siriuswriter
Senior Member
I have had these kinds of attacks for most of my life, because of a traumatic childhood disease. When you start to feel a panic attack coming on, there are several things to try and keep yourself calm. One thing you can try and calm breathing techniques. The goal of these techniques is to slow down your breathing, so panic decreases. You want to try to breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Your goal is to breathe in for 8 counts and out for 8 counts, which is harder that you might think. Star breathing in and out as slow as you can, and then try to work up.
Another thing you can try is something called progressive relaxation. This is when you concentrate on different parts of the body, starting with your feet. You try to imagine slowly circling you feet, and when you feel calm through doing that, you add your ankles. Keep imagining and adding different body parts until you're imaging that your whole body is circling very, very slowly. This is most helpful if your body is at rest, I would suggest lying down, but if you can relax enough in a chair you can learn to do it alongside daily activities.
If you're taking multiple xanax at the same time, try to wean yourself down by taking a pill away every week. Do NOT quit taking them cold turkey unless you're prepared for serious withdrawal that involves piercing headaches, extreme nausea and vomiting. Expect to spend about a month needing to lie down in a dark and quiet room. It's not fun, so try the weaning process instead.
If none of these things work, then SOMETHING is causing your panic attacks. If they're bothering you that often, and you're not having them so you can take the medication, then get an appointment with a PSYCHIATRIST. You'll have an appointment that will probably take about an hour, they'll ask you questions about your lifestyle, you'll fill out a form in the waiting room, you'll tell them how often you have panic attacks and what you're thinking about when you get them, and they may or may not prescribe something for you.