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A question about Panic Attacks

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 152

my cousin is a phsychologist and he advised me if i have a panic attack to massage my carotid artery (on the neck just under the jaw line) and this will calm you right back down again, he said it is almost exactly the same as breathing in and out of a paperbag) its not dangerous, costs nothing so it cant hurt to try

Your friend Debi

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Dizzy.

I don't hyperventilate, nor do I stop. What I do is breath real shallow and don't get enough oxygen. Opposite of box breathing. Panic attacks vary from mild where you lose a small amount of time, shake your head and move on to full blown where your system shuts down normal function or exaggerates them. The key word being attack since panic is a normal reaction. I would say as for definition. Panic is anything that makes you uncomfortable. An attack is when you have no control over it. Therefore if you learn to accept and eventually ignore a panic situation it no longer fits the definition "attack" and falls under the realm of a normal but annoying reaction. (panic) These in time with coping skills like box breathing fade.

The thing is to take them from Panic attacks to Panic to mild anxiety to non existent. or in most cases just annoying. Like sweating or breathing too fast in a situation you are not comfortable with.

So except for the Dizzy which even I get still some times, how are you doing?

There is no set rule for panic, anything that sets you apart from comfortable, I do not like that word normal, can be panic. You do not have to fit any guidelines to have panic attacks.

I do not understand your CBT or his reasoning. I think you have perfectly "normal" panic attacks.

It matters not a bit if your attacks are special or not, the "cure" is still the same.

Here for you.

Davit.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 31

Hi Dizzy,

Here's the Wiki definition of hyperventilation:

Hyperventilation or overbreathing is the state of breathing faster than normal at rest (normal minute ventilation is generally 5-8 liters of air per minute at rest for a 70-kg man).

According to this definition, I would say that I do "hyperventilate" when having panic attacks since I find that I take more frequent, short, shallow breaths when the attacks occur. It's not something that anyone would notice if they were watching me. I didn't even notice until I started trying to box breathe during the attacks and noticed a big difference from my regular breathing.

I rarely get to a point of fast, labored, more exaggerated breathing when having an attack, which is what I normally imagine when I think of hyperventilation. My guess is that the Wiki definition is what your therapist is referring to.

Did you ask your therapist about his specific definition of hyperventilation, and have you tried box breathing when having an attack to see if you notice the difference? Also, I wasn't able to find a definition of panic attacks that necessarily required a symptom of hyperventilation, though I'm sure it's probably one of the most common symptoms.

Hope this helps,

-Flint

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 538

Hi dizzy,

Sorry to read that you are indeed dizzy while posting....as for your question...I gave it thought, and although I don't think I "hyperventilated " in every panic attack I've had..to the "paper bag need ", certainly I was not breathing normally .Whether I was beathing shallowly, or holding my breath....it was affected by my panic...or the panic affected it...the chicken and the egg scenerio.

Only by trying to make my breathing deep and steady did I even realize that it was "off". Sometimes even if I'm not anxious I find I'm not breathing as calmly as I should be....so I often use the box breathing just to help regulate it. I'm interested in reading about other members experiences with their breathing.

Juanita

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 118

A question about Panic Attacks out there, I was talking to my CBT a couple of days ago and he remains adamant in doing relaxed breathing during an attack. I do not disagree with him on this point. However, I said to him that I never hyperventilate during my attack, he was astonished at this fact and said that all “Panic Attack” involve hyperventilating. I disagree I remember reading that your reaction could be to stop breathing however I do not do this either. The point of going to CBT and sites is to believe what you are experiencing is not out of the norm and consequently there is nothing special about your panic attack. Do not misunderstand me everyone attack are different from everyone else’s but we all have the same identifiable symptoms to varying digress and intensities. My point in asking this question is to see if I am the only one in the world with this reaction, because my CBT makes me feel this way. Perhaps after some responses this is an area I have to work on that thought that even if it is a small occurrence of not hyperventilating that I have to change my attitude towards my CBT because it is me that is inferring how I feel from him saying this is not normal.

Dizzy

PS. I was indeed dizzy while writing this.

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A question about Panic Attacks