Advice from an anxiety attack?

[sleepingwolf]

I'm posting today to see if anyone has any advice about an anxiety attack. As background, I have CPTSD and DID.

Well, the story of the past few days:

My partner's Mum came to stay last week, which caused a lot of tension in my partner before the visit (she has a pretty dysfunctional relationship with her Mother). My partner was shouting and crying a lot, being very emotional. This continued throughout the trip, with most nights ending in my partner in floods of tears in bed, but then the morning starting over 'fine' again. I was also forced quite a few times to 'smile' or 'put in an effort' with her Mum, even though she was being a real asshole at a few points.
We then had a day trip booked for the weekend, which was arranged last minute. I have to be quite careful with energies due to my PTSD and DID...both of which aren't spoken about to my partner's Mother. I agreed to go on the day trip if I could go to bed early beforehand, and come back and have a 'tv dinner' and early to bed after the trip. Both things were promised. I also asked my partner to let her mother know about my DID and how I can struggle in the mornings (I don't struggle really, but usually one of our 6-10 year old alters is out, and so people can get weirded out).
The night before the trip my partner tried to get me to stay up with her and watch tv, and when I put my foot down she started shouting, which ended up with her in tears in bed. We ended up going to bed late and had a pretty rubbish sleep. My partner did apologise though. When the Mum came round she made some comment about me not liking mornings, and I realised my partner hadn't said about my DID issues.
With a positive the trip went really well! There was a bit of bickering and stress, but it was a good time.
It came to coming home and the Mum wanted to stay out and eat out after the trip. I said I needed to go home and rest, as had been agreed. This wasn't backed up by my partner, as she wanted to either eat out too, or please her Mum (I'm not sure which). I agreed to stay out and eat out if they understood that would be me done for the night, I would be pretty much 'asleep' after dinner. They both said that would be fine.
The dinner was nice and we all got along, and we went home and relaxed watching tv. It came to go to bed and my partner started shouting at me and crying for not helping to clear up or get her Mum's bed ready (she was sleeping downstairs that night). I was not in any position to help (as with my DID my adult parts 'go to sleep' early when tired, so I can't do much late at night). I went to bed feeling quite upset.

In the night I woke up and was really struggling to breathe, like my chest or lungs had become really small. I made it through ok but woke up really dizzy, very disassociated and my chest felt really really tight, feeling like my lungs were on fire.

From my understanding, this was an anxiety attack of some sort?

Those symptoms haven't gone away for about 30 hours now, but I can breathe ok and haven't struggled since the first night.

I was wondering if any of you guys knew how long things like this may last? And if it is an anxiety attack? And any advice to help?

It was good to write out what has happened this last week...it was shit that's pretty clear now.

Thanks all :):blackeye:

 

[blackemerald1]

Hi @sleepingwolf - so my experience with anxiety attacks is they can all be a little bit different but have some similarities at the same time and of course they are very unique to the individual's perception.

I think you did very well to get through your partners mothers visit as well as you have. I'd probably be still rolled up under a blanket trying to find some energy. So well done you. :)

And you tolerated the change in plans that were pressed upon you very well. I would say you seem to be the 'adult' in the room throughout this weekend and yet your health wasn't accommodated at all. If it was me I think I would still be fairly angry about your boundaries being dismissed. Maybe this is something you can discuss with your partner when she gets over the visit too.

Now to the anxiety attack. Yes what you described ^^^ can be classic anxiety/oanic attack. But please go and have a doctor check you out in case it is something else entirely. If this is the first time you have felt these symptoms it is best, I'd suggest to not simply think or self-diagnose it as anxiety because there are physical ailments that mimic some of these symptoms.

Sometimes, for me, after the attack comes on really hard, the breathlessness, palpitations, dizziness can mostly subside. However then I may have extended periods possibly up to several months where my pulse rate is above normal but that may be just me experiencing smaller but still acute panic attack's again, but at a lesser extent. I can feel my heart beating in my chest (no joke!) and it is so scary.

I have gone to my gp many times with 'chest symptoms' and she is wise enough now to check me out just as if I have never had a anxiety or panic attack in my life so she and I can be assured it is not heart attack etc.,

I haven't been able to work out when the symptoms actually all will stop completely. Or a fast track to how to do this. It is a slow subsiding of symptoms really and certainly very dependent on absolutely nothing else happening - good or bad - to restart the whole process again.

Usually it's the overwhelming exhaustion that pulls me up and possibly saves me from going on and on indefinitely by me simply shutting up shop and refusing to venture out. I will lay in bed and feel the waves of anxiety roll over me, adrenaline or whatever hormone washing through me creating exhaustion which is near impossible to describe. But it is not a 'normal' tiredness feeling. It is just horrible.

Sometimes I will have a small 'rush' that I can get back under control in a few days or less.

For now with you, after you have checked out any medical causes. Try to resume your regular routines, plenty of sleep, food and avoid stimulants. If you do not get any respite or the anxiety/panic attacks become like a revolving door you may have to discuss this with your Therapist, psydoc and work on it more.

I hope this helps you - this is some of my experience with panic/anxiety attacks.

 

[sleepingwolf]

Thanks for your thoughts and support, that really has helped a great deal.

I'll certainly take your advice. :)

Good luck with your recovery too! :):hug: