Panic attacks?

[Deleted]

Does anyone have any experience with panic attacks?

I believe that I had one on Saturday.  I was really stressed and anxious and I started to have a hard time breathing, my chest hurt... and then I felt like I was hyperventilating and I couldn't feel my arms.  I felt so scared, I thought I was having a heart attack.  It lasted about a half an hour, and even then my pulse was 122.

I never want to go through that again.  Does anyone have any experience with these, or the best way to stop them before they start?

Thanks in advance.

[btay]

I get them every now and then. When I feel it coming on I always stop whatever I'm doing and focus on breathing and counting. I have also had a lot of success chewing on ice cubes because it distracts my brain.

[mel]

I will focus on deep breathing and refocus to the here and now (for example I will say out loud where I am and what I'm doing). I'll often times get in the shower. For whatever reason the water is very calming to me. I also do have medication for when it's severe.

[gardengnome]

I used to get them all the time. Therapy helped. Water, like the previous poster said, also calms me very quickly. Sometimes just taking a shower or swimming will keep me from having a full blown attack. I also have a script for Xanax, which I used a lot in the beginning, not so much now. Just knowing I have it is sometimes enough to stop an attack.

[Deleted]

Thank you everyone. I don't know why I didn't think of water, that normally really helps. It's like I couldn't even think.

I will try and remember these for the future, but I really hope it never happens again.