Yall these panic attacks are getting FOUL. please give some good advice. The ocd brain in me be telling me I’m dying and bout to head to the Gates of Heaven. Helpppp
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.
@isshpra 🫶🏻 Wow you explained this so beautifully. Like I feel incredibly seen right now ❤️❤️
@isshpra 🫶🏻 Like wow you get it 10000%. Thank u so so much this was so comforting
@Free2024 I’m glad it brought you comfort :) I know it’s insanely difficult, you’re not alone 🩷
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.
@djflorio Thank you so so much. This is insanely profound. It really does work oh my gosh. Yeah I’m gonna adopt this mindset!!!! Thank u so so so so much this was life changing
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@Enthusiast Wow this was incredibly validating and made me feel a thousand times less crazy!!!! Like I thought health anxiety was rare but I’m learning a lot of people are dealing with it but I’ve been guilty of obsessive googling and trying to figure out or fix these sensations or thoughts
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. ❤️
@anonymous00001 Wait this is so beautiful I will definitely try this!!! I’ve never heard of it before but I bet it will work really well
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.
so i have ocd but this is the main theme ive been dealing with for the last few months, im obsessed with my mortality and i feel trapped by the reality of death. i dont really believe in an afterlife which makes it scarier, not that i dont wanna my brain literally just wont let me. but i have daily panic attacks thinking about death all day, its honestly the toughest thing ive ever dealt with. does anybody have any tips on how they manage this if they have ever dealt with it? not looking for reassurance, just some non compulsive ways to kind of lessen the grip of the fear.
I’ve recently been struggling a lot with OCD. I have had OCD for a long time I just didn’t realize it until more recently. About seven months ago I developed panic attacks one day randomly at work. I thought I was having a heart attack and went to the hospital where they told me it was just a panic attack and I assumed I would snap out and be better within a few days. However it didn’t. Here’s where it gets scary, I was staying at my then boyfriends house while dealing with blurry vision, anxiety attacks everyday, and more (unsure of what was going on). But at some point I saw my bfs (pew pew 🔫) on his table and it sent me into an anxiety attack after sudden thoughts that I was going to hurt myself with it. I begged him to put it away when I’m not looking so I didn’t know where he put it. He did. These thoughts lasted for about four days but began to go away. (I thought that was it and I would be back to normal). Unfortunately though I ended up moving back in with my family when we couldn’t get my panic attacks under control in time for me to get back to work and pay bills. However, coming home brought up a lot of trauma from when I was kid. My anxiety got worse but I didn’t have those thoughts again. About two and half months ago though, I got sick and went to the hospital where they gave me steroid pills and a steroid shot but sent me into some kind of psychiatric event. Ever since then though, I have been suffering from harm OCD, I have had moments of intense anger that I usually have to completely walk away and go on my own because of how intense they are, and it feels like it’s getting worse. Today I felt fine until about and hour and half ago where I started to dwell on the fact that my suicidal thought was influenced by my OCD and at the moment my OCD is at the worst it’s been. This caused me to get suddenly really depressed and I started crying thinking about how I can’t handle this. I then saw a post talking about how suicide rates are high for people with this form of OCD and it made me question if I am mentally strong enough to pull through this. I fear that at times I’m getting worse. I have good days but I have a lot of bad days. Unfortunately this sent me into such a bad panic attack I went over to my nanas crying about how I can’t deal with this. I took a 0.25 mg Xanax which helped calm down the panic attack portion of it but my brain is still uncomfortably active. I guess I just need hope. I’m so saddened by this. It’s like my life took a total 360 in 10 months and got even worse since the steroid shot. Idk what to do about it. I can’t stop the spiral. I talk to two different therapist weekly and start more next week, making it 5 times a week. I feel no improvements…
Hey! Just wondering if anyone else has dealt with something similar. A bit of background: I have POTS and had a horrible flare up in March which led to us calling ambulances; I started on meds which didn’t agree with me; the POTS flare passed and left me with horrific anxiety on a level I’ve never experience before. I was still able to go out and do every day things like grocery shopping and see my nan but nothing more. Fast forward a few weeks my uncle dies and the grief and stress triggered a massive migraine, and bc I’ve never had a migraine before it scared me and I thought I was having a stroke or something. The migraine passed but my brain latched onto the fear of it and how it felt to have one. Long story short since the beginning of the year it’s been one thing after another. A few days ago I had the worst panic attack ever downstairs in my house (felt like I couldn’t feel my arm or face) and it sent me into a spiral. I am now terrified to leave the house in case I have a panic attack outdoors, it just feels so unsafe. I went to the shop with my dad yesterday and felt so bad, but i managed to do it and I was proud. Tried again to go to a different shop closer to home because I was already feeling bad, and it was horrific. I started having a panic attack, felt faint, my arm and face went tingly, so we went back home. I’m trying to challenge myself every day but I am really really struggling and not sure what to do at this point. I tried fluoxetine but had horrible side effects (which included a horrific dip in my mood) so I had to stop them. I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow to tell her everything and explain how difficult it is, but I’m just SO scared all the time. It’s like my body is constantly scanning for danger. It’s got to a point where it’s been going on for so long I’m just desperate to try anything to help me feel just a little bit better. I’m not asking for much, I just want to be able to go to the shop without feeling like I’m going to die. My question is has anyone else dealt with anything like this? The panic attacks are terrifying, and even though I know they’re “not dangerous” it does not help because they’re still so so scary and even worse when I’m out of my bedroom because if I’m by myself I can kinda lie down, do some breathing and talk myself round. I just don’t know how to get over this and I’m so so sad because I’m 31 and scared of being stuck like this forever 😭
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