[Coda]

When my therapist told me about breathing exercises, it was 4-7-5 instead of 3-5-7. (She also mentioned that the specific times don't particularly matter and that the important part is focusing on the process.) They... don't do particularly much for me, either. (EDIT: If it gets you a couple minutes, then that's good enough -- that's the point. It's not supposed to make it go away. It's supposed to help center you so that you can start on some other method.)

For me, tea is nice for helping manage the stress BEFORE it turns into an anxiety attack. After that point, it doesn't do terribly much.

I'm definitely the type to put on headphones and blast music loud enough to drown out everything else (but no louder; headaches don't help). It helps me focus, because when I have an anxiety attack, every little outside stimulus hurts -- but music is predictable in its regularity so I can use it to block out the rest of the world.

And that, really, is the best thing I can do: Isolate myself. Make myself as comfortable as possible. No excessive lights. No noise, not even environmental noise; if I can't have utter silence, then I need music. No strong smells; nothing but comfortable touch. Sometimes fresh, cold water, or warm, soothing tea, but that's less important; they don't do anything on their own but if it helps contribute to being comfortable and not overstimulated, then it helps. The only other person I want around is my wife, if anyone, but even then I don't want to talk, I just want her comforting presence.

It can take up to a couple hours for the attack to go away, but this at least lets me ride through it without dwelling on it and making it worse.