(when I got divorced)

Actually when I think back, the doctors tested me for everything under the sun and when I married,my husband and marital home became my "safe" things.

Until then it had been my bed in my mothers house. I suspect alot of it was brought on my not being able to cope with "real" situations.

It's very hard to explain, and quite often an attack would come on for no apparent reason. I didn't need to be getting ready for a night out, or sitting in the cinema or whatever.

I ended up associating my panic attacks with every single place I'd ever had one. So, if I took an attack in the Chinese Restuarant, I never went out again for a sit dowen chinese meal. Same with the pictures, or the dancing,or in someones house at a party. It really did ruin my life.

The breathing is good if you can force yourself to do it, even just until your back safely in your car/house/bed. There's no magic medicine though, I cured myself. (which leads me to believe that I was in control?)

Supermarkets are my place for attacks as that is where I had my first one before my daughter was born follwed by a few more since then.I also havea thing about driving home in the dark to so thats a nightmare now given I have to drive home two nights a week in the pitch black counrty lanes.

I have taken to carrying a paper bag around to breath into but some times it is the dizzy spells that make it worse as I feel like I am going to faint and get all shaky.

I sound like a right mess here dont I?

The shaky thing was aawful! my whole body would tremble and I'd feel extremely nauseaous and as I'm not good with being sick, this made the whole thing worse! I took like a double panick as I didnt want to be sick (though if I was, this made it better)

Breathing slowly in through your nose, and then blowing slowly out through your mouth is a good thing to do, if you can surpass the trembling and panic in order to do this.

I also found a song that I could hum when I felt the beginnings of an attack, trying to nip it in the bud before it became a full blown attack.

The doctor also prescribed something to calm me down, which I then became dependant on. It could easily have been a tic tac or a polo mint, I became reliant on the taking of a tablet at the first flutterings of an attack.

I'm not sure what else to say to you, I dont want to make you feel worse! I actually hated talking about it to anyone, I felt that by talking about it would bring an attack on!

Big hugsxx

I am sorry of I have brought back bad memories for you fairyclown so I wont pester you with any more questions.

Thank you though for sharing your experiences with me as it would seem I have had/have near enough the same things happen that you did even the always suckign polo mints as I think it stops a attakc..how made is that hey.

Thank you again.

Hi both,

Its horrible isn't it. I just starting getting them again after 4 years of being "in remission" as it were. not as bad as last time though, but bad enough to shake me. its especialy bad since ive started a new job, (i think this is what has triggered it). for me, its now more of an anxiety of getting panic attacks (textbook agarophobia). so especially during the week I feel anxious most of the time, with the anticipation of getting an attack. I cried to H last night cos I say it and it sounds absolutely ridiculous and I feel stupid for it. In terms of coping with it, Im not sure I do. However this time around I just let them pass instead of running away, which I guess is a good sign. I have seen my GP and im starting CBT soon. she also recommended Kalms tablets which are natural, im starting them tomorrow. Have you tried rescue remedy? I find having some water with me also helps. its horrible, so I sympathise completely. ?

Joflake, what do you mean by health related?

This is another one of my "safe" things as if I feel a attack coming on or are having on I have a sports bottle of water to drink from as I find it helps take my mind if it as I am doing soem thing else.

I tried kalms once before and they did seem to do some good though now I am pregnant I cant take them so I just rub rescue remedy on my temples as you cant take it my mouth when pregnant.

I am sorry to hear that your attacks have come back.

I am pretty sure mine are due to a fear of this pregnancy going worng like has been the pattern the last few times.

Joflake - I know exactly what you mean. I am a bit of a hypochondriac too. ?

Yeah it is. I dont know of any books but if you're anything like me, a book isn't going to convince you that you are ok. Have you thought about CBT? its meant to be very succesful with this type of thing. at the moment I am wondering if my panic attacks are caused by something physical ?

it totally sucks.

I use to suffer terribly with panic attacks, it got so bad that I gave up my job and couldn't even take my son to school as just being in the playground would set me off. I too associated places with attacks and for quite a while I couldn't go in to certain shops or restaurants. Mine were triggered when I choked on a moutful of food in a very posh restaurant and thought I was going to be sick.

Eventually I decided enough was enough and went to the Drs. he prescribed Seroxat but I made the mistake of reading the side effects and wouldn't take them because they might have made me sick. Instead, I had councelling which really helped me. It started out as being pretty traumatic and I discovered that things that I thought I was fine with actually triggered attacks when I talked to my councellor about them.

One of the funniest incidents was when I was talking about a particular thing and I started to panic which lead me to hide under a coffee table! The poor councellor was crouched in front of the table with me cowering underneath, shaking and crying, while she tried to feed me sugar lumps. I can laugh about it now but at the time it was dreadful.

Th other thing that really helped was when a friend asked me to think of the absolute worst thing that could happen to me (being sick in public was my 'thing') and then decide how I was going to deal with it if it actually happened. After that, I made sure I always had a bag, a bottle of water and some baby wipes with me so I could be sick and clean myself up if necessary. Again, it sounds mad now but just knowing I could deal with the worst thing that could happen really helped.

So, those things combined with breathing techniques helped me get over the attacks. I still get them occassionally, usually when I am stressed, but I know how to cope and now I know what they are they are nowhere near as scary.

I do feel your pain though, when you're in the middle of an attack it feels like the worst thing in the world. Good luck with tackling them.

A few people have mentioned listening to relaxing music so I was wondering what music you could suggest?

Physical as in there is something wrong with me, a heart problem or something. i know its unlikey but....you know what its like.

Rosencrantz your story made me laugh but I suspect it wasn;t funny at the time, how awful. I worry I will get to the stage where I can't get to work and stuff. When I had it really bad i was in my final year at uni and fortunately I didn't have many lectures because I skipped a lot of them. Your strategy about carrying water and baby wipes must have helped a whole lot, but my "thing" is about having a panic attack. Its a total vicious circle ?

Joflake, speak to your GP about CBT, they should refer you. My surgery has a health visitor trained in CBT and I am seeing her next week as there is no waiting list. however, I want to see a professional psychologist and thankfully I have BUPA so shouldnt have to wait long. Ask your GP if your practice has something like that?

Joflake, you are not alone, I also have troubling trusting the doc, but slowly I am getting better at that. Ask about CBT and see what they can suggest. Feel free to email me anytime, it is some consolation to know you are not alone in this... ?

Hey Alfie I didnt mean that by talking to you now would bring on an attack! Sorry for misleading you.

I've not had an attack for about 10 years now, and although I don't rush to talk about it all, I know now that talking about it wont bring one on

See how many other people suffer? You're not alone. And someone just said that imagining the worst possible scenario and how to deal with it was a good thing, so it can be sorted it out in the end.

I know also that no matter what anyone tells you, or whatever remedies we suggest, this is something that you will have to work through on your own.

I remember feeling that "how can anyone possibly know what I'm going through" feeling. Everyone suffereing feels that what is happeneing to them is unique, but it's not!

Your recovery will depend alot on how you tackle this . You can attempt to do it head on, schoolteacher fashio, enough is enough! or you can start slowly by reading appropriate books, listening to music etc.

Seriously, I'm here if you need me Alfie, anytime. Just email and I'll help if I can. I really dont mind I'd hate anyone to have to suffer for as long as I did!

Big fat hugs xx

Thank you so much fairyclown for undestanding and listen to me ramble on.I may very well take you up on the email offer if you dont mind me boring you to much. Some time it helps to chat to some one who has been there and is out side of my circle as to speak as I am pretty sure I am boring my family with it all now.

Did you let many people no that you suffered with panic attacks?

My mum and dad knew and my sisters. I hated drawing attention to myself and tried very hard to cover it up. But more and more I was having to leave parties/cineam.etc early and friends began to question it all.

I think alot of the people in my circle thought I was a freak/weirdo whatever, as I very seldom managed a full night out without having to leave early!! Or I'd cancel two hours before arranged meeting time.

I made a huge jump when I got married and moved to a small town outside of Kettering. This was a huge thing for me todo, but in a weird way it almost worked. I was outside of my "safe" zone and just HAD to button my knickers! There was nowhere to run to.

I had about three major attacks during the time I lived in England. This makes me think on hindsight that alot of it is/was psychological.

Eventually most of my friends knew that this happened to me, but it still made me feel like a fool. I felt that everyone was getting on with their lives and I was being held back with these stoopid bloody atacks. I hated myself and wanted to be "normal".

Through time I managed to conquer these attacks, and very very occassionally I can feel the flutterings of an attack, but I push it right out of the way and NEVER dwell on it. I busy myself with something until suddenly I'm aware that the flutterings have gone.

I'm not sure how to advice you on how to get to the point where you are panic attack free, I'm shyte at explaining things! but you are welcome to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer. xxx

Hi JF! I haven't received anything, but I have sent you one with my email address, so Y*should*HM

I don't suffer anything like all of you but I seem to be panicking about everything and think the worst is going to happen. I panic about going to work mostly as I have had a bad few months with a high workload so although now the problem in theory is resolved I still worry about being shouted at and getting things done.

How do I cope ???? I don't. I have just got back from a two week holiday which helped but I know that things were calm then as I didn't have work to worry about. I have music on my Ipod to relax me, I have bought a herbal neck cusion that you can heat up which is really relaxing but this all is at home. I have been told lavender oil is relaxing - think you can get it in boots.

I'm really sorry to hear you are all suffering with anxiety. I used to suffer pretty badly as well and had a re-occurrence recently after many years. I read Christine Ingham's Panic Attacks (on Amazon) and that's really made me better. I RAHK-ed my copy so can't send on but would definitely recommend it. It is written by a sufferer and explains the physiology of panic attacks, the reasons why you might get them and the various methods of treatment. I found it really useful and definitely consider myself cured.

This is exactly what my husband did with me. My "thing" is not being able to go to the toilet if i need to. I, too, had got to the stage where I wouldn't leave the house except to go to work and that was a nightmare. H said "what's the worst that could happen? You'll sh1t yourself. What's the big deal about that?!" Which I found impossible to imagine. But it did help in that he didn't think it was a big deal. Again I make sure I have a "kit" if I go on a car journey for example. So loo roll, spare clothes etc - all in the car just in case.

I was referred to a CBT group therapy class and it was brilliant. Just understanding about the cycle of panic and why each stage happens was a huge eye opener for me. We also dealt with the breathing thing and that is the one thing that helped me more than anything else. So for example, breathe in for 2 counts and out for 3 - or whatever feels comfortable, just make sure the breath out is longer than the breath in. This reduces the amount of oxygen you're bringing in to your system in much the same way that the paper bag thing does.

The other major thing I learnt was that if each time you run away from the situation that causes the attack - the response will become quicker and worse each time. Something I could definitely relate to! So once you've got the hang of the breathing you need to challenge yourself gradually into sitting out those situations. Each time you "survive" it sends a signal back to your brain that you're not going to die/pass out/whatever and this gradually reduces the level of panic. It really does seem to work.

I do have to add a huge caveat here though in that I was put on citalopram at the same time as going to the course, so I was calmer to start with. I am still on 10mcg per day and it's impossible for me to raise the same level of panic as I did before. But the breathing is fab - and i use it regularly still.

On the subject of books - I have the CBT for Dummies book and although I've not got all the way through it yet it seems really good and reinforces alot of what I was taught on my course.

Good luck to all of us dealing with panic attacks - they are horrid and frightening. ?

That was one of the best things about my course - seeing that I wasn't the "only nutter in the village"! IYSWIM. It was great for support from people who understood, rather people who wanted to understand but hadn't experienced it.