Hello Sue.
Yes, I have been in that situation already. One of the things I learned was to control my breathing. I would go in a quiet place (in the office, I would sometimes lay down on the conference table and do deep breathings!). Make sure that when you inhale, your stomach rises and not your chest. Intitially, you would feel all your symptoms- the agitation, the chills or hot flashes, but try to concentrate ONLY on your breathing. If youre doing it right, you will notice that your heartbeat will slowly go back to normal. Take your time...do not rush yourself. And later on, you will learn some new tricks to go along with it like imagining yourself in a quiet island, listening to the sound of the waves or any thoughts that you think would make you feel relax. One of the most important techniques I have also learned was that instead of running away from the symptoms, I simply acknowledge everything I feel as I lie down and breathe in. And once I breathe out, I slowly let go of it like a baloon flying in mid-air...away from me.
Sue,the best way to pactice this technique I am teaching you is when you have the "usual" panic attack. Remember to CONCENTRATE ON YOUR BREATHING and nothing else. And as soon as you master this, you add "flavor" to your technique. And Sue, I know it is hard, but try not to anticipate such kind of attacks (the one you were descibing on your mail). Try to get a book about breathing techniques, okay? I shall mail you again as soon as I find the website where I got an e-book which taught me how to do this breathing technique. Hold on, Sue.
Agua
