Panic Attacks - Tumblr Posts
Could you possibly write dodge mason x reader? Maybe one of them has a panic attack and the other has to try to ground them? Anything with a little fluff at the end would be *chef’s kiss*. Thank you!
Dodge Mason x Reader: I'm right here.
Words: 1307
Warnings: Explicit panic attacks, angst, fluff in the end.
Reader pronouns: Not stated
Summary: Panic has left a big scar on you. You had almost made it to the final, but the individual challenge sent you over the edge. You didn't make it. And weeks later, the individual challenge nightmares still remain assaulting you.
Author's note: Thank you for requesting, lovely anon, especially for Dodge. I'm still trying to figure out how to write his mysterious personality and all this practice is getting me to a good place, I think. Reader and Dodge are in an established relationship. Also, please keep on requesting! I don't have any request more!
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Being underwater brought a weird feeling to everyone. But for you? For you it brought fear.
You had always been scared of being underwater. Swimming was fine as long as you didn't have to dive, maybe jumping from the rocks was the furthest you would ever do. You had no idea why did it scare you so much, but it did. You didn't want to risk drowning. That's why your eyes widened when you saw the enormous tank, full of water, in your individual challenge.
"What the hell, Diggins?" You almost cried out, looking over at the boy.
He shrugged. There was pity on his face, he knew you were scared of that. Everyone knew, you guessed.
"Two minutes under water, Y/N," said Diggins, showing you the chronometer on his phone "I'll hold you down so you don't go up. Unless you touch my wrist, then I'll stop holding you. C'mon. Teo minutes is the longest an average, normal human being can hold"
"Fuck you"
You stared at the tank. It was threatening. It was scary. You were sure you shouldn't do it. It was dangerous. If Dodge would have been there he would have asked you not to do it. But then again, that was Panic, and it's only rule was do not panic. You only had to breath. Or well, they not to breath in order to not breath water and die.
"Clock's running," reminded you Diggins, crossing his arms.
"Fine, I'll do it!" You got rid of your hoodie, leaving your shoes and your phone with it and walked to the tank.
Diggins helped you to get into it until the water was reaching your neck. God, it was deep.
You looked at him, with fear on your eyes, unable to hold it back. You didn't need the money, anyways. I mean, you did, but... at which prize? Was it really worth it?
"We're running out of time," Diggins insisted, putting his hands on your shoulders. You shivered. Water was cold "Now or never"
You didn't think it twice "Now"
After you had taken a big breath full of air, you submerged yourself into the water, feeling the pressure Diggins was doing on your shoulder to keep you from accidentally going up. For any other of the contestants, that individual challenge could have being a gift. It certainly could have been one to Dodge. But for you, it was a nightmare.
Your heart pounded against your chest, so hard you thought it would explode. You didn't dare to open your eyes, too scared the sight will scare you off and make you lose control. But you weren't really in control, and you noticed that when you started losing the air you had gathered in your lungs.
Inevitably, your heart pounded harder. It felt like an eternity down there but you were sure you hadn't even reached one minute holding your breath. Your heart felt like it was going to explode in any minute, and you felt like dying. You couldn't do it. You couldn't. You couldn't.
You lost the air. Your chest was too operated by the water and you tried to breathe, making the biggest mistake for you were under water. You hold onto Diggins' wrists like your life depended on it, and he pulled you out. But still, you couldn't breathe.
You sat up violently on the bed, your lungs not having the air they needed. Cold sweat ran down your spine as you tried to control your breath and keep the panic attack outside of you, but you failed miserably. The pressure that kept your chest from getting all the air your lungs cried out for only got bigger as you crawled out of the bed, so you wouldn't wake up Dodge, peacefully sleeping right next to you.
Panic had finished weeks ago but the nightmares were only beginning. The water tank incident haunted you every night on your sleep, but never as real as now. If you tried hard enough, you could even feel the water that surrounded you back at the tank, but you were too busy trying to not make noise while trying to slow down your breath.
However, Dodge had never been a heavy sleeper but rather a light one, and from the very moment you got out of the bed he had woken up. It took some time for him to open his eyes and tried to figure out what was happening, but when he saw you shaking on the darkness, standing, your chest heavily raising and going down, he made his best to reach out to you.
"Hey, hey," he said, his voice lower and more hoarse than usually. Dodge's hands went to grab yours, squeezing them a bit "You're safe, Y/N. I'm here, it's all over"
You didn't know in which moment you had started crying out of desperation but tears were rolling down your cheeks as you tried to look up at him "I can't-" your voice broke in a hard, dry noise when your lungs prohibited you to talk. A rather hoarse noise escape your mouth when you couldn't find the air to keep breathing.
"Let's focus on that breathing, okay? C'mon, try to match mine," Dodge put your hand to his chest, were his heart was supposed to beat. You felt the fabric of the t-shirt, his muscles underneath it, and, mostly, his heart beat "You're good"
You shook your head violently, you chest raising too much. You tried to contain the little air you had been able to take in, and then let it go a bit before he did, but still your heart race stopped being so high as you stared at his eyes in complete pain and confusion.
Dodge encouraged you to take another breath in, without letting go from neither of your hands, and so you did. The pressure against your chest started to slowly disappear, but your chest remained wildly raising in case it would come back.
"You're safe, babe," he assured, caressing your cheek lightly and making distracting circles on your hand with his thumb "Are you feeling better?"
Again, you shook your head, this time more calmly. Dodge kept rubbing circles on the back of your hand, to ground you, and slowly you came back to reality and stopped feeling like you were close to death. You inevitably sobbed when you realized how horrible that moment had been, and Dodge pulled you into a tight hug.
"The same nightmare?" Asked Dodge, and sighed when you nodded against his shoulder with your head "You're safe now"
You nodded "I know. I know. I'm sorry, it's just-"
"It's okay. You'll be okay"
"Thank you" when he tried to let go, you kept him close. He had no problem with keep on hugging you "Don't leave- Stay for a bit. Please?"
"I won't leave anywhere," he assured, resting his hand on your hair "I'm right here. Wanna sit?"
He didn't let go of your hand when you nodded, and once you were sitting on the edge of the bed he hugged you again and pulled you practically onto his lap, for you to have him again close. Dodge was gentle, taking the tears out of your cheeks, meanwhile making circles with his hands on your back. You kept your breath steady as he kept on giving you those light cuddles, and you were able to smile when he started kissing your hand, slowly.
"Next time, if there is a next time, wake me up," he murmured, his lips brushing your hand's skin.
"Sorry"
"It's okay, Y/N. I'm sorry Panic has done this to you"
You shrugged "It's fine. I'm fine now. It's not real anymore" then, you rested your hand on his chest "This… this is real. I hope"
Dodge chuckled lightly, a tickle running there were his lips brushed again against your skin "It's real"
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This fic said “living shadows” and I went absolutely FERAL. (darkfic! mind the tags)
Anyone wanna talk? Ik this is old school but
If anyone wants to talk about anything going on in their life? I'm game. Even shows?
I have Bpd, Fibromyalgia, Ibs & other chronic pains. I know what it's like to be cheated on, I know what it's like to hurt, I know what it's like to lose. I hope to create atleast one friend!!
If you read this please feel free to message me. I need someone nice to talk too.
No mean people. 21+ only please.
Panic attacks: zero stars, do not recommend.
(Even worse when they happen in front of someone when one of your agoraphobia triggers is someone seeing you meltdown. And I don't have a safe place to retreat to right now. Super fun times!)
Shiro nodded, listening intently as she spoke, blue-grey eyes full of wonder and amazement at the sheer technological advancements that had gone into making her. He'd only seen inorganic beings like her in lab settings or on Galra ships. The thought of those ships sent a cold chill down his spine, and he quickly shook it away.
"You're not Galra tech, then?" He had to ask, had to be sure. His mind was swimming with possibilities. What if he'd brought Galra tech onto the ATLAS, what if he'd doomed them all, oh stars what if he'd messed up everything they'd worked so hard for just because he wanted to save an android. At the mention of the Blades of Marmora he calmed slightly, but only slightly. Heart racing, mind spinning, he stared blankly, eyes glassing over.
Please be on our side, he pleaded, mentally, unsure what he'd do with himself if he'd managed to doom everything in one act of so-called kindness. He was spiraling, and fast. Just because she'd been looking for the families of Blades didn't mean she wasn't out to get them. Just because she was under rubble after the Galra attacked didn't mean she wasn't one of them. His ears rang, heart thudding like war drums in his chest.
Shiro bit at the inside of his cheek, trying to snap himself back to reality, to try and pull himself back to the present. Pain usually worked. Nothing major, just a bit of a shock to his system, but he couldn't move, he could only sit there and half listen to her talk because of the thudding of his heart and the rushing of blood in his ears. He was panicking.
❝ i’m trying. please, be patient with me. ❞
Keith wrapped his arms around Mark gently, tracing small circles on his back. "You're doing wonderfully, hunny...it's okay, just breathe." He made shushing sounds with his mouth, rocking back and forth gently as he held Mark.
"Is there anything in specific you need from me right now?" The question was genuine, of course, laden with concern and a desire to help. Keith hated seeing anyone like this, least of all Mark, but he'd had plenty of experience dealing with Shiro.
"You're okay, baby..." he soothed, continuing to rock. "I know, you're doing your best, that's all anyone can ever ask of you."
❝ i need you to take a breath. ❞
He was panicking. Plain and simple, he was freaking out. Keith's eyes screwed shut and his hands curled into tight fists at his sides. The world was too loud, too close, too much. Everything was too much. He was trembling, his body reacting to the over firing of his mind. His ears rang, his heart hammered in his chest, threatening to break past it's visceral cage.
"I'm trying," he managed, taking in a shaking breath. "Trying..." Another. He crumbled, dropping to the floor and huddling himself into a ball. The smaller he was, the less the world could see him, the less the world could get to him. He just needed quiet, he just needed the world to stop being so loud, so close, so difficult...
Keith took in a shaking breath again, knees tucked close to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. It felt like everything was starting to cave in around him.
Prompt 51
Geralt isn't a fan of the new intern his family's office has hired. He never stops humming or snapping his fingers, and he always gets Geralt's coffee wrong, and he trips over nothing and spills paperwork everywhere at least twice a week, and he won't stop flirting with Geralt, but more than anything, the absolute worst part about it all... is Geralt's starting to look forward to his shenanigans. This all comes to a head when one night when everyone is going home, Geralt and Jaskier are last in the building. They're on their way down in the elevator when it stops. Oh shit- They're stuck in the elevator. Possibly overnight. I like to imagine Jaskier thinks Geralt hates him, and is also terrified of their current situation, so he has a quirky fun lil panic attack (I can make this joke i used to have really bad panic attacks before i got on better meds) and the person talking him down from it is the chiseled god of a man he wants to drool over but Jaskier is SURE must hate his guts. Geralt doesn't hate his guts. Anymore-
I'm feeling so sorry that Sportacus was having a panic attack or something like epileptic seizures. Robbie wants to call for an emergency but I think Sportacus was just alright after his panic attack. He'd just relieved that he's fine.
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Keep Talking. Please.
ACK! I had a niggling feeling Sporto would end up having an anxiety attack. This read… like one of my own attacks. Except counting/breathing works for him (Doesn’t for me - makes me worse). Saw your notes, @defectivevorta and that you were writing from experience as well. Well done, sir.
Stardust
(angsty thorbruce fic trade with @lokilovemail !! im sorry it took so long! tw for panic attacks)
Stars had always been a comfort for Thor.
They dotted out so far, symbols of time and space moving on eternally, leaving things behind but never forgetting. They sparkled brilliantly, such small specks of light somehow illuminating a never ending void of darkness, all with the help of different moons and planets. Thor liked to think of himself as a moon; he used to think of Asgard as the sun. Now he felt like nothing more than lost stardust, scattered in the endless darkness of space.
The stress of being a king was weighing down on him, day after day, and sleepless night after night. Of course, it was hard to tell the difference now that there wasn’t a sun to greet and a moon to speak soft farewells to. Their ship seemed to be on it’s own schedule now; Thor did his governing when everyone else was awake, but once they slept, Thor stayed up.
He supposed that’s what it was like to be stardust; moons got breaks, they could rest with the warmth of the sun tucking them in and the stars wishing them goodnight. But being stardust was like being a path to nothing, a path that seems like a solace but only leads to loss and nullity. He saw the stardust on his cheeks through his reflection in the window, milkyway teardrops sparkling as they fell.
He shut his eyes tight, feeling the tears burn under his eyelids as his throat seemed to scrape around the lump that formed inside of it. He never broke down like this; he was a king, people would gladly kill to be in his position, but Thor had never felt more trapped in all of his 1500 years. A gasp choked out from his throat, and his stomach pained him forward, hunching over the window as tears dripped down on it.
He opened his eyes, a quiet gasp escaping him when he saw someone behind him.
Banner looked brilliant in this lighting; his milky skin enveloped in a blue glow, the darks of his hair seeming a bit purple as it danced with the silvery gray growing in it. His eyes were magnified under thick glasses, as if trying to display the hurt and worry in them when he saw Thor.
He didn’t know what to say; his shoulders fell as he covered his eyes, sniffling into his hand as he rested his elbow on his knee. He was shivering so hard he’d occasionally slip, and there was a feeling in his stomach he’d never experienced before. It felt like he couldn’t get enough air, that each desperate gasp for breath had just decreased the amount of oxygen that was left for him. He didn’t know this feeling, this cold, crawly feeling that he couldn’t shake off.
He felt the warmth of Banner sliding down next to him, clenching his teeth as he tried to keep himself still. He didn’t know what this was, he didn’t have any idea what was happening to him, he just wished Banner wasn’t seeing him like this. He wished Banner had just stayed in his room, he wished he’d just let him be.
Then he felt Bruce lay a hand on his back, rubbing it in circles, and he couldn’t help but turn to him and sink into his arms. He rested his forehead against Banner’s chest, feeling him jump a little in surprise as he returned the embrace. His arms were holding onto Banner’s sides, as if he were disappearing, as if the only thing grounding him was having Bruce so close.
“B-Banner, I-I don’t know-” his voice was cracking so much that when he took in a breath it felt sharp and painful. He coughed it out, gripping onto Bruce’s shirt harder. The material was soft in his trembling hands, and he couldn’t help but let out a sigh when he felt the other man’s arms strengthen around him. “I-I don’t know what’s happening- a-am I-”
“You’re okay,” Bruce was speaking in a whisper. Shivers crawled up the god’s spine when he felt Banner’s hand, gentle and steady, brush through the back of Thor’s closely-cropped hair. “Shhh. You’re okay, Thor, you’re going to be just fine. You’re going to be just fine.” He repeated himself, Thor starting to steady in Banner’s embrace.
He felt the material of Bruce’s shirt dampen with his tears. Banner instructed him to take deep breaths, and despite how odd it felt in his chest, he tried. He tried and tried until it became easier and until the air felt familiar again. He kept breathing, feeling his chest warm as he became more aware of the light brushing of Bruce’s hand in his hair, of the warmth of the smaller man’s body huddled so closely to his own.
Soon, Thor had melted. His cheek was laying against Bruce’s chest, letting his head rise and fall along with the scientist’s steady breathes. His arms were tiredly snaked around Bruce’s sides, and he sniffled in air as Bruce combed gently through his hair. “Banner,” he whispered, when everything felt much easier. “What happened to me?”
“I think you panicked,” Bruce explained, his voice low and soft, his fingers not faltering the patterns they were making in his hair. “But it’s ok. Happens to me a lot. You’ll be fine.” Banner said this matter-of-factly, but Thor couldn’t help but trace the worry that was still in his voice.
“I feel so lost,” The words were spilling out of Thor faster than he could catch them, and he felt himself clutching onto Bruce again. “I feel so small. Everything else is so…It’s so big, Banner. It’s too much.”
“I know, I know,” Bruce whispered, rubbing circles in Thor’s back while pulling the blinds that had come with the ship over the window in front of them. “Just don’t look. Sometimes you gotta make everything else seem smaller.”
Thor nodded at this, closing his eyes and leaning into his friend. “Thank you, Banner.”
“Of course.”
They stayed like that for so long that Thor felt himself start to doze off. His eyelids were so heavy that he had to look through the remaining teardrops at Bruce as he started to lower Thor back into his bed. He was so sleepy that at first he didn’t even realize this, but when he felt the warmth of Bruce’s hand start to slide off his arm, he clutched at his wrist.
Bruce looked down at him, eyes wide and milky skin tinted with pink. Thor’s chest warmed at the sight. “Stay. With me,” Thor whispered, his eyes falling closed as he ran his thumb up and down Bruce’s wrist. “You make everything seem smaller, Banner.”
Bruce reluctantly obliged, slowly lowering himself next to Thor, who desperately pulled him as close as he’d go. It was a slow feat, as Thor didn’t want to frighten him, but he was happy when he felt Bruce’s arms around Thor just as tight, his head lying so close that Thor felt his curls tickle his chin.
For the first time since Asgard, he slept soundly. For the first time since Asgard, he felt like a moon; he felt like Bruce was teaching him how to be a sun. He forced his eyes open one more time, seeing Bruce lay peacefully next to him, eyes closed and breath balanced and steady.
Yeah- he felt like a sun, he concluded.
Had the worst meltdown/panic attack combo since a month ago today and I'm PISSED because now my most recent panic episode is about boring adult things (popped tire and work issues) and not about fun things that are silly to look back on (horse in my yard)
I really can’t feel my hands though when I have panic attacks. They crinkle up & I’m not able to unbend them & they’re hard as stone. It’s so creepy. I remember having a panic attack at the hospital and as I was laying on the bed the nurse was holding my arms and said she liked my lipstick & I think that’s really sweet & funny she tried to calm me down that way.
It didn’t work but it is still sweet
I used to have anxiety attacks although I’ve never had a panic attack, I read online it feels like a heart attack. I’m sorry you have to endure such suffering, dear 😢
Its okay!!!!! I honestly still don’t understand what my disorder is. It’s weird lol. I wouldnt necessarily describe it feeling like a heart attack… Ive never had one so.. idk… I usually get an intense fear that I am about to die & theres no way to convince me otherwise. My hands start to tingle, go numb, & I cant feel my face or body & Im shaking. It’s like I’m not real. I cant breathe & it feels like someones pressing on my chest trying to collapse it. It’s very scary. With severe panic attacks my hands crinkle up & do this weird double joint action that I cant unbend. Its so eerie lol.
an anxiety attack though…I really don’t know what thats like but I do have anxiety all the time lol. Im sorry YOU deal with anxiety. I understand how debilitating it can be. If you ever need someone to talk to about it or about anything really…you can reach out to me. <3
im on tumblr because im not well in the head
self sabotaging? sign me up!!!
🥀I used to create so many accounts and delete them afterwards out of utter fear and panic of what people would think of me.
Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Wattpad....and so much more.
I was so focused on my hurt...I didn't think it could affect others.. until I'm was at the other end.
Now I see people's account on Tumblr that have been deleted and feel terrible.
Because now I know how it really feels to go AWOL.
I recently found out an account I've been searching for on Wattpad... deleted literally every accounts they have online.
I missed the author so bad...I cried a lot...I tried to understand, "this person must have a certain reason for leaving.... could be anything... could be something serious..."
I told myself this for 2 years.
But now I know how it feels. I know how it felt for the people I created friendships with, bonds, connections with and cut them off because I was having another panic attack.
p.s
I fckn hate anxiety
May I please request for a will byers x male! reader where the reader is having a panic attack? How does will react? And what does he do in that kind of situation? :0
Thank you!
THE PLEASE AND THANK YOU OMFG👏👏
I liked writing this one so much too. My brain was literally flooded with ideas as soon as you asked for this!!!!
Anyways please enjoy
Warning this one has four categories to it lmao
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I’ve actually got categories and stuff for this one. So many scenarios popped in my head I just have to include them.
WHILE IN PUBLIC (IN A PUBLIC AREA):
When in public Will would probably notice signs of an oncoming panic attack pretty quick.
When a panic attack starts he would immediately get you somewhere as fast as possible. Those places being either:
Isolated
Somewhere you can sit down
Out of the building your in
He would stay with you the entire time
If his friends are around he immediately orders them to find you water and or a snack
He’s not big on PDA but he would still put his hands on yours and rub his thumbs over them
———————————————————————
As you walked through the mall with your friends your brain started feeling fuzzy. The background noise became oddly quiet while peoples words was too loud.
“Love, are you alright?” Will said to you quietly, his eyes filled with concern.
You didn’t turn your head to him immediately and when you did your eyes were wide and watery. Your shoulders moved up and down quickly and your hands were shaking.
Will recognized what was happening and immediately escorted you to the nearest bench to sit down. When one of your friends came over to check on you, Will sent them off to find you food and drink.
He, after getting your consent, grabbed your hands and used his thumbs to smooth over your knuckles in a repetitive pattern. He guided you through simple breathing exercises. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Over and over and over again until you calmed down.
He smiled softly at you when you finally came back to him. “Hey baby are you alright? Do you want to leave? We can, I don’t mind I promise.”
———————————————————————
He won’t make you talk if you don’t want to
He will literally leave any event if you need him to
WHILE WITH FRIENDS (AT SOMEONES HOUSE FT. THE PARTY):
He is less likely to notice as fast when at a friends house
When he does notice he doesn’t make a scene, trying not to overwhelm you
Most of Will and your friends (as well as your friends parents) are used to Will’s panic attacks so they all spring into action when they see you.
———————————————————————
“Hey baby are you alright?” Will asks but he sounds distant. You feel tears slide down your cheeks but you aren’t even aware of them enough to wipe them away or blink.
When the others hear Wills words and look towards you they recognize what’s happening.
Mike goes off to find one of his parents as Will sits to your side trying to calm you down, using the all to familiar breathing exercises. His arm goes around your back to rub your shoulder and his other hand if holding yours.
He whispered soft encouragements into your ears along the lines of “hey calm down I’m right here” and “it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
When you finally do calm down Dustin hands you the bag of chips he was snacking on and you accept with a grateful smile. When Mike returns with his mom Will calmly explains to her what happened and she offers you a ride home.
———————————————————————
Will would sit close to you, making sure no one else got super close
If it was really bad he would take you home immediately, even volunteering to go get your bike the next day so that you don’t have to ride by yourself
AT THE BYERS HOUSEHOLD (FT. JOYCE AND JOHNATHAN):
If your in the Byers household Joyce would notice first (the woman cares for you so much change my mind)
Will would notice after his mom stared at you for an uncomfortable amount of time
Joyce being the mom she was would grab your hand while Will leaves to find you water.
When Will gets back Johnathan would also be in tow. Probably carrying some type of music track, hoping it’ll calm you down. He tries.
———————————————————————
“Hey honey are you ready to come back to us?” You hear Joyce Byers say softly as your mind clears up. “There he is.” She would say before stepping to the side so Will could kneel in front of you.
In the background you could hear music playing curtesy of Jonathan.
After you’d had a little while to recover, Will offers you his hand gently and asks you “do you want to dance with me?”
You giggle and give him your hand as he pulls you up. His favorite song “Should I Stay or Should I Go” just so happens to play. Also, you assume, curtesy of Johnathan.
The two of you dance together for a long time. A welcome distraction from the thoughts that overwhelmed you previously.
Eventually Joyce decides you can stay the night and you and Will head to bed together where he cuddles you until you fall asleep.
——————————————————————
Will is the KING of distracting you from your thoughts. Change my mind.
WHEN YOU ARE ALONE WITH HIM:
This is assuming you’re in his bed probably
When you’re alone his methods of calming you down gets more physical
He’d probably be sitting where your back is to his chest and you’d be in his lap, his attempt to keep you grounded
He’d place small kisses on whatever exposed skin he could access
———————————————————————
Will held you tightly as you followed his breathing patterns, though unlike you when he held for those seven seconds he placed soft kisses to your skin.
When you came out of it you turned around in his lap, now straddling him. You rested your forehead against his shoulder. Will moved his hand up to your hair and played with it as he hummed softly to you.
You feel your eyes go heavy and before you know it you’re sleeping in your boyfriends arms.
Doing his best not to wake you up. Will lays the two of you down. He doesn’t move to retrieve blankets, not wanting to risk disturbing your peaceful state. Will gives you soft kisses scattered on your face until he himself falls asleep. A soft smile on his face.
———————————————————————
If Joyce or Johnathan found you they’d 100% cover the two of you
No one really talks about it in the morning when the two of you walk out of his room together
THIS WAS BOTH THE MOST FUN YET MOST STRESSFUL THING IVE WRITTEN LITERALLY EVER. I hope you enjoy though <3
Wish I had known this stuff earlier.
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WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
Stay with us and keep calm. The last thing we need when we’re panicking, is to have someone else panicking with us.
Offer medicine if we usually take it during an attack. You might have to ask whether or not we take medicine- heck, some might not; but please, ask. It really helps.
Move us to a quiet place. We need time to think, to breathe. Being surrounded by people isn’t going to help.
Don’t make assumptions about what we need. Ask. We’ll tell you what we need. Sometimes; you may have to ask- but never assume.
Speak to us in short, simple sentences.
Be predictable. Avoid surprises.
Help slow our breathing by breathing us or by counting slowly to 10. As odd as it sounds, it works.
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T DO: 1. Say, “You have nothing to be panicked about.” We know. We know. We know. And because we know we have nothing to be panicked about, we panic even more. When I realize that my anxiety is unfounded, I panic even more because then I feel like I’m not in touch with reality. It’s unsettling. Scary. Most of the time, a panic attack is irrational. Sometimes they stem from circumstances — a certain couch triggers a bad memory or being on an airplane makes you claustrophobic or a break up causes you to flip your lid — but mostly, the reasons I’m panicking are complex, hard to articulate or simply, unknown. I could tell myself all day that I have no reason to be having a panic attack and I would still be panicking. Sometimes, because I’m a perfectionist, I become even more overwhelmed when I think my behaviour is “unacceptable” (as I often believe it is when I’m panicking). I know it’s all in my mind, but my mind can be a pretty dark and scary place when it gets going. Alternate suggestion: Say, “I understand you’re upset. It is okay. You have a right to be upset and I am here to help.” 2. Say, “Calm down.” This reminds me of a MadTV sketch where Bob Newhart plays a therapist who tells his patients to simply “Stop it!” whenever they express anxiety or fear. As a sketch, it’s funny. In real life, it’s one of the worst things you can do to someone having a panic attack. When someone tells me to “stop panicking” or to “calm down,” I just think, “Oh, okay. I haven’t tried that one. Hold on, let me get out a pen and paper and jot that down, you jerk.” Instead of taking action so that they do relax, simply telling a panicking person to “calm down” or “stop it” does nothing. No-thing. Alternate suggestion: The best thing to do is to listen and support. In order to calm them down without the generalities, counting helps. 3. Say, “I’m just going to leave you alone for a minute.” Being left alone while panicking makes my heart race even harder. The last thing I want is to be left by myself with my troubled brain. Many of my panic attacks spark from over-thinking and it’s helpful to have another person with me, not only for medical reasons (in case I pass out or need water) but also it’s helpful to have another person around to force me to think about something other than the noise in my head. Alternate suggestion: It sometimes helps me if the person I’m with distracts me by telling me a story or sings to me. I need to get out of my own head and think about something other than my own panic. 4. Say, “You’re overreacting.” Here’s the thing: I’m not. Panic attacks might be in my head, but I’m in actual physical pain. If you’d cut open your leg, no one would be telling you you’re overreacting. It’s a common trope in mental health to diminish the feelings or experience of someone suffering from anxiety or panic because there’s no visible physical ailment and because there’s no discernible reason for the person to be having such a strong fear reaction. The worst thing you can tell someone who is panicking is that they are overreacting. Alternate suggestion: Treat a panic attack like any other medical emergency. Listen to what the person is telling you. Get them water if they need it. It helps me if someone rubs my back a little. If you’re in over your head, don’t hesitate to call 911 (or whatever the emergency services number is where you are). But please, take the person seriously. Mental health deserves the same respect as physical health.
CREDIT [X] [X]
*Offers you a Dark Matter Airlock Scene fanfiction* Summary:
“You can’t do this!” Daz screams, fighting and writhing in the man’s grip.
It’s no use, the man is strong. Powerful. Even on a good day, when she isn’t exhausted from sneaking around and playing stowaway to save her and TJ, she’d still be nearly half his size, probably weighs even less. It’s almost too easy for him to pull her up by her arm, dragging her forward roughly against her will.
“Sure, I can!” The man with the scars laughs, as though this is some kind of sick little playdate. Daz’s stomach drops. “I’m barely breaking a sweat here!”
-
Alternatively; The airlock scene, except Kal follows through on protecting the little girl.
(Made for Whumptober day 7 "The Way You Shake And Shiver" and the Prompt "Panic Attack")
The coloring doesn't work, that's for sure! I tried it, really I did, but I soon became obsessed with how it looked and what colors to use for the best effect... yeah, I fell down deep into the rabbit hole.
As someone who has lived their entire life with anxiety, I am glad that this post exists. Thank you so much for sharing this bit of helpful information!
Why "doing something relaxing” does not help your anxiety
A lot of the time when people give advice intended to relieve anxiety, they suggest doing “relaxing” things like drawing, painting, knitting, taking a bubble bath, coloring in one of those zen coloring books, or watching glitter settle to the bottom of a jar.
This advice is always well-intentioned, and I’m not here to diss people who either give it or who benefit from it. But it has never, ever done shit for me, and this is because it goes about resolving anxiety in the completely wrong way.
THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO when suffering from anxiety is to do a “relaxing” thing that just enables your mind to dwell and obsess more on the thing that’s bothering you. You need to ESCAPE from the dwelling and the obsession in order to experience relief.
You can drive to a quiet farm, drive to the beach, drive to a park, or anywhere else, but as someone who has tried it all many, many times, trust me–it’s a waste of gas. You will just end up still sad and stressed, only with sand on your butt. You can’t physically escape your sadness. Your sadness is inside of you. To escape, you need to give your brain something to play with for a while until you can approach the issue with a healthier frame of mind.
People who have anxiety do not need more time to contemplate, because we will use it to contemplate how much we suck.
In fact, you could say that’s what anxiety is–hyper-contemplating. When we let our minds run free, they run straight into the thorn bushes. Our minds are already running, and they need to be controlled. They need to be given something to do, or they’ll destroy everything, just like an overactive husky dog ripping up all the furniture.
Therefore, I present to you:
THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WHEN ANXIOUS
–Go on a walk
–Watch a sunset, watch fish in an aquarium, watch glitter, etc.
–Go anywhere where the main activity is sitting and watching
–Draw, color, do anything that occupies the hands and not the mind
–Do yoga, jog, go fishing, or anything that lets you mentally drift
–Do literally ANYTHING that gives you great amounts of mental space to obsess and dwell on things.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO WHEN ANXIOUS:
–Do a crossword puzzle, Sudoku, or any other mind teaser game. Crosswords are the best.
–Write something. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. Write the Top 10 Best Restaurants in My City. Rank celebrities according to Best Smile. Write some dumb Legolas fanfiction and rip it up when you’re done. It’s not for publication, it’s a relief exercise that only you will see.
–Read something, watch TV, or watch a movie–as long as it’s engrossing. Don’t watch anything which you can run as background noise (like, off the top of my head, Say Yes to The Dress.) As weird as it seems, American Horror Story actually helps me a lot, because it sucks me in.
–Masturbate. Yes, I’m serious. Your mind has to concentrate on the mini-movie it’s running. It can’t run Sexy Titillating Things and All The Things That are Bothering Me at the same time. (…I hope. If it can, then…ignore this one.)
–Do math problems—literally, google “algebra problems worksheet” and solve them. If you haven’t done math since 7th grade this will really help you. I don’t mean with math, I mean with the anxiety.
–Play a game or a sport with someone that requires great mental concentration. Working with 5 people to get a ball over a net is a challenge which will require your brain to turn off the Sadness Channel.
–Play a video game, as long as it’s not something like candy crush or Tetris that’s mindless.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO DURING PANIC ATTACKS ESPECIALLY:
–List the capitals of all the U.S. states
–List the capitals of all the European countries
–List all the shapes you can see. Or all the colors.
–List all the blonde celebrities you can think of.
–Pull up a random block of text and count all the As in it, or Es or whatever.
Now obviously, I am not a doctor. I am just an anxious person who has tried almost everything to help myself. I’ve finally realized that the stuff people recommend never works because this is a disorder that thrives on free time and free mental space. When I do the stuff I listed above, I can breathe again. And I hope it helps someone here too.
(Now this shouldn’t have to be said but if the “do nots” work for you then by all means do them. They’ve just never worked for me.)