I didn’t understand it.
Almost every day now, at some point I had this feeling of not being able to breathe. It was like there was a very chubby gopher sitting on my chest.
At one point, these feelings grew worse and worse until one day, in the middle of a service, I thought the world was going to cave in on me.
What I didn’t know: I was having a panic attack.
Although mine were very tiny in comparison to what a lot of other people go through, panic attacks are increasingly common and the basic things I did to control mine can help anyone.
It’s really scary. Everything starts swirling and everything you have to do and have been through pushes against all sides of you until you feel like you’ll compress like a soda can and just POP!
BUT
There IS hope.
Here’s what to do:
- B R E A T H E // This is the most important thing. Take a huge inhale, then hold it for as long as you can. Just focus on breathing; don’t let yourself think about anything else. Then exhale, long and slow.
- List things you are grateful for. It may help to start a chart or list and add to it daily.
- Tell yourself you’re okay. Fake it ’til you make it.
- Walk (or run) it off. I was at school and I literally just skipped lunch to take a walk before my next class.
- Read the Bible like your life depends on it. I just opened up to Philippians and read the whole thing.
- Tell someone you need help. You aren’t being a coward; you aren’t being a pain. You may need more advice and accountability.
- Watch your caffeine. Seriously!! I would have at least a cup a day, often two or three. I started turning to it to get me through the day, which isn’t cool in the first place: but, worse, caffeine actually can cause anxiety and ultimately panic attacks. The next semester I really lowered my caffeine intake and I can’t even explain how huge the impact was.
Even if you’ve never suffered from this and don’t think you ever will, trust me: you’ll need these tips. You never know when a friend may need these!
