Help! Advice Needed...

[James Lowney]

... or if there are any links you can put up which may be of use.

I live in Britain and I have to leave to Washington on Saturday for six weeks work. I also have to travel on a plane ( where I occassionaly have panic attacks. Once had one on an El Flight ( The Israeli airline- wrong airline to have a panic attach as it was just after 9-11!)

' Help, I'm having a panic attach.'
' Sit down and shut up.'
' But I can't breath.'
' Sit down or we will shoot you'

True story :)

Anyway my PTSD has been really bad for the last two mornings. Getting in to high anxiety, a 9 out of 10, on my rader. Its not just the flight I'm going to be working with people I don't know and I'm scared that some of my symptons will come out. This is insane thinking in that other people don't notice but I'm scared that over a period of six weeks, they might. This morning I was thinking of cancelling the whole trip but I need the money.

Any tips on how to get through this period GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks, in advance

James

 

[Spiderallis]

Oh my, I'm so sorry you were threatened for having a panic attack, that's awful.

In the US I've heard of people getting prescriptions for a few doses of anxiety medication from their doctors to deal with airline travel- that's enough to make anyone anxious, even people without PTSD or other conditions. Not sure if the medications would be helpful for work though, I know I'm slowed down and loopy after I take a dose.

Some breathing exercises might help too. I'm not really sure how to explain those, basically take a deep breath and let it out slowly. As for the social anxiety of working with people you don't know, would it help to remind yourself that it's short-term? As an international guest co-worker, they'll probably dismiss some quirks as cultural differences. If you're being brought in from overseas to work on the project, you're obviously good at what you do.

 

[James Lowney]

Thank you for your message Spiderallis. I work in news and I'm off the help launch a new channel. The one fear I have is that the last time I luanched a new channel I ended up with my PTSD! Its hard graft but this time I'm just a consultant!

Yes, playing on being an eccentric Englishman good suggestions. As our the suggestions about breathing excersises and reminding myself its short term and also, if the need arises, I can just I don't think I can do this.

M

 

[dms]

Yes, playing on being an eccentric Englishman good suggestions.

Hi James, I think that most Americans will be fascinated by your accent so they will accept the fact that you might act a little different as a British thing. You might also want to get a prescription for some Xanax to help your anxiety too. Good Luck!

 

[James Lowney]

Thanks DMS. Yes, you can't get Xanex in this country, and you can't even get diazepan. I was on diazepan and then my doctor took off me even though I had been professionaly diagnosed with PTSD. Its a government clampdown as so many people abuse it. I argued with my doctor that if she cared to look their was proof that I wasn't abusing them. 28 5mg's would last me months as I used them in emergencies only!

My sister lives in New York and she's going to send me some when I arrive. Xanex really helps with my anxiety, even a very small dose helps!

 

[Marguerite]

Hi James, I hope my suggestion is not too simplistic, but sometimes it works for me. I keep a small stone/charm/talisman in my pocket, and I rub it with my finger when I am frightened. I have given it powers to protect me. I also stare into space and try to look deep in thought. Hopefully those around me will think I am contemplating an important detail. If I can't breathe, and the setting permits, I close my eyes, shut myself down, and create a special (imaginary) breathing portal from an alternate (imaginary) source. It all falls apart if I am feeling threatened or afraid, but it works if I start from calm. I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Candleflames]

I get panic attacks for a variety of reasons and rarely take meds for them. If I do it's a last ditch effort. I find that my prazosin works well. It's a blood pressure med that I take for nightmare so always have it on hand.

Usually I start with some deep breathing techniques and and self soothing talk like Spiderallis suggested. Usually that's enough. There's a few other things I do before I get to taking extra meds.

1 Close your eyes and visualize the tension leaking out of your body and force you muscles to relax. Start with your extremities and work your way in towards your core and up your face and head.

2 Focus on one part of your body like just your hands or just your thighs or just your shoulders. Then slowly increase the tension until it it as tense as can be then slowly relax until it is as relaxed as can be. Repeat as necessary. Don't chose any body parts that have physical issues. I cannot do my shoulders or neck as I have a bulging disc.

3 I put an ice pack over my eyes, lower forehead and upper cheeks for at least 30 seconds. This causes the mammalian dive reflex to activate. It brings your heart rate and blood pressure down. Do an internet search for videos on how to do it. You don't need a bucket of ice water an ice pack will do. Don't accept a chemical one though. It could leak into your eyes.

Last night I had an attack so bad that I forgot some of these techniques and ended up going to the hospital. So today I'm writing them all down to carry with me just in case I have another brain shut down. That way I can just pull it out and show whoever is with me and they'll know how to help.

Good luck. I hope your trip goes well.

 

[rightkindofme]

Ear plugs help me a lot as I travel. The ambient noise in airports/airplanes really causes me problems. I drink alcohol when I fly even though I know it isn't a good "help". I hold ice cubes in my hands and try to focus on that.

I will never travel without sleeping pills again. I HAVE to take sleeping pills when I travel or I don't sleep at all. For over a week at a time. It's really awful. But if I bring sleeping pills I can function and be ok.

Bring a paper bag and do the rebreathing trick, maybe? I know that it doesn't actually work as well as the hype says but I find it does help me calm down sometimes.

I bring a notebook and obsessively write about what I am thinking and feeling. That is most of how I stay calm.

And the most important part is that I expect to get a panic attack and I have five or six things in my mind about how to handle it and I just accept that my experience of going through these "normal life experiences" will always feel kind of crappy. I want to do them anyway. I refuse to sit at home just because I have stupid panic attacks. Just no.

It's hard but worth it for me.

Good luck.

My normal deal-with-panic-attacks medication is marijuana (I have a medical card!) and I don't travel with it at all. So when I travel I am also doing the rare unmedicated experience thing. Hoo boy it sucks.

 

[Kas_Can_Fly]

Try Promethazine, it's an over the counter (if you're buying it over the counter say it's for allergies just in case) antihistimine, predominantly used for motion sickness and allergies: The drug has strong sedative, moderate anxiolytic and weak antipsychotic effects, and was prescribed to me by the local Crisis Team for long term use in replacement for Diazepam/Lorazepam. First try of Diazepam didn't do a single thing for me, but Lorazepam did. Whilst this is not as good as the Lorazepam by a fair way, it's hugely better than Diazepam - (but that's probably just for me) . The promethazine makes me feel more tired for the first few days of taking it, but now I feel more calm, it's prescribed to me 25mg, 3x daily or as needed, and even now I usually avoid the middle dose otherwise I sleep a lot. Obviously it's different for different people but apparently its prescirbed a lot for bad anxiety in place of Benzos in the UK.

 

[James Lowney]

Wow. Thanks for all these tips guys, and gals! Really really useful. Taken the edge off my anxiety ahead of the flight tomorrow :)

 

[Abstract]

Good luck! You can do this. And remember you are more important than any job! That might take the pressure off.