Does anyone else here feel this way?

[xUnknown]

Like, when I'm not anxious or I'm slightly anxious, I keep telling myself: "Why couldn't I just do that when I have a panic attack? It seems so simple. If I had a panic attack right now I bet I could deal with it." and I feel all good and stuff.

But once a panic attack does come, It's like I have a completely different mindset. I no longer feel that motivation, power, willingness and rationality I had before I had a panic attack. My mind keeps thinking I'm alone in this, even though I know I'm not, I think I'm dying, even though I know I'm not. It just won't listen.

Then I keep telling myself I'll accept the anxiety when it comes, but when it does come it's so scary and I immediately want to stop it. I did accept it and succeeded in it one time with one of my triggers, but somehow that time I had a lot of willpower. So if I did it then, I know I can do it again but sometimes I don't have that same willpower.

Right now I'm in my "calm" mode (still anxious but this is nothing compared to panic attacks) and I again have this mindset asking myself why can't I just accept it. Anyone else feel this way? I hope I explained it well.

[Justaspekt]

I do. My previous therapist had given me a few sheets on breathing and meditation exercises to calm me down during a panic attack. I've practiced them when I'm not having one to get used to it. I even have pills now for panic attacks. But I've never gotten to use the strategies. When I have one, my mind often goes blank except for whatever I had thought of. Most of the time I remember to take the pills but sometimes I just feel like I can't move.

[gypsylee]

I almost laughed reading this because even after 20+ years I STILL get like that! I can go from being the most rational, high-functioning person to an absolute wreck because of anxiety. I'm a bit better at dealing with it but no way would I say I've overcome it. I do have some major stressors in my life but in some ways I have it easy compared to other people. I've found that the best way to deal with it is to just try and accept it.

My psychiatrist likes to go sailing and he told me about how he's been caught in a few storms and been absolutely terrified. He said anxiety is like that and if you hang in there it will pass (rather than jumping overboard). So when I have a bad anxiety attack I just lie there and think about him on the boat waiting for the storm to pass. The biggest trick is to not add to what Claire Weekes calls the "first fear".. You can get anxious for no apparent reason and then you start to get anxious about being anxious. If you can just accept that initial anxiety you stop the vicious cycle.

:)

[fixmybrokenmind]

I know the exact feeling. When you are doing well the anxiety seems so irrational. Same with depression

[Teafrenzy]

The problem is that anxiety plays dirty. It attacks the mind. So when your brain is under attack you can not rationalize.

If my anxiety symptoms were just related to my body I think I would have recovered a long time ago. Chest pain? Tingling? so what. You get checked put by your Doctor and you can rationalize it as anxiety.

But my panic attacks make me feel light headed, disassociated and a sense like my brain is on hyperdrive. I can't focus.

[tirediron]

Teafrenzy, you nailed it for me. It's so hard to focus, (even on pleasant things), when your mind is under attack. There are days I get up, get going and all seems great. Something will trigger the anxiety, and I'm toast.

[Teafrenzy]

I think you have to try hard to "swallow" the panic attack.

Pardon the gross comparison. But for me it's like when I'm so nervous, that I feel the need to vomit. But instead of vomiting, I kind of try to swallow it back down and wait it out.

I feel uncomfortable for hours afterwards, but I feel good in the sense that the most profound part of the experience has been supressed.

My advice is try to find a way to get the panic attack to back off and accept that afterwards you won't be feeling comfortable. So far this has helped me.

Some things you can try:

Rescue Remedy (I like this supplement)
Taking a cold shower (if at home)
Breathing and meditation techniques marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22