Lets Get Real About Panic Attacks

Its Thursday afternoon and the UK has blessed us with more rain and early darkness, and to be honest, since moving back from Spain I have embraced the seasons and vowed to never moan about being cold, or getting wet when walking Itchycoo in the rain, no, Im staying true to my promise and actually Its working a treat, I love being back home and I actually do love our seasons. However, I guess I started this blog talking about the weather as it kind of matches my mood. Today I have been pretty darn useless, which isn't very kind on myself, but I am actually not annoyed with myself for not being productive up until writing this blog post, as I am knackered, the last two nights, I have woken in the early hours of the morning with the feeling of panic attack looming, and thats very exhausting and scary.

So its only Thursday and I have managed to divert around 5 panic attacks this week. Speaking to my mental health practitioner yesterday, she made such a valid point, I said as usual I cant really pinpoint why they come on when they do, and she said, thats the thing, we search for the whys when sometimes there isn't no immediate why and our bodies are just in a state of nervous arousal, we may have subconsciously let something slip through the cracks to put our bodies into fight or flight mode but 90% of the time, I cant say why my panic attacks happen, and I have got to stop searching for answers that are not there to be found, I just need to concentrate on helping my body through them.

Panic attacks are horrible and have been apart of my life for the last 5 months. Initially they scared the living day lights out of me, but I have learned techniques and coping mechanisms to help me through them... get this, you invite the anxiety in, you sit with it and don't try to suppress it. That was crazy to me when I learnt these things, I just wanted to ignore, push and escape the anxiety and panic, not ask in it for a cuppa. But I do, and I do it well! Weirdly my anxiety looks like a thumb, hahaha, don't ask me why, It was the first image that came into my mind when listening to the amazing dare app.

For me, anxiety and panic attacks are very physical and thats the part that gets me down, the tight chest, the waves of aches and pains that shoot across my chest and the fact that the physical pain stays for hours if not days. I seem to constantly have a hot water bottle clasped to my chest, its the only relief I get, alongside lavender massage oil and rest.

So how do I know I am having a panic attack; well my first indication is the hot flush on the back of my neck followed by a nauseated feeling, shakes, I get hot or to cold and the feeling of utter dread overcomes me. The amount of time they last varies and sometimes I cry. The biggest thing I have learnt is to not panic over the panic, your thoughts are just thoughts and most of them are not any real facts, just your mind going into overdrive.

Th good thing is there are ways to overcome or at least manage your anxiety and panic attacks. The first thing id say is, research and reading other peoples accounts actually really helped me, because its the knowledge of knowing you are not alone. Secondly, the Dare response  app as literally changed my response to my panic attacks and helps me massively. Im currently reading the Dare book, and Its great. Education is key and knowledge is power.

Just remember you are not alone, and If you ever want a listening ear, then you can always drop me an email.

Panic attacks are scary, however if you retrain your brain to know that you are in no danger, then you will manage them better.

Hugs

Sian X