Guys...please talk to me.

Any suggestions...what should i do to calm myself down?!?!?

Hi MasonsMommy,

I'm so sorry to hear you had an attack :( As Hazelnut said, deep breathing is a good one. When my heart gets goin' like crazy and I feel like I can't breathe right I'll either sit or lay down and with my hand on my stomach breathe in a deep breath pushing my stomach out and hold it for 5 sec, then let out slow, then wait a few seconds and go again. This gets my heart rate slowed down quick and helps ease the panic too. Some other things I do are tae-bo style side leg kicks really fast to bust out that adrenaline, run in place, listen to a meditation, splash myself with water, stick my head in the freezer, journal, cry it out, scream it out, punch it out (on a pillow) or pretend its not happening and do something else like sweep, cook, watch a movie, read etc...

On a side note I wanted to say that you did an amazing job holding it together while getting through the store and getting your son home safe!!! You do have control over your anxiety (as you just proved by getting home safely) and you can choose to release it and carry on with your night. I know how you are feeling and send love & hugs your way, You can get through this and I believe in you. Please keep us posted

Like Larry said benadryl is what I use for my rescue anxiety meds. I can't take Xanax because I'm allergic to it. I tried to start Lexapro again and took it for 5 days and it was the worst five days. So I stopped and started the benadryl back.
I started a book yesterday that has helped me so much. It's by Joyce Meyers called straight talk on fear. It's about over coming emotional battles with the power of Gods word. It so such a great book. I let my faith slide because I have been so scared of everything and to do anything. Try it out. I hope it helps you as much as its helped me.

He needs to try and really understand what's going on.

You are NOT psycho. You are suffering from a condition which you can and will beat, and could beat quicker with his help.

There is an article from the National Association on Mental Illness which explains panic disorder and how common it is (1 in 20). It ends with the line "Peer support is a vital part of overcoming panic disorder. Family and friends can play a critical role in the treatment process and should be informed of the treatment plan and of the ways that they can be most helpful."

That article can be found here:
www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&Contentid=23050

There's also a downloadable fact sheet there. If you think he's open to learning, I'd print this and give it to him when he's in a good mood.

In the mean time, we're here to understand and care! Hugs to you!

I'm sorry your husband isn't supportive. That must make it really hard for you to cope.

I also wanted to tell you that my day was almost exactly like yours. Took the kids to visit their gma, on the way home I got a little twinge in my chest, then I couldn't swallow. Got home and took a klonopin. Started cleaning my two year olds closet and all of the sudden I couldn't breath and my mouth was so dry. I said to myself that this is just anxiety and nothing more...and I kept repeating it. I got a drink of water and my legs were weak. I've been feeling weird all night. I'm lying in bed and I keep getting those little pains in my chest. I don't want to go to the ER because I've been told 3 times in the past year that my heart is fine. Regardless, I've been feeling this way for a few weeks now constantly, so I'm calling my doctor tomorrow.

Breathe, reassure yourself, drink water and distract yourself. That's how I get through them.