Honest to goodness panic attacks?

[GirlattheHelm]

I was freaking out before. But now I have come to terms with it. I am keeping myself busy and the weird thoughts take care of themselves.

I'm at a similar stage too. Thank my lucky stars...

In my days I've had a few panic attacks. They are usually in private, when I am most vulnerable. About two years ago I was home alone; I got a call from the hospital from our family friend Corky, telling me her husband, Ray, was in a logging accident. Ray was like a second father to me and he was my father's best friend. I said, "Do you need me to come to the hospital? How is he?" and she very weirdly said, "No-no, honey, he's gone. It's okay. He's gone..." I told her I'd get my parents (who were way up in the woods themselves with no phone!) and once I hung up I hit the floor; not crying (yet), I just couldn't actually take a breathe.

The next kicker? He sent me a birthday card on Friday, died on that Saturday, I got the card on Monday. The whole scenario crushed me... I couldn't answer the phone or get the mail without a panic attack/breakdown for months thereafter. *Shudder*

I've since gotten control of the anxiety and revert that energy into whatever else I can. And I let off steam shooting big guns whenever I get the opportunity because that soothes me. When I'm working I try to keep too busy to be overwhelmed - if you're on the cusp of it, try to make yourself think, "There's no time for this!" It might send you into a catatonic state, kill you, or suppress the attack all together.

Actually, that's what got me off the floor when Ray died - I needed and knew I needed to find my parents. I was hysterical but I had to get to them in one piece. It cured me of ever having a problem during a dramatic situation - you simply can't have time to either get overly excited, freeze or hurt yourself. If an attack happens during even the application process it is important to find a coping mechanism. A more serious/life threatening event occurs, where you are needed to respond, that means that you NEED to have control of yourself. If a piece of paper is getting you in a tizzy try to find a way to make it stop -- seriously.

[venusfueri]

i almost had one last week in between my classes - it snuck up on me during the end of my first class and while i walked across campus to my second one, it pretty must started to overtake me. i ran into the bathroom when i got to my second class and almost knocked down a classmate who then chased me into the bathroom and she had to calm me down - if it weren't for the fact that i had a class right at that moment i would have just let it take over.