panic attacks

Hey everyone..

this is my first post here. Lately i have been having panic attacks daily and thought that maybe fitness would help get my mind off of things for a while. When I have an attack I feel as though I cannot breathe. I have been active all my life with dance for about 3 hours a day 6 days a week up until college 4 years ago and now I am not really active. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew of certain exercises that might help with my panic attacks. Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
More than likely that you would probably benefit from seeing a psychologist that specifically deals with cases like yours. Which may revovle around drugs, behavioural therapy etc, but no doubt more beneficial when complemented with exercise.
 
open water swimming is a bad idea.

that is the only place I have ever had a panic attack.

i know, I am such a jackassss...

but I did want to post that I feel for you and hope you find the solution quickly. Panic is a KILLER.

smooth landings, peaceful thought, and a even breathin to you.

FF


oh and sweat daily!
 
Just let it happen

I suffer panic attacks in crowds. Not always, but if I'm tired they seem to happen more frequently. I discussed these attacks with my pschologist and he suggested that a panic attack is like a rush of water in a channel. If you attempt to fight the stream by damming it, there is a tendency for the water to back up until it eventually overwhelms you or the dam. So, as well, the flood of emotion that accompanies the panic attack. He suggested just repeating to myself that there is no danger or reason to panic and the feeling will pass in time. If you resist or fight the flood you force it into a channel and increase it's intensity. Better to let it go, because there is no reason for the panic.
 
There's really no one exercise that will help you with panic attacks. It differs from people to people. As a matter of fact, exercise isn’t the only thing to help you relax. Doing relaxing things can really do wonders and it can be as simple as reading a book to more demanding tasks such as hiking to even breaking things or squeezing a tennis ball and even going to sleep or taking a nap.

For example, driving can be a source of relaxation to some, but to others it can be a source of a panic attack. Also, walking can help people relax, but to some it's a source of the panic attack. It really depends on where you live, what you're doing, and most importantly why you're having the panic attacks in the first place. If you are having panic attacks due to stress of time, then putting in a schedule for dance can further complicates thing due to the limited time.

I would look into the source of the panic attack, rather than trying to find ways to suppress it. If you are really stressed, and you feel dancing will help, then do it and see if it can help you. I, however, doubt that it will benefit you in the way you wish. I doubt it mainly because I feel most people live in a very stressed environment when they're in school or making life changes. I would wait until the source of the panic attack is found, and then if you wish to continue your dancing as a means to relax, then do it.
 
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Panic

I have them also, about 3 times a week. A day without them is a good day. If I keep busy and my mind is on other things I am OK. Crowds and loud places bother me too. I have not worked out in 2 years, hence be being back on the boards here. When I did workout 5 times a week for 3 years I had almost no anxiety or panic. it there a connection? I also take Paxil which I doubt does anything.

Good luck, T
 
are you on the contraceptive pill???

i used to have the worst panic attacks ever a few times a week in which i would truly beleive i was dying. would feel like my organs were failing and i used to spend many a night pacing up n down my hallway crying thinking my life was over.

the just kinda started suddenly so did some research on it and found out it could have been the contraceptive pill. so i stopped taking it and within a couple of months the panic attacks started to get less .. within about 4-5 months they had stopped completley. i never ever have pani attacks any more.. occasionaly i will have a panicky moment but am able to stop it before it goes to a full blown attack. i am so glad i came off the evil pill.. never ever again.
 
Hey!

Honkytonk, i've had a lot of anxiety issues, and panic attacks were one of them, and trust me i had reasons to have them, and you know what? don't feel bad or anything because eventually if you're strong minded they will go away! When you start to have a panic attack just relax ( i know it's hard at first) and think to yourself "i Have total control of myself" and imagine yourself in a good place with someone you really love, or a good memory from the past, anything!
Try to cheer up with the little things in life! You're having dinner with your friends? Great! Cheer yourself up, everything is a reason for celebration!
Try to move away from heavy music, listen to nice and happy songs! It really boosts your morale!
As for the exercise, go for it! There is nothing best for your mind than being occupied!
Now panic attacks can happen anytime, anywhere! Don't fight them! just do as i told you, you will do fine.

You can always seek professional help! But i know you have the strength in you, we all do!
 
I have a fear of doctors and I guess what I get at a dr. office is a panic attack. I don't know, I've yet to find way around it My bp is good at home, but has been 220/180 at the doc if that gives you an indication of how it affects me
 
In the experience of psych-ward employees I've known, psychology is as much of a science as the lottery. There's been experiments and tests done on the credibility of the psychological community. So far what they've suggested is that there's no real way of discerning sanity from insanity difinitively, and that psychologists prescribe drugs to people who don't need them just as much, if not more than they prescribe them to people who do actually need and benefit from them in the long run.

Don't screw with psychiatric pharmaceuticals unless it's a critical situation and you need drugs to make life easy enough to start foccusing on your recovery because you're in a situation that's desperate enough to demand intervention. Going a little shallower than mental illness, psychology isn't even a science when it comes to mental conditions. Fact is, there's no physical evidence that ADD exists except that they seem to calm down when given amphetamines as opposed to speed up. Ironically, fast-paced video games cause similar stimulation to centers of the brain that you get from amphetamines. There's also a strong correspondence to video game playing and ADD development, and studies have shown that while playing video games, people with ADD are more able to concentrate on tasks and solving problems.


Given this, and much other evidence, I feel psychology to be a largely touch and go field in its "discoveries". With no empirical data to back up their statements, and the admission that it's hard for them to know exactly what's going on and what a drug will do, I wouldn't be ready to throw myself at the mercy of your psychiatrist by allowing them to label you as medicated to treat mental conditions. That really is a life changing, confidence shattering label to be given. Not to mention how much the drugs screw you up.

It's good that you are talking to someone, a psychiatrist is good, not my first pick exactly, but not the worst one, just make sure you don't hand over your life just cause someone seems to think you need pills. Another psychiatrist will write you a different prescription for the exact same symptoms most likely. Psychiatric diagnosis is 70% interpretation from the psychiatrist. The difference between a schitzophrenic labeling and beings stressed out can be as simple as saying "I hear the tv talking to me" instead of "I think I might be hearing the tv speak to me". The diagnosis can really be that flimsy at times.

I was diagnosed as clinically depressed when I was 13 because I spoke directly without too much elaboration, and because when asked to draw a person I drew a stick figure instead of a full-featured sketch. According to the psychologist, this indicated a serious chemical imbalance which was causing me to be depressed.

Sorry for the personal lecture there, but I don't like how quickly everyone tells you to "see the 'professional'" (note that "professional" is just a man made label given to indicate a certain level of experience and knowledge, generally relating to a career path. This DOESN'T mean the knowledge they've been taught has been flawless. This DOESN'T mean that they understand all the ramifications of their decisions. This DOESN'T mean they understand you well enough as an individual person to make sensitive judgments on sensitive issues like emotions.

I get anxiety attacks. Yes, it's like a flood. A similar thing occurs occasionally in drug users. Particularly stimulants or psychedelics which increase the rate of your information uptake and processing, same with intensifying the degree of processing each bit of information receives.

The brain overstimulates, like a friction motor that you crank up really fast, but then when you need to stop cranking to cut the power flow, the motor just keeps spinning on its own. Crowds are common causes for this in drug users as well as anxiety disorder sufferers. They're loud, they're chaotic, and they're full of constantly shifting visual details which you need to navigate through, around, or whatever. It's a fast environment to be in, and you need to process a lot in order to navigate your way through it successfully, blocking out thousands of irrelevant voices to concentrate on finding your wallet or something.

When you feel an attack starting to creep up, find somewhere to sit down. Preferably lie down or just find some way of taking all the weight off your body.

Breath deep and slow. Focus on relaxing your breathing and slowly try to push your concentration to a focal point somewhere around your naval. If it's not overwhelming, massage your chest, neck, and shoulders. Personally, I find it easier to start with the chest until my breathing is controlled and the focal point has been achieved before exerting effort into holding my arms up to rub the neck and shoulders.

A few things happen to your body during an anxiety attack. Firstly, you are panicing. That's all that's happening. Why you are panicing is a little tricky to say, you probably know the answer to this yourself somewhere in your head. It's often something which causes the feelings and genre of thoughts you might feel during the onset of an attack, so take note of how you're feeling and what you're getting worked up about, and what about it seems to be working you up. When you panic, your adrenalin levels spike and your brain starts sending signals to your body to speed up your blood flow and to achieve greater oxygen levels in your system to better help you fight off or solve whatever threat SHOULD be naturally causing that reaction in you. As I said, breath deep, full lung-ed breaths, in and out, completely full, comfortably empty. This will help you meet your body's oxygen demands without triggering hyperventilation or other breathing problems. DO NOT rapidly change breathing paces, as this can trigger hyperventilation if done too fast/drastically. Massaging your chest will give you something easy and stress-free to foccus your body on, helping you separate and give in to the anxiety and just letting it flow over you until it passes. Massaging the neck and shoulders will help bring the oxygen rich blood up to the brain and will help meet the oxygen demands, and will help sharpen and refocus your mind, this should help you gain control of your anxiety. Foccusing on your naval gives you a point of neutral calmness to center your mind on. The naval is often used in meditation as a foccusing point, it's a good one, and it's easy to get into.

I wouldn't necessarily close your eyes. Robbing yourself of visual input may actually be more chaotic than seeing where all the noise is coming from. It may help, it may be extremely uncomfortable for you. Chanting calming phrases will definitely help.

Basically your body is in extreme temporarily influenced stress overdrive that you lose control over. You need to work your way back into control. Mental concentration helps center your thoughts. Physical concentration helps you redirect you concentration away from your overworking thoughts. Address your body's response demands, and just remember to follow through the steps to regain control of things. Hopefully you'll find your attacks much more manageable and quick passing.

If you get nausea or clenching stomach with your anxiety, there are pressure points in your wrists and hands which will help to sooth this. If chest massage seems uncomfortable because of this discomfort, try massaging the wrists and palms of your hands. Once that's calmed down, keep going from there with what I've suggested.
 
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I am also suffering with anxiety and I know how scary it is. I was finding the way to stop anxiety attack then someone told me yoga is best to stop anxiety attacks. I started doing Yoga and was using panic away.

Its really great....However I am still suffering with anxiety but its controlled alot and i know with constant use of panic away and yoga i'll be able to stop these attacks sooner.
 
Yes, there ARE excercises for this (I suffered from anxiety for years, it still comes back occasionally); loo up breathing excercises in Google, but here's the best one:

Sit down and drop your shoulders. Close your eyes and slowly breathe in "with your stomach" - meaning try to breathe in a way that leaves your chest motionless, but your stomach area expanding and contracting. The inhaling should take 3 seconds. Hold the breath for 2 seconds and exhale just as slowly. Take a 4-5 second break before the next breath and repeat.

The important thing is to focus all of your attention on breathing - think about making each breath perfectly executed. This may take pratcice, but you should start feeling relief within seconds.

And as others said, if it gets out of control see someone. Panic attacks are not the cause, they are a symptom of something else in your mind that you need to deal with.
 
is this thread actually 2 years old?????????

I have been here that long!

Good gawd spock-- time to get a life already!

LOL!!!

oh wait,, my fitness gives me life.

whateve!

FF
 
You know what? Panic Attacks are all in the head. The reason why you get them everyday is because it is instilled in your mind that you are going to get them. I have had panic attacks in the past, and i got in once at 8pm Sunday and guess what? every Sunday at 8pm, I automatically get them... because its in my head. But when i started repeating to myself that its not gonna happen, it didnt. So, yes, some exercise would help but its always all in the mind.
 
Re:panic attacks

Yes, its really an tough one. Most of the people are suffering because of these types of attacks because of fear and anxiety. I too undergone the same problem in which I have suffered a lot. Later my friend advised me to try hypnosis techniques and hypnotherapy to reduce or control fear and anxiety and suggest thoughtsbecomereality.co.uk. After trying hypnosis I found good improvement in my self confidence and control.
 
Certainly sounds like it could be anxiety, but the great thing is you seem to have noticed it very early,
most of us don't.Others will no doubt suggest other things as well, but a few tips that may help nip it
in the bud early.

Things that will aggravate it:
Caffeine
Nicotine
Alcohol
_____________________
 
I have them also, about 3 times a week. A day without them is a good day. If I keep busy and my mind is on other things I am OK. Crowds and loud places bother me too. I have not worked out in 2 years, hence be being back on the boards here. When I did workout 5 times a week for 3 years I had almost no anxiety or panic. it there a connection? I also take Paxil which I doubt does anything.

Good luck, T

Probably. 20 minutes of high intensity exercise (80%+ MHR) has been shown to treat anxiety, hyperactivity and depression, because it causes the body to naturally produce the same hormones and chemicals that medication pumps into you, plus it expends excess energy.
 
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