Thank you! 🥰 I started out with this one but PBNs from Amazon can be super sketch and I got lucky because it was a really good quality painting. I’d suggest you start with one from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, that way you know it’ll be good and if you have issues you can return and/or replace it easier!
>Do u have your panic attacks at night due to overthinking?
No, that's the weirdest part! I am a chronic overthinker during my waking hours, but once I'm asleep, I'm generally all good/calm, even if I wake up in the night; they are literally brought on by nothing, best as I can tell. I can count on one hand the number of panic attacks I've had while actually stressed or overwhelmed by my thoughts, but I couldn't tell you how many seemingly random ones I've had in the middle of the night. My best guess is that my brain is half asleep and not as rational as it is while I'm awake? I have no idea, but it's very weird and frustrating, and for me it's proof that the onset of a panic/anxiety attack doesn't necessarily require a conscious trigger.
My best advice to avoid and/or work through them is pretty much the same as everyone else's - deep breaths, walking around, having some water, and refocusing your mind on something else, like using grounding techniques or doing something else that can engage you mindlessly.
I've really enjoyed some seemingly silly activities like paint by number canvases because you're focused, but also relaxing and not thinking about anything but the colors and numbers. Plus you have something beautiful to show for your time, whether you hang it up or give it as a gift or whatever! This was one of my favorites so far because it has a ton of tiny spaces (great for the mindless concentration!), but the overall effect of the picture is kind of blotchy (i.e., no hard lines), so it doesn't much matter how neat or accurate you are.
If you haven't tried meditation, I'd also recommend something like Headspace or Calm that helps talk you through it. It can seem daunting or pointless without some guidance, but it's incredibly easy and helpful, and the effects (feeling more mindful, present, grounded etc.) last beyond just the time when you're actively doing a meditation.
I wish I had better answers, but I think sometimes panic attacks are just an inexplicable part of the human condition. You're definitely not alone in feeling exactly the way you've described.