I lost my partner and best friend, and I genuinely don’t know how to function right now

Hello everyone. I am a frequent reddit reader, but this is my first time posting, so bear with me please. Apologies if there are thousands of posts like this on this subreddit, but I am in a very bad and erratic place and would like to have some direct advice.

This is the second breakup I had with the same person in roughly a year, and both times I have developed severe panic symptoms. I would prefer to keep the details of the relationship private, as the whole story is complex.

My attachment to this person triggers an extremely strong panic response when the relationship suddenly ends. Right now I need to figure out how to manage that response and get through this stage of breakup without completely falling apart, which atm seems inevitable.

As things stand, I don't want to hurt myself and I don't have suicidal intentions, but the emotional pain and sense of loss are so intense that I am struggling to eat, sleep, work, or function normally. I also have some obsessive-compulsive tendencies, which seem to fuel the constant thoughts and make everything more intense.

For anyone who has experienced something similar: what actually helped you during the first few days and weeks? How did you manage the physical anxiety, lack of appetite, inability to sleep, and constant thoughts about the other person? How long did the really acute stage last for you?

I am already trying to get in touch with my psychiatrist, so I am not looking for a substitute for professional help. I think I just need to hear from people who have actually been through this and made it out the other side