WBB ESSAYS
Self-Nurturing to Prevent Panic Attacks
- by Luna
You know this feeling... like your brain has a scratch (like on a vinyl record) and the same thing keeps repeating over and over and over? You start to panic at not being able to stop the repetitive thoughts, which in turn triggers a new set of repetitive thoughts. Then you think of how other people would think of you if they knew, and this starts you thinking over and over how messed up you are and worthless.
Over and over and over, until your hidding behind your bed shaking and drooling making hyperventilation sounds over and over. Just the act of having a panic attack makes you hate yourself more, and thus the panic attack continues until you can't breathe because bodily fluids are obstructing all airholes, and you realize that you must stop crying or die. And this. Terrible. Thought. Makes it worse. Why can't my snot kill me?
When asked, "how would you advise someone to cope with this," many of us reply "I don't know."
I think this is intriging. Simply because I know how this feels, and I know that if anyone I love - my family, friends or any random Orange [member of WBB] had this feeling that I know so well, I would want to put my arms around them and stroke their hair and tell them they are loved. Are worth love. That they are human, and that we are in this together.
The weight of the world is shared by us all. Not one person. When reason doesn't help to stop the panic, I would just want to be there with love.
This is how you must look at yourself. Be strong, and when you are not strong enough, you must become stronger. As a child who doesn't know any better but to panic, who just never learned. If this "child" is you, take the time to learn better coping skills. We all have self talk inside of us that is helpful or detrimental. These panic thoughts are NON-FUNCTIONAL thoughts. The logical thing to do is to tell these thoughts they are silly. Over and over and over until thinking in this way becomes the pattern that you are replacing these bad thoughts with.
You can't beat yourself into submission. You must love yourself.
