Question:
stategies for coping with panic ?
Answer:
1.Remember although your feelings or symptoms are vey frightening, they're not
dangerous or harmful.
2.Understand that what you are experiening is just an exaggeration of your
normal bodily reactions to stress
3.Do not try to fight feelings or wish them away. The more your willing to face
them, the less intense they'll become.
4.Don't add to your panic by thinking about what "might" happen. If you find
yourself asking "what if"? tell yourself "so what"!!
5.Stay in the present. Notice what is really happening to you as opposed to
thinking what might happen.
6.When you find yourself thinking about the fear, change your "what if"
thinking. Focus on and carry out a simple and manageble task such as counting
backwards from 100 by 3's( it's sad to say I had a hard time doing this.I'm not
very good at math ;) )
7.Notice that when you stop adding frightening thoughts to your fear, it begins
to fade.
8.When the fear comes expect and accept it. Wait and give it time to pass
without running away from it.
9.Be proud of your self for your progress this far and think about how good it
will feel when you succeed this time
I try to do all of the above.. and I am sorry to say I cannot do math to save
my life.. :) But there are times I sit and try to figure out how many 20's
I would need to make a million dollars. :) (that alone makes me tired..
and generally takes my mind off the panic attack.. cuz as I said, I can't do
math worth a damn!)
I find myself swearing to god I am having a heart attack, or worrying if I
am going to toss cookies, (leads to a bloody nose, that last for 3 to 4
hours on end, which I DON'T enjoy! argh sorry for the grapic description...)
One thing I do, other than taking my doggie girl out, I crank up the radio,
and wonder what in the hell I am going to write for my next article. belive
it or not, I am a writer.. and That usally (unless my editor demands 40 more
words... **ARGH**) Takes my mind off my PA's, And yes she did ask me for 40
more words. Not 42, not 50, but 40.. Jeeeeesus!
Then if that is not enough, I crank up my stereo... since I am deaf, we are
talking a LOT of power here... :) Hey if it pisses off my neighbors, they
can bite me, tho I will turn it down.. I have the aditional advantage, I
am deaf, cant hear the words, lets play "try to figure out the words to this
song..... ;)
Anything to distract me from the PA's, logging on, I am a co sysop here,
helping out with the bbs, etc, I can usally calm down after a good chat with
the sysop, and thinking of ways to improve the bbs.
*ANYTHING* that distracts you from the panic attacks are good. Once I ahem
(I confess,,,, I like soaps... :) I mixed up my tapes, and couldn't get
them in order... took about 45 min to an hour to finally get the blasted
thigns in order, and I was going thru one of the *big* ones, by the time I
finally figured out which tape was first, I had forgoten I was having a
panic attack.. :) (my husband swears he is going to go mix up my tapes just
to make me get over the fucking panic attack... )
Another thing I do, is put everything in ABC order, CD's movies, and trying
to catalogue them so we don't buy duplicates. Ever try to put over 100 CD
disc in ABC order?/ I am STILL not done, Because I have too many CD's, I
can do the ABC part, It is more of Ok, I have 15 RUSH cd's lets put this
in order as to how they were made.. I mean really thank god I don't have all
of the beatles.. I do that to distract myself. And my rush collection is
NOT in order. (Oh you are asking again, why a deaf person has so much music?
I CRANK IT UP! aren't you happy you are not my neighbor? :)
Next on my list is to catalogue all of our books, and we're pushing 800 books
here, (and doing the ABC thingy... Oh CHRIST! I am IN TROUBLE!!! Juist
thinking about how many Stephen King novels I have, and I am going to be anal
about it, and put them IN ORDER OF WHEN They were WRITTEN...... *HELP*
Sure cure for a panic attack!!)
