Having some strange Panic attacks lately.

Hello dear you...

gotta fly right now but will be back later on



lots of changes have happened over the last year MrH... pat yourself on the back for how you've come through the tough times - things seem to be evening out somewhat and new starts beginning... that can be a very anxious time too when the adrenaline of the things happening last year slows down and other emotions start kicking in... and not being in control of your feelings right now can cause the anxiety levels to rise so you feel like your having a panic attack.

Lots of deep breaths when you feel it coming on - but let those feelings out, try not to bottle them up - go paddle like crazy and keep yourself fit...

ok, really gotta fly... will catch you later mate. x

I wish I knew this back when I was in college in the mid90's Izzie. It might have helped my debilitating panic attacks when I couldn't or refused to get out of bed and I tried to mollify the panic attacks by mentally blanking out by watching Comedy Central and sleeping all day.

I ended up eventually turning a 4 year enrollment into 5 years then dropping out without a degree (at the time).

mrhunt, let me add another important thing to Izzie's key advice (if she doesn't mind) ... get emotional or spiritual help from a therapist or a priest or a minister or a very very close friend, whomever you feel comfortable talking to, (though a nonjudgmental/third party professional should be preferred).

My biggest mistakes at the time and in my life was exasperated by being deeply embarrassed and shy about expressing my fears and anxieties to others. If I got help at these early times then who knows how different my life would be.

And even though the internet forum (especially a2k) can be a medium filled with nonjudgmental/third party individuals and yes professionals as well, you need the more intimate and personal one on one/face to face help from someone who you can tell everything to without fear of judgement and reproach, etc....

Good luck and keep coming back to a2k. We can be quite supportive here as well.

try square breathing

this is how it was explained to me, breathe in slowly (4 seconds), hold (4 seconds), breathe out slowly (4 seconds), hold (4 seconds), repeat

mr hunt, there is help for you out there.

like tsar and others here, I suffered from panic attacks for a long time.
Got to the point they would happened daily, and several times each day.

again, lie tsar, my world got smaller and smaller, trying to avoid all the things that would trigger them. I was this close (holding thumb and index finger slightly apart) to starting to call in to work, saying I couldn't come in. The drive there would totally ruin me for hours afterwards.

You're working, right?

Call the mental health hotline, and tell them you need to see someone now. That literally saved my life.
I didn't know what was wrong with me, couldn't define it with the word "anxiety syndrome". I don't know what I told the hotline was wrong, I'm sure I just sputtered something like "I can't take it anymore" Then, they asked some questions, and gave me a list of names to call.

I ended up seeing a counselor for about a year, talking out so much about changes and situations in my life.

Again, like tsar, I was embarrassed and ashamed by this, thinking I should be better able to "control" myself. In my case, it's a matter of a chemical imbalance of seritonin in my brain, from decades of high stress. Eventually I went on Zoloft, which, contrary to what you hear, does not make you a zombie, just let's you be the person you are. (well, it makes you pretty laid back at first, which was an absolute delight, truth be told)

anyway, I'm saying all this to tell you help is just one phone call away.

Somebody once told me that with all great changes comes mourning. Mourning never comes without discomfort. I can relate. I've recently made a few major lifestyle changes, and I've faced fits of anxiety as well. I think letting yourself experience these feelings is a major part of moving through transitional stages in life.

A
R
T

Can I share with you how I got thru last year after my husband died? Talk about anxiety attacks . . .

1. Recognize that you have some feelings that are causing you discomfort. Mine was regret and remorse about my marriage AND anxiety about the future - now what?? kind stress.
2. Try to analyze where these are coming from. In my case it was from the death of my husband. But because I am an adult child of alcoholics, there ar deep seated feelings of abandonment and disappointment and a role of being over-responsibile in the family. So the fact that I could not fix or control my husband's illness and his (our life) casued me to feel like I was whirling out of control, hence the anxiety.
3. Accept that there is going to be CHANGE and there is impermanence in all events and relationships. Nothing stands still. As humans we must move thru sereis of events. This can be very scarey - which causes anxiety.
4. Pull up these emotions and coddle and caress them, like a good mother does with a crying baby. Be tender and nurturing to yourself. Tell yourself, "I know you are (sad, restless, scared, lonely, anxious) and I will take care of you. you will be all right. I know you are suffering and i am here." then put the feelings down and bring them up more times and just self-love them away.
5. Yes, do the square breathing. It really helps and should calm you down in a few minutes. (I am breathing in, I am breathing out)

Consider a male counselor who is in to self-calming. Practice "Stop, calm, heal, rest." Do this several times daily.

Watch the alcohol (depressant) and caffeine (stimulant) and sugar/carb intake. Strenuous exercise helps. Really work up a sweat at least 3 times a week.
Good luck.

It sounds like you are going through a period of self-doubt, and I think that's something all of us go through from time to time, especially when we've made, or contemplate making, major changes in our lives. It doesn't sound as though you're either moving in the wrong direction or letting life pass you by. In fact, it seems to be quite the opposite--you've been making "alot of EXTREMELY DIFFICULT but Totally positive changes In my life", and that's wonderful, but it's also stressful and it can lead to feeling somewhat emotionally overwhelmed at times. That's why you might feel as though you are about to burst into tears, or feel short of breath, or suddenly consider everything in your life to be totally wrong.

You've been pushing yourself rather hard and you may just be temporarily emotionally overloaded. You need to take a breather, back off from thinking about making all the self-improvements, and just relax for a bit. Try to refocus on the good things in your life since you say, "Everything in my life Is Going Rather well and i Feel like Im pretty happy". That's a good place to be, so enjoy it. Take some time to smell the roses and appreciate what you already have. You do feel entitled to be happy, don't you? Part of happiness is a feeling of contentment. Even though there are more changes you want to make, allow yourself to feel content with what you've already been able to accomplish. Give yourself permission to feel happy about the positive things in your life.

You've gotten some good advice about relaxation techniques in this thread, and you should try them. Deep breathing exercises are great, you can do them just about anywhere, and they will help you to relax if done properly. Make sure you do them slowly, and practice them.

Talk to yourself about your feelings and thoughts--out loud if necessary. I sometimes do this when I am driving in my car. If you know that some of your feelings are illogical (like everything is wrong about your car), talk to yourself the same way you would talk to a friend who had such feelings. Tell yourself you are being silly or foolish to feel that way, and try to laugh at yourself. Promise yourself a Ferrari after you hit the lottery.

You can control how you feel and think about things, because you can always alter your attitudes. For instance, while your life might not be perfect now, it isn't all totally wrong either--it's simply a work in progress. There is something to be said for seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty, so try to keep your attitudes positive and optimistic. No matter what you decide to do next, the world won't come to an end if it turns out to be a bad choice, you will always have another chance, and another choice, somewhere down the line, so try to keep things in perspective.

You already found one good technique for sorting out your thoughts and feelings--making a list or writing things down.



And you know you have control over your feelings, and that's a wonderful insight. You can logically and rationally examine your emotions and thoughts, and you can change them. Writing things down helps to make them more objective, and it helps to scale them down to size. What you think helps to determine how you feel, so continue to write things down, and think them through, and try to be positive in your attitude. Consider keeping a daily journal if you think that would be helpful to you.

Even good changes in our lives can sometimes throw us for a loop. Change is unsettling, it creates anxiety because it forces us to confront the unfamiliar. But that's a good thing. You may just need some time to adapt and adjust to where you are at this point in your life. So, give yourself a breather, learn some relaxation techniques, appreciate the good things in your life, and just keep moving forward one small step at a time. Basically it sounds like you are on the right track. You know that, "ive worked hard and have alot to be proud of", so keep reminding yourself of that.

You may just be right firefly,And i appreciate everyones help On here as always!

Ive been trying to get up early and walk on the beach or run Which is always relaxing.....did it this morning and didnt havnt any crazy feelings today and things went really well despite doing a 13 hour shift....Lol.