Panic attack advice

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I wish I had advice apart from ride it out. I was reminded of why I’m putting a halt to my academics this morning when I had a panic attack for the first time in two weeks (before that it was a month and half of 2-3 panic attacks a day). If you’re anything like me, nothing makes it better once you’re in a panic attack. Deep breathing makes it worse, pay attention to breathing in general makes it worse. It’s debilitating to the point you can’t even get up and drink something cold or take a cold shower to help calm you. All I can do is ride it out, an hour and a half later I start to feel better enough that I can recognize “yeah 100% that was a panic attack and I’m not dying.” I wish I had more to advice to give you but I think a lot of people don’t understand that sometimes panic attacks can be so debilitating to the point you genuinely can’t even move. Just ride it out and know it will calm down eventually. Best of luck.

Sorry you're struggling with this. I know it's hard, and any advice is easier said that done. Panic attacks are fueled by resistance. The more you try to get rid of a panic attack, the stronger it becomes. That's why even relaxation techniques often don't work, because it's just another way you're trying to get rid of the panic. The paradoxical solution is to actively WELCOME the panic. This sounds crazy, but once you understand what's going on, you'll see why it can be effective. You have to put down your guard and say, "you know what, I WANT to panic right now." Seriously, actually try to make the panic worse. Welcome all of the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, with the intension of really feeling everything. Notice how your breathing changes, notice how your chest feels, notice how your stomach feels, notice everything. Be curious about what panic feels like. If you practice this mindset, you may be surprised to find that it's actually difficult to make yourself panic. That's because as soon as you stop resisting, the panic generally has nothing to feed on; like a fire with no oxygen. But again, don't make "getting rid" of the panic your goal. That's the trickiest part! It takes practice, but it's at least an approach you may not have tried before. Play around with it next time you're panicking.

I used to experience intrusive thoughts regarding the state of my health. How I got over it was an experience I had one night, anxious id die in my sleep, deciding id challenge my OCD. I told myself that if I woke up fine/alive and breathing, then the things I’m experiencing are not underlying symptoms to something greater and it’s all in my head. I allowed myself to take that pressure of tending to my health off my shoulders, put on a YouTube video, and went to bed. Woke up perfectly fine and even laughed at myself. If it helps, knowing that ANYONE could die and they still live their life to the fullest is humanizing and takes the pressure off of focusing only on death instead of living in the present moment. If you feel this intrusive thought creep, allow yourself to have a moment of relaxation, detaching from the “what if-“ anxiety and affirming with “yeah, what if! 🤷‍♀️ and immediately turning your attention to the things you enjoy. (Disclaimer: if you or others reading this are experiencing symptoms that are painful/uncomfortable that affect your day to day life dramatically, this doesn’t apply! Im speaking in my experience, with no previous negative health history or diseases, I’d convince myself I have a brain tumor after one headache. I used to have a flat pillow that gave me headaches for a week and I was convinced I had some sort of neck sprain that needed surgery to fix if I didn’t go to a doctor. Never went to a doctor, just got a new pillow and pain went away. It was all in my head. I know it can be confusing to find a middle ground of “in your head” vs reality.)

I am so, so sorry your panic attacks are so bad right now. I’ve been there and the quickest piece of advice I can give: get an ice eye mask. It really helps ground you and gives you a sensation to focus on. Be sure to take deep breaths when you have it. The mask I have is very soft fabric on one side and I’ll just lie down, close my eyes, and place the mask over my eyes and breathe. Plus, gives you an action item to do when you start to feel really really scared It’s a very small action but it makes me feel like I’m doing something to help myself in the present moment. Sending love. ❤️

Panic attacks are horrible - I’m so sorry you are going through one. You absolutely cannot die from a panic attack. Splash cold water on your face and wrists (even better, take a cold shower), go for a walk, do push ups, put ice on your chest or neck, breathe deeply and slowly and tell OCD to shut the f$&@ up.