Breathing during a Panic Attack

Did you try to do regular breath exercises? If you dont really have a clear picture of how you breating could and should be it will be virtually impossible to regulate it efficiently at the onset of panic .
Are you having thoughts about suffocation?
Do you try to compensate for (percieved) lack of oxygen by quick breating?

I haven't had any classes to do regulr breathing exercise but I've read about the 7/11 technique on this website, but my problem is when I have a panic attack I can't put it into practice as I can't think about anything that I'm doing! I do seem to hyperventilate when having a pa but by this times its usually to late to think/try to do anything about it, as my minds totally blank. Sometimes when I feel panicky I concentrate on my breathing and its goes away a bit but a lot of the time pa just come on unexpected, so I have no time to prepare or anything!

Thank you for your reply!

Gem
x

I will maintain that regular breating exercises will give you a greater tendency to maintain a carm breating and perhaps prevent some of your pa's.
Can you give more details about your panic attacks?
What do you panic about? Do you catastrofy about your anxiety symptoms (eg. "im going to get insane" or "im going to die from a heart attack"?).
What symptoms of anxiety bothers your at pa onset?

Can you bring a panic attack on if you hyperventilate?

Hi,

Thanks for replying. I think I get panic attacks when I am stressed, I'm a student and the last few months have been bad as I've had exams, so I've not been well. I don't know if hyperventilating can make me have a panic attack, I've never wanted ot try! Yes, when I'm having a panic attack I feel as though I'm going mad, just because nobody else my age, I know has them, also my friends are under the same pressure as me with exams, but they seem to be laid back about them.

Gem

Hi Gem,

You say you've read about the 7/11 technique, but can't use it when you're having a panic attack - I wonder whether you've practiced when you're feeling calmer - the more you use it the more habitual it becomes, and also the calmer you'll feel. It might be an idea to practice for a few minutes every hour or so when you can.

Another thing that you might try as a general way to relax is to sit down, preparing to relax, shutting your eyes and just focus on your toes and your feet, and notice the relaxation in your feet, then on an in breath draw that relaxation up to your knees, then on an in breath up to your waist.. and so on up to the top of your head, once at the top of your head, on each out breath let the pleasant feeling travel slowly down your body, doubling as it goes down.

Take care.

So you are panicing while you have a feeling that you will get mad.
Are you actually panicing over the thought of going mad?
Do you try to do anything to prevent going mad?
Do you know anything about what can make people mad?

Im asking theese questions because a lot of panic-attacks are partly based on a few misinterpretations of the the panic situation itself and it can be a help to have a critical look at the typical panic-experiences when you are actually carm.