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I'd love to hear more about grieving techniques y'all use to move through panic - I've been a big ball of anxiety the past few days and need to figure out a better coping strategy. https://twitter.com/KriteeKanko/status/1247346079806287872
As someone with panic disorder, I know the natural inclination is often just to curl up in a ball and cry. But what actually helps in the middle of a panic attack is changing your environment and getting air/oxygen.
Basically, a panic attack is when you're adrenaline goes into overdrive (the flight/fight or freeze experience we developed evolutionarily when confronted with threats). The oxygen is the antidote and helps calm your nervous system.
The problem is that when I'm having a panic attack or acute anxiety - I don't want to do what I know is good for me. I just want to curl up and cry. I'm not sure how to overcome that - other than just try when the experience presents itself.
A lot of it is building resilience habits - so your natural inclination is to do what's good for your body and spirit. And that's really hard but necessary work.
But I'm not sure what to do with the anxiety and grief isn't just in my head: it's literally all around us. And it's real. Part of me wants to confront and feel it - to allow my feelings reflect the severity and pain of this situation.
But that level of anxiety and grief isn't sustainable to maintain all day everyday - and I'm exhausted. I don't just want to ignore it - I want to find stories of growth and resilience within it - and build healthier coping mechanisms. And a better world. It's just all so much.
I guess it's just a journey - we've never done this before. I don't know the way to move through the grief and anxiety and rage without letting it overcome me. Hopefully, I'll get a little better at it each day - hopefully we all will. I'd love to know how you're managing.
And given this insane circumstance: it's ok if you're not managing it well. “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher
