Anxiety and panic attacks

I have similar issues, not always related to BS but other complications caused from Diabetes, but I see a hypnotherapist regularly and it has had a positive impact.

I am not a type 1, but I do have PTSD and panic attacks.

My CPN explained that the same mechanism/chemical reaction happens with a panic attack and if I have low sugar, so now I know that when I feel panicky and anxious, I need to check when i last ate, my blood sugar levels, and, if necessary eat something. This often stops the anxious panicky feeling.

I have health anxiety. Worse when i have to call strangers to explain it all. i understand your anguish @emily deacon

emily deacon said:

Thank you! I’m assuming I can just ask my doctor how I would go about doing this?

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I checked my local area and testimonials

Explain to your Diabetic consult, how you are feeling, and ask to be refered to a clinical phycologist.
I did this some years ago when my diabetes, started to control me. Any lows seemed to give me instant depression, and put me in flight or flight mode. He talked me through coping strategies, which work for me .
I know exactly how your feeling. Good luck

In layman's terms.
If you have symptomatic anxiety, panic attacks, depression amongst other symptoms relating to diabetes.
You get low blood sugar levels or even higher than usual blood sugar levels, fluctuations, up and down.
This is interfering with the source of glucose in the brain, more than likely from lack of glucose or an imbalance in your hormones notably insulin, the panic attacks and anxiety are symptoms and your brain is telling you to do something about it.

Keeping your blood sugar levels as a type one diabetic just above normal levels continually, having stable blood sugar levels will help ease the symptoms.

But, then again, you may have the anxiety as a condition, rather than being symptomatic! But having stable blood sugar levels is always advisable.

Best wishes

I believe the main NHS service for anxiety is Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) which is a talking therapy

See link for info

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/free-therapy-or-counselling/

emily deacon said:

even if my sugars are on like 4.5 I start to feel a lot of anxiety and sometimes have mini panic attacks!

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One thing which helps me is to take a deep breath and say to myself, "ok, 4.5, I know that's pretty close to hypo, but I also know from past experience that a few g of sugar will nudge that back up again to a safer 5 to 6, and even if I do go hypo, sure, it's not going to be a whole lot of laughs, but (99.9% of the time), this isn't something which will kill me, and some more sugar will sort it.

Fortunately, I've not had any really bat-sh*t crazy hypos for a long time, but I know that the next time it happens, I've got a little piece tucked away at the back of my brain which will be telling me, "look, dude, you're not entirely sure what's going on here, so I'm just here to remind you that you're T1, you're hypo, get some sugar in your puss, and you'll be out of this pretty soon".