JennaRoseMadre

hi, I wish I'd seen this thread earlier. I'm new and have not poked around in everything yet. I'm going through a very stressful time. I'm OK when I'm with people, but I was home alone today and was having bad panic attacks this afternoon. I tried deep breathing, walking up and down the stairs, listening to calming music -- yet it kept coming and going all day long. Any other suggestions? (My therapist is on vacation. I'll talk to her about this next week and let her know I'm having trouble, but will appreciate any suggestions, ideas in the meantime.) Thanks.

Astro

I'm glad you're here and hope you get some helpful answers.

I don't have too much experience with panic attacks, but I do know that when I have them it too helps me to be around people. Therefore, I choose to stay around recovery meetings, church events, etc., anything where people are congregating. In early recovery, I only went home to sleep and do a little personal care, then it was back out the door to work and more meetings. Gradually, those attacks subsided.

Winslow

I have this too! When I'm alone I start thinking and dwelling on stuff and it triggers panic in me,I just got a book yesterday called "From Panic to Power" I hope reading it gives me some help,I'm over anxiety! I hope you get some relief soon😊

hope778

Jenna - Panic Attacks are no joke. Sorry you're having to experience them. I dealt with them a good bit a while ago while in high school. Have them periodically now due to current circumstances... This may seem trivial, but a few things that help bring me back to earth are to drink a cold glass of water, splash water on my face, etc. I was advised to do something along those lines to help you focus back on the reality of yourself, where you are, etc. and bring you out of whatever emotions/thoughts are trapping you in the panic. Something else to try, again it will sound trivial, is to look around and name/touch 5 objects that are around you. A chair, your keys, a jacket, etc.. Whatever is around you. This, again, is said to bring you back to the current moment and is an attempt to shift your focus immediately back to the present.

soberaccountant

I am glad you have a therapist and you trust them enough to talk to them about the panic attacks you have been dealing with. I am in agreement with those above that getting yourself in public around people in more social situations will certainly be helpful for you. I have found when I am feeling anxious or down that getting into a physical activity such as bike riding or weight lifting for me has been helpful. I also will just make a visit to a coffee shop or a park/beach to get myself in a more public place in contact with people to get myself out of it. I don't have to always talk to someone, just being around others helps.

JennaRoseMadre

Hi, wanted to thank all of you. I had a couple of good days, then melted down (EPIC MELTDOWN) the other day. Therapist is still on vacation. I know if I had called her office, I could have seen one of her colleagues, but it's so hard for me to trust/be open, I can't imagine anything much would have occurred... wouldn't have been worth the drive there. I did spend time with my son and DIL today. They're newlyweds and so happy and in love and the world is a beautiful place, etc. When I'm with them, it rubs off and I feel so good. But as we were coming home (me, husband, son in recovery) the closer we got to the house, I started feeling the rapid heartbeat, feeling twitchy, etc. I'm breathing and concentrating, and in the car I tried that touching trick someone wrote about (this is my purse, this is a magazine, this is the window...) trying to focus on "now" instead of panic. It's so damn hard. Thank you so much for caring!

hope778

I haven't read your past threads to know, but it sounds like your home is a place of bad memories, traumatic experiences, emotional turmoil, etc. I am RIGHT there with you. When I realize my time is up elsewhere (spending time with family somewhere, out to eat, etc) and it is time to go back home, I feel the same. Being out of the house (and in my mind away from the turmoil that could easily erupt while there) is such an escape. Having to step back inside and realize this house will only run and stay afloat if I do something about it puts the pressure right back on. Maybe you can relate?

JennaRoseMadre

Hi Hope. Yes. Lately I had a huge scare (mistaken) that my son had been killed in an accident. I simply can't recover from that. I was under that mistaken assumption in my own house. Since then, being home alone isn't working out so well for me. If my son or husband is also home, I'm better, but not great. Going to my therapist tomorrow after her 2-week vacation. There are all the other stresses of life, big and small, but I'm already in high alert and can't shake the scare of the accident-that-didnt-happen