Coping Strategies

Panic settles deep inside sometimes and I don’t know what to do. It can feel like I’m suffocating. Every breath can feel like a struggle, but I’ve learned some coping strategies over the years and I’ve decided to share a few of mine with you guys, just in case you could use some of them yourself.

The first one, and the hardest one for me to learn…slow down my breathing. When I start getting anxious my breathing accelerates and if I don’t slow it down I can swing into a full blown panic attack really quickly. I have to get somewhere comfortable and start taking slow and deep breathes. I like to count seconds in my head in order to slow them down. In my old therapist’s office there use to be a clock that ticked on the wall. He would have me listen to the ticking and count the seconds. It helped, so I got into the habit of doing it. Five seconds in, five seconds out. In through the nose, out through the mouth. There are lots of ways to do this, but that is the way I was taught and therefore, that is the way that works for me.

Another thing I do is wrap up tightly with a blanket. I know that this can seem kind of childish, but there is just something soothing about it…like someone giving you a big, warm hug. So, I climb onto my bed and wrap up in my big, warm comforter. Sometimes this helps and other times it just seems kind of pointless…but hey…when panic sets in I will try anything.

Another thing I do is use essential oils. I got this from my old therapist, my mom and from a friend. My old therapist mentioned it a few years back but I kind of blew it off. Then my mom purchased me a basic set for Christmas this past year and I’ve been sporadically diffusing some of them just to see if I like any of them. But more recently a friend reintroduced me to it and I’ve kind of gotten addicted to certain blends. But you have to find the right blends for you…there are a lot out there. She sells them and gave me some samples to try and I’ve found two that really help…so I’m making some purchases ASAP. The two I am getting I can diffuse them AND I can wear them. I’m wearing my favorite right now. (I’m a little anxious this morning.)

Another thing I do is take my anti-anxiety medication. It's pretty fast acting and prescribed by my psychiatrist. I don't use it unless everything else has failed or unless I am really upset. I use these pills as a last resort because they are addictive and I do not wish to develop a dependency on them. Therefore if you need to use anti-anxiety medication to manage you conditions please use caution and follow your doctor's instructions. But I will say that sometimes, I'm so upset that the medicine doesn't even help.

But one of the best things you can do is talk to someone. Whether that be a trusted friend, a parent, a therapist, a pastor or even a hotline operator. (Chatroom hotlines are becoming more and more popular if you are uncomfortable talking with someone on the phone.) I know personally how hard it is to reach out when things become overwhelming. For me, I don’t want to be a burden to people. I worry that I will just be a nuisance to whomever I am talking to or spending time with. But I am learning that the people that love us and care about us want to be there for us…even if we may not believe it.

I have other coping strategies that I have learned but these five are the ones that I utilize that most, so these are the ones I am choosing to share. If you have some that you use please leave a comment below…I would love to hear about it. Love,

Randi