Coping Skills Needed

[Chaoticmind]

Hey all. Really struggling with anxiety lately. Can barely eat, get random panic/anxiety attacks when out. Went out to dinner with my family and out of no where I felt as if I was about to faint, the room was spinning, and I felt my heart beating out of my chest. This is a reoccurring thing lately. I do go to therapy but I'm trying to see what other people do to get through this situations.

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Chaoticmind sounds like you're in shit up to your ears!! When I'm activated, the main thing I do is get grounded. The easiest way is to lie down and just breathe. I can to myself "breathe in calm, breathe out panic" my breaths are slow and easy and deep. Once I'm grounded, I try to identify what in my life caused me to be in panic mode. And then I can do more cleansing breaths until I am calm. Usually I do a guided meditation also.

 

[Seasounds]

@Chaoticmind, I follow KwanYingirl's suggestion.

In the moment of the panic, I ask myself to make a change. (To help decrease the flight or fight system), if taking a few deep breaths, wiggling my toes, and looking around the room (to get associated) and noticing that I am (relatively) safe, doesn't work, then I use my next step. For example, while out to dinner, it may mean saying, "Excuse me, I will be right back," while I take a break and go outside or use the restroom. If I am still feeling panicked, then I will do any combo of these things: see if I can leave and go home, and do grounding exercises, and, if needed, take a small amount of lorazepam.

After finally feeling calmer, I will review the situation that evoked anxiety for me, and then plan to adjust my activities, so that I can avert the same trigger again. It can be an interesting detective and solution game. I find out interesting things. Sometimes it is something someone said, sometimes it is where I was sitting-jammed up against a wall in the corner, sometimes it is a person.

Good luck. I'm sure you will find success with the suggestions that members offer.

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

Grounding is definitely the best option in those moments. There are some easy grounding things you can do in the moment like when you're out in public. You can carry something small like a rock in your pocket so you can feel it and that can help bring you back to the present and calm you down. You can do breathing techniques- you can do a little mantra like @KwanYingirl mentioned- or you can do something like square breathing (breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4- repeat as needed). Another thing I like to do is an I-Spy kind of thing. I'll pick a color and try to find as many things as I can of that color- it forces me to be in the present by noticing my surroundings. Another good one is 5-4-3-2-1 which uses your 5 senses (in any order, but I usually do see, hear, feel, smell, taste) and name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear and so on. These are all relatively discreet grounding techniques that help bring you back to the moment.

Another helpful thing is to do some reality checking. Notice what is really happening in that moment so that you know that you are not in the past or that nothing bad is actually happening. Along with this can be orienting- reminding yourself of your age, where you are, the current year.

 

[Chaoticmind]

Thank you! Both responses are very helpful. My issue is, I don't really know why these attacks are happening. For example, my mom and I were at dinner tonight, in the middle of eating and all of the sudden I drop my fork and feel dizzy and being to panic. Nothing specific happened in that moment not was I consciously thinking of the past. My mom is a social worker so she helped me through it, but even after I didn't feel "normal" just very on edge and then begin to worry that it will happen again.

Also, I'm constantly afraid to drink. I find sometimes when I drink I get very anxious and other times I'm fine. It's very weird. It sucks because I would like to go out with my friends for a drink but basically have no social life at the moment because I'm scars to even have one drink