Panic Attacks at Wedding.. Need Advice.

Well your doing a great job my confronting it head on! You need to engage in some type of treatment though it sounds like. Talk therapy or meditation may be good options. You don't have to live in fear that's for sure!

I would maybe try to get in and see a therapist, they can help you with some really great grounding techniques, and if your fear is really really bad, might even get you on a script. I have panic attacks from time to time too, and when I employ grounding techniques such as deep breathing, holding for 10 seconds and exhaling very slowly. Presing palms together as hard as possible for 10 seconds. and picking out 5 things i can see, 5 things i can feel, etc. it really helps me feel better. Our minds are very powerful, but we can't let them completely take over. Best of luck to you.

Do you see a therapist or counselor at all? They could probably help you develop a plan for what to do if you feel something coming on. I would talk openly with your FS about your concerns, and suggest that the two of you work together to come up with a strategy. Maybe your BP can act as buffers, if you start to feel overwhelmed they can help get you into a private area to take some deep breaths and calm down.

Hi OP! Do you have a therapist that you work with? If not, I highly recommend meeting with one. They can give you tools to work through any kind of panic attack that you might have during the day and give you some tools on how to cope.

I would advise speaking to a therapist. I'm on medication for my anxiety but I also have coping mechanisms when I start to have a panic attack. My therapist taught me some visual/breathing exercises that help bring me back down.

@OP, I just posted this site on a different thread, but it made me think of you. I have depression and sometimes it's hard just to brush my hair, let alone get with a therapist. This site offers metal help treatment for a really reasonable price, and you can either do video chat or just a phone call:

http://www.doctorondemand.com/mentalhealth

I have panic attacks as well - you don't have to deal with this alone. A therapist is KEY, and there's nothing wrong with taking medication. I would give meds a try - Xanax worked wonders for me.

I get severe anxiety as well but on the wedding day, I felt an immense calm because I was only thinking about who was at the end of the aisle. I was so focused on him I didn't notice anyone else. I realize this may not be the case for everyone so maybe try speaking with your therapist, or your doctor, getting on medication, meditating, getting a therapy animal if you are willing and able to care for an animal, getting monthly aromatherapy massages, acupuncture, anything that will or might help you feel more calm is something I would try.

Do you have a day of coordinator? I also suffer from anxiety and have regular breaks planned where my doc steals me away. I can decompress and knowing that I only have to make it to x time until I can breathe again will help (hopefully). We have a code word as well, just in case.

Thank you for your responses! To answer a few questions: I was diagnosed at age 15 and went to therapy regulary until they stopped in my mid-20s; I now only get them on a *very* rare occasion, but it's usually so short and sudden that I just push through. This seems to be building slowly though, I definitely need to revisit counseling. I can't believe I didn't think of that! I'll make some calls during lunch.

I love the idea of having a buffer/distraction in place, and a code word! Thank you for the suggestions. Everyone knows my history with this, half of our guests lived through it with me, so I'm sure people will understand that I may need a few breaks. We strategically chose a venue with many seating areas outside the reception room (a pier on the water, a garden/gazebo in the back, etc) for exactly this purpose. I'm glad we thought ahead!

Amanda, that's what I'm hoping will happen. FH is always able to calm me, so hopefully that's all it will take (I imagine it'll be like Bella walking to Edward in Twilight, lol). I was thinking of maybe asking certain friends to sit on the "grooms side" too so I can see them easily, rather than having everyone who calms me behind me or off to the side where it's hard to get a quick glance.. but I don't know if that's weird. Lastly, I'm hoping for lots of silliness and shenanigans once people hit the bar, lol.. if everyone else let's loose, I will too. Drinks for everybody!!!

Maybe go to a Dr and get some anxiety meds. at least a few for the big day to help you with the attacks. only issue with that kid of meds is they do make you sleepy (used to take them in early 20s after a car wreck) but it def did the job.

Anticipatory anxiety is a real thing and honestly like 80% of panic attacks I've had have started with me being worried and then the panic attack happens when I think about how it's going to develop into a full-fledged panic attack and how horrible it's going to be. I have found having half a Xanax is helpful, but honestly just knowing that I had a prescription for Xanax and could take it if I needed it was enough to stop panic attacks because I knew that even if one happened, I would be able to shut it down. YMMV of course. Breathing is also super important, so much of the physical effects of panic attacks are from you getting nervous and not breathing properly.

I'll look into that. I remember being prescribed xanax when my dad passed away.. I never took it, but it was helpful to know I could.

What does YMMV mean?

Just a side note on Xanax is that if you are planning to drink on your wedding or if you do get xanax, alcohol and any benzo's are not a good combination.

Hopefully you are able to figure out some things to help you day of and the suggestions of the DOC grabbing you a few times throughout the night seems helpful.

Talk to your therapist about different coping strategies. PPs have given good advice.

Please note that you should not drink with a lot of anxiety meds.

I would definately make an appointment with a therapist and see if you can get an as needed medication that you can take on the day. I have also dealt with this for years and when my panic attacks lessened I went off and everyday medication to as needed and it works well for me. Everyone is different but worth a try.

Besides the normal advice of talking to a counselor find a great day or coordinator if you haven't already and talk to her about everything that may trigger it. She can be your lifeline at the event and knowing what she can do to help will put you at ease.

You should probably talk with a psychologist. They are trained to teach coping strategies that can help you manage the big day. Perhaps look for someone who specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy. I'd go this route before medication, sometimes it takes months to even out of find the dosage that works best for you, and some of the side effects can be pretty intense.

Drinking will help me calm down, so if I can get through the beginning parts of the evening (ceremony, introduction, etc) I think I'll be better once someone hands me a beer, lol. That's another reason I'd hesitate to take meds, because I definitely wouldn't drink on them.

Update: I just made an appointment with a new therapist at 4:30pm today. "What seems to be troubling you?" "I have panic attacks and I'm getting married in August" "Ohh, okay. Come in this afternoon" lmao. Wish me luck

OP I'm glad you made an appointment with therapist! I just wanted to add in, one of my dear friends suffers from panic attacks, especially when she's the center of attention, and she was recently married in 2015. She told me that she just kept reminding herself that she wasn't the center of attention, just the center. Obviously for the ceremony you're the center of attention, but once you get to the reception, you won't be everyone's center of attention, the reason why they're all there. They'll be busy chatting with family members and dancing the night away. I'm not sure if that makes sense or totally helps, but it got her through / she had a wonderful day!