Panic Attacks (Help pls)

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You have to do exposure therapy. There are two types of exposure especially helpful for panic attacks. The first is exposure and response prevention. This is where you make an anxiety hierarchy and start at the bottom where you are the least anxious and engage in that activity until your anxiety starts to come down. Exposure without response prevention is just fear conditioning. The second type is interoceptive exposure. This is where you do things to simulate the sensations of a panic attack without actually having one. This teaches your body that you can feel panic symptoms without it being a panic attack. It also helps to tell yourself it's a "false alarm" rather than a "panic attack." I highly recommend finding a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders to help you with your panic attacks.

There is a simple treatment for once you are starting to have a panic attack. Carry a paper lunch bag around with you, folded up in your pocket or tote bag. When a panic attack starts, and your breathing changes, open up the bag and breath into, and out of it for a short time. What many people don't know is that we actually need to breath both oxygen and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide helps to balance the breathing reflex, while the oxygen is needed to fuel the body. During an anxiety or panic attack, when your breathing changes, you blow the carbon dioxide/oxygen balance to hell, and don't get enough carbon dioxide to keep the process going normally. This only adds to the panic attack. Breathing into and out of the paper bag for a short time will restore the balance, and remove the breathing issue from whatever has caused the panic attack.

I realize it may sound silly to use a paper bag, but it's actually used by doctors sometimes, too. That's how I found out about it. And you only need to carry around a paper lunch bag, which is small when folded.

I do suggest checking with a doctor or therapist about ways to reduce the occurrence of panic attacks, and methods of calming yourself when you start to have one, but at least you can fix the breathing issues yourself. Also, the breathing problem causes some of the other problems, including the tingling in your limbs, and dizziness.

Hope I've been able to help!

Dealing with panic attacks is awful, I know it from my personal experience. Sometimes I thought it will never end.

Everything u explained is exactly like my panic attacks. Had one 2 days ago. Try breathing in through your nose for 5 seconds, holding it for 5 seconds, then breathing out through your mouth for 5 seconds. That helps me get more oxygen into my body. Or at least that's what the psychologist said. I also take Klonopin whenever a panic attack happens. It helps.

My panic attacks feel like I'm dying. But now I know it's just a panic attack. I can talk myself through it. It'll pass.