Tag Archives: panic attacks

Fighting the anxiety monster

11 Thursday May 2017

Posted by in Anxiety, Being brave, Coping skills, Mindfulness

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When you get stressed or anxious, one of the feelings that you may feel is being overwhelmed, feeling that your life is out of control or that you feel distant from the world around you (almost like you are living life in a bubble).
If you experience any of these feelings, the impact on you can make you feel even worse and it could escalate into panic.
Common symptoms include having chest pains, difficulty breathing, tightness in your throat, dizziness, sweating and numbness or tingling in your body.
I know that these are also symptoms of a heart attack but let me tell you this:
You are probably not having a heart attack!  And if you genuinely are concerned that you may be having one, stop reading this and call for an ambulance.  But you probably are not having a heart attack.  A large majority of people who go into doctors and emergency rooms with any of the symptoms mentioned here are most likely to be having a panic attack.
It’s really horrible when you think that your heart is about to give up and the doctor tells you that there is nothing wrong with you!  The less informed doctors then categorize you as a GOOMER (get out of my emergency room!) instead of offering or referring to psychological support (a little pet hate of mine….)

It is definitely not easy to control anxiety but know this:
You’ve felt this way before and you have survived and there is a really good chance that you are going to survive this too.
Try to sit quietly and acknowledge the anxiety for what it is “I am having an anxiety attack.  I AM NOT DYING!
And then really focus on the here and now.
Zone in on your 5 senses –
What am I looking at?  What sounds can I hear around me? Breathe! What can I smell? What am I touching? (including the feeling of your bum on the chair, your feet on the floor) Breathe!  Sip some water, notice how it cools your throat.  Sip some tea, notice how it warms you.  Breathe!  You are alive! You can do this.  Squeeze your stress ball or a tissue balled up in your hand.  Breathe!  Close your eyes for a few seconds, centre yourself in the now.  Breathe!

I know that you can do this.  Now you have to believe that you can do this too.
You can have control over this!

Making a meal of anxiety

07 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Advice, Anxiety, Being brave

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Have you ever had a guest drop by unexpectedly and you don’t want to be rude and tell them that you are too busy or that you really would prefer your own company to theirs?
And so, you let them in and then they stay, and don’t want to leave but you are too polite or too embarrassed to get rid of them.  So they stay for a bit longer, or a lot longer while you stare at the clock and make subtle hints about your busy schedule.

Anxiety is just like that guest – it often drops in unexpectedly and it stays.
Well it stays for as long as you entertain it.

So, back to your visitor – imagine somebody comes over and you say to them, “I see that you wanted to come and visit but actually, as much as I appreciate it, I have other things to do.  Have a good day!”
Anxiety comes for a visit – imagine this:
Recognise the anxiety “hello anxiety – I know it’s you because you have been a frequent/frustrating/difficult visitor.  I know these feelings – my heart feels like it is going to explode, I really can’t breathe, I feel weak, I’m shaking and I feel out of control but guess what? I know that these feeling cannot kill me so I’ll have the feelings but I will not let them get me down and I will not let them stay!”
Anxiety does not deserve to stay all day.
It will arrive (because that is what it does) but if you recognise it for what it is, it goes away much faster.  But if you choose to let the symptoms cause you distress, the anxiety is only going to get worse.  Don’t give it all the attention that it wants.
If you have survived anxiety or panic attacks before, then the chances are very good that you will survive again.
Nobody has ever died from anxiety and I really doubt that you are going to be the first.

The same way that you wouldn’t offer a 3 course meal to a casual by passer (well I don’t think you would), don’t offer anxiety any more either.
It’s there, it’s horrible, it’s nasty but you can still be amazing despite it.

Talk about anxiety

10 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Anxiety, Being brave, Mental health

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It is amazing how things work out.
A friend sent me a link for a vlog about the Cinderella Pantomime (showing in Manchester if you are interested with Torvill and Dean! And Ponies!), and I was suitably impressed enough by the guy’s video to go and look for some of his other videos.  The first video that I noticed was (obviously) about having a panic attack.
Please do yourself a favour and go and watch his video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEWM1kIfeis

Now, I have read a lot of people’s writings about panic and anxiety (and by the way, a panic attack and anxiety attack are the same thing) and I’ve seen a lot of videos about the subject, but what really struck me about this one was his honesty – just telling it as it is, and without the drama!

One of the biggest issues that come with anxiety is that it nobody talks about it (and there is already a problem with people not talking enough about any mental health issues).
A lot of people who have anxiety are embarrassed to talk about it and even more people who have anxiety may not even be aware that they have anxiety.  This is because anxiety has far more physical symptoms than emotional ones.
It is a little known fact that I battle anxiety too – and I am probably guilty of not talking enough about it either.  But the reason that most people don’t know that I have anxiety is that I manage it so well that I could be having a panic attack while I am standing right next to you and you wouldn’t have a clue.
Go back to read some of my favoured anxiety management techniques:
https://idontwanttobestressed.com/2015/10/29/scary-anxiety/

I hate having anxiety but it certainly has given me the equipment to become a better therapist and to be able to help people practically – when I say that something works, I know that it works because I do it myself.

Thank you for making this video, Scott – when you could have easily just kept the experience to yourself or been too ashamed to share it.  I hope that your bravery in sharing your experience will go a long way to helping others share theirs too and to reducing the stigma that comes with it.

Scary anxiety

29 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by in Advice, Anxiety, Being brave, Mental health

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Since Halloween is around the corner, and we are talking all things spooky, let’s look at the one of the scariest “monsters” around – anxiety.
Anxiety can be so scary because it is associated with fear – fear of the unknown, fear of dying, fear of losing control and a fear that something really bad is going to happen (an impending sense of doom).
So far, a great script for a horror movie.
Every horror movie needs a hero, and it is time for you to step up and take that role because your choice is always going to be:
Is anxiety going to fight you or are you going to fight anxiety?
Scare away anxiety
Tips for becoming an anxiety monster fighter:

  1. You are not going to die! Repeat after me: you are not going to die!  How do you know that you are not going to die? Well, you didn’t die the last time you had an anxiety attack so the chances are fairly good that you are not going to die this time either.
  2. Recognise an anxiety attack for what it is.  If you become familiar with the symptoms (racing heart, chest pains, difficultly breathing, dizziness, feeling out of control and ‘floaty’, nausea), you can talk yourself through an attack “hello anxiety – I see you, I know you and I know that I am going to be OK”
  3. Breathe! Breathe out as hard as you can and then take a deep breath in.  Concentrate on regulating your breathing
  4. Run cold water over your wrists
  5. Suck a peppermint or a small ice cube
  6. Stand in a breeze or in front of a fan
  7. This may sound crazy but try this:  pinch the tips of your fingers with a clothes peg – it stimulates a trigger point that can calm you down – so can pressing down into your web space (the gap between your thumb and your finger)
  8. Rub a drop of lavender oil on your forehead
  9. You are not going to faint! Trust me on this one, there is very little chance of fainting when you have anxiety (unless you panic so much that you stop breathing properly – so back to point 3)
  10. Use every time that you survive an anxiety attack as a positive affirmation of how brilliant you are to have overcome it and know that if it happens again, you will deal with it again!  Remember that if your body is reacting to anxiety, it probably means that your body works really well.

Happy Halloween!