Anxiety can be one of the most debilitating disorder to have. I have suffered panic attacks for the last 18 years and they are horrible. When I have a panic attack I begin to sweat, my heart pounds, and I feel like I am going to have a heart attack or a seizure. I take medication for it daily and literally couldn’t survive without it. I never know when I am going to have one but I get anxious about driving, going to the Doctor, new situations and sometimes just being at home alone can cause an attack. I use my cognitive behavioral skills from Grad school to tell myself, ”it’s going to be ok! You are fine. Nothing bad is going to happen”. And I try to breath deep breaths. I also have learned from myself and my patients that some tactile movements can help. By this I mean gentle tapping on my chest and the BEST for me has been sitting on the shower floor letting the water hit my back. These seem to take my brain from panic to noticing the physical connection in my body to something external. Panic attacks exist in the brain but are very real and frightening. Let me know if you have discovered any techniques that help calm you down. If someone you know and love is having a panic attack I suggest you just sit with them, be calm, tell them everything is ok and ask them what helps them stop these horrible feelings. I also suggest you find a great Psychiatrist to talk with and help with some necessary medicine, if you don’t mind taking medication. Best of luck to all of us that suffer daily from anxiety, it feels horrible at times. I am right there with you.
