[paper skeleton]

It hasn't happened like this in a while.
I was eating dinner in the dining hall with my friends this evening and all of a sudden my body went numb. I couldn't feel anything anywhere, like I was drifting away. I started to panic, so I excused myself and went back to my room. After it didn't get any better, I went to the Health Center on campus, talked to a counselor, decided to make an appointment this week, etc.

But it isn't helping right now. I kind of want to take Xanax but I'm afraid it will make it worse.

I just feel like I'm coming out of the top of my head right now. Some things don't feel real. I'm afraid I'm going crazy.

Please, does anyone have good ways to calm down?
Help me convince myself that my heart is not failing, that I'm not dying, that I'm not insane or suffering from some kind of stroke.

I'm just so scared.
A friend is coming to sit with me for a bit, but I'm just so scared right now.

[ThoughtOnFire]

Look around you. Do you notice anything? There is no problems, no trauma to get away from. Just remind yourself that everything is okay. Reality is Safe. There is nothing harming you...

[dreamingoflife]

paper skeleton, on 08 February 2010 - 07:40 PM, said:

It hasn't happened like this in a while.
I was eating dinner in the dining hall with my friends this evening and all of a sudden my body went numb. I couldn't feel anything anywhere, like I was drifting away. I started to panic, so I excused myself and went back to my room. After it didn't get any better, I went to the Health Center on campus, talked to a counselor, decided to make an appointment this week, etc.

But it isn't helping right now. I kind of want to take Xanax but I'm afraid it will make it worse.

I just feel like I'm coming out of the top of my head right now. Some things don't feel real. I'm afraid I'm going crazy.

Please, does anyone have good ways to calm down?
Help me convince myself that my heart is not failing, that I'm not dying, that I'm not insane or suffering from some kind of stroke.

I'm just so scared.
A friend is coming to sit with me for a bit, but I'm just so scared right now.

From experience xanax actually makes me feel better. If you are feeling that bad my advice would be to take you one and it will help to calm you down. I can't speak from every ones experience but it hasn't ever made me feel worse, only better.

Having someone come sit with you will probably help some too. Just remember that the brain is very powerful and anxiety can make you feel all sorts of different ways. You aren't going crazy and never will from this. I have had it for almost 4 years and never once have lost control or went crazy. Take some xanax. It will most likely help you calm down and feel better. I'd be a basket case without xanax sometimes. Hope you feel better soon.

[Imagine]

I had episodes like this in School in the past, even though my DP/DR was constant I would have sudden attacks out of the blue that seemed to make my DP/DR 100% worse than it normally was, something I didn't think was possible. I basically felt like I was beginning to dissolve into nothingness during these episodes, and I would panic as if I was ready to meet my maker.

Trust me when I say that you are in no way dying, your heart is not failing and you are not having a stroke, these are extreme fears that your mind is using to try to make sense of this awful feeling.

Heart Failure and Strokes have no association what-so-ever with these types of horrific episodes/symptoms. If this were the case, you would be dead by now.

If you ever get an episode like this again, control your breathing, I know this sounds cliche but it does help, and anytime it happens, try to think what could have triggered it, i.e. Caffiene, Stress or Anxiety.

You are not dying. Trust me.

[paper skeleton]

Thank you all so much. DR really got me tonight. How do I know what is reality...?
But I reassure myself by acknowledging that I am not smart enough to think all of this up. Hah.

Has behavioral therapy worked for anyone?
I'm going to see a counselor and a psychiatrist soon and I want to have a game plan.

There's such a stigma about mental illness and feelings of these kinds. It kinda sucks.

[Tommygunz]

try yawning ten times in a row. there is a post about it on the forum somewhere, but i don't know where. after i read the article about it i tried it and i got a little energy and actually snapped out of DP/DR quite a bit. it's worth a try.

[EsotericMotion]

what does the yawning do tommy?

[FoXS]

it lifts your oxygen level of course! furthermore it raises your blood pressure and the heartbeat.
the same reason why i do sports!

an interesting point is that people who got schizophrenia, autism and people who have a disturbed sense for their selves, yawn very very more seldom.

and benzos make you yawn more often!