Anxiety/Panic Attacks

[lady leko-chan]

So I have been coping with extreme anxiety as well as panic attacks for about 3 years now (This mostly came about after I was mugged 3 years ago and was sent to the hospital with a broken arm... i decided that it would be a good idea to fight my attacker). I have done about all that a person can do about this, I even tried taking anti anxiety meds but was too aware of how they were controlling my mood and got extremely sick from that notion (literally sick, like vomiting). I'm strange like this, I don't do well with medications because I am too aware of how they change me.

What I'm looking for is if anyone has any words of wisdom to share about how to deal with anxiety attacks or how to compose oneself out of a panic attack. In these three years I have become MUCH better than I was, I couldn't leave my apartment at first, but I still hate feeling this way. I often completely miss understand harmless situations with friends as well as those I'm close to and I'm just looking for a little support I guess.

I know these things take time but it is just really getting me down that I am still reacting this way. Any little thing could help, I'm just out of ideas of my own.  

[Plan Nine]

I don’t know if this will help or not, but while watching a TV program about anxiety they gave a list of 4 things you can tell yourself during a panic attack. I thought they might be useful, so I wrote them down.
1. You're not gonna die.
2. You're not gonna collapse.
3. You're gonna be ok once it's over.
4. It is gonna get over.  

[lady leko-chan]

^_^
Luckily Plan Nine, I got that part memorized and practiced well.
It is having to still tell myself those things that is getting me down.
But thanks so much for the advice!

off subject- is your screen name from Ed Wood's Plan Nine from Outer Space?  

[Plan Nine]

Sorry I couldn’t be more help. heart I’m still struggling a bit myself. I have an extremely strong sense of smell. I can become really ill from odors other people don’t even notice.

Yes! Plan Nine is from Plan Nine from Outer Space. It’s been called the worst movie ever made!  

[lady leko-chan]

I also have a bit of that smell thing, certain perfumes are an instant headache for me. It's horrible when i get stuck in an elevator with a guy wearing strong cologne, i get a headache and an anxiety attack all at once.

I have seen Plan Nine, and it is brilliantly bad ^_^
It is fun to watch Plan Nine then watch the Hollywood documentary of ed wood right after.  

[Plan Nine]

Strong cologne is a big trigger for me too. I wish I knew a polite way to tell someone his or her cologne is too much for me.

I watched the movie Ed Wood with Johnny Depp, but I haven’t seen the Hollywood documentary. I’d like to see that. He was a very interesting person.  

[The Last Chase]

I get anxiety attacks quite a bit and sometimes over really stupid things. They're such a pain in the a**, sometimes I can hardly breathe. Trying to take deep breaths never helps, most of the time it just makes things worse. The only thing that's even slighty helped me was going to a quiet place where people wont bother me and telling myself that there is no past and no future, just the moment that I am in now. It helps me concentrate on the calm that I need to get over the attack. One of my friends has also told me that thinking about a tree can help. It sounds really weird, but it's such a simple trigger that it can work. You just think 'tree' and design that tree in your head. The bark, the leaves, the shape, every simple detail of the tree and it makes your mind empty out everything else. Right now I'm trying to work with that idea.  

[Plan Nine]

The breathing thing makes things worse for me too. I’m gonna try the techniques to mention. Thanks The Last Chase.  

[lady leko-chan]

the last chase:
I think the point of living i the moment might help. Usually when I panic all I can think about is getting past it or not having it or wanting to be doing something other than what is triggering it. I wonder if just dealing with everything that is happening right then and there and not think about anything else would help in that instance...

Hmmm a tree? I will also see how that comes along for me, drawing pictures mentally seems like it just might have a positive effect.
Thanks so much for your advice on this!  

[The Last Chase]

leko-chan

the last chase:
I think the point of living i the moment might help. Usually when I panic all I can think about is getting past it or not having it or wanting to be doing something other than what is triggering it. I wonder if just dealing with everything that is happening right then and there and not think about anything else would help in that instance...

Hmmm a tree? I will also see how that comes along for me, drawing pictures mentally seems like it just might have a positive effect.
Thanks so much for your advice on this!

No problem. It works well for me. I hope you feel better.