Quick question about anxiety attacks

Dec 18·1 min read

Is it normal to feel them coming on but not be able to stop them even when you know what's happening? Like I can literally feel my chest tightening and my brain going into overdrive but I can't seem to de-escalate no matter what I try. Breathing exercises, grounding techniques, nothing works once it's started. Am I doing something wrong?

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Comments(4)

GGene K.RegularDec 18

This is the thing people don't understand about anxiety. You can literally watch it happen and still be unable to stop it. Knowing what's coming doesn't give you the lever to pull to stop it. That's when you need actual tools beyond just awareness.

GGreg W.RegularDec 20

The gap between awareness and control is huge and it's not something you can just willpower through. When it gets to that point where you can feel it but can't stop it, that's actually the sign that you might benefit from talking to someone about actual treatment options instead of just managing it yourself.

CCliff B.RegularDec 19

Yeah that's pretty normal actually. You can recognize what's happening and still not be able to stop it because the panic response is already activated. Your brain knows it's anxiety but your body's already in fight-or-flight.

WWes B.RegularDec 19

I experience this exactly. The knowing part is actually frustrating because you feel like you should be able to control it but your nervous system has already decided. Have you talked to a doctor about it or just trying the self-help route so far?