Help My anxiety panic attacks are bad right now....anyone have ideas

[NotCordelia]

I just finished the last dose of a long taper off a benzo. I am really having anxiety and painful thoughts. I am less depressed than winter as my Bipolar tends to make me depressed in winter. Thankful that's over. In spring, my anxiety/ mania kicks up, so I'm taking a little more gabapentin to get better sleep.
I am worried about my parents who I have not seen for a couple years. My mother is 86 and broke her hip a month ago. My Dad is same age. The live in CA. I had to move to East coast years ago. I have not been able to go back for a while. Feel like I'm grieving at the same time.
I check in with them but worry about the COVID 19. We have had a strained relationship for various reasons, but have been on good terms the last few years. My mother is difficult for me sometimes. But I love them dearly. I now I fear I may never see them again. My brother is there, but I am so sad about this ans anxious about the state of the world. I have prepped a while back and we live in a good area with land, etc. I'm pretty isolated here as well.
My fear is really bad.....I have nightmares and do not want to start drinking to get through this shit storm.
Thanks for this forum....people here care. It's not good to feel alone.
It hurts to see all the people being hurt by this pandemic.....

 

[the box is empty]

Some people find solace in meditation.

Do you have any hobbies you enjoy? Any pending projects?

 

[ECTatertot]

Do you ever use deep breathing to help with the anxiety? I find that this helps a lot with me.

 

[Myforevercharlie]

Meditation always helps me. There are a lot very good ones on YouTube. I personally love Jason Stephenson

 

[Epsilon0]

Hello NotCordelia

Firstly, is your user name a reference to The Dairy of a Seducer?

Secondly, I have battled really bad anxiety and crippling panic attacks, so I just want to say I know how hard it is. If you can and find the time, I recommend guided meditation for beginners. It can help, but it takes practice. You find guided meditation on You Tube.

All the best to you!

 

[Nem]

Sorry to hear! I think benzos taken too long mess with the nervous system too harshly. Have you tried magnesium? Or lavender
Peace/hugs

 

[terry_a_davis]

Hi OP good to hear you've kicked your benzo habit, yes try not replace it with alcohol, do you enjoy any forms of exercise? this used to relax me.

 

[Oyoy]

Thanks for making me feel less alone with this thread.

 

[BlackPoppet]

I just finished the last dose of a long taper off a benzo. I am really having anxiety and painful thoughts. I am less depressed than winter as my Bipolar tends to make me depressed in winter. Thankful that's over. In spring, my anxiety/ mania kicks up, so I'm taking a little more gabapentin to get better sleep.
I am worried about my parents who I have not seen for a couple years. My mother is 86 and broke her hip a month ago. My Dad is same age. The live in CA. I had to move to East coast years ago. I have not been able to go back for a while. Feel like I'm grieving at the same time.
I check in with them but worry about the COVID 19. We have had a strained relationship for various reasons, but have been on good terms the last few years. My mother is difficult for me sometimes. But I love them dearly. I now I fear I may never see them again. My brother is there, but I am so sad about this ans anxious about the state of the world. I have prepped a while back and we live in a good area with land, etc. I'm pretty isolated here as well.
My fear is really bad.....I have nightmares and do not want to start drinking to get through this shit storm.
Thanks for this forum....people here care. It's not good to feel alone.
It hurts to see all the people being hurt by this pandemic.....

Have you heard of the calm app? It's a meditation app you can download on to your phone. The Headspace app is another. With guided meditations on it. :-)

 

[NotCordelia]

Some people find solace in meditation.

Do you have any hobbies you enjoy? Any pending projects?

Thank you. Sorry for not replying sooner. I am walking in the woods with my dog.....trying to meditate. I appreciate you all very much. ❤

Do you ever use deep breathing to help with the anxiety? I find that this helps a lot with me.

Yes, It does. Thank you for reminding me what I need to do. I know WHAT to do, but actually putting it into practice at the time is hard when the mind jumps in and wants to drive the car! It's a habit. There is a 4-7-8 ratio breathing that Buddhists have used for centuries. It calms the mind right down. Inhale for 4 seconds. Hold at the top for 7 seconds. Exhale fully from the belly for full 8 minutes. Get all the air out. Exhale vigorously. Belly breaths. Put the tip of your younger on your front upper palate while doing the breathing.... It's pretty cool.....if I Just Do It

Meditation always helps me. There are a lot very good ones on YouTube. I personally love Jason Stephenson

Yes, thank you. I love Jason Stephenson. A couple of his meditations saved me....thank you So much! Went back and listened..helped me go back and try again! Thanks!

Hello NotCordelia

Firstly, is your user name a reference to The Dairy of a Seducer?

Secondly, I have battled really bad anxiety and crippling panic attacks, so I just want to say I know how hard it is. If you can and find the time, I recommend guided meditation for beginners. It can help, but it takes practice. You find guided meditation on You Tube.

All the best to you!

Hi! My name is from a song by a band called The Tragically Hip. Canadian band. ( also a character from King Lear)
I was born in Canada and have relatives there, but have lived in the States for 2/3 of my life now.

Thank you for directing me to the guided meditations....I have used these in the past....I have been trying this again. Came back to thank you all and say how much it helped. Sometimes a little cheerleading from a place of neutrality or even empathy is all that's needed! Cheers to you

Hi OP good to hear you've kicked your benzo habit, yes try not replace it with alcohol, do you enjoy any forms of exercise? this used to relax me.

I have been avoiding alcohol mostly since I posted. 3 glasses of wine since....not more than one per day. 3 total. Poured the rest out! It's hard but I have to practice. Lockdown is as good a time as any to practice coping skills...
Thanks and Cheers to you, too!

Sorry to hear! I think benzos taken too long mess with the nervous system too harshly. Have you tried magnesium? Or lavender
Peace/hugs

Hi Thank you...yes, it dose mess nervous system up. Recovery is long, but possible. I do use supplements now and Magnesium is a good one, especially the powder in water. Your reminder made a difference to keep up using my self care plan. Thanks.
I use GabaCalm and some nootropics that were mentioned by another poster. So far they are helping!

Much appreciation for all the advice here....I do listen to it because most people here know what mental illness and anxiety can do to thought patterns. Psych drugs can also mess people up, so there's that. They can help, but unless someone has been on various meds for a long time, they really don't get that it's pretty not that simple.
I am glad this community is here, especially at a time like this.
Cheers

Thanks for making me feel less alone with this thread.

Thank you! Hope you are doing ok, too❤

Have you heard of the calm app? It's a meditation app you can download on to your phone. The Headspace app is another. With guided meditations on it. :-)

I downloaded Calm app and tried it. It is helpful. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Sensei]

First of all, people have already mentioned meditation, and I'd say it's the absolutely best option. As the forum's herb pusher, I'd also like to recommend anxiolytic herbs which will make you relax and make it easier for you to master meditation. I've compiled a guide on the topic: Self-medication: Herbs – actually not New Age shit and placebo. I'm bipolar just like you, and I can tell you that herbs like damiana really have helped me. It sounds like a melodramatic exaggeration, but I would have been dead by now if I hadn't discovered them. If you really are suicidal, which you most probably are as you're bipolar, you don't really have anything to lose if you give it a try, have you? Most of them are cheap and all of them are easy to find on all online marketplaces and sometimes in brick-and-mortar stores too.

 

[Alec]

I saw this video on twitter of a dude that explained one method for what to do when one gets a panic attack and can't breath and so on. The method is basically just to Keep a lemon nearby always, and when you get a panic attack just bite into the lemon, the strong taste of it will make your brain concentrate on the sensation of the taste and it will pull you out from the panic attack. But I haven't tried it myself yet though it sounds like it might work? I'm not sure but I wanna try it.

 

[Sensei]

I saw this video on twitter of a dude that explained one method for what to do when one gets a panic attack and can't breath and so on. The method is basically just to Keep a lemon nearby always, and when you get a panic attack just bite into the lemon, the strong taste of it will make your brain concentrate on the sensation of the taste and it will pull you out from the panic attack. But I haven't tried it myself yet though it sounds like it might work? I'm not sure but I wanna try it.

Very interesting! If this works, it's amazing. It would be very interesting if someone here tried it and shared their experience. Good call to post this, @Alec.