Panic or anxiety attacks?

Guest5643 · ‎07-06-2019

I have comorbid mental illness and my anxiety has been realy bad this year. It takes the smallest thing to go wrong to set me off. Is there a difference between bad anxiety attack or panic attack?

Snoopy88 · ‎07-06-2019

Hi helium,

im going through I similar thing. I get really bad anxiety attack I dunno if it’s a panic attack or anxiety attack.

what tigers your anxiety? My trigger is that I had a fall out with my work colleague and she doesn’t want to talk to me at all. My anxiety gets so intense I get racing thoughts her name keeps popping up in my mind I see her image of her face continuously I also think how will I speak to her what will I say how will she react. It’s so disturbing I wish it would just go away.

White_Rose · ‎07-06-2019

Hello Helium and Snoopy

I don't think there is a difference between anxiety attacks and panic attacks unless it's what causes the problem. Both have a racing heartbeat, conviction that something dreadful is going to happen, sometimes being sweaty and a feeling you are having a heart attack. Not nice at all.

Snoopy, I think you are triggered by having intrusive thoughts about your colleague and your anxiety does the rest. Helium, I suspect your panic is triggered b y your anxiety also. However you must remember I am not an expert on this, just someone who has experienced these things. Do either of you see a psychologist or psychiatrist? They are the best people to explain it to you and help you to manage. For me the worst part was the feeling of terror that something bad was going to happen. Sounds silly when we feel OK but it's frightening when you are in the middle of it all.

Practising what you are going to do when you have a panic attack is a good idea. You cannot think straight in the middle of it all but if you have a way of dealing with it you are more likely to feel better sooner. I imagined I was in a boat drifting down a river. On the bank was the panic or whatever I was thinking about, and it was so cross because it could not get to me across the water. I drifted down the stream in safety. Another suggestion I was given was to imagine the panic as a big screw twisting inside me. My job was to turn the screw the other way and get it out. I found both helpful but of course the trick is remembering to do these things. That's why it's a good idea to practise.

Hope you don't mind having a combined answer. Tell me what you think of my suggestions.

Mary

Guest5643 · ‎07-06-2019

Hi white rose and snoopy88, many thanks for your input. Theres no one specific trigger but i have complex ptsd and ocd and depression. I had to make the hard decision at the beginning of the year to permanently cut ties with all family. Half the time your not aware its gradualy building up. Sometimes I'll get an anxiety itch on my arm weeks before a big flare up. I find it hard to describe my attacks. Realistically they don't last long but seems like forever. When I'm at my absolute worst i say my brains realy hurting, I'll be hyperventilating, my heart will pound like crazy. I'll groan realy loud, I'll put my head on the floor while holding it and screaming inside. I dont get chest pains or feel like im dying as such. I've seen ALOT of psychologists and psychiatrists in past but have chosen not to anymore. Even with all the help ive been confused about if there was a difference between anxiety or panic attack. I like your way of dealing with your attacks white rose good on you

Snoopy88 · ‎08-06-2019

Hi white Rose and helium.

First i I would like to apologise helium for taking over your post with my issues aswell hope you don’t mind. Why don’t you go see a psycologist anymore? Have you tired CBT and ACT.white rose I also have been going counselling and it hasn’t helped me so far I saw a holistic counsellor for one year. It didn’t help as much. Now I’m going to see a clinical psycologist. I have a psychiatrist but they are not to helpful. I’m keen on finding a medication that can help me. But they are saying that I can’t rely on medication I need long term talk therapy. I’m starting a new medication in July and need to be in hospital just in case I get bad side effects they said it might help it might not. They say my anxiety maybe related to my psychosis because I have shizcoaffective disorder aswell as anxiety and I hope they are right and this new medication works on me. But I’m nerves because I heard this medication is quite sedative I’m worried about how will I get up and go to work.

White rose your imagery technique sounds interesting but I find it diffcult to do. Like your saying when you get anxiety attack imagine floating on a river and just drifting away in safety. Can you explain that further in more detail. Also the screw twisting inside you. How do you turn the screw around to get it out of you.

I tired doing breathing exercises it’s helps when I’m at home but at work it doesn’t seem to help because the I get racing thoughts about this girl and my mind keeps going round in circle it’s so intense her name is respected loudly in my mind I see a image of her face and like I have a desire to want to go speak with her if she came back to my department I imagine speaking to her and her getting really angry at me saying leave me alone I don’t want anything to do with you. I just wish that she would speak to me say hi how are you and still not be friends just be civil At work with each other that’s all I want.

Guest5643 · ‎08-06-2019

Hi snoopy88. Absolutely no need to apologize for anything! The more the merrier it makes me feel not alone😊. It got to the point with bulkbilled psychologists for cbt that i was feeling worse after visits not better. I can't financialy afford private ones. What does ACT stand for? I realy feel for you in your workplace that sounds realy uncomfortable. Could you possibly leave a note along the lines of i'm asking politely can we leave the past the past and just be polite and civil with each other for the sake of a happy workplace.

Snoopy88 · ‎09-06-2019

Hi helium,

thank you for allowing me to post here. ACT is acceptance commitment therapy. I’m not sure how it works it will be my first time trying it. I’m sorry to hear CBT didn’t work for you? What about getting on medication? Are you on any? Do you work? If so how do you manage your anxiety at work?

I send her a message on what’s app about how I feel she just blocked me straight away. It was a long message I explained to her how we had a good time when we were together than I said I’m having really bad anxiety attack because we are not talking anymore can we just be civil at work and say hi to each other. That didn’t work out either I don’t know if she read the whole message because it was long she just blocked me straight away. I tired calling her from private number she messaged me and said please stop calling me from private number and stalking me otherwise I’ll call the cops. I haven’t been stalking her just gave her a few calls that’s it. Anyways today again I got an anxiety attack. Her name and face keeps going around and round in my head I dunno how to control it. How about you how do you manage your anxiety?

Guest5643 · ‎09-06-2019

Hi snoopy88. I'd never heard of acceptance commitment therapy before, i realy hope you get help out of it. Cbt has helped but over 20 yrs of seeing these people if quite frankly starts to take a tole on you, well me anyway. I've been on the same meds over 20yrs which helps ENORMOUSLY for me. I'd say what they are but I'm not allowed to. My ocd and severe depression reared there ugly head at the same time. It took yrs of trials of different meds till i found this combo which was perfect apart from the enormous weight gain. The last few yrs I'm struggling realy badly with my ptsd. I don't do paid work. Keeping myself well enough is a full time job in itself. When my anxiety was flaring today i tried white roses technique of unscrewing a cork screw to no avail. So i tried a paint ball gun in my mind several times today. Sometimes i would picture shooting one and the paint being the anxiety splattering on a wall. Sometimes when i got a bit to panicky i shot several quickly and all the muddled anxiety splattering everywhere, it realy helped, however i slept realy well last 2 nights so was having a good day anyway. I dont think it will help on a bad day. I have alot of night terrors and incredibly stressful vivid dreams and its the best feeling to only wake up twice in the night and not remember what you've dreamt. I was wondering do workplaces have some sort of monthly mental health type meetings? Is there some boss type person you can discuss the issue with who could act as a mediator so she's forced to listen?

Snoopy88 · ‎10-06-2019

Hi Helium,

I wish you could tell me the combination of your meds. But I guess your not allowed to it would have been a great help. Yes I’m worried about the weight gain too. I’m starting a new medication and will need to be in hospital for it I heard it’s very sedative and chances of weight gain. I’m really nervous about it. Because I need to get up in the mornings to go to work I hope I can get up in the morning and also I do hope it helps lessen the anxiety

I haven’t tired ACT before so let’s see how it goes. Your paint ball idea sounds interesting. I’ll try that. It’s good you spelt really well the last 2 nights. I hope they paint ball idea continues to work well for you. Let me know how it goes.

i was wondering how do you survive if your not working. I hope you don’t mind me asking because I feel like quitting my job and looking for something else. Do you have someone who supports you or are you on Centrelink?

im sorry to hear you have ptsd. It must be so challenging for you. Do you have any coping techniques for your ptsd. I have shizcoaffective disorder with depression and serve anxiety. The anxiety is what’s holding me back it’s very paralysing I can’t do much.

no my work place do not have any meetings for team members but I think the managers have meetings but it’s not around mental health more to do with work what’s new and all. I wish they did have meetings around mental health would really help. scared to tell the boss to act as a meditator. But I’m thinking of telling my store manager about the issue but I don’t want him to talk to her about it I just want him to know so I can transferr stores as soon as possible because she is triggering my anxiety and I want to move to a closer store that’s close to my place.

Guest5643 · ‎10-06-2019

Ho snoopy88. The meds i take are great for ocd when combined. I don't mind anyone asking at all.I'm on disabity pension. Ive been on it since i was 19ish. Even then they we're realy strict but I've heard there alot stricter now. Believe you me i understand the concern you have about the morning sedation fogginess. Unfortunately everything that helps theres always always a catch. Its like with all vet animal meds too😦. I'd like to offer coping techniques for my ptsd but i don't realy have any helpful ones. That would be fantastic for you if you could get to move closer to your home. Maybe have your dr write a letter to the store manager explaining situation?