panic attack

[Scatterbrain]

Today I had one of the worst panic attacks I have had in a long time. The really wierd thing is that there was no real cause for it. Nothing specific happened to make me panic... My theory is that it could be because I have only gotten about 14 hours of sleep all week, and that I drank coffee just before the attack ( I didnt really eat anything all day...), but that is just an idea... Here's what happened: I am on the golf team at my school, and just before we started practicing, I felt it coming on. I was so shaky and my chest was so tight that I couldn't breathe, so I obviously couldn't swing the golf club. I had to sit down, and wait it out, but everyone was aound, which made it worse. I finally had to tell everyone what was wrong, but that actually seemed to help. My coach was really nice, and he actually sat with me for awhile. It took me about 45 mins until I was calm enough to swing again. Even then I was still really shaky. It has now been 2 1/2 hours since I first got the panic feeling, and I am still shaky. How can I make these attacks go away? How can I make them less of an ordeal, if I cant make them go away completely? How do I deal with panic attacks, so it doesnt take me 45 mins to get over the feeling?? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

~Megan

[treasure]

i had it explained to me and i'll try and explain but forgive me if it soesn't make sense...

when things stress us we get adrenaline pumped round the body to speed up reflexes etc and help deal with the stress. if we don't relax after that we can stay a bit stressed. then when another thing comes up the anxiety we feel adds up. a panic attack is the sometimes the result of anxiety that built up over time. so yeh they are often triggerred by something that isn't "that" stressful but it adds to all the stress from before.

to reduce anxiety and stop having panic attacks you have to deal with the little stresses better and spend more time relaxing (its hard to relax sometimes, but you do deserve to do nothing sometimes).

when you are really anxious or having a panic attack then concentrating on your breathing (aim to be deep and relaxed and slow) is really important. sometimes getting away from the situation to somewhere quiet or where you can be alone can help.

from the last panic attack, you found that telling ppl can help so maybe try and remmebr that if it happens again? what else helped you this time, eventually it worked, yeah?

(sorry if you knew all that already. i'm not sure if this is good advice...)

[jaded melody]

My advice would be, if you have a problem with panic attacks, then AVOID CAFFIENE. like the plague. Ive had several caffiene-induced panic attacks and they make you feel horrible. In fact my athsma medication (which is steroidal) has made me have a panic attack before too.

If its a problem you have a lot, have you talked about it to anyone? do you see a therapist? I went through a period of having about 2 panic attacks a day, and while it did get better by itself (and with medication), i did Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with my therapist and that helped me hugely.

Learning specific breathing techniques also helps because oxygen gets rid of adrenaline but you have to be careful not to hyperventilate. Breathing into a bag helps a lot to make you feel normal again because it brings your heart rate down.

When I feel anxious or panicky i find that the most effective way to deal with it is to occupy myself with something.

If you want to talk about it more PM me because ive been there and i know how horrible it is but ive also come out the other end.

[balletomane]

Hi Meghan. I also find that sleep has a huge impact on my panic. It sounds like the combination of food/sleep deprivation and caffeine certainly did not help. Now that your coach knows what is going on, can you make plans for what to do in case it happens again?

I don't know if this happens to you, but when I have panic attacks, I often hyperventilate, which causes my face and hands to go numb and begin to lock up. When this happens I need someone with me to help me slow my breathing down. That usually helps a lot.

sorry I haven't got more advice.