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Depending on the level of of the panic I also use the breathing and the positive self-talk. The abdominal breathing helps slow down the physiological mechanisms responsible for panic. The positive self-talk helps me observe rather than react to the bodily sensations. If it has gone beyond the point of no return I also ride out the symptoms. But while doing this I tell myself that the panic is not dangerous and will pass. I know easier said than done. But in time it does get easier. I have been dealing with this for over ten years. It has gotten easier. I was once agoraphobic. But last week I took a two hour plane trip all by myself. Setbacks are part of the process. Don€™t be discouraged.
Yeah I read it in one of the many book I have ( more like a library now ! ), and thought it sounded mad, but it does work, and even just knowing its there, I wear one all the time, seems to help.
I know this might sound mad, but apart from using the proper breathing techniques, which I hope you've learn't by now, I keep a band aaround my wrist, like an elastic hair band, and twang it as hard as I can to distract me ! Try it !
Some things I find helpful during an attack which you might want to maybe try are breathing, incredibly important sometimes the panic will just stop once I start doing slow breathing from my tummy, that really works with me. Also focusing your mind on the factual - I was told once that your mind cannot function in both the factual and non factual. What that means is focus on something like reading or counting, it shifts your mind out of the area of the brain where panic is and into another part of the brain where fact is....I know I didn't explain that very well but often I'll just sit and start counting out loud or walk around the house counting how many candles I have or something like that, I have found this to work really well. Hope that helps.
I agree - just keep plugging thru what you are doing - don't give in no matter how hard it is. YOu will feel triumphant when it passes, as it always does. One thing that has been working for me, at least as a temporary measure, is getting mad. Yup, just plain getting mad at the disorder, at the things that **** me off about the disorder - not necessarily out loud (esp if you are in public!!) but internally I give myself a little rant about how I am not going to put up with this anymore, the panic won't win. Sometimes it works by turning the tables on the attack. Then I quickly redirect my attention to whatever it was I was doing. Just an idea to try out.
Caitlin
One thing that helps me when I am having an attck is that I just ignore the attack. I pretend it isn't there. I don't stop what I am doing. It helps me.
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