I'm new to the forum. I too, can feel the panic attacks coming. Usually my first system is a feeling of uncontrollable trembling right down to the bones. (literally) But the symptoms come on so fast, sometimes I don't have a chance to confront the first one before the next one hits, to get control before the attack escalates and peaks. If it peaks, my fear level is way off the charts.
Before my therapist told me about this exercise, I did the same thing that others have done. Ride it out. When I just ride it out, I'm extremely worn out physically, emotionally and mentally by the time the attack subsides. I feel ashamed of myself because I couldn't control it. I find myself apologizing 'every time' for something I have no control over. I'm not being fair to myself feeling guilty for having these problems. With my therapist's help, using CBT, allot of praying and allot of work on my part, I know I will eventually be able to gain control of my life again. I long to feel like a normal person again. :(
I have been working very hard on this new exercise for me, using CBT with my therapist. 'Focussing' For me, focussing helps me to gain control. If I don't gain control, then the panic attack will control me.
Finding a focus when I'm at the peak of a panic attack is an extremely difficult thing for me to do. When my therapist asked me to focus the first time, I felt like it was an impossible task. My thoughts when she asked me to do this was, "You've got to be kidding me?" "I'm sitting here, shaking so hard, I can't breath, my heart feels like someone is squeezing it with vice grips and racing to beat the band, the room is spinning, I'm sick at my stomach, crying uncontrollably and you want me to focus?" :gasp:
But she was right. For me, when I first feel the panic attack coming on, I try to find a focus. It has worked for me with positive results for my last two panic attacks. I was able to stop them from peaking. Each one of these two attacks happened in different places and under different circumstances. The first one, I was at home. It came on unexpectedly. The other one, I was in public and it came because of a situation that I was in where I could not be in control of what was going on. I anticipated this one was going to happen. But I was stil