Help How to calm down from anxiety attack

[Webcore]

I at coming down from an extremely bad panic attack from yesterday. My attacks can last for days, my nerves feel shot, my heart won't calm down its rate, I think about things I know arent going to hurt me and I keep telling myself they won't hurt me but nothing seems to calm my body down.

The only thing that does calm me down is planning on CTB but I don't want to keep doing that over and over. I'm currently medicated on fluoxetine and avoiding all my triggers while looking at facts about the things that spiked my anxiety attack. Please someone help me, how do I truly calm down and convince myself I am safe and that theres no need to panic.

 

[CoeurDAmour]

ive suffered from anxiety all my life and have been having really bad panic attacks as of late (today's been good though! first day in a week or two where i haven't had one so far ^_^) and something my friend encouraged me to do was meditative breathing exercises where you draw a box in your mind over and over for at least 5 minutes. because my mind is overactive, i like to try and push it to the sensory limit and will blast harsh noise in my ears while i do this (i like to listen to merzbow in specific when doing the exercises). it's helped calm me down pretty consistently. maybe it will have the same results for you?

 

[Webcore]

ive suffered from anxiety all my life and have been having really bad panic attacks as of late (today's been good though! first day in a week or two where i haven't had one so far ^_^) and something my friend encouraged me to do was meditative breathing exercises where you draw a box in your mind over and over for at least 5 minutes. because my mind is overactive, i like to try and push it to the sensory limit and will blast harsh noise in my ears while i do this (i like to listen to merzbow in specific when doing the exercises). it's helped calm me down pretty consistently. maybe it will have the same results for you?

Thank you so much! Usually being active helps, talking with friends and music too! I know mentally im okay, it just sucks that my body won't listen

 

[CoeurDAmour]

Thank you so much! Usually being active helps, talking with friends and music too! I know mentally im okay, it just sucks that my body won't listen

mhm, i feel that. it's so hard when you feel like everything in your life is going great but there's still a lingering sense of dread

 

[peacebenow]

I saw what you were going through last njght and glad you are doing better. Suggest talking to psychiatrist about your medication and getting on some more meds that will be more helpful for acute scenarios. Also, placing cold ice pack on your forehead and/or back of neck for a while can help your parasympathetic nervous system to relax as the extreme cold actives vagus nerve. Lying down with the ice packs is helpful. The intense cold helps your nervous system relax.

Doing breathing exercises if you are able to focus on your breath. Breathing in through your nose for a count of 4 and breathing out through parsed lips for a count of 6 helps you get out of fight or flight. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve. Basically the exhale needs to be longer than the inhale. Here are some examples to help guide you:

-4-to-6 Breathing: Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds.

-4-to-8 Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, then double the release by exhaling through mouth for 8 seconds.

-The 4-7-8 Method: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale completely through mouth for 8 seconds.

 

[trying ungracefully]

Ativan helped me if you have access to a psychiatrist.

If you don't breathing/mindfulness exercises can help.

1. Put your hands on your chest and belly. Take a deep breath through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to get your breath going into your belly and feel that rise.

2. I saw this one yesterday. You breath mindfully while doing this. You put air in your bottom lip and hold it there for 5 seconds. Then you switch it to your left cheek for 5 seconds. The right cheek for 5 seconds. Then blow air into both your cheeks. Take a deep breath and let your cheeks go when you let it out.

3. If you are in a safe spot look around the area you are in and notice the things around you and the things that make you feel safe. Notice how you are safe where you are at and not in danger.

4. Notice the 5 senses. 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. If you can't get all of them that's fine, just try to notice the most you can.

 

[Freakyman]

There's also muscular relaxation ones, like Jacobson's Progressive Muscular Relaxation (very lenghty process that should be learnt with a professional).

I tend to use another one though:

1- Focus on your feet. Do you have the toes contracted, are you tense over the heel? Try to move them and make them relaxed as possible.

2- Continue with your legs and upwards. The point is both attaining control of your body again and try to focus on zones which are not too affected by the panic attack.

3- Avoid trying to focus on the most problematic zones (probably chest area, either because drowning feeling or heartbeats). For me the shoulders are like the last and longest zone to try to relax.