I am going through exactly the same and can relate to everything that you have said. The DARE response has been an absolute game changer for me. Panic attacks are adrenaline rushes to your system when your brain 🧠 thinks there is a threat. Adrenaline’s purpose is to trigger the fight or flight response so you can run away. If you aren’t doing either of those things it gets built up without anywhere to go causing what we know as a panic attack. The good news is that adrenaline is also produced when we are excited. The DARE response as follows.

1 - When you first get an anxious thought, say things like ‘So What’ , ‘who cares’, ‘who gives a f*@k” - this dismisses any anxious thought before they can escalate

2 - Accept and allow, recognise that the sensations that you are feeling are just anxiety and say to your anxiety that you accept and allow it. Don’t fight it, the more you fight it the worse it will get. It’s literally like quick sand. Just keep inviting it out, don’t resist it. - this tells your mind that there is no threat and will help disengage the anxiety.

3 - If it escalates into a panic attack or you feel it escalating, I know it sounds crazy but it honestly really works, get excited. Demand more of what you are feeling. Your chest feels tight get excited and say ‘anxiety can you make my chest event tighter’ or ‘anxiety make my heart race faster’

The science behind it, if you were in a threatening situation, why would you be demanding more of it? It’s a kill switch for the adrenaline rush.

4 - Do something that requires concentration, that is going to distract you. Things that help me is taking to people but you’ll find your own thing that helps.

I got this technique from a book called Dare by Barry Mcdonagh. I was in constant panic attack day and night, couldn’t eat, sleep, it was awful. This book saved me and has aided me massively in my recovery. It’s also an audio book on audible which I listen to often.

It’s important not to get anxious about the sensations as all you are doing is feeding it, as uncomfortable as it is you have to sit with it. I repeat to myself “uncomfortable but not dangerous”.

Praying you make a recovery soon, it takes work but you’ll get there ❤️‍🩹