Public Panics!

Good day.

Ever had a panic attack in public? 

I have.

I had a panic attack. In Asdas. Brilliant.

My family and i go food shopping once or twice a week...i love food shopping. 

Not just because of the food aspect of it, i just love shopping in general. So going grocery shopping isn't a big deal whats so ever. 

This day though...wooo! 

My Dad and i walked into Asdas as if we owned the place. Classic Harris behavior. I was feelin' fine! Anxiety was at bay and woke up happy and ready for the day! 

Shopped around the DVD section, making a 'To Buy' list for when i am filthy rich in my head, walked over to the frozen section with my Dad...still feeling good...THEN some crazy shop fella walked past me with a big old food trolley thing. It made me jump...and that was it. 

I felt a wave come over me and I started to panic. Every noise in the shop startled me, people were talking far to loud and my Dad was no where to be found. I was by myself, surrounded by random shoppers and frozen peas. Hell. 

My chest started to get tight, my hands got clammy, and then the room started to spin. I felt like i was about to lose control of myself. Once it gets to that point, i usually just go to my room to lay down and repeat to myself that i am ok whilst take lots of slow deep breaths. Or if i am with Jesse, Faye or my Mum, they will breath with me so i can breath in their rhythm. But this is in public, i can't quickly go to my room and relax myself, i have to deal with it right now! When i finally spotted my Dad, he could see that i was struggling and we headed to the tills. I tried my hardest to chat to the friendly till lady, but in hindsight she probably thought i was quite rude, i can't even tell you what she was saying to me...i don't remember. All that was running through my head was 'My chest shouldn't feel like this' 'Am i going to have a heart attack?' I held it together for a few more mins, then cried as soon as we got out of the shop. My Dad is pretty good with crying, he has 2 daughters...so he really has to be ok with it other wise he would have a mental breakdown! 

We got to my Dad's car and i jumped in. All the way home i was on edge. I just want to get into my Disney onsie, jump into bed and cry it out...So that's what i did for the rest of the day until my sister, Faye got home from work. 

I struggle with public panic/anxiety attacks not very often, thank goodness. I'm not to great with dealing with them in public. I feel myself withdraw from everything and clam up! 

 If i am with friends, i will take myself off to the toilets and try and calm myself, but i feel like a burden and my night is most of the time ruined. 

So what do you do with public panic attacks?! 

A few days later, i decided to look around the interwebs for ideas on how to help panic attacks whilst out and about! Here are a few ideas i found; 

1. Tell yourself you are ok! You aren't going to faint, you aren't going to die that very second! Panic attacks aren't dangerous and this feeling won't last forever. 
2. Learn some breathing exercises. If you are breathing like a women in labor, settle down! Slow, deep breaths. Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold this breathe for 2 seconds then breathe out for 3 seconds. Do this until you can stable yourself.
3.  No one knows what is happening to you, that sometimes can help. Everyone else is going about their business and not fussing over you. Just take your time. Wander off somewhere else until you can go back to what you were doing. 
4. If you are with someone and you do want them to know, talk to them. Talking is a massive help if you are comfortable with that person. They can breathe with you and help distract the craziness going on in that old noggin of yours! 

So, yeah! A few ideas! Hopefully none of us will have to try these out in the near future, so lets just keep them in mind just in case. 

If you have any other ideas, please do share...i will add them to my list! 

Have a good night! 

Love Kara 

<3