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+--- Thread: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? (/showthread.php?tid=4827)
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - happyvibe - 10-18-2018
(10-18-2018, 02:39 AM)scorpiosunset Wrote:(10-15-2018, 08:42 PM)happyvibe Wrote: These tricks are so helpful. When I was going through the thick of panic attacks i used to have bnzo's w me at all times. now i keep only one in my wallet. i think having it there is reassurance and a safety net.
when im riding the bus or metro i tend to feel my anxiety level rise. it helps to smile at someone just to get that human connection. now ive started to watch shows like big bang or modern family to pass the time. def not anything too heavy!
i agree too! i like 30 rock and the unbreakable kimmy schmidt for silly yet smart distracting tv shows.
yes! tiny fey is a comedic genius. and tituss burgess!
laughter like many have said already is a great weapon against anxiety and panic attacks. if im laughing less likely i will fixate on the negative.
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - texasoutlaw - 10-22-2018
Breathing excercis, mindfulness, and constantly reminding myself that i have had them before and i get through them
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - celts17 - 10-25-2018
Texas outlaw well said. nothing beats a hot bath or hot shower. Or if you have a friend who has a spa.
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - quickfix - 11-08-2018
Great advice guys! Thank you for sharing them. Most of them are great preventative relaxing techniques.
But my question was more of telling your story of your worst/horrific panic attack that you can never forget and what you did at that moment? The good and the bad, and how you overcame that particular attack. We all have that one in our lives that stands out from the rest.
Look forward to reading your experiences.
Thanks QF
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - happyvibe - 11-08-2018
the worst one for me was so bad that i pulled a cop over and he called the paramedics. (this was after an injury and unbeknownst to me i was suffering from PTSD) the paramedics checked me out and knew right away it was a panic attack. it didn't minimize the physical symptoms i was feeling. as it turned out the paramedic was a therapist and i wound up going to him for about a year. i would not wish that day on my worst enemy but it taught me a lot about how my negative thoughts can snowball in 5 seconds into a full blown panic.
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - quickfix - 11-09-2018
Hey happyvibe,
thanks for sharing your horrific experience.
Good thing you asked for help, that is what a lot of us fail to do and suffer in silence for years.
How wonderful that the paramedic was also a therapist! I had a horrific experience which my psychologist said could brought on PTSD as i still to this point have triggers everywhere. But she was very helpful, when i finally got to see her after months of waiting!
I know exactly what you mean by being okay one sec and in full blown panic attack the next, apart from meds which do help have you come across this? My psych religiously enforced this on me.
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking
Sometimes we see things as being black or white: Perhaps you have two categories of coworkers in your mind—the good ones and the bad ones. Or maybe you look at each project as either a success or a failure. Recognize the shades of gray, rather than putting things in terms of all good or all bad.
2. Overgeneralizing
It's easy to take one particular event and generalize it to the rest of our life. If you failed to close one deal, you may decide, "I'm bad at closing deals." Or if you are treated poorly by one family member, you might think, "Everyone in my family is rude." Take notice of times when an incident may apply to only one specific situation, instead of all other areas of life.
3. Filtering Out the Positive
If nine good things happen, and one bad thing, sometimes we filter out the good and hone in on the bad. Maybe we declare we had a bad day, despite the positive events that occurred. Or maybe we look back at our performance and declare it was terrible because we made a single mistake. Filtering out the positive can prevent you from establishing a realistic outlook on a situation. Develop a balanced outlook by noticing both the positive and the negative.
4. Mind-Reading
We can never be sure what someone else is thinking. Yet, everyone occasionally assumes they know what's going on in someone else's mind. Thinking things like, "He must have thought I was stupid at the meeting," makes inferences that aren't necessarily based on reality. Remind yourself that you may not be making accurate guesses about other people's perceptions.
5. Catastrophizing
Sometimes we think things are much worse than they actually are. If you fall short on meeting your financial goals one month you may think, "I'm going to end up bankrupt," or "I'll never have enough money to retire," even though there's no evidence that the situation is nearly that dire. It can be easy to get swept up into catastrophizing a situation once your thoughts become negative. When you begin predicting doom and gloom, remind yourself that there are many other potential outcomes.
6. Emotional Reasoning
Our emotions aren't always based on reality but we often assume those feelings are rational. If you're worried about making a career change, you might assume, "If I'm this scared about it, I just shouldn't change jobs." Or, you may be tempted to assume, "If I feel like a loser, I must be a loser." It's essential to recognize that emotions, just like our thoughts, aren't always based on the facts.
7. Labeling
Labeling involves putting a name to something. Instead of thinking, "He made a mistake," you might label your neighbor as "an idiot." Labeling people and experiences places them into categories that are often based on isolated incidents. Notice when you try to categorize things and work to avoid placing mental labels on everything.
8. Fortune-telling
Although none of us knows what will happen in the future, we sometimes like to try our hand at fortune-telling. We think things like, "I'm going to embarrass myself tomorrow," or "If I go on a diet, I'll probably just gain weight." These types of thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies if you're not careful. When you're predicting doom and gloom, remind yourself of all the other possible outcomes.
9. Personalization
As much as we'd like to say we don't think the world revolves around us, it's easy to personalize everything. If a friend doesn't call back, you may assume, "She must be mad at me," or if a co-worker is grumpy, you might conclude, "He doesn't like me." When you catch yourself personalizing situations, take time to point out other possible factors that may be influencing the circumstances.
10. Unreal Ideal
Making unfair comparisons about ourselves and other people can ruin our motivation. Looking at someone who has achieved much success and thinking, "I should have been able to do that," isn't helpful, especially if that person had some lucky breaks or competitive advantages along the way. Rather than measuring your life against someone else's, commit to focusing on your own path to success.
Fixing Thinking Errors
Once you recognize your thinking errors, you can begin trying to challenge those thoughts. Look for exceptions to the rule and gather evidence that your thoughts aren't 100% true. Then, you can begin replacing them with more realistic thoughts.
The goal doesn't need to be to replace negative thoughts with overly idealistic or positive ones. Instead, replace them with realistic thoughts. Changing the way you think takes a lot of effort initially, but with practice, you'll notice big changes—not just in the way you think, but also in the way you feel and behave. You can make peace with the past, look at the present differently, and think about the future in a way that will support your chances of reaching your goals.
Thanks for sharing your experience
All the best QF
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - happyvibe - 11-09-2018
Hey QF- thank you so much for taking the time to post these 10 triggers. It’s fair to say that at that point in my life I was exhibiting all those behaviors in rinse cycle. Overcoming your daily thoughts and replacing them with what’s actually rooted in reality takes work.
It sounds like your psych is a good one! That’s so important.
Thanks again for taking the time to post and ask a question about a hard topic.
I found this board one night when I couldn’t sleep and I’m amazed by how many helpful and compassionate people are on it.
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - quickfix - 11-10-2018
Your welcome happyvibe, I know all too well how it can feel having triggers that bring up past memories to such an extent that it can affect your daily life. My psych was very stern, and helped me tremendously.
Feelings, emotions, memories, thoughts, are all connected and sometimes not in a healthy way which affect us physically.
As you said it takes time and hard work, but our brains are very open to change and constantly are. With the right stimulation our mental health literally does lie in our hands and our will power.
People have survived severe brain trauma from car crashes ect( a little of topic here) and go on to fully recover.
So weather its benzo, psychs, mental health or abuse of ilicits we will get better.
The aim is not to replace the thoughts with positive ones, after all they are just thoughts that come and go. It's more about challenging them and not letting our emotions dictate our thoughts which can have a downward spiral.
Understanding a thoughts effect in pieces can help you understand how it effects you.
What emotion it evokes, memory, feeling, physical reaction can really help clarify.
Thanks QF
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - quickfix - 11-10-2018
This is what my psych put me through, they call the CBT but I say it's exposure therapy.
The last 4 explain how it is suppose to work
What Is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that was developed to help people confront their fears. When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities or situations. Although this avoidance might help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, over the long term it can make the fear become even worse. In such situations, a psychologist might recommend a program of exposure therapy in order to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear. In this form of therapy, psychologists create a safe environment in which to “expose” individuals to the things they fear and avoid. The exposure to the feared objects, activities or situations in a safe environment helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance.
Exposure therapy has been scientifically demonstrated to be a helpful treatment or treatment component for a range of problems, including:
Phobias,
Panic Disorder,
Social Anxiety Disorder,
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,
Post traumatic Stress Disorder,
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
There are several variations of exposure therapy. Your psychologist can help you determine which strategy is best for you. These include:
In vivo exposure: Directly facing a feared object, situation or activity in real life. For example, someone with a fear of snakes might be instructed to handle a snake, or someone with social anxiety might be instructed to give a speech in front of an audience.
Imaginal exposure: Vividly imagining the feared object, situation or activity. For example, someone with Post traumatic Stress Disorder might be asked to recall and describe his or her traumatic experience in order to reduce feelings of fear.
Interoceptive exposure: Deliberately bringing on physical sensations that are harmless, yet feared. For example, someone with Panic Disorder might be instructed to run in place in order to make his or her heart speed up, and therefore learn that this sensation is not dangerous.
Exposure therapy can also be paced in different ways. These include:
Graded exposure: The psychologist helps the client construct an exposure fear hierarchy, in which feared objects, activities or situations are ranked according to difficulty. They begin with mildly or moderately difficult exposures, then progress to harder ones.
Flooding: Using the exposure fear hierarchy to begin exposure with the most difficult tasks.
Systematic desensitization: In some cases, exposure can be combined with relaxation exercises to make them feel more manageable and to associate the feared objects, activities or situations with relaxation.
Exposure therapy is thought to help in several ways, including:
1 Habituation: Over time, people find that their reactions to feared objects or situations decrease.
2 Extinction: Exposure can help weaken previously learned associations between feared objects, activities or situations and bad outcomes.
3 Self-efficacy: Exposure can help show the client that he/she is capable of confronting his/her fears and can manage the feelings of anxiety.
4 Emotional processing: During exposure, the client can learn to attach new, more realistic beliefs about feared objects, activities or situations, and can become more comfortable with the experience of fear.
QF
RE: Experienced Panic Attacks? What do you do? - Cantique - 04-14-2019
My worst ever panic attacks happen when I am driving on a motorway, legs shake, heart pumping, depersonalisation, I feel like I’m not actually there. Terrifying which is why I don’t drive on motorways ever anymore. I’ve had some success with the Dare response in general, where you dare the feelings to become a full blown episode, the theory bring that you can’t make yourself have a panic attack. I am also ashamed to say I got completely conned with some online so called cure, it was a bloody pdf. But you feel desperate and would do anything to escape the dread that a life with panic and anxiety gives you.