panic attacks Options

[voguelove]

okay, so i know that i have generalized anxiety disorder and i often get panic attacks or episodes where im just going completely crazy with fear. the thing is, my dad is pretty much..anti medication and refused to put me on anything. and i guess im fine with it as long as i know how to control them. but i dont.

my hands are always sweaty when i have to play solos in orchestra, my stomach is always in knots right before a race, and my hearts pounds really fast even when theres nothing to be scared of. im just wondering if anyone knows how to cope with it without medication.

i know that people always say, "breathe. just breathe," or just to tell myself that everything will be okay. yea, it doesnt work. im just so frustrated with bad performances because of my nerves. AH, it's so annoyingg...

[WickedDreamer]

I get panic attacks a few times a month. Sometimes I'll just be dizzy and clammy. Other times I completely hyperventilate.

When I get them I force myself to calm down by doing one of two things.

~There's an actual name for this but I'm not sure what it is: I add numbers: one plus one is two, two plus two is four, four plus four is eight, 8 plus 8 is 16... and so. Generally that gets my mind off what is going on and I'm relaxed enough to continue with my day.

~Label things. Green leaves. Brown carpet. Blue sky. Pink shirt. Grey backpack. Tall man. Keep it simple and fast.

I've also just started developing OCD's which tend to help because it gives me something to focus on. I love pattern and rules: checking the volume to make sure it's at an even number (or 9, 11 or 21), making sure my computer is free of documents I no longer need and putting them in the appropriate folder. Although, that's really just trading one disorder for another. I like my OCD though.

Anyway, I prefer using the math one because I'm terrible at math and it's a little harder for me to add numbers together once I get past the portion of the sequence that I've memorized.

Hope this helps.