Panic attack.

or; screw the second title this time.

I'm sitting here in my teller station at work and I'm having the strangest feeling I've ever had I think that I'm having a PANIC ATTACK because even though we're not busy and actually things are quite calm I feel like there's something wrong inside of me and that I'm going to EXPLODE or HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN and I think that I'm losing my mind and that scares the ever loving dogmeat out of me and I don't know how to make it go away and I can't tell my coworkers something's wrong and I can't go home because some stupid little shit didn't come in and so we're understaffed as is . . .

SOMEONE PLEASE KILL ME NOW
9,325 views 17 replies
Reply #1 Top
Imagine.

Close your eyes and imagine that you’re lying on your back and you can feel the warm sun on your face and you can feel the rustle of a slight warm breeze.

Now.

Slowly.
Open your eyes.

There’s a dome of nothing but blue sky over you and in the corners of your peripheral vision you see the tender shoots of young hard red winter wheat just…
barely touching your face. You can feel the
rustle of a slight…
breeze.

Warm.

It’s so nice and it’s so warm and up up up high in the sky above and around you nothing but the clearest dome of blue sky.
Slowly you roll your head and sit up.

Nothing.

You see nothing but endless Euclidean plane of young, tender hard red winter wheat undulating in the slight, warm early spring breeze.
Reply #2 Top

Excuse yourself to the bathroom, splash your face and the back of your neck with cold water, and try to breathe slowly.

Don't breathe from your chest, but from your stomach...slow and deep. If you can, find a stall and sit there for a few minutes, just so you can calm down.

Believe that this is gonna pass. Panic attacks don't kill you...they just scare the hell out of you...so just convince yourself that you'll be okay after it's over.

I've been where you've been, believe me. I hope this is of some help.
Reply #3 Top
Everyone's already given you the best advice, I've got nothing to add. Well, except this: there is enough air. You have enough to breathe. Force yourself to breathe slowly and deeply. Don't panic.

You're going to be fine. We're not going to kill you because we like having you around.

Also, eat some candy, drink a soda or juice. Your blood sugar may have dropped a bit low. I usually feel that way when I'm crashing.
Reply #4 Top
I hope you feel better.
Reply #5 Top
Like Joe says - and breath - easy and slow - that is the best therapy.
Reply #7 Top
I'm feeling better.





Thank you for the advice everyone. I have never in my entire life suffered a panic attack before. I would always bad talk those who had them (to myself) thinking, surely it can't be all that bad.

Boy, was I full of crap. Now that I've had a real panic attack, I can empathize. That was two hours of pure, unfettered hell.
Reply #8 Top
I'm feeling better.


I'm glad you're feeling better. Take care of you.
Reply #9 Top
Sounds like a panic attack for sure. I'm glad you're feeling better now. Scary, isn't it? To have so little control over such strong feelings. Do you think there was a trigger?
Reply #10 Top
Do you think there was a trigger?


I have no idea. In twenty-three years of life, I have never had an experience like this before. Scared the bejeezus out of me.
Reply #11 Top
Braeden,

I hope you're feeling better now, mate. I've never had a panic attack before, but maybe this is because I'm in a perpetual semi-state of panic all the time

But seriously, it may have been low blood sugar. I've known a few people in my time who get like you did because of low blood sugar.
Reply #12 Top
I've known a few people in my time who get like you did because of low blood sugar.


Maybe that was it. We were understaffed, like I said, and consequently, I didn't get any lunch break whatsoever.

All I know is, I certainly hope it never happens again.
Reply #13 Top
shuffling around in a thorazine daze while drooling


Heh, you DON'T wanna do that! I've seen that up close and personal on several oocasions. We had one guy who was taking ONE THOUSAND mgs of thorazine a day and it just barely kept him half way manageable. it's wicked stuff. But when I feel panicky? I do what I said above. That and drink a brewsky or seven...
Reply #14 Top
I think that I'll be able to control it from now on. The thing is, I've felt like that a couple times before, but I was able to just go away, hide, and let off steam for a moment. Yet with the situation yesterday, that presented a problem. When you're supposed to have four tellers and you're only at two, you can't just go take a break in the middle of the day. I didn't even ever get to go to the bathroom the entire day.

Stupid dillseed that didn't come in.
Reply #15 Top

Wow, sorry I missed this one bud.

I first experienced the joys of a panic attack the first time our foster daughter ran away.  I couldn't breath, was dizzy, lightheaded, very tachycardic, flushed, and just basically thought I was going to explode.  It was a bad kind of rush.

Next time, I think you should just beat something.  Or someone. 

Reply #16 Top
Next time, I think you should just beat something. Or someone.


Sounds like cathartic genius!
Reply #17 Top
I'm late to this thread too but glad it turned out ok for you Braeden!