I posted this on my other thread to.
I just had my first huge stress test. I feel so weird right now. Like my body can't calm down. This is so scary. I realize I have been pretty safe up until now and the real world is back. I think I am having a panic attact. What do I do? How do I calm myself down. This feels horrible, I am going to throw up. I am not going to take anything, but this burning in my stomach can't be good for my body. Aaaaah!
llh, What has got you so upset? Shantel
Just some medicare stuff for my parents (regarding reimbursment for a lift chair), It is just a normal thing that I should and have to be able to deal with.... but my body is freaking out.
llh,
Try doing this:
Square breathing.
Normal breathing is parallel - one breath in followed by one breath out. Anxiety and nervousness cause you to increase the rate of breathing, bringing more oxygen into your bloodstream and adding to the body's automatic flight or fight response. Try square breathing to slow down your rate, to reduce oxygen in your bloodstream and to calm yourself:
Take one breath in to the count of four.
Hold it for a count of four.
Exhale to the count of four.
Hold for a count of four.
Repeat.
Try not to spin out. Anxiety attacks usually last no more than twenty minutes. Sit in a quiet, dark room and do the breathing exercise. You'll get through this.
Gina
Try doing this:
Square breathing.
Normal breathing is parallel - one breath in followed by one breath out. Anxiety and nervousness cause you to increase the rate of breathing, bringing more oxygen into your bloodstream and adding to the body's automatic flight or fight response. Try square breathing to slow down your rate, to reduce oxygen in your bloodstream and to calm yourself:
Take one breath in to the count of four.
Hold it for a count of four.
Exhale to the count of four.
Hold for a count of four.
Repeat.
Try not to spin out. Anxiety attacks usually last no more than twenty minutes. Sit in a quiet, dark room and do the breathing exercise. You'll get through this.
Gina
If you have a burning in your stomach maybe you could take an antacid. Do you ever have heartburn? Try taking a couple of tums. For the stress the only thing I can think of is to take a nice hot bath, turn down the lights, and maybe turn on some soothing music. Try taking your mind off things maybe by reading a book or watching a movie. I'll pray for you. I hope you feel better soon. You are doing so good - 19 days. Congratulations!
Shelly
Shelly
20 minutes okay I am breathing now.
llh, I worked for a medical supply company doing Medicare billing. Anything I can help you with. Shantel
Did the breathing help? Do you get these often? I do and it is terrible, I adventually had to go see my Dr. He said I was having the panic attacts because my body was missing it's crutch (pain pills) and I did not know how to act in a sober life, that also gave me panic attacks
Felicia
TODAYS MY BIRTHDAY 90
one day at a time
Felicia
TODAYS MY BIRTHDAY 90
one day at a time
Thanks Shantel, but it is to complicated to explain.
I do think the breathing helped....thank you.
I do think the breathing helped....thank you.
I only noticed these panic attacts since I went off the pills. I had the feeling a couple of times when I was reducing. I haven't had one for a few days and It really through me. I am sweating and my heart was pounding. Scary.
llh,
I'm glad that helped. I had panic attacks off and on for a couple of months after I quit. But you kind of get used to them, realize that it's an autonomic response, and you're not actually going to die.
Here's another technique that my voice teacher thinks is better than Square Breathing.
Relaxing Breath Exercise
I know it's scary, but you're really doing very well.
Love,
Gina
I'm glad that helped. I had panic attacks off and on for a couple of months after I quit. But you kind of get used to them, realize that it's an autonomic response, and you're not actually going to die.
Here's another technique that my voice teacher thinks is better than Square Breathing.
Relaxing Breath Exercise
I know it's scary, but you're really doing very well.
Love,
Gina
llh, I have been doing medical billing since 1989. I know my stuff. If there is anything you need please ask. Shantel
I clicked on the link but nothing came up.
I think you just saved my life, Gina.
Holy crap that was scary. I somehow knew I needed to handle it but that has to be really bad for your body internally.
I think you just saved my life, Gina.
Holy crap that was scary. I somehow knew I needed to handle it but that has to be really bad for your body internally.
llh,
I'm glad to hear you're feeling better.
Here's the link to the other breathing technique.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00521
It helps to practice these techniques before the panic attacks hit. Over time they become automatic.
Hang in there.
Gina
I'm glad to hear you're feeling better.
Here's the link to the other breathing technique.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00521
It helps to practice these techniques before the panic attacks hit. Over time they become automatic.
Hang in there.
Gina
I also suffer from panic attacks..Gina gave me that breathing exercise and it works...feel better...Love, Sharonn
llh, you said:
"Just some medicare stuff for my parents (regarding reimbursment for a lift chair), It is just a normal thing that I should and have to be able to deal with.... but my body is freaking out."
interesting comment you made here and from experience, perhaps this may be something you will dig a little deeper into.
in early recovery, any time i had a "panic attack" or feelings of dis-ease, it was a sign that there was some underlying issue that i needed to address. it's good to read that gina helped with you a coping technique that didn't end up with you using pills. however, i may want to take it a little further and address this with my sponsor or therapist or whomever is on your recovery team why you felt so panicky when living life on life's terms.
an example i will share with you is i was about 18 months into my recovery. i had worked the steps and it had been some time since i had a craving. at 9 months, i made the decision to go back to university for the education i required to change careers. so one day, i was in the law library doing a research paper that my professor had assigned. i adored this professor and while researching found myself up against a brick wall. i went to her and told her, i don't where to go, what text i should be looking in for a part of this assignment. she looked up at me (as she was sitting there in the library grading papers) and said: "sammy, what do wish me to do? take your baby hand and guide you to the legal texts where you will find the answer to your project? that's what i do with my children when they whine for help."
immediately i thought - ut oh - she's making fun of me and doesn't like me. egads - she doesn't like me! i am asking too much of her and my mind raced like a train going 185 mph; i was convinced that it was going to derail. after i left the law library (btw - i found the answers i needed), i got into my car and all of a sudden this incredible urge/craving to use became forefront in my mind.
oh wow - i hadn't felt that in quite some time and gave myself a little time to breathe and figure out where that came from. immediately my thoughts went to steps 10 and 11:
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
here was my personal inventory - i feared she (the professor) would not like me, because i thought i had bothered her and she was poking insults towards me comparing me, a 48 year old woman at the time, to her small children. my gosh, llh, i couldn't have been more off track and was projecting my own feelings onto her.
however, the next class i stayed after everyone had left and discussed my feelings with her. i was so totally off base where her opinion of me was concerned and i had forgotten to align my will with God of my understanding will. my ego, which are my fears got in my way.
thank you, God, for bringing me to a program of recovery that was spiritually based, and some fantastic people in recovery that i could bounce this off of. by sharing with this professor - being honest, willing, and open with her, solved my mis-perceived thoughts of what she really thought of me.
i'm wondering outloud here, llh, if there was something about your parents and the lift chair that brought you face to face with your own mortality. certainly i can understand if this is not the situation with you, but something happened that caused this panic. thank you God, for being with llh during this time within her/his life. and thank you God, for leading gina to her to center herself with the suggestion of breathing. we all have emotions; nevertheless, we learn in recovery that we don't have to act on those emotions.
i must dig deep, because i have only begun to scratch the surface. it's the journey that counts, llh, not the destination. what we see depends mainly on what we look for.
my affirmation for today is - i look for love and truth through open eyes.
dear God,
i often marvel at the many images vying to be seen. pretty images and beautiful illusions, created to distract and entertain:
endless hours of which actor is wearing what or who they are kissing, in depth analysis and commentary regarding politicians who don't really say anything but desperately want us to think they have answers,
instant replays of instant replays of who really dropped the ball, purported preachers of good news picketing people who love.
there are other images:
smiling children going to schools that have too few books or teachers, pain in a lonely persons eyes replaced by hope through a hug, beautiful coastlines with trash and oil slicks on the beaches,
kids laughing while their mothers search the garbage heap for food, gratitude in a recovering addicts eyes, communities embracing one another, people gladly sharing what they have,
a father playing with his children in the park, babies holding mommies fingers and learning how to walk. glossy magazines, television shows and internet websites deliver many images.
as i look over some of what i read online today and some of what i've experienced these past 24 hours, i ask myself:
what is it that i see?
what would You God, have me see?
who would You God, have me be?
amen
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
if anyone hasn't told you they love today, llh, i do.
namaste' ~
sammy
"Just some medicare stuff for my parents (regarding reimbursment for a lift chair), It is just a normal thing that I should and have to be able to deal with.... but my body is freaking out."
interesting comment you made here and from experience, perhaps this may be something you will dig a little deeper into.
in early recovery, any time i had a "panic attack" or feelings of dis-ease, it was a sign that there was some underlying issue that i needed to address. it's good to read that gina helped with you a coping technique that didn't end up with you using pills. however, i may want to take it a little further and address this with my sponsor or therapist or whomever is on your recovery team why you felt so panicky when living life on life's terms.
an example i will share with you is i was about 18 months into my recovery. i had worked the steps and it had been some time since i had a craving. at 9 months, i made the decision to go back to university for the education i required to change careers. so one day, i was in the law library doing a research paper that my professor had assigned. i adored this professor and while researching found myself up against a brick wall. i went to her and told her, i don't where to go, what text i should be looking in for a part of this assignment. she looked up at me (as she was sitting there in the library grading papers) and said: "sammy, what do wish me to do? take your baby hand and guide you to the legal texts where you will find the answer to your project? that's what i do with my children when they whine for help."
immediately i thought - ut oh - she's making fun of me and doesn't like me. egads - she doesn't like me! i am asking too much of her and my mind raced like a train going 185 mph; i was convinced that it was going to derail. after i left the law library (btw - i found the answers i needed), i got into my car and all of a sudden this incredible urge/craving to use became forefront in my mind.
oh wow - i hadn't felt that in quite some time and gave myself a little time to breathe and figure out where that came from. immediately my thoughts went to steps 10 and 11:
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
here was my personal inventory - i feared she (the professor) would not like me, because i thought i had bothered her and she was poking insults towards me comparing me, a 48 year old woman at the time, to her small children. my gosh, llh, i couldn't have been more off track and was projecting my own feelings onto her.
however, the next class i stayed after everyone had left and discussed my feelings with her. i was so totally off base where her opinion of me was concerned and i had forgotten to align my will with God of my understanding will. my ego, which are my fears got in my way.
thank you, God, for bringing me to a program of recovery that was spiritually based, and some fantastic people in recovery that i could bounce this off of. by sharing with this professor - being honest, willing, and open with her, solved my mis-perceived thoughts of what she really thought of me.
i'm wondering outloud here, llh, if there was something about your parents and the lift chair that brought you face to face with your own mortality. certainly i can understand if this is not the situation with you, but something happened that caused this panic. thank you God, for being with llh during this time within her/his life. and thank you God, for leading gina to her to center herself with the suggestion of breathing. we all have emotions; nevertheless, we learn in recovery that we don't have to act on those emotions.
i must dig deep, because i have only begun to scratch the surface. it's the journey that counts, llh, not the destination. what we see depends mainly on what we look for.
my affirmation for today is - i look for love and truth through open eyes.
dear God,
i often marvel at the many images vying to be seen. pretty images and beautiful illusions, created to distract and entertain:
endless hours of which actor is wearing what or who they are kissing, in depth analysis and commentary regarding politicians who don't really say anything but desperately want us to think they have answers,
instant replays of instant replays of who really dropped the ball, purported preachers of good news picketing people who love.
there are other images:
smiling children going to schools that have too few books or teachers, pain in a lonely persons eyes replaced by hope through a hug, beautiful coastlines with trash and oil slicks on the beaches,
kids laughing while their mothers search the garbage heap for food, gratitude in a recovering addicts eyes, communities embracing one another, people gladly sharing what they have,
a father playing with his children in the park, babies holding mommies fingers and learning how to walk. glossy magazines, television shows and internet websites deliver many images.
as i look over some of what i read online today and some of what i've experienced these past 24 hours, i ask myself:
what is it that i see?
what would You God, have me see?
who would You God, have me be?
amen
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
if anyone hasn't told you they love today, llh, i do.
namaste' ~
sammy
Hi llh,
you've been given some good tips and ideas here.
I was curious, did you by any chance experience what you might call a sense of impending doom?
That's a fairly common thing that occurs to us in early recovery. I wasn't prepared for it when it happened to me. Fortunately I had people to go to who explained it all and taught me how to deal with it in the future. It really helps to know that others go through the very same experiences. It's also comforting to know that it will pass quickly.
You might want to pay attention to your stomach when you feel any kind of anxiety or panic. We tend to tense up our stomach muscles without even realizing it. If you make a point to ease those muscles you'll feel some relief right away.
Good luck.
xxooo
you've been given some good tips and ideas here.
I was curious, did you by any chance experience what you might call a sense of impending doom?
That's a fairly common thing that occurs to us in early recovery. I wasn't prepared for it when it happened to me. Fortunately I had people to go to who explained it all and taught me how to deal with it in the future. It really helps to know that others go through the very same experiences. It's also comforting to know that it will pass quickly.
You might want to pay attention to your stomach when you feel any kind of anxiety or panic. We tend to tense up our stomach muscles without even realizing it. If you make a point to ease those muscles you'll feel some relief right away.
Good luck.
xxooo
Wow Sammy that REALLY made me think. Can it be true that an insecurity from my past is controlling my response to the present? Very interesting, I am definitly going to give that some more thought.
and Kat I will concentrate on my stomach if it happens again. What else did they teach you? I don't have a coach or sponser. I am giving myself a chance to do it on my own, I think I will make it. If it doesn't work out I will seek rehabilitation. So any tips you can share with me are greatly appreciated.
and Kat I will concentrate on my stomach if it happens again. What else did they teach you? I don't have a coach or sponser. I am giving myself a chance to do it on my own, I think I will make it. If it doesn't work out I will seek rehabilitation. So any tips you can share with me are greatly appreciated.
Hey llh,
my eyes are starting to droop here, lol. I'm an insomniac most of the time but after a few mornings of being up before dawn and I eventually crash.
I'll put some thought into this and post to you tomorrow.We learn a lot of tools that help our recovery be successful.
I was like you. I wanted to learn all that I could. I have a busy morning ahead but I'll look around and try to find you later in the afternoon, okay?
Have a good night.
xxxxxxooooo
my eyes are starting to droop here, lol. I'm an insomniac most of the time but after a few mornings of being up before dawn and I eventually crash.
I'll put some thought into this and post to you tomorrow.We learn a lot of tools that help our recovery be successful.
I was like you. I wanted to learn all that I could. I have a busy morning ahead but I'll look around and try to find you later in the afternoon, okay?
Have a good night.
xxxxxxooooo
llh
How are you doing honey? Just wanted you to know that valerian root is good for anxiety as is GABA. Valium is actually derived from Valkerian root, but the root itself isnt addictive like the valium is...I used GBA quite a bit for anxiety the first month after stopping...read up on it...its all natural..
In my opinion there is a HUGE difference between feelings of even BAD anxiety, and a full blown panic attack...
Unless youve had an actual full blown panic attack, its almost impossible to describe.....it is SO physical, not just emotional..Is below the kind of thing you experienced or was it more like just anxious??
PANIC ATTACK:
You can actually feel it surge, and come over you...you can be sitting there "tra la la la la.." just fine...and then suddenly you feel it coming on, like a wave.....you know whats coming ( if youve had your first ) and you get a nauseous feeling for a few seconds, then your palms start sweating and when it hits you full blown, it takes over you physically and mentally....you cant talk to anyone normally,
( someone can say something to you and its like you can hear them a bit but your out of your body so cant really answer..)you feel like you have been taken out of your body and are not all there, you think something horrible is about to happen or your going to die...or go crazy...you feel absolute utter and complete terror and panic, TERROR...and you dont know why...what brought this on?.....it feels so physical, that it enters your mind that perhaps someone slipped you some kind of horrible LSD or Trippy mushrooms or something....its that bad.....
Anyone that has had one probably knows what i mean, and its TOTALLY different then the dry mouth, not breathing deeply enough stressed out anxiety we can all feel from time to time...( good advice on the 4 sq. breathing tech..)
I mentioned earlier today that i overcame panic attacks, and they were happening at a time that no one really knew what they were...Mine started after smoking a doobie..i was around 20...had smoked them before for around 2 ?years, but i was just going to sleep and i sat up in bed and clutched my heart and said to my boyfriend I HAVE to go to emergency.....
I tried several times after that day..same effect sheer horror full blown panic attack..so i never smoked them again...problem was they ever went away...i had them 24-7 every hour every day one after another for months and months....i am 5' 11 1/2 " tall and went down to 110 pounds ( from 125 ) just from constant anxiety, i couldnt do anything...i almost became agoraphobic from fear of leaving the home...mouth was always dry, i couldnt swallow even the smallest piece of toast...it was one of the worst times in my life......
Looking back years later i realized why it had happened...i was in my very first boyfriend relationship, and we had lived together for over a year...but it was breaking up.... i was the one instigating the break-up....but it was bringing up all my feelings of abandonment issues which were very deep and very serious but had never been discussed.....or given any validation
I was pushing down all my fears of this upcoming change, pretending all was fine, but IMO all those pushed down feelings started to manifest..just like a volcano...finally erupting....Your Psyche is just screaming for you to acknowledge your fear and pain of this change stop pushing it down...and so it manifested via panic attacks..( thats JMO, but i do know that many panic sufferers have coming change as a common denominator- not just me)
Anyway just wanted to mention the difference between what some call a panic attack and an actual panic attack.HUGE difference....
Oh and to the new person on this thread, I forgot your name.."anewlife"??? is that it...I just want to welcome to the board, you will find many different experiences here and many different types of opinion as to how they got off the pills but if you dont mind me saying i think you must well be the oldest member of our board...90 yeasr old and you can use the computer???
Good for you love...Shows the kind of spunk you have and that you are not afraid of change and new things....My Oma would never ever have been able to email let alone go on a message board! Computers are a whole new techy thing to have to learn when you grew up without them...You're wonderful!!!!
So Happy Birthday and Welcome.....
Hugs to all
Ali
PS Anyone need help with panic attacks please let me know...
How are you doing honey? Just wanted you to know that valerian root is good for anxiety as is GABA. Valium is actually derived from Valkerian root, but the root itself isnt addictive like the valium is...I used GBA quite a bit for anxiety the first month after stopping...read up on it...its all natural..
In my opinion there is a HUGE difference between feelings of even BAD anxiety, and a full blown panic attack...
Unless youve had an actual full blown panic attack, its almost impossible to describe.....it is SO physical, not just emotional..Is below the kind of thing you experienced or was it more like just anxious??
PANIC ATTACK:
You can actually feel it surge, and come over you...you can be sitting there "tra la la la la.." just fine...and then suddenly you feel it coming on, like a wave.....you know whats coming ( if youve had your first ) and you get a nauseous feeling for a few seconds, then your palms start sweating and when it hits you full blown, it takes over you physically and mentally....you cant talk to anyone normally,
( someone can say something to you and its like you can hear them a bit but your out of your body so cant really answer..)you feel like you have been taken out of your body and are not all there, you think something horrible is about to happen or your going to die...or go crazy...you feel absolute utter and complete terror and panic, TERROR...and you dont know why...what brought this on?.....it feels so physical, that it enters your mind that perhaps someone slipped you some kind of horrible LSD or Trippy mushrooms or something....its that bad.....
Anyone that has had one probably knows what i mean, and its TOTALLY different then the dry mouth, not breathing deeply enough stressed out anxiety we can all feel from time to time...( good advice on the 4 sq. breathing tech..)
I mentioned earlier today that i overcame panic attacks, and they were happening at a time that no one really knew what they were...Mine started after smoking a doobie..i was around 20...had smoked them before for around 2 ?years, but i was just going to sleep and i sat up in bed and clutched my heart and said to my boyfriend I HAVE to go to emergency.....
I tried several times after that day..same effect sheer horror full blown panic attack..so i never smoked them again...problem was they ever went away...i had them 24-7 every hour every day one after another for months and months....i am 5' 11 1/2 " tall and went down to 110 pounds ( from 125 ) just from constant anxiety, i couldnt do anything...i almost became agoraphobic from fear of leaving the home...mouth was always dry, i couldnt swallow even the smallest piece of toast...it was one of the worst times in my life......
Looking back years later i realized why it had happened...i was in my very first boyfriend relationship, and we had lived together for over a year...but it was breaking up.... i was the one instigating the break-up....but it was bringing up all my feelings of abandonment issues which were very deep and very serious but had never been discussed.....or given any validation
I was pushing down all my fears of this upcoming change, pretending all was fine, but IMO all those pushed down feelings started to manifest..just like a volcano...finally erupting....Your Psyche is just screaming for you to acknowledge your fear and pain of this change stop pushing it down...and so it manifested via panic attacks..( thats JMO, but i do know that many panic sufferers have coming change as a common denominator- not just me)
Anyway just wanted to mention the difference between what some call a panic attack and an actual panic attack.HUGE difference....
Oh and to the new person on this thread, I forgot your name.."anewlife"??? is that it...I just want to welcome to the board, you will find many different experiences here and many different types of opinion as to how they got off the pills but if you dont mind me saying i think you must well be the oldest member of our board...90 yeasr old and you can use the computer???
Good for you love...Shows the kind of spunk you have and that you are not afraid of change and new things....My Oma would never ever have been able to email let alone go on a message board! Computers are a whole new techy thing to have to learn when you grew up without them...You're wonderful!!!!
So Happy Birthday and Welcome.....
Hugs to all
Ali
PS Anyone need help with panic attacks please let me know...
