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...

[AngelinaTaylor]

Ooh I had that. It takes a while to get over it.

Just think - it's all psychological. ALL of it. The fear comes from your mind. And your mind controls everything. Maybe you can do therapy or something.

For me, I just stopped caring about what people think, completely. It took me 3 years or so. Before, I would freak out for the smallest performances, but now I'm not even nervous during exams/competitions.

Just "brainwash" yourself.. it's possible.

[elaboratedream]

panic attacks can be really hard to manage without medications, but if your dad won't let you go on meds, then I guess you have no choice but to try to control it yourself.

I have a lot of panic attacks too, and I prolly should be on meds, but I really don't like them. (It wouldn't just be meds for anxiety, it would be meds for bipolar, and I HATE bipolar meds)

I know you hear it a lot, but it is important to try to control your breathing during a panic attack. If you can slow it down, take deep, relaxing breaths, that can help a lot. Just keep reminding yourself that you have nothing to freak out about. I know during panic attacks your thoughts can go out of control, my suggestion is to try to slow them down and think calming thoughts. I know how hard it is, but at least trying all these things should help.

[*jeanna*]

i know how you feel. ive been on every pill for it but i think it's mostly mental. you sound nutty when you have to tell yourself "CHILL OUT" but it works sometimes. :/

[ashxx69xbaby]

ive been haaving panic attacks since 10th grade and im now in my 2nd year of college.... but i also have asthma too so its really hard to actually figure out which one it is... but ne ways... i havent taken ne meds for it at all. i can be controlled like my doctor said but stress and fear can play a huge part in any panic attack.

[LoveToMySilas]

Well, as much as I hate to say it, the breathing thing really does help. I remember someone telling me if I ever got nervous to take deep breaths (in through nose, out through the mouth) and count to 10. If that doesn't work, you can always visualize a soothing place (like the ocean or a beach) and just picture it. It'll help you block out everything else.

[MissFits]

I have been having full blown panic attacks for a week now about every hour or so. I can't sleep, I can barely eat, and I lost my job because of it. It's the most dreadful thing I have every lived through. At first I had no idea what it was. It's debilitating I can feel them coming on and then suddenly I am in an alternate reality and my heart is racing, my mind is racing, I can't breathe, I am shaking, dizzy, and violently ill.
I have been doing a shit load of research and I found a general consensus that smell is a great way to calm yourself. Just find a smell that reminds you of your childhood, baby powder works for a lot of people, and put it around you. If it's a perfume spray it on your pillow, if it's baby powder put it on your hands or chest. Lay down and take DEEP breaths. Keep reminding yourself it's normal (it happens to 1 in 20 people regularly, but most everyone has experienced at least 1), that you are okay, it's all in your mind you aren't going to die and it will pass, you're not crazy. Let that smell remind you of your childhood.
Doing a crossword puzzle or counting backwards from 100 helps out.
I'd say the most helpful thing for me is talking to my friends. If you don't feel comfortable telling everyone you know, that's okay. Just tell the person you trust the most and ask them to tell you what they know the most about (for John it's guitars, so if I am having a panic attack I say "tell me about guitars" or a specific brand, he knows that means I am freaking out. It's really convenient if we are out at a store or something). Think only about what they are telling you and envelope yourself in their words and the soothing sound of a close friends voice.
If I am home when it happens a bubble bath with lavender scent is really helpful.
I hope this helped, I definitely know how terrible it is.

[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.

[karmakiller]

I'm an OCDer, hah. My doctors have told me that my anxiety (and sometimes awkwardness in different situations) if part of it. Beathing is important. I have a study hall in the morning at school, which I get a credit for, so that I can start my mornings out slow, rather than just be thrown into a class. If you don't want to go on medication, it might be a good idea to let your instructors and teachers know about it. I know sometimes it might be a little embaressing to tell them, it was for me. But this will help you, because if you find yourself panicing they will let you take a little break if need be to get things under control. There's other things to do... I don't take any medication. And I'm doing just fine, although I do have my moments.

It might not be a bad idea to talk to your parents about going to see a therapist. They will help you learn techiniques that will be really useful. I went through therapy for my OCD and Anxiety and I was able to learn little things that help you gain control of yourself. I think the scariest thing about panic attacks is that you feel like you're not in control of your body.

[MissFits]

^I used to think that I would feel that way forever, and that scared me the most. I was terrified that I was really f**ked up in the head.

But, a really close friend of mine would only have panic attacks at school. The administrators always made things really easy for him.
He eventually dropped out because he couldn't handle it, but the school tried.

[karmakiller]

Wow, that must've been hard. I used to get panic attacks when I was around crowds, so school was tough for me and there were days that I wouldn't go, just for that reason. I still get nervous and lots of my friends think it's weird that I walk down the halls by myself, but the truth is I look like a zombie walking down the halls because I'm talking to myself in my head and telling myself to calm down and things will be okay.

The only thing that really bugs me is if I have a panic attack and I'm around people who don't know crap about how to handle a person who's having one. Mine aren't that bad, or often, anymore. I know sometimes people get creeped out when someone's having a panic attack, but there are some people who are better off just leaving you alone when you're having one.

[MissFits]

I know exactly what your saying. I was hanging out with a group of friends and I started having one and everyone kept getting in my face about. They were only trying to help, but they were making it a lot worse.
I am so glad I met someone else that has them!