Help recovering from panic attacks?

Maisy

So I pretty much dissociated and had a panic attack today. I've talked to my therapist and we are working on communication with my mum about how I feel and such. Just wondering if anyone has any tips on the aftermath of a panic attack? It usually takes me a week or so to fully recover, and that week is spent feeling spaced out. Would love to lower that, or just find better ways of self care. Thanks.

Former Member

Hey Maisy, :wave:

Thanks for your post. Sorry to hear that you had a panic attack yesterday, hope you recover well. You were saying that you dissociated, could you describe more about what you mean when you say this happened? It's really positive to see that you've come here to look for some help and support for yourself with the panic attacks and for your own self care. :yes:

Not sure if you've heard of the organisation called No Panic. They help people with panic attacks, you can find their website here

There's also some articles about dealing with panic attacks on The Mix, not sure if you've seen them already but you can find these here

Feel free to keep posting here about how you're feeling and whats been going on for you. We're here to listen and support you *hug*

Maisy

Hey thanks Steph. I call it dissociation but I've not been diagnosed with anything. During a panic attack, I will space out, can't concentrate and things seem unreal. Afterwards, I calm down but still feel unreal and feel this way for about a week. It's hard to tell the time, remember what to do. When I came home from the doctors yesterday, the hours passed me by as I just sat and stared.

Thanks for the links....I'll check those out

JustV

I just wanted to drop in that Mind have a section on dissociation which may be useful; it goes into a bit about the different types, causes, things that can help (notably a 'how can I help myself' section), etc. It sucks that it's knocking the wind out of your sails for so long, though. That must be so tiring to recover from.

Out of interest, what's your usual process for getting through a panic attack (if you have one)?

Maisy

Thanks Mike Yeah, it's definitely tiring. Me and my therapist figured out I got triggered and it caused me to dissociate and panic. Looking back, I've had this happen many times but never knew how to get through it. In the past, I have avoided situations as I was scared of having a panic attack, and instead of talking and connecting with others about what I was going through, I would shut down and not want to talk to anyone. It definitely helps me to have a drink of water, and focus on what's going on around me rather than getting caught up in the panic.

JustV

A very natural response I think, @Maisy. That said, it's so positive that you've talked things through with your therapist and reached this point. I like that you know what helps you in that moment, as well. Impressed with your overall self-awareness.

Do you think you'll be able to begin to work towards healthier ways of dealing with the panic attacks now you can perhaps identify triggers and such?

Great to hear you're working on things, in any case. Feel free to keep us updated if you'd like to.

Edit: I came across this the other day and thought it might be worth sharing:

Maisy

I hope so! I've done well identifying triggers, and keeping myself grounded so I can kind of prevent dissociating/panic attacks. And at the same time, I have found that recovering from this panic attack was quicker than previous ones when I had no support.

Also, that animation is definitely helpful, thanks for sharing!

Former Member

That's great to hear Maisy :thumb: