I would appreciate thoughts and/or prayers. There are a couple things going on in my immediate family (mother health and brother life choices) that have uncertain outcomes at this moment. I also have a couple of large projects at work approaching deadline, one of which I have convinced myself (likely truly) that I cannot complete.
I always think that I could do more and should do more in most every situation and often fail to accept a lot of things are out of my control. I am a high anxiety worrier. It is why I do not sleep well and often only sporadically. I sometimes wake up in panic attacks. It has exacerbated recently and my wife is concerned about me which only makes it worse for me. Anyways, I’m pretty stretched thin and in a bad way currently. Would appreciate prayers for my family and work. Thanks for letting me post this.
I had panic attacks for a couple of years and it is no joke. Mine manifested as terrifying heart palpitations; I was convinced I was having a heart attack every time. And then it progressed to a self-reinforcing feedback loop where I would get in a situation where just worrying about having one would inevitably spark it. I had one in Neyland during the 2010 Kentucky game and thought I was going to drop dead right there.
The best technique I came up with managing it was to go outside (regardless of the hour or the weather) and walk vigorously up and down the street for a little while to elevate my heart rate a little. Your panic attacks are basically your brain triggering a primal flight-or-flight response and flooding your system with adrenaline, but instead of battling a tiger out in the jungle with a spear you're just sitting around or lying in bed. I found that getting my heart rate up to match that really seemed to help make those feelings of panic go away.
Now at the time I really had no excuse -- I did not have any heavy personal or work situations going on that prompted it. So it's gotta be harder for you because you're being triggered by real, important situations. Still, maybe the same principle still holds -- try going outside for a brisk walk, or just doing some jumping jacks beside the bed or something else that gives that adrenaline something to do. Maybe that could help you like it helped me. Eventually it mostly went away and now it only happens once or twice a year to me.
Hug your wife tight when it happens and let her help you get through it. It won't last forever. Best of luck with your family and work.