Panic Attacks @ work! Looking for help and others experiences.

[HarlowWynter]

Hi,

I am currently sitting at work worrying that i will have a panic attack any second. Last week i rushed to the hospital mid shift because i thought i was about to have a seizure, i had tunnel vision, felt like i was going to faint and felt sick in the stomach. I was sent for an MRI and it was all clear, since then i have been doing better with my health anxiety but i feel like since i stepped into the office it has all gotten worse again. Is it likely that because i had a panic attack here before that i have now created my mind to fear being at work? Has anyone else had this? How did you get through it?

[james1]

hello HarlowWynter,

I am not sure why it feels worse again but I'm sad to hear it is causing you a lot of distress at the moment.

Can I ask whether it is better if you step outside?

I used to have a lot of issues at work and even just stepping outside for a while helped. It wasn't great when I had to come back in, but it did make things more manageable.

In the end, what really helped most was just continually going to the psychologist. I'm a lot better at work now except for some small things here and there, but I can at least function. For me, it had nothing to do with work but work exacerbated the issues because I felt even more trapped with no one to talk to.

Do you have any friends you can message while you're at work?

James

[Chloe_M]

Good morning HarlowWynter,

I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing panic attacks. I experience them too, and quite frequently. I have an app called ReachOut Breathe, which is free, and helps you control your breathing. I find it is very effective! Also, if you haven't already, talk to a professional about what you are dealing with.

Keep posting on here, there are plenty of people who want to help you!

Chloe

[HarlowWynter]

Thanks James, i tried to step out and do some breathing also splashing water on my face. I keep going from ok to panic, it is just awful! I am really hypersensitive, my lip just twitched and the panic came on again. I will try and talk to a friend, thank you. I do see a psychologist and can definitely feel myself on the mend, just need to work on this work problem!

[HarlowWynter]

Thanks so much Chloe, i do see a professional. I will try the app.

[Meowface]

Hi hun I hope you are doing okay. Yes I have experienced panic attacks and the fear of a panic attack over recent years. I always have some relaxant meds with me from my dr but only use these if I can’t get my panic under control.

I will try these things:

1. Stepping outside or going to the toilet to breathe deeply.

2. Make a cup of tea

3. Call my mum (bless her I’m nearly 30 lol) or msg a friend/hubby/sister saying argh feeling a bit panicked then done convo helps.

4. I have left work before letting my manager know I don’t feel well if I think I’ll feel safer at home.

5. Look a cute puppy or kitten pictures (my weakness) or my Pinterest boards for some positive quotes.

sometimes that stomach knot doesn’t leave me until I get home or can last through the night. Some days are worse than others. Here for you look after yourself xx

[PamelaR]

Hello HarlowWynter

Others from the forum have welcomed you and given some good advice. If it's ok, I might tell you about my experience.

I worked all my life with anxiety, but was not diagnosed until about 7-8 years ago when everything came to a head and I had a breakdown. What I have learnt in the past 7-8 years is -

1. Identifying the trigger that sets of the alarm bells in my heart and my head. It's taken me years to work some of these out. My most recent psych is 'very good' at helping me get to the bottom of things.

2. Acknowledging my pacing heart and racing head are set off by 'thoughts'. In the first instance, my body remembers a trigger - the flight and fright response, then almost instantaneously my thought processes take over (to protect me) and I'm back on automatic pilot. In it's wake however I am often left not functioning properly. With my current psych work, I have to stop going into automatic pilot and change course until it's okay to go back to automatic pilot.

3. Incorporating 1 and 2 above, I have to identify the values and beliefs that go with my thoughts. Generally these are negative thoughts - about me, my self worth, my self esteem. E.g. - When I've made a mistake my self talk (which is usually subconscious) is something like 'look at how stupid you are, you can't do anything right' (that is what my mother said from a very young age until I was 20). I have to replace this thought with something more positive e.g. 'look, yes I made a mistake, however, yesterday and the day before I didn't. I have a good record of doing well. I can learn from this mistake'.

Steps 1, 2 and 3 above have been my homework for the past 4 weeks. I find it works! It doesn't stop my anxiety attacks from happening because there are so many triggers, so many different stories I have in my brain from growing up that it will take time to go through them all. What it does do for me - stops my pounding heart, stops my perspiration, helps me function. So I can write posts like this. When I started this post to you, my heart was pounding like anything, I started perspiring, and my mind was fuddled.

Now as I complete this post, I am relaxed, dry and feeling ok. So what did i identify as my trigger? The story in my head that emerged was - you can't do this, you haven't got anything to say, you can't help, you're useless good for nothing. But I changed this to - I am good for something, I worked all my life, I can help. People tell me this all the time.

[Chloe_M]

Wow PamelaR, that is very helpful advice! I agree that finding what the trigger is can be hard, and that once you do find it, you can work on strategies and ways that you can prevent that (the panic attack) from happening.

All the best HarlwoWynter 🙂

Chloe