Panic Attacks

Create a new post for topic
Join the Conversation on
Panic Attacks
35.4K people
0 stories
8.7K posts
About Panic Attacks Show topic details
Explore Our Newsletters
What's New in Panic Attacks
All
Stories
Posts
Videos
Latest
Trending
Post

Trying My Best

I've made a lot of good strides towards going outside of my comfort zone, essentially combating multiple fears at once. I got a new car after my last one was vandalized and am actually driving it, it has been two days. I was going for a walk in the mornings and staying at the library until 5pm, again just the last couple days. I thought I was handling it well but today on the ride home I started having a panic attack that thankfully didn't peak until I got home. But it was the worst one ive had since I had to leave gradschool due to my mental health declining so severely. Mentally I thought I was staying positive so I don't understand why I had this happen all of the sudden. I was doing really well and now I like.... feel horrible and I feel like my body didn't listen to the mindset I cultivated for myself if that makes sense? Like it dont understand why my brain decided to have a panic attack if mentally I was remaining strong. Has anyone had experiences like this... like even though my mind is in a relatively good place there seems to be a limit that my brain will even allow me to do before it shuts down and I genuinely dont understand this. I know this isn't the place for medical advice and im not asking for it, im just wondering if maybe this means there is something wrong structurally with my brain or like my subconscious was terrified even though i felt calm while doing the things outside of my comfort zone... like i felt some minor pressure and maybe overstimulated but I genuinely felt like it was all manageable and that I could handle it until my brain decided to go call an emergency? Im just really confused because I don't understand what is going on. My panic attacks are so bad that I would not be able to say, continue driving at the peak of them. Like if this is something I can't just overcome by exposure therapy and a positive internal monologue/mindset then I does that mean it have no choice but to be medicated? I really did not want to do that because I was handling being more social/going to events but not pushing myself too hard. Is it possible I just pushed myself too hard without even consciously realizing it.. ?? Thank you for reading

Most common user reactions 4 reactions 9 comments
Post
See full photo

Give A Little, Lose A Little

I stay on my phone sometimes until I pass out from exhaustion. A few times, I do not even remember what happened. I would fall asleep, and my phone would drop to the floor or get lost in the bedsheets.

I cannot believe how much it tears at me sometimes when I can't sleep! Then there are evenings when all I do is pass out! My brain 🧠 goes 100mph or 500+ mph, and other times it's about 10mph in function.

#Insomnia really sucks but #exhaustion really sucks too!

What else can I do?
Just journal, write, and pretend to talk to someone? It gets lonely.

#Insomnia
#Anxiety
#PanicAttack
#exhausted

Most common user reactions 6 reactions 3 comments
Post
See full photo

Give A Little, Lose A Little

I stay on my phone sometimes until I pass out from exhaustion. A few times, I do not even remember what happened. I would fall asleep, and my phone would drop to the floor or get lost in the bedsheets.

I cannot believe how much it tears at me sometimes when I can't sleep! Then there are evenings when all I do is pass out! My brain 🧠 goes 100mph or 500+ mph, and other times it's about 10mph in function.

#Insomnia really sucks but #exhaustion really sucks too!

What else can I do?
Just journal, write, and pretend to talk to someone? It gets lonely.

#Insomnia
#Anxiety
#PanicAttack
#exhausted

Most common user reactions 6 reactions 3 comments
Post
See full photo

Fear of Flying: Discouraged After the Air India Plane Crash?

How do you, as a fearful flier, not become discouraged after seeing a tragedy happen? It is of course sad and upsetting anytime things like this happen. The loss of life, the grief, even for people you've never met, it is painful and tragic. It makes sense to have these responses to tragedy, whether related to flying or otherwise.

The Validation of Fear and Flying Anxiety Setbacks

While there's not a full explanation available yet of what caused the Air India crash, any time someone who is afraid of flying hears about something like this happening it can be incredibly discouraging and increase flying anxiety, or decrease normalization (I've written extensively on the concept of normalization and overcoming fear of flying. Check out the blog on my website if you would like to read more on this topic).

When an incident happens, one of the reasons it can be easy to be discouraged is because a plane incident serves as validation for your worst fears. People I work with sometimes say to me, "See? It can happen. I should be scared to fly. What if that was me?" The validation of the fear, and the sense of "what if", makes someone with flying phobia feel that it is now much more likely to happen to them than before.

It becomes compounded by the fact that when something like this happens, videos are popping up everywhere for days and weeks to cover the one incident. In terms of how we internalize this, it can actually be experienced by the mind and body as more than one incident because there are so many videos repeatedly driving the incident in, while at the same time not taking in much positive about flying to work against it.

Every time you view a video your mind and body can internalize it as another negative interaction with flying and further reverse your normalization meter—making it feel like the danger to flying is more normal than the safety of flying. Even if you "know" it's still largely safer to fly than drive, the validation of the fear and the repeated exposure to the one incident can start to make it "feel" more dangerous than it is.

Maintaining Normalization and Finding Perspective

It is much easier to locate coverage about negative incidents than positive ones when it comes to flying. Obviously, this is for good reason—why would people post every time planes take off and land without incident? The same day the Air India crash happened, if you watched one video for every single plane that took off and landed in the world, you would have gone through the whole entire day not being able to watch them all. And you would have likely become bored out of your mind after the first hour or two of watching these videos. However, while the Air India crash is still an awful incident, had you watched a hundred thousand-plus planes take off and land the same day, it would have likely created some internal perspective to place alongside the tragedy.

This is the reason that you can hear about fatal car crashes and then immediately after still get into your car and drive—or even hear about them while you're driving and still not suddenly become scared being in the car. Not only do you possibly feel more in control by driving than you might feel in the cabin of a plane, but you're likely so normalized to driving by doing it all the time and seeing other cars on the road not crashing all the time, that when you hear about fatal car crashes it likely doesn't discourage you from driving or dent the routine nature of it you've internalized over time.

Emotionally Managing Risk

The validation of your fear after an airplane incident becomes the biggest internal punch to have to contend with. In spite of the more publicized flying incidents recently, flying isn't really less safe, and isn't more likely to end in tragedy than before. But the validation of your fear after something like this really increases that feeling that you were right, and that your level of fear is valid and reasonable. (I've also noticed a great increase in the coverage of private plane flying incidents being unfairly treated as if it's on equal footing and lumped in with commercial airline flying. This makes people feel like airline passenger plane incidents are happening all the time which isn't helping matters for people with flying anxiety).

One of the many normalization exercises I developed for people to work on as part of overcoming fear of flying is called the Fear of Flying Mindset. This asks people to list all the things they do every day that have risk (this exercise, when done effectively, helps create perspective and normalization on risk). People are often surprised to learn how many things they do every single day that in their absolute worst moments can have tragic results.

But a big difference is, most of these things—such as eating, for one example—people don't tend to already fear. So if you hear of a person choking, you don't suddenly fear eating. Also because your daily interaction with eating without choking has normalized eating for you. You have internalized reasonable perspective. So even when an incident happens, it doesn't tend to put a dent in your ability to still interact with these things that also have risk in their worst possible moments.

Keeping Perspective

When you already experience flying anxiety, flying doesn't have this same perspective for you. Remember, the point of overcoming fear of flying has never been to convince yourself that there is no world in which bad things happen once in a great while. Overcoming fear of flying and flying anxiety is all about emotionally aligning yourself with the routine reality of flying. When you fear flying, it's very common to experience flying as much more risky and dangerous than it really is—almost like it's a 50/50 chance you'll be okay, which is one of the reasons people can feel like they just got lucky when they land.

When you see an incident like Air India happen, if you are afraid of flying already, it gives you reason to believe you were right about these odds, spiking your fear. But for those who are normalized to flying and have internalized a reasonable sense of the routine nature of it, it is likely to elicit feelings of sadness and upset for the loss and tragedy, but as far as fear goes, it's more aligned with hearing about car crashes before you get in your car. You may know once in a while stuff happens (a whole lot more with driving than flying), but emotionally you recognize the tragedy was the exception to the normal routine.

#fearofflying #Phobia #PanicAttacks #Anxiety

(edited)
Most common user reactions 1 reaction
Post

I'm new here!

Hi, my name is Catwomance. I'm here because I have struggled with major depressive disorder for several years now. I had ups and downs, and I thought it might be a good idea to connect with others who are dealing with similar issues

#MightyTogether #Anxiety #Depression #SuicidalThoughts #PanicAttacks

Most common user reactionsMost common user reactions 4 reactions 2 comments
Post

Living With Anxiety: I’m Not Alone — And Neither Are You

When your heart races, your mind spirals, and your body trembles, it feels as if you’re battling a storm from within.

I know — anxiety is not a choice. I didn’t choose to live with panic attacks, sleepless nights, or overwhelming worries.

But I’ve learned something along the way: Anxiety is not a weakness. I’m learning to live with it — step by step — while growing kinder to myself, asking for help, and looking for support.

This is what I want to share with you:

✅ You are not alone.

✅ What you’re feeling is real, human, and completely valid.

✅ Don’t be afraid to reach out for help — from family, friends, a therapist, or a support group.

✅ Slowly but surely, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

✨ If you’re struggling with anxiety, share your story, support each other, and be a light for someone in need. 🌟#PTSDSupportAndRecovery #Anxiety #HidradenitisSuppurativa #MentalHealth

Most common user reactions 13 reactions 7 comments
Post

How much Xanax does everyone take for panic attacks and AD? I’m at .5 3-4 times a day. My psy doesn’t want me to increase and the ER doesn’t feel good

How high a dose of Xanax is everyone on. I take .5 3-4 times a day.
#Anxiety

Most common user reactionsMost common user reactions 3 reactions 2 comments
Post

Changes

I am having a hard time tonight.

My bf just started a new job recently and now I am trying to adjust to a new schedule.

To catch anyone up: I was unhoused for a couple of years and my complex ptsd got really bad. I have had severe panic attacks since then. I also had to move cities across the state and no longer access my “safe places” and my circle of friends. And after all of this I am having new symptoms pop up so I am having mobility issues. This is all being addressed in therapy- so I’m just venting. 😂 which coming back up to this- it did help.

I do a lot of things- I volunteer, attend groups and therapy, I am working on renewing my school psychologist license, I paint, I advocate, I am a heavy hobb-iest (lol I dabble in a lot of things)- I keep myself busy enough while still having space and time to process things. The problem is with these “extra symptoms” -the ones I have now because of the extra trauma of being unhoused- I have a hard time being at home. (I’m working on it in therapy!!) I didn’t have these in the evening- when my anxiety ramps back up- by myself because these came from being unhoused. I also live in a “new” city that’s across the state from my old city. I am working on building my social circle but with my symptoms it is challenging. I also am working my way with some new diagnoses and figuring out supports I need for accessibility- which kind of factors into the panic of going places. I’m aware of all of the parts of it- unfortunately 😵‍💫 it’s just that the logic doesn’t work for the panic. I wish it did though. 😂 that would be really nice.

Anyways- the whole point of this is I have a hard time coping with change and unstructured time. I know what my therapists keep telling me- I am doing all the right things and it’s just about coping through it. But that really sucks sometimes 🫠🙃I probably should write some affirmations or something.

#Agoraphobia #PanicDisorder #ADHD #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #ChronicVestibularMigraine #AutonomicDysfunction #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #CheckInWithMe

Most common user reactionsMost common user reactionsMost common user reactions 55 reactions 16 comments