Hi Brooke,

I didn’t raise my hand quick enough on today’s call. Friday I had a panic attack. When I sat in Urgent Care I started to realize that it was a panic attack. I have had this happen 2 times now. What started this, I fainted at work once a couple of years ago. I was brought to the ER and fortunately everything is ok. The 1st time, I was afraid I was going to faint, I went to the ER, then Friday, I felt like I was going blind and I went to Urgent Care. I am in the middle of the river of misery, the end of last week I had been crying.

Thoughts that created the panic attack
T: I am going to faint, I am going blind
F: -? dizzy, blurry vision (or is this the result)
A: Panic, seek health care
R: No real threat, health ok.

The feeling is so very strong, and both times now, I saw that I thought I was either going to die or go blind. I have had food allergies and when I was younger, I would panic when my breathing became impaired. Now I am more comfortable when I eat something that causes a reaction and I am able to manage it better. I feel like a hypochondriac, but what if I am really having a stroke or a heart attack.

This is stemming from my impossible goal and not adequately creating bridging thoughts. I am thinking that I am not smart. I don’t have time. My new sentence is, “I will double my income.” I am also taking massive action and coaching clients, building a practice. Telling myself that it is ok, my sentence to confirm with my brain that, “of course this is impossible,” is not working. As a high achiever it is kind of like the impossible goal is sabotaging me. I see failure when I set more realistic and manageable goal. For instance, I am on track to increase my income by 25%, which is pretty awesome, but it is not my impossible goal, which is impossible.

Have you had panic attacks? How do you manage this in the moment?

Thank you,

Anna