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Have you ever had a panic attack at work?

What did you do? How did you cope? Is there a way to cope?

Chloe Barker asked in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report

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6 Answers

  • Nim_chimpsky_small
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    Nim Chimpsky

    I had what I think were panic attacks a few times during my stressful first couple of years as a line cook (in retrospect, a bad occupation for someone with anxiety issues). It happened when we got "in the shit," with a pile orders 15 tables deep, and a head cook yelling at us to get that steak out NOW. I would reach a certain level of stress and then it was like my cognitive functions absolutely shut down, and suddenly I was a hyperventilating, shivering, useless wreck.

    The first time, there was nowhere to hide, and I got fired on the spot, because my supervisor assumed that I was deliberately engaging in histrionics or something.

    Subsequent bosses and coworkers were more understanding. What worked for me was letting my coworkers know that sometimes I just needed a few minutes in the bathroom or outside by the shipping doors or whatever. I found that if I could be alone for a few minutes I could calm down at least enough to think again. I would take some deep breaths, splash some cold water on my face, and jump back in.

    As I gained experience and got more confident, this stopped happening. I would still feel the stress, but it didn't quite go over the line into panic attack. I still had an occasional attack in other situations, but not at work.

    I think many people with panic disorders cope partly by arranging their lives and work to accommodate their disorder. Part of this is finding strategies to keep the general stress level low; part of it is being in a place where you're valued and respected for your skills, so the occasional at-work freak-out is treated with understanding; and part of it is having a job where you can take a little time when you need to. (If you have a panic disorder, I'm guessing that fast-paced, demanding, high-stress occupations are not for you.)

    If this happens to you regularly, you need to see a doc to talk about long-term strategies, like changes in diet and exercise, anti-anxiety meds, and therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy is especially effective for treating panic disorders, I'm told.

    As others have said, you might want/need to make excuses instead of going through the "I have panic attacks..." rigamorale, because of the stigma attached to it. Tell 'em you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome if you have to. No one will question you. However, I've found that "stressed out" is a concept that most people can relate to. Sometimes there's no need to get into clinical jargon; just tell them you get a little overwhelmed by stress sometimes, and that you just need to take a break to get over it.

    Read up on panic attacks, if you haven't already. I think just knowing how they work removes a lot of the scariness.

    Nim Chimpsky answered in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report
    1 comment by BasementDweller3…
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  • 15_ab_small
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    ARDELL

    1) Immediately say "I feel a little dizzy" sit down and close your eyes. No one wants you to pass out and fall down. So that gives you at least 5 to 10 minutes to put your head down and breathe.

    2) A nice herbal tea helps. Actually anything that buys you time helps. If it is near lunch time or break time, just go. Say "I'm feeling a little dizzy, can I take my break now or my lunch now". That buys you lots of time for it to pass.

    3)Oddly it helps me to walk through a store and look at merchandise. Anything that takes my mind off of whatever I was doing when the panic attack started. If you can go get some fresh air and there is a store nearby, walk through it, look at things on the shelves. Don't focus on the panic attack, it will make it worse.

    4)Mark down the date and time whenever you have one. Oddly, mine matched to my monthly cycle and were a PMS symptom. That helped tremendously, because I didn't exacerbate the problem by wondering why I was having them.

    5)Know that these can be quite "normal" to have. Don't feel self conscious. Just because people don't talk about them all the time, doesn't mean people don't have them. There is not likely a person alive who never had one. Don't worry...worry makes them worse. Trying to work through them can also make them worse. Find any excuse to give yourself a little break...the longer the better.

    6)If you are going to a doctor for any reason, mention them. In fact it might be a good time to schedule a check up. If you have any notes as to what dates you had them along with your monthly onset dates, that will help the doctor a lot.

    Don't worry; be happy. They are part of life. Accept them the same as a cramp in your leg. The more you worry about them, the more you will have them.

    ARDELL answered in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report
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  • Horse_ass2_small
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    This used to happen to me all the time, I would hide in the bathroom. People made the assumption that I had some sort of bowel or bladder problem - since I would piss myself about half the time that made sense. Plus you can leave the room fast at any point if people think you have a serious physical medical problem, less baggage then letting them know about the panic attack thing. And people are going to leave you the hell alone in the bathroom, especially if you are whimpering. I just always had extra pants on hand. I'd also run outside if I could, to get in my car, but bathroom was easiest as I was working retail.

    BasementDweller3 answered in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report
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  • Kendo_20dog_small
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    Can you feel your panic attacks coming, or is it a sudden thing? I've learned to recognize when I need to go home and leave before things get really bad. If you can do your job after taking a sedative, you could talk to your doctor about having a few pills to keep in your purse. Many people can't recognize a panic attack coming, and some people can't take a sedative and keep working, so that's not a solution that works for everyone.

    If you're getting panic attacks frequently at work, you might want to consider switching jobs. I had many more panic attacks at a fast-paced customer service job, one that required me to talk about death and illness all day, than at an office job in a field I liked with bosses who treated me well.

    The advice about keeping your blood sugar up and your stress down is solid. If you ever reach the point that your anxiety is preventing you from holding down a job, it's time to see a doctor.

    IsadoraWing answered in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report
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  • Avatar_default
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    My partner has had bad panic attacks in the past. I can only imagine what it would be like in the workplace.

    He made lifestyle and dietary changes and doesn't really have trouble anymore. Here are some suggestions from what has worked for him (linger term):

    Try to eat small meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels up. Include some protein and limit simple carbs; nuts are great.

    Use aromatherapy to help calm yourself. Lavender and geranium essential oils are good ones to use.

    Some herbs can help such as passionflower, valerian, hops, skullcap and German chamomile, particularly if you aren't taking any prescription meds.

    Increase your intake of b-vitamins and consider adding l-carnetine, arginine and zinc, particularly if you are vegetarian.

    Try getting more regular exercise, listening to music, taking warm baths/showers, getting massages, doing things that are fun and relaxing. You want to be stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system.

    HTH

    agness answered in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report
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  • Enso_circle_small
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    Yes, I have. I was fortunate one time I could just hide in my office, but another I was out in public. There was nothing I could do about it, just had to get through it. People are generally quite nice when they see someone in distress, especially if it is unusual.

    If you felt nauseous at work, you'd deal with it by getting to a toilet. If you feel a panic attack coming on, try to deal with it by getting yourself out of public sight and letting it pass. And ask your colleagues for help if you need to. Depending on your relationship with them, you can tell them you had an attack, or just that you felt unwell. Which you did!

    ozchick answered in Other Health & Fitness 7 months ago | Report
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