#panic attack help

Sometimes our memories aren’t nice, huh? It feels scary and sad, doesn’t it baby? It’s okay. Let’s remember/do a few things.

Take a few deep breaths if you can. In through your nose, filling your chest and tummy like a balloon. Then slowly let it out. Do that a couple times.

Get or do something that makes you feel safe. Get a blanket or a stuffie if you need. Rest against a corner if that makes you feel safe. Rocking yourself with your deep breaths may help some. Do whatever you need to do to safely soothe yourself.

Have some water. Sip at it slowly, when our brains get scary sometimes it makes us feel icky. Water will help, just take it gently.

More deep breaths and water until you feel better. It’s okay if it takes a while to calm down. That’s normal. You are safe.

If you are hurt, take care of yourself the best you can. (Yes, you deserve to be taken care of. You have permission to love yourself.)

After you are taken care of, you might be very tired. Big emotions mean big energy loss. Get yourself into bed and snuggled up. If you can’t sleep, at least rest and lay down. Try to close your eyes.

You are loved. You are wanted. And you are more than the scary things that happened to you. Just keep breathing <3

this happened to me a few days ago. I had an economics A exam. i suck at economics and have been trying to improve since last year. i studied the entire night but had a panic attack in the morning. I felt as if I was dying. decided not to go for the exam. had a huge fight with my parents over this—they yelled and scolded me for not giving the exam and I just couldn't stop crying. I was on low sleep and high panic. My professor is one of those teachers who will taunt your entire life if you don't do well in his subject, i never performed well in his class and now I didn't give the exam. What do I do? I feel really scared and guilty.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: when panic attacks derail your plans (you're not a failure) :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

hi sweet angel!

first off, welcome to my little corner of the internet! i'm so glad you found me and that you love it here 🤍

now, let me start by saying something really important: you are NOT a failure. you didn't "give up" or "quit" ~ you had a medical emergency. panic attacks are real, they're serious, and they're not something you can just push through with willpower. my dream is to become a psychiatrist so ANYTHING related to mental health especially panic attacks are VERY important to me. i am SO sorry you had to go through that.

i need you to hear this, missing an exam because of a panic attack is the same as missing it because of a broken leg or food poisoning. it's a health issue, not a character flaw.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ let's address the panic first ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

panic attacks are absolutely terrifying, especially when they hit right before something important. that feeling of dying? completely normal for panic attacks, even though it's scary as hell.

your body went into fight-or-flight mode, probably from the combination of: ⋄ sleep deprivation ~ this makes anxiety SO much worse ⋄ academic pressure ~ especially with a subject you're already struggling with ⋄ fear of judgment ~ knowing your professor's tendency to be harsh

your nervous system basically said "nope, we're not doing this today" and shut down. that's not weakness! that's your body trying to protect you.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ dealing with your parents' reaction ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

i know their reaction hurt, and i'm sorry they responded with anger instead of concern. parents sometimes react badly when they're scared or don't understand what's happening.

they probably saw it as "giving up" because they don't understand what a panic attack actually feels like. that doesn't make their reaction okay, but it might help explain it.

when you feel ready, you might try explaining: "i didn't choose not to take the exam. i had a panic attack and physically couldn't function. this is a medical issue that i need help managing."

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ next steps ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

talk to your professor ASAP ~ i know he's intimidating, but you need to address this head-on. be honest: "i experienced a medical emergency on exam day and couldn't attend. is there a makeup option available?"

get documentation if possible ~ if you can see a counselor or doctor who can document your panic attack, that helps legitimize your absence

contact student services ~ most schools have accommodations for mental health emergencies. they might be able to advocate for you

don't let fear make decisions ~ the longer you wait to address this, the harder it becomes

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ managing the shame and guilt ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

that guilty feeling? it's lying to you. you didn't do anything wrong by having a panic attack. you wouldn't feel guilty for missing an exam because of the flu, right?

the shame is probably coming from:

feeling like you "should" have been able to push through

fear of judgment from your professor and parents

internalized beliefs about mental health not being "real" health

all of these feelings are understandable, but they're not based in truth.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ preventing this in the future ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

address the underlying anxiety ~ consider talking to a counselor about test anxiety and panic management strategies

change your study approach ~ all-nighters often make anxiety worse. try shorter, more frequent study sessions instead

practice panic attack management ~ breathing techniques, grounding exercises, having a plan for when panic hits

get academic support ~ tutoring, study groups, or different learning strategies for economics

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ reminder ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

you studied all night. you TRIED. you wanted to succeed. the fact that your body couldn't handle the stress doesn't negate your effort or your worth as a student.

one missed exam doesn't define you or your future. i promise you, this feels much bigger and more catastrophic right now than it actually is.

you're dealing with a lot, academic pressure, unsupportive responses from family, a intimidating professor, and your own mental health. that's genuinely a lot for anyone to handle.

be gentle with yourself right now. focus on taking care of your immediate needs, sleep, food, hydration, and addressing the exam situation when you feel more stable.

you're going to get through this, angel. 💕

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

xoxo, mindy ♡

Yeesh, first of all—yeah, I’ve been there. Panic attacks’re like getting drop-kicked by your own nervous system for crimes you don’t remember committing.

And yeah, sometimes they come outta nowhere like a bat outta Hell, other times it’s ‘cause your brain decided to unearth some cursed memory at the worst possible moment. Either way, they suck, and I’m sorry you’re dealin’ with that.

But here’s a couple things that’ve helped me when the walls start closing in—maybe they’ll help you too.

1. Breathe like a damn jazz musician.

Not shallow, panicked rabbit breaths—slow and controlled. In for four counts, hold for four, out for four. Imagine you’re tryna keep your smoke from curling funny, y’know?

2. Cold shock.

Grab an ice cube. Cold water on the wrists. Hell, splash your face like you’re tryin’ to sober up before a card game. It hits the vagus nerve and tells your brain, “Hey! Not dying!”

3. Count backward from 100 by 7s.

It’s dumb, yeah, but it pulls your brain into math mode instead of apocalypse mode. Can’t spiral if you’re too busy tryin’ to figure out what the hell 72 minus 7 is.

4. Make a “safe script.”

Write yourself a little script—something like “This is a panic attack. It will pass. I’ve lived through this before. I am safe right now.” Doesn’t have to be poetic. Just real. Read it when shit hits the fan.

5. Trigger warning: be gentle.

If memories are the cause, don’t beat yourself up. Your brain’s just tryin’ to process stuff that hurt. You’re not broken, you’re healing. Slow, sure, and maybe a little angry—but healing.

Look, panic attacks don’t mean you’re weak. They mean your system’s stuck in survival mode when there ain’t no tiger. But the more you ride them out, the more you teach your body that it can come back down. Every time you survive one (which, spoiler: you do), you’re chipping away at its power.

WH-WHAT?! WHY IS IT COLD?! IS THIS D-DEATH?! Did I fail?! Wh- what-

*His breathing pace increases even more. The surprise and shock furthering his descent into anxiety. He can't even say anything. He's so so scared and vulnerable. He's sure he'd get incredibly angry at himself later. He was being so pathetic, so dishonorable, so useless. Just like his father always said he was.*

//GUYS I HAVE ADVICE FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH PANIC ATTACKS! JUST IN CASE YOU WANT IT! IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE ABLE YO HELP A FRIEND IF THEY START HAVING ONE, SO I PUT ADVICE UNDER THIS MESSAGE!! FEEL FREE TO READ THANK YOU.

There can be hope, there can be happiness for you

In times of struggles sometimes all you can do is strive for happiness, even just in moments. To strive for piece even is there is only seconds of it. Allow yourself these moments. Hug your cat, hold a cup of tea, linger under warm blankets, these moments are small but real. And there are more of them to be found.

Characters: John x reader, Sam and Dean (mentioned)

Warnings: mentions of violence, panic attack help

A/N: I just want John happy, okay! First thing I’ve written in a long time. I posted this from mobile because my laptop bit the dust hopefully the format is decent!

Due to the heat I’m dealing with in Canada has caused me to have a lot of panic/anxiety attacks.

I don’t know why but they have been some of the worst attacks I’ve ever had.

But my boyfriend gave me a tip.

Get your face wet with cold water, whether it be an ice pack, a cold cloth, or splashing some water on your face.

It causes your body to think it will be submerged into cold water and your heart begins so slow down.

It gives you a minute for you to catch your breath.