2am. Woken up not knowing which way was up. My heart beating so fast I thought I was having a heart attack. I thought I was dying. I couldn’t breathe or move. I just sat there feeling everything all at once. Every emotion, physical pain, the entire world coming down on me. It’s such a surreal hard to explain thing. This has been the latest in a string of panic attacks. Eight in the last two months. I don’t know what I’m doing to cause them, and I wish they would go away.
My usual coping mechanisms haven’t been working and honestly it feels useless to try and manage the attack at this point. I become completely debilitated in every way. I used to meditate during an attack but finding my center feels impossible these days. People have suggested different things along the way, and some seemed to have worked in the past but lately nothing is working.
This morning, after this latest one I asked for ideas from friends about how they get through them. Because obviously mine aren’t working. These are the methods others have suggested to try out. Some I’ve tried in the past and some ae new to me. I just want to share with others what was shared with me.
One of the suggestions was to eat sour candy. I’ve tried this one with mild anxiety and it worked great, just not with panic attacks yet. The sour candy takes focus from what’s going on and resets you a bit. I love sour candy too, do I will definitely be trying this the next time.
Calling or texting someone to take focus off the panic attack. I’m not one for phone calls but working through it with someone seems like a good option as well. Talking it out with someone who can help you calm down sounds like it would work. Having them work through it like talk therapy.
Playing a video game was another suggestion. I do love my video games, the only thing I think would hinder that is if I can’t focus enough to the game and might make me more frustrated. It’s worth a shot though.
Cold water by either shower, running it over your wrists and neck, wet wash rag to the forehead, holding ice. When I was in rehab one of the methods, they recommended in groups was to hold an ice cube in my hand and let it take focus. It grounded my in normal anxiety, so maybe it will work with an attack.
Medication is another. I am on several meds to manage different parts of my mental diagnosis. Although the regular day to day ones work for managing symptom, I haven’t tried taking the meds my psych gave me. I don’t really think about it in the throes of an attack. I can be better about that. Keeping them close by will help better with that.
Breathing exercises are also a good one. I have trouble with this because my breathing is so intense and all over the place in an attack. Regulated breathing either solo or a guided breath work meditation.
And lastly, secluding yourself into a space where you feel safe. The example was sitting in a closet. Obviously if you are claustrophobic this might make things worse, but I’m willing to try it.
These all sound great in theory but I always feel paralyzed when I’m having a panic attack. I think forcing myself to try these even when I feel helpless. I hate to be negative, but I only have my track record to go by. Hopefully I can change those patterns and learn better ways to manage them. It’s worth a shot because I have nothing to lose by trying them out. I can try and work through it or sit in it. I choose to work through it.
If you have practices to share to get through a panic attack, please share them in the comments section. It would be very helpful to me and others who see this.