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Astriya

Updated 11mo ago

Dealing with Panic Attacks Outside: Tips and Tricks

What to do when having a panic attack from anxiety disorder outside?

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Cursednoodles

2y

I usually tend to try to find a secluded area like a bathroom or a bench all by itself, and call someone I’m close to, for me that’s my husband. They usually help me to calm down, but if they’re not available, I focus on my breathing a lot, I usually do the 4 4s method, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold 4, breath out 4, hold 4, repeat
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Baby_Cactus

2y

I usually try to get to a private place like they said ^^^ if I can! If not! I just use self talk. I tell myself, we can’t do this here and we need to be calm right now. We can fall apart later, but right now we need to keep it together. I’m more afraid of making a fool of myself than a panic attack so most of the time it works and sometimes I can make it stop completely then. Making sure your feelings are rational and slowing down your thoughts is the best for me. But also if you’re outside and there’s a bunch of stimuli, you could try the 54321 grounding technique! Name 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 smells, and 1 taste. It puts you into your body and not just your head!
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Gracie1217

2y

I also use the 54321 method to ground myself. And if possible, kicking out of my shoes and putting my feet actually on the ground immediately helps center me. (I've even sat down in grass nearby and run my hands through it, or located the nearest flower bed/planter/indoor plant in a public space and gone over to it to smell the flowers, touch the leaves, get some soil under my fingernails.)
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Peachycat

2y

I started this app called Finch that is free (unless you want to pay for premium). It has a lot of awesome features: a little finch character that you name that you interact with and the app has an SOS/Emergency kit feature that lists a lot of the methods folks in this thread are mentioning (using senses, looking for colors). What’s nice about this is it helps ground you and help you feel like youre not alone. It’s helped me get through some serious panic attacks
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Gracie1217

2y

I love that app! I've used it for a while now!

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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