panic attacks
Sudden periods of intense fear. But remember, you're not alone.
I Spent My 20th Birthday in a Hospital Bed
I spent my 20th birthday in a hospital bed. Why? I had just completed my first few days of Coast Guard boot camp. It was tough. As you can probably imagine it was made up of a lot of screaming, working your body to the extreme, and trying to not fall asleep from the lack of sleep. I was feeling confident, like I could take it on and that it wouldn’t be a problem. To say the least I was wrong.
By Zev Randone5 years ago in Psyche
Tips for Anxiety/Panic Attacks
There are many forms of anxiety. I never noticed my anxiety until I was probably in high school. It got worse in my college years. Everyone experiences it differently. But if you are like me, you have experienced actual panic attacks. They can be frightening, especially if it is your first episode. My first panic attack landed me in the ER. I felt I was experiencing a "heart attack." After this event, I developed health anxiety. I was so scared that I would have another "near-death experience" (it felt like). After a couple of years now, I had learned what works and what doesn't for me. The ONE thing that is important for you to know is that it will pass and you WON'T die. Even if you feel like you are, you won't. When you feel your heart racing before you speak publicly, remember why you are doing it in the first place. The next step is to breathe. In your nose. Out your mouth. Hold your exhale longer than your inhale. Focus on finding the lowest deepest spot in your stomach as you exhale. Focus on the people in the audience excited to hear what you have to say. Try speaking with excitement and in turn, your body will react and feel excited and not frightened.
By Tonya Narzinsky5 years ago in Psyche
Who Needs a Therapist When (Pt. 12)
When I was very small, I had a recurring nightmare that I was being crushed by a boulder. Upon waking, rather than leaving the nightmare behind, I was visited instead by vivid, disturbing hallucinations: My body was shrinking. I would stare at my fingers, tapping them together as my hands became smaller, daintier, and near invisible. Yet, even with my eyes closed, the sensation was there—the shrinking, dissipating feeling as I feel myself swallowed, suffocated by my suddenly enormous bed. Panic would swell as I'd spend what felt like an eternity gripped in the certainty that I was shrinking down to nothing.
By Haybitch Abersnatchy5 years ago in Psyche
Who Needs a Therapist When (Pt. 10)
So, up front. This is not a call for help. This is not a request for care. I am perfectly capable of committing myself to professional care if my ideation goes from, "well, that'd be nice" to "let's do this." I'm good at means reduction and putting safety measures in place. So please refrain from any helpful actions. That is not what this is about.
By Haybitch Abersnatchy5 years ago in Psyche
The Storm Never Lasts Forever
These four words held so much strength during one of my most intense panic attacks, even in my frazzled mind at the time. Because it is 100 percent true. The storm will never last forever. Your panic attack will NEVER last forever. No matter how frightening or gruelling or exhausting it is, it will ALWAYS pass.
By Rose Walker5 years ago in Psyche
Who Needs a Therapist When (Pt. 4)
Me. I need a therapist. Thank you internet for being one. All tips will go to someday affording a real professional. So, I've been having a motivation problem. Like, every other morning I wake up with my bones full of lead. I can push through to go to work, but when I need to be working from home, or doing personal projects or pretty much any average day, the hopelessness saps at me and I find myself unable to even get out of bed.
By Haybitch Abersnatchy5 years ago in Psyche
The Monster Within
Do you remember when you were a kid and you had to walk through a dark room? The way your heart would race, your eyes would play tricks on you, warping the shadows into wicked monsters, and you'd start moving faster, as if making it to the light would somehow save you from the creepy creatures breathing down your neck?
By RiAnn Boen6 years ago in Psyche
Dealing with Panic Attacks
Dealing with panic attacks is very hard. I deal with panic attacks more then I would like sometimes it makes me afraid to leave my own home in fear another will come out of the blue. Panic attacks are like dark shadows that come out of nowhere it doesn’t matter what I’m doing it will appear. I have had them wake me up out of my sleep the experience of that was like a roller coaster. You wake up to your heart racing numbness bad taste in your mouth. It depends on how bad it is for the moment to pass by which feels like forever and it leaves me feeling physical and mentally tired.
By Mz.B. WORLD6 years ago in Psyche
Find What Makes You Human
In the film, Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence’s character Tiffany describes herself as “not a very good dancer” but that “it’s therapy and it’s fun.” The first time I saw the film, this line spoke to me. I related to her, because it made her depression a bit more bearable. I have a YouTube channel, where I’ve talked a few times about self care, and found myself using this sentiment as advice recently. I found myself advising people to find a passion to help them through anxiety. Writing had basically saved my sanity and honing it has been the best medicine. But who was going to see that? My channel has 52 subscribers and averages 15 views per video, so who was I really talking to?
By Emilia Boone6 years ago in Psyche
How to Help Someone Who Is Having a Panic Attack
Anyone who has ever met me can tell you that I have extreme anxiety dealing with work. It's so bad, I've been known to take walking breaks so that I can keep myself together—and at times, that doesn't necessarily work too well, either.
By Rowan Marley6 years ago in Psyche