You know the drill, your heart is pounding, thoughts racing and breathing suddenly becomes a little harder. It could have been the tiniest thing, something that most people wouldn’t even register but you have and your brain is in overdrive. A good old Anxiety Attack.
I’ve been living with these beauties since I was around 15 years old, I think. I’ve always been a worrier but Anxiety is a whole different thing. I’ve had an anxiety attack in the supermarket. Why? No idea. Just found myself feeling like I was going to pass out while in the pastry bit. And I love pastry.
So, how do you actually deal with them? Because that’s what has to be done. I can’t go and crawl into bed and let it pass, that would be great but it’s not what real life is. I’m a big fan of using your senses, you might have heard of this method before. When I feel like I’m falling into an attack I try to do the following
What can I see? Focus on that and only that for a few seconds.
What can I touch? Think about it, what’s the texture, what is it?
What can I hear? Zone in on a particular sound or the silence if there is some and hold on to it.
What can I smell? Take a deep breath, can I smell anything? What is it? Where does it come from?
The only one that isn’t on here is taste…because it doesn’t really work.
That’s one method I use if I’m in a better place I’ll also talk to myself in my head, it’s like I have two sides to my brain. There’s a calm and collected side and the anxious side, sometimes the calm side wins, sometimes the anxious one does, they both put up a fight. Basically, I try to talk myself into being logical because anxiety makes your heart feel like there’s a lion in front of you when there’s not. I ask myself questions and try to think through things carefully.
So, these are some of my ways of dealing with Anxiety. They might not be perfect and I know that I’m not a professional but this is just how I’ve been dealing with them. Is there anything you would add? I’m always up for learning more! Let me know in the comments below!
Chloe Metzger 
yes !! my therapist told me of that method, however, in the perks of things, it’s not what Im using ..
I also feel that .. there’s one side who panic/depress.. and then the other side rationalize stuff and say comfort words. I give that voice the persona of my aunt, as I know she’s here beside me even if never got to know her.
instead, I love to zone out to some music and/or sit outside. take long breathes; inspire by nose, expire by mouth and repeat while rocking my body back & forth. Most time having my arms flapped criss-crossed on my chest. somehow that’s what I do on automatic now, and even mom knows it by now xD when I start breathing like that or rocking she instantly asks me what’s wrong.
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I’ve never tried that method. Mine started when I was around 11 but I’d never known what was wrong. My mom would sit me by the window while calmed down. Then as I got older and they became more frequent and with out a trigger we had found a kitten and kept her, she would lay on my chest and I’d matched my breathing to her, and the panic attacks eased up a lot faster. So now I just focus on slowing my breathing and my heart and hope for the best.
I’m definitely going to have to try and remember your method as it sounds way faster.
Xojohnnielynn
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