PTSD and Panic

[Marie1989]

I have been diagnosed with PTSD due to long-term emotional abuse. I have had a limited number (like three or four) of mild panic attacks throughout the last year. I will begin working through the trauma experiences with my current therapist in the next few weeks. I have noticed that my anxiety has gotten worse recently. For example, I have a difficult time sitting through a college one hour class. I get really antsy and and almost alway give into the urge to leave and pace before returning to class. Just an example, but there are dozens of other incidences that this happens as well.

Just wondering if I try and push through these incidences instead of giving into the 'flight' if there is a good possibility that my symptoms will escalate into more frequent actual panic attacks versus the panicky symptoms Ive been experiencing. Will beginning to expose the traumatic events make me more vulnerable to attacks? Any other advice appreciated!

Thanks so much!

 

[Mina]

Hi, Marie, and welcome to the forum. I don't know about giving into the flight response or not, but many sufferers do see an increase in symptoms as they delve into their trauma, so you may indeed be more vulnerable to attacks. My own symptoms defintely got worse before they got better as I began working through the trauma.

Is there something besides pacing which might help alleviate some of your anxiety during class? I often played with Silly Putty during lectures in college, as I had a hard time sitting still (non-PTSD related). To this day, I fidget like crazy, so I make sure I have something to play with. At work, it's one of those rubber fingertips...I've gone through a whole box now, lol...and watching movies it's climber's putty (like Silly Putty, but harder). That way, the part of me that has to keep moving is satisfied, but I am for the most part sitting still and managing to focus on what's in front of me.

 

[Tinyflame]

Hi Marie, welcome :hello:

As long as you feel the fear BUT at the same time "feel" and acknowledge that nothing bad happens, it will help extinguish it, far as I know. But that's difficult, to keep your mind on analyzing that and paying attention in class.

Mina has some excellent suggestions (-thanks, Mina :smile: )

"Flight" works great for immediately reducing the anxiety/ feelings/ triggers, but I found that it also equates to zero progress for myself, and came back to haunt me later.

If you can associate it (your environment, etc) with the smallest positive thing instead, and practise mindfulness (breathing, etc), I believe it will improve.

If I'm aware of what's likely coming, I try to think, "this time it's not going to beat me this time". (It actually worked, surprisingly enough!)

Best of luck to you and hang in there.