Coping with panic attacks

[mdlbear]

I often find theferret's posts boring and irrelevant. But every once in a while he comes up with something like this post on Coping With Panic Attacks

The walls are closing in around you, and why not? You’re a complete failure. The world hates you, and it’d be a relief if those walls actually did collapse upon you, ending your misery. You can’t take it, you can’t take it, you can’t take it…

A friend of mine’s been having panic attacks, and asked me if I had any coping mechanisms. As it turns out, I do, so I wrote them up.

A note: These are merely my coping mechanisms. Every person is different, and what works for me may not work for you. But these are the tools that saved my marriage, so I consider them valuable.

I don't get panic attacks, generally. Anxiety, yes. But I know several people on my flist who do get them.

Go read the post, and let me know whether it looks useful to you.

Comments

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

pretty close for a non-professional

[carmiel.livejournal.com]

I did get them a while ago, when life ganged up on me. (divorce, just given birth, lost job) It was for me a reaction to overload. I got told it was a "overload valve" that was telling me to go lie down by myself (while crying hysterically). Yes your fight/flight hormones are pegging the gauge. Some of his stuff could actually work, if you have the self awareness to step back from your fear and terror.
Whether his advice works or not really depends on the person.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

A lot of this is good advice, if you can manage it. It's also mostly good advice for depression (which can be different from panic attacks pe se.) There are a couple of very specific triggers for my panic attacks, so I've just learned to not do them without someone around to talk me through them (usually my psychologist,) but general depression tells the same sorts of lies. And there is a fine ballance to be struck in calling your friends, particularly if you're always calling/IMing the same one or two friends. I'm very familiar with the dance of coming up with evidence which my brain discounts, though.

As for the running around in the real world - sometimes that helps, sometimes that makes things worse. I agree that it's important, but it isn't always the answer and running around doing the wrong things can make the feelings of 'this will never work, I just suck, look, I can't even do /this/' worse. Especially since, at least for me, forcing myself to do that kind of thing can tire me out or wear out my ability to cope, and then any other little thing that comes along feels bigger and worse.