After the attack

[Moralfe]

I do not know how everyone reacts or feels after an anxiety or panic attack. I do know that I had one yesterday around 5:30pm. I decided that I was not going to let this thing take over. So I did some deep breathing and within 3-5 minutes I was done with it. Which to me was awsome because mine can last a while. After my heart stopped racing I felt shaky, and of course a bit nauseous but I decided to go out with the family. Which was really good because my wife and I were talking about things and it took my mind off of it. Now when I got home last night it was like a switch got turned on and I began to think about it again. I got really tense and I had pain in my neck and pectoral muscle on the left side of my body (great place to have pain huh) which started the fearful what if thoughts. Then I was scared all night until I finally fell asleep. This morning I woke up feeling great. Granted I did not get enough sleep but I felt really good. I began reading my work email and found myself tensing up. I am always conscious of my tension and try to correct it because I am so tense. It might be my current position that is causing me to get this way. Last night when I had the attack I was thinking about the changes in my job for this year and I began to feel inadequate as my boss began going over all the additions to our position. It was overwhelming and I kept thinking about it. And on top of that I was getting irritated with the thought and the kids going crazy and my wife trying to talk to me and I am trying to get my mind off of the thoughts I kind of snapped and had the panic attack.
Does anyone feel like me? Does anyone have fear after the panic attack? Just looking for reassurance and maybe some techniques that might help.

Thank you

[raggamuffin]

How busy were you when you got home? YOu kept busy when the attack had stopped. perhaps returnign to the home was like returnign to the scene of the crime or some such. Whilst the setting won't be dangerous and cause an attack it might make you then feel uneasy because that's where it occured?

Muscle tension is anxiety symptom 101 from all the excess adrenaline. When an anxiety attack takes over you're muscles are literally swamped with the stuff and so muscle pains, aches and stiffness will be common for the next couple of days or longer. it all depends on how much you focus on the symptoms and pains.

From what you wrote, you were thinking about career change then when you read your work emails the next day you get tension. Career change is scary it's only natural it'll lead to possible anxiety pains. I iomagine you subconciouslly associated the change of work and thoughts about work to increased worry and tension and then the aches come along.

Most people who have had a panic attack and slip into the "no longer feeling safe in their own mind and body" routine will often fear panic attacks. But the unknown can always be scary. That's why many people fear the future and what's to come. But you have to focus on the here and now. On keeping busy and fulfilling where you want to go and who you want to be in life. Not feeling fulfilled can drain your happiness and add to depression and anxiety.

Keep busy, eat healthy, keep hydrated and do your best to improve the fulfillment and happiness in your life. Anxiety pains last as long as you bestow time and worry onto it. They come around due to excess worry and anxiety and so fearing symptoms created by fear will only make the process dragged out longer than it has to be. It takes practice to undo the problematic trains fo thought you put in place with an anxiety disorder but it can and will be done if you keep at it for long enough.

Ed

[jessed03]

Nicely put by Ed.

A large degree of feeling unsafe in your own body, and your own home becomes present. Afterall, you were attacked you!

Imagine if someone attacked you in your house, you'd feel uneasy about things, anxiety would build when going inside.

I remember feeling as you felt. In time, it did get easier. I learnt to survive panic attacks better. They weren't these crippling things any more that beat me down, they were just an inconvinience.

The sticky by PanicCured is good to read, about what to do when having an attack. It's at the top of the page when you see all the posts.

When you reduce their intensity, you become less timid, less afraid of the unknown.

Then of course you have your daytime stressors. Your worries, your problems. This is hard to recommend something for, as it depends on how you deal with them. Meditation may help. You can also watch your self talk, to see if it's negative, or fearful. If it is, I can post a worksheet to help you change that. The inadequacy feelings often come from:

Poor self talk
Mistaken beliefs

You can google those two CBT concepts and read about them. Most of us have them. They're part of anxiety, and by working on them, we help ourselves.

For physical tension, google progressive muscle relaxation. After a few weeks of that, you'll feel pretty good. It starts to happen subconsciously. You don't have to keep reminding yourself to relax anymore, which is always a bonus!

Sorry I can't post any links, the ipad is a nightmare for that.

Of you struggle find anything, I'll post some individual links.

[Moralfe]

Thank you both for your advice. I go to therapy. I am doing cbt. I have done the progressive muscle relaxation and the desensitization exercises but I stopped doing them because I felt so well. Last Monday my therapist asked me to go back to the basics and begin to do them again. I just have not been able to. I have been on call and have been so busy with that I have not been getting enough sleep and then the new things my current position has been given. I am not complaining. I am very happy to have my job but Ever since they moved me into this position I have not liked it and in the begining I out right hated my job. Now I get a bit overwhelmed when I get news of more work which I do not like to do. Before this position I loved my job and I gave it 1000 percent a day now a days I barely want to work. If you have like to resources please send them through PM if you are not able to post them. Thank you both again.

[Moralfe]

After work my mind is no longer occupied. I began to feel the muscle pains. The worst part about them is they are on the left side of my body. So me left pectoral and my left trapezius. I do stretching exercises and heat but it is just ridiculous how when I feel the pain and then the fearful thoughts begin. Wish this would stop.

[rhar]

After work my mind is no longer occupied. I began to feel the muscle pains. The worst part about them is they are on the left side of my body. So me left pectoral and my left trapezius. I do stretching exercises and heat but it is just ridiculous how when I feel the pain and then the fearful thoughts begin. Wish this would stop.

Hope you're feeling ok today :)

[Moralfe]

Rhar I am feeling ok but the thoughts are a bit scary to me so I am tensing up and feeling the pain in my neck and chest so the thoughts are swirling.

[rhar]

Just try to remember they are just thoughts, nothing else..

[GeneAllen]

I do not know how everyone reacts or feels after an anxiety or panic attack. I do know that I had one yesterday around 5:30pm. I decided that I was not going to let this thing take over. So I did some deep breathing and within 3-5 minutes I was done with it. Which to me was awsome because mine can last a while. After my heart stopped racing I felt shaky, and of course a bit nauseous but I decided to go out with the family. Which was really good because my wife and I were talking about things and it took my mind off of it. Now when I got home last night it was like a switch got turned on and I began to think about it again. I got really tense and I had pain in my neck and pectoral muscle on the left side of my body (great place to have pain huh) which started the fearful what if thoughts. Then I was scared all night until I finally fell asleep. This morning I woke up feeling great. Granted I did not get enough sleep but I felt really good. I began reading my work email and found myself tensing up. I am always conscious of my tension and try to correct it because I am so tense. It might be my current position that is causing me to get this way. Last night when I had the attack I was thinking about the changes in my job for this year and I began to feel inadequate as my boss began going over all the additions to our position. It was overwhelming and I kept thinking about it. And on top of that I was getting irritated with the thought and the kids going crazy and my wife trying to talk to me and I am trying to get my mind off of the thoughts I kind of snapped and had the panic attack.
Does anyone feel like me? Does anyone have fear after the panic attack? Just looking for reassurance and maybe some techniques that might help.

Thank you

Brain Sync This has done so many great things for me, and there's a lot of research and science behind it. Great for shifting from anxiety or panic into peace and clarity. Let me know if you try it.
Peace my friend

[Moralfe]

Gene, what brain sync audio has helped you?

[GeneAllen]

Hey Bro,
I bought the Relieving Anxiety. When you buy one she sends out other trials for free too. The one I bought is theta, with ocean sounds and subliminal message you will get a script. All I can say is I researched this and found it is the new wave scientifically, as well as psychologically to get oneself to a relaxed state quicker and more effectively than two years of meditating. I would tell you to expect some interesting things to pop up, and don't listen to it more than twice a day. I can only say it brought me back to who I really am, not this or that, or somebody with a name or title, position it reintroduced me to the real me, kinda deep sounding I know, but it was just my experience. There is belief and there is knowing, when that knowing comes, it is a whole new ballgame. Peace Please let me know what you decide. PM me if you have more questions.