Panic attacks?

[insidemyhead]

I'm going through a transition right now as i've just started on a med that is slowly stopping my psychosis, it's the first medication to work and i've been in the midst of psychosis for 4 years. To be here in the world everyone else is experiencing has proven itself difficult I'm having to do a lot of thinking, rebuilding my life, adjusting to quiet and sorting my belief system. I have seemed to return to what I was before all the psychosis which is where I just plod along sensitive to any noise around me and I'm having really bad panic attacks out of nowhere. I didn't think it was necessary to post but this morning I awoke with a start and went straight into a panic attack to the point of shaking really badly.. I couldn't get myself out of it and had to take lorazepam to make myself calm down, it worked thankfully but I haven't done that in years and i've actually forgotten how to deal with them by myself I know grounding techniques for flashbacks (looking around saying where you are, how many things with the colour blue are in the room, i'm safe and the like) but this wasn't like that and it didn't work I was just wondering if anyone could shed some light on this.. they just come from nowhere and torment me, I'm not used to it anymore and I need some advice on what I could do. Sorry to post but I felt I really needed to. I still am thinking of you all though x

[rkjay]

I'm gonna try my best to help you, even though I'm not sure if all panic attacks are similar enough for my tips to work. But I've had panic attacks for 2 years now, and used to be slightly agoraphobic so I get them often. If you ever hyperventilate, brown paper bags are good to breathe into, it helps slow down the breathing. And what I usually do is make sure to sit down and close my eyes and breathe slowly and deeply while imagining some happy scenario or memory in my head. Usually I find that I easily come out of panic shortly after. I really hope you're okay. I'm sorry if I didn't help at all. Feel better! <3

Oh. And, I eventually got to the point where when I sensed an attack, I made sure to do the same thing right before it even happens, and it tends to stop it before it even comes. Anyways, just my experiences. Hope I helped.

[insidemyhead]

Thank you for the reply it means a lot, I'll try that!

[PassedExpectations]

try to relax your body and your breathing (it takes thought to do that)... also, sipping water through a straw can be calming

also, try to remember that a panic attack is a whole ton of negative sensations. but thats really all. if you can keep your mind from getting going, you can just sit through the bad sensations. they are all normal some times, right? i mean, hard to breath, it is like if you excercised. feeling dizzy, like if you had blood drawn (for me anyways). sweating, again exercise... i find that if i can think of the symptoms that way, i can just sort of watch as they rise and fall. they actually don't last very long if i don't get my mind going in it...

[just a dreamer]

I'm not sure if this is going to help, seeing as I've only been getting them for a little while, but for me, acknowledging that it's a panic attack usually helps me get out of it. If I'm having one, a lot of the time I don't really realise it's a panic attack for a little while, and when I think "Oh, this is a panic attack, so it won't last forever" I tend to get out quicker.

And exactly like rkjay said, focusing on a good memory is helpful. Maybe carrying around a happy photograph you have might help if you were to look at it?

[insidemyhead]

Thank you everyone, your replies mean a lot to me and I'll definitely put these techniques into practice they're a lot of help to me as I really didn't know what to do so any suggestions are of use. Take care everyone x

[talaiporia]

You might find Mind's page on Anxiety helpful, or troubleshooting panic attacks. Personally, I find Chamomile tea helps a lot, but you need to drink it consistently, and not can interfere with some medications (it's a mild antixylotic), so you'd have to check that.