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another panic attack


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Fight or flight kicked in earlier and I chose the former when I was out but I feel wretched now. I KNOW they are "harmless" but when they occur seemingly out of the blue I feel terrified.

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Jess and Skullpops - thanks so much for the responses. I'm  ok - in a way after an "unexpected" panic attack and although calmed down I feel like I'm in a sort of state of "shock".

I wanted to run home and take a pill but I can't do that as I've committed myself to a voluntary tranquilliser withdrawal program.

I just feel drained, disorientated and scared.

I've offered people advice about panic attacks and yet WHEN I have one I can't seem to follow the advice I've given to others.

Thank you again. Phil.

Edited by PhilM
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Unfortunately as I've discovered on this great forum some people unfortunately became dependent on benzos. On the positive side there are people who were on them for years managed to get off them and have the kindness to offer wise and compassionate advice.

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Hey, don’t feel bad for giving into it, they’re so incredibly scary and even worse when they’re out of the blue. Be kind to yourself and be proud that u didn’t go and take that pill, that’s a triumph in itself. Feel better soon! 

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Panic attacks won't be solved by pills. I believe they get resolved in the longer term by a combination of CBT and relaxation methods. 

Anxiety is brought on by the sufferer's protection systems seeing a threat, comparing it against previous alerts, finding a match then pressing the panic button. 

But if we can rewrite the script for that previous attack, so that it would no longer deem the issue a threat, then the anxiety won't kick in. 

What is a panic attack?  Probably an intense response to an anxiety-producing issue. If, when we start to feel an attack coming on, we can "spoke"  the anxiety wheel that threatens to mushroom, then we can limit the attack. 

Switching focus to calm deep breathing, and/or refocus away to a relaxing scene or getting very distracted into something beneficial will aid this process. 

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Hope you are having a better day Phil. 

You will get such attacks and will gradually now with our help hopefully puck up ways to not connect with the source thinking and ease away and use relaxation techniques. 

As our wonderful joint friend lostinme says "you can do this Phil :cheer:"

:thumbup:

 

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Sometimes panic attacks can just occur for no reason, like I remember my very worst one that I’d had a pretty good day in comparison to others, I got up to use the bathroom and I suddenly didn’t feel right, then I had the worst panic attack I’ve ever experienced. It’s a tricky beast sometimes! Nothing to feel demoralised about though Phil, I know plenty of people who I don’t think would cope if they ever experienced one. We are brave people because we carry on despite them! X

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51 minutes ago, PhilM said:

To be honest Roy I feel somewhat demoralised by yesterday's PA.

Phil I used to get them, now it's very very rarely. Maybe take that as encouragement :)

 

Edited by taurean
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Thank you Skull - it feels to (just me) that the aftermath of a panic attack can cause a lot of mixed feelings. e.g. Am I going mad? How did I deal with it? Was it noticeable to other people that  I was distressed? I've always found a lot of embarrassment around PA's but why?

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Because you are giving them emphasis, power and meaning and ruminating as to why you are having them, what the threat was etc.

They are an anxiety reaction to what your brain perceives as a negative fear or threat - and you will only beat them by changing your perceptions. 

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I know Roy and thank you as always. I think I'm putting too much emphasis on the tranquilliser issue instead of realising the panic attacks can be part and parcel of the life of an anxiety sufferer? I don't know. I have no answers other than that I'm shocked when they happen intermitantally (excuse grammar as always). 

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1 hour ago, PhilM said:

I know Roy and thank you as always. I think I'm putting too much emphasis on the tranquilliser issue instead of realising the panic attacks can be part and parcel of the life of an anxiety sufferer? I don't know. I have no answers other than that I'm shocked when they happen intermitantally (excuse grammar as always). 

I think you are possibly right though may be part and parcel of the overall problem. 

Eliminating in due course the tranquilliser issue will no doubt help though. 

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