A Common Cold Which Feels Like Death.
It is currently 12.34am, I am tired, coughing and sneezing due to a cold and I am wide awake and having a panic attack. Right this very minute I am asking myself, "Is this it? The real deal? A heart attack?" as I ponder away, I look at my wife and daughter who are both asleep beside me and if I should wake them up to go to the ER with me. Why? the coughing and blocked nose has caused me to feel breathless, I am mouth breathing, which is making me hyperventilate(Like how asthma sufferers have colds and breathing through their mouth can induce an asthma attack which is worse cause you could actually really get hurt from that). All that hyperventilation and strong chesty coughs are causing chest pains which come and go even when I'm in the "chill" mode.
Yes, all this due to a common cold. It feels like death because my mind turns every little symptom into a dreadful thought. Chest pain, heart attack! Breathlessness, COPD! Headaches and dizziness, Brain Tumor! This is no exaggeration, most anxiety sufferers think of the worst and unfortunately I am one of them.
I'm probably luckier than most, I've got my wife beside me and at anytime I could actually wake her up for help. But I am afraid, ashamed that it's likely to be my anxiety attack and that I would wake her up for no reason, probably get a scolding and go back to bed feeling sour and probably even more anxious! Always stuck at this crossroad between trying to accept that all my physical symptoms are caused by anxiety or that I am screwed and life is about to end. The thing is, most of us are very rational thinkers............when we don't have a panic attack. We easily differentiate the "what if's" and know what we should do or what we should think of. Do that deep breathing exercise or breath into a paper bag, relax and think of something nice etc. Yes we all know what to do if we were to get a panic attack. But when it hits you, especially one without warning, when you start shaking, feel like you're desperate for air, sharp and crushing pains in the chest, your arms go weak, heart start racing and you start having cold sweats. All those rational thoughts pretty much goes out the window. Than the endless cycle begins.......
My coping strategies consist of :
- A super cold shower to shock the body. (Slows down the heart rate as well)
- Getting reassurance from my family members around me which is usually my wife.
- Chew gum (Tricks the brain into thinking that you are eating which cancels the fight or flight response as your mind doesn't think it's in danger)
-Take a walk for some fresh air (Not that fresh in Singapore though)
-Sing! It helps with hyperventilation as you control your breathing but its one of the harder things to use as a calming technique
-Write your problems away on a diary, laptop or your phone.
This is what I have been trying to do, apart from singing which I've only been able to achieve doing that once while having a panic attack. My favourite is to grab a cold shower and start writing about life, my best remedy so far.
What's your coping strategy with panic and anxiety attacks? I'd love to hear from you.
Remember, you are never alone.
Danesh Ettore Laino.
Yes, all this due to a common cold. It feels like death because my mind turns every little symptom into a dreadful thought. Chest pain, heart attack! Breathlessness, COPD! Headaches and dizziness, Brain Tumor! This is no exaggeration, most anxiety sufferers think of the worst and unfortunately I am one of them.
I'm probably luckier than most, I've got my wife beside me and at anytime I could actually wake her up for help. But I am afraid, ashamed that it's likely to be my anxiety attack and that I would wake her up for no reason, probably get a scolding and go back to bed feeling sour and probably even more anxious! Always stuck at this crossroad between trying to accept that all my physical symptoms are caused by anxiety or that I am screwed and life is about to end. The thing is, most of us are very rational thinkers............when we don't have a panic attack. We easily differentiate the "what if's" and know what we should do or what we should think of. Do that deep breathing exercise or breath into a paper bag, relax and think of something nice etc. Yes we all know what to do if we were to get a panic attack. But when it hits you, especially one without warning, when you start shaking, feel like you're desperate for air, sharp and crushing pains in the chest, your arms go weak, heart start racing and you start having cold sweats. All those rational thoughts pretty much goes out the window. Than the endless cycle begins.......
My coping strategies consist of :
- A super cold shower to shock the body. (Slows down the heart rate as well)
- Getting reassurance from my family members around me which is usually my wife.
- Chew gum (Tricks the brain into thinking that you are eating which cancels the fight or flight response as your mind doesn't think it's in danger)
-Take a walk for some fresh air (Not that fresh in Singapore though)
-Sing! It helps with hyperventilation as you control your breathing but its one of the harder things to use as a calming technique
-Write your problems away on a diary, laptop or your phone.
This is what I have been trying to do, apart from singing which I've only been able to achieve doing that once while having a panic attack. My favourite is to grab a cold shower and start writing about life, my best remedy so far.
What's your coping strategy with panic and anxiety attacks? I'd love to hear from you.
Remember, you are never alone.
Danesh Ettore Laino.