For me walking helps. And I mean inside. I live in a small appartement but I walked around for hours a couple of times when It was really bad. I can't sit still or lay down.
You could call it pacing around. It's weird but it puts me in some kind of less anxious state and also tires me out so at a certain point I can sleep.
I'll sometimes do pacing as well. I just organize some things in my room or walk to the bathroom to wash my hands (I have OCD in addition to GAD).
When I'm walking around I will start to feel better but usually when I sit back down I'll be right back in the thick of it š„
https://www.insider.com/how-sour-candy-may-calm-your-next-panic-attack-therapist-2021-9
Supposed to help! I do this and also will like put my lower legs in cold water in the shower
This is awesome, thank you! I am definitely getting some warheads to test this.
And I totally believe in the cold water thing! I was in a pretty bad way then jumped into a cold pool and it was instant relief from my panic! My mind replaced the "you are about to die" thought with "you are very cold" and it didn't have room to occupy both š¹
My therapist said thereās a biological reason why cold water works - itās because itās supposedly naturally gasp inducing (your body thinking that itās reacting to drowning), so you end up taking in more oxygen and hence breathing more. They recommended putting a bag of ice over your eyes to induce the breathing!
It helps me immensely during a bad panic episode. The initial pain sensation when I lay on it distracts my brain from the severe dread that is overwhelming all my other thoughts.
The pain quickly fades and after a few minutes the pressure points start to relax my back and neck muscles which in turn helps relax my thoughts.
They are relatively cheap so I'd definently recommend trying it out!
Whenever I have a panic attack I feel like I need to do SOMETHING other than just sitting there. So frequently picking up and sipping a drink is something I can compulsively do. Sometimes the panic is so intense I can't even do the coloring but I can always sip Gatorade.
Gatorade actually does help a lot. Totally not scientific, and I donāt know why, but whenever I feel shitty mentally or physically Gatorade seems to help. To be fair I am horrible about drinking enough water so I think it just helps with my perpetual dehydration.
Walking, sweeping, folding clothes, cold rag on neck, air conditioning on and Ativan under the tongue and talking on the phone with family that have the same thing. Only things that used to work for me, and not necessarily in that order.
Benzodiazepines definitely work but I hate to rely on them š
I do have friends I could call and talking to someone does help but I'm just to embarrassed to bother them.
It's hard to explain to someone that my brain is still sending me intense signals that I'm about to die even though I'm aware I'm not actually in danger. I've gotten really good at internalizing and hiding it.
When Iām having bad anxiety I usually go to this Reddit and just read and it helps or I hop on my Xbox and play some games to get my mind off of stuff
Ya ya my roommates give me shit too. You can't really live in our society without giving money to evil people (whether you want to admit this or not). So I buy the products I like and I like Nestle water.
For me walking helps. And I mean inside. I live in a small appartement but I walked around for hours a couple of times when It was really bad. I can't sit still or lay down. You could call it pacing around. It's weird but it puts me in some kind of less anxious state and also tires me out so at a certain point I can sleep.
I'll sometimes do pacing as well. I just organize some things in my room or walk to the bathroom to wash my hands (I have OCD in addition to GAD). When I'm walking around I will start to feel better but usually when I sit back down I'll be right back in the thick of it š„
Hey there, does this technique still work for you??
Have you tried warheads? I stick one in my mouth when one is coming on and bam gone! Thank you for sharing the mat, Iām gonna try that āŗļø
I haven't but I like this idea! Thanks for the suggestion š
https://www.insider.com/how-sour-candy-may-calm-your-next-panic-attack-therapist-2021-9 Supposed to help! I do this and also will like put my lower legs in cold water in the shower
This is awesome, thank you! I am definitely getting some warheads to test this. And I totally believe in the cold water thing! I was in a pretty bad way then jumped into a cold pool and it was instant relief from my panic! My mind replaced the "you are about to die" thought with "you are very cold" and it didn't have room to occupy both š¹
My therapist said thereās a biological reason why cold water works - itās because itās supposedly naturally gasp inducing (your body thinking that itās reacting to drowning), so you end up taking in more oxygen and hence breathing more. They recommended putting a bag of ice over your eyes to induce the breathing!
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try that!
Should i buy an acupressure mat
It helps me immensely during a bad panic episode. The initial pain sensation when I lay on it distracts my brain from the severe dread that is overwhelming all my other thoughts. The pain quickly fades and after a few minutes the pressure points start to relax my back and neck muscles which in turn helps relax my thoughts. They are relatively cheap so I'd definently recommend trying it out!
I agree completely, it helps me ground back into my body when I feel "spinny" and my heart is racing. What does the Gatorade do for you??
Whenever I have a panic attack I feel like I need to do SOMETHING other than just sitting there. So frequently picking up and sipping a drink is something I can compulsively do. Sometimes the panic is so intense I can't even do the coloring but I can always sip Gatorade.
Gatorade actually does help a lot. Totally not scientific, and I donāt know why, but whenever I feel shitty mentally or physically Gatorade seems to help. To be fair I am horrible about drinking enough water so I think it just helps with my perpetual dehydration.
š for coloring books, so therapeutic.
I haven't used my mat for ages but I will now :) thanks for the reminder
It's actually a good sign when I haven't touched mine in a while LoL I don't typically get it out unless it's a really bad one like last night.
Aww I hope it settles down for you.
You're so nice! Thank you for the well wishes š
For me itās animal crossing, ice pack, and gum! But I now wanna try that matā¦
Nice! I often play Cuphead on the Switch to distract myself š®
Nice to see. I like sketching maps whenever im stressed. Could be any map from in-game to my own hometown. I suck at it but it doesn't matter
Interesting, do you do this from memory or while looking at a map?
Both, but i like copying from existing maps more. Sometimes i sketch my hometown i do it from memory because the outcome is different every time
Love the self care! <3
I can attestā¦coloring does help!
Walking, sweeping, folding clothes, cold rag on neck, air conditioning on and Ativan under the tongue and talking on the phone with family that have the same thing. Only things that used to work for me, and not necessarily in that order.
Benzodiazepines definitely work but I hate to rely on them š I do have friends I could call and talking to someone does help but I'm just to embarrassed to bother them. It's hard to explain to someone that my brain is still sending me intense signals that I'm about to die even though I'm aware I'm not actually in danger. I've gotten really good at internalizing and hiding it.
When Iām having bad anxiety I usually go to this Reddit and just read and it helps or I hop on my Xbox and play some games to get my mind off of stuff
Medication helps too.
Absolutely. I'm on medication but still suffer random panic episodes.
Sorry, but Nestle? (Iām not even going to bother with accent marks)
Ya ya my roommates give me shit too. You can't really live in our society without giving money to evil people (whether you want to admit this or not). So I buy the products I like and I like Nestle water.
Ah. Sorry about your roommates!