the first time

MelMbrsl75 · Post by **MelMbrsl75** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:52 am

Do any of you remember when your first anxiety attack was and where you were?

I was 19, driving, and felt this horrific, scary sensation come over me. I yelled "Stop", the next thing I knew I was on the side of the road, confused and scared.

MelMbrsl75 · Post by **MelMbrsl75** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:55 am

all too well... I was in the shower getting ready to drive out to a friend's house about 45-50 min away and was nervous about it but brushed it off... next thing I knew I felt like I couldn't breathe and felt like I was drowning in the water. I'll never forget it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:25 am

I believe my first panic attack was when I was 8 years old. It was the first day of 3rd grade, and I couldn't find the right classroom to go to. I thought I must have failed the second grade and no one told me, and I was extremely upset.

I had a really difficult year that year with upset stomach and such. Perhaps I had anxiety issues before that, but this is as far back as I can remember.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:48 am

I was in third grade and Hurricane Hugo was coming through our area. The roof to the school had been blown off and they were sending us home on the buses. We got half way home and this huge tree had falled and was blocking the road and we couldnt get around it. I just started screaming that we would never get home and my sister and her friend had to calm me down. I only lived about a mile from there, but I really thought I was never gonna get home.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:24 pm

My first panic attack was when I was driving on the highway at night and suddenly got dizzy felt faint and couldn't breathe. it totally freaked me out not knowing what it was.

Stagerlee · Post by **Stagerlee** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:49 pm

My first real panic attack happened in my bedroom when i was 16. Earlier that day my boyfriend and I went swimming and i remember in the pool having these strong waves of depression. I had no idea why or really what it was but didn't like the feeling at all. I was scared about how I felt. When he dropped me off he walked me to my room and i started feeling terrible. I thought i was going crazy and breathing fast and heart pounding and i laid straight and stiff on my bed while my boyfriend was by me and had no idea really what was happening to me. My whole body got numb! I was tingly, trembling and could feel every part of my body going completely numb. I thought I was dying AND going crazy. I really just remember that I thought I was going crazy. It lasted for a couple hours and every member of my family came into my room individually seeing what was up with me but didn't take it too serious. My mom was like get over it. Very very bad panic attack. I didn't have any anti-anxiety drugs either like I do now so, really, I was in bad shape. It was a long time after that did i get another panic attack.

LUVG · Post by **LUVG** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:44 am

LOL, @ the time, I didn't even know it was a panic attack.

I was in dwntwn nyc on 9/11. More specifically, I was on a train, just descending in the tunnel, in the WTC - when the 1st plane hit. We were in the tunnel for 7 min's. Obviously @ the time, noone knew what was going on. We did pull out fine - not aware. I went 2 short stops - & got off. That is when I realized. I was in dwntwn nyc that day - for a few hrs.

Most people weren't allowed back into DWNTWN NYC for like a week. Only "mandatory personel" of firms. I was allowed back in after 1 week or so. <span class="ev_code_RED">When it came time for me to go back. I took a shuttle tranny thing fr the twn I was living in to JERSEY CITY - where the ferry boats were shipping people/transporting them to dwntwn nyc - cause PATH TRAINS weren't obviously working. When I got on that tranny in my twn, my heart started racing like I had 50 cups of coffee. Matter of fact, I didn't know what it was & assumed it was the coffee that morning. When I got dwn to that spot in Jersey City, for the ferry boat, I didn't know where to go & what to do. I sought a police office out. I started crying, w/o realizing it - I obviously seemed confused & nervous. I told him, "I don't know where to go". That wonderful police office asked me if I was ok, do I need water or to sit dwn. Again, I didn't know anything was wrong w/ me. So, I told the police officer, "no, I am fine ty."

Then, in Oct 2001(1 month after 9/11), my husband wanted to go to the VILLIAGE IN DWNTWN NYC - to get his hair cut @ this 1 particular place. I kept insisting he go somewhere else. Mind you, he had been going to this particular place for yrs. I didn't know why I was acting that way back then. It was instinctive. We drove into dwntwn NYC - not exactly by the WTC - but close enough that there were baricades & such - rerouting traffic. We got to where we needed to go & hubby got his hair cut. We made our way back into NJ, having gone thru the HOLLAND TUNNEL - there is a STAPLES STORE a few blocks outside the tunnel. I asked him to stop there cause I needed to use the ladies room. LOL, I assumed I had to do "# 1" lol.

I went into the ladies room & I vomitted really bad. I took a few min's. When I got out, hubby asked what was wrong. I was crying, stomach woozy lol, & a little shaky. I said, "let's get outside 1st". We got in our car. He kept insisting I tell him what was wrong. I felt "WEIRD" telling him - but instinctively, I said, "I don't want you to die. See, if I go into NYC & I die - I can deal w/ that - that its me. I don't want anything to happen to you - I'd choose me 1st, if I could."</span>

It wasn't until Dec-2004, when my firm laid off 3,000+ people & I got out of NYC - that I realized HOW RELIEVED I WAS to get out of NYC. When anxiety disorder triggered in APRIL 2005 - 1 of the things I was diagnosed w/ was PTSD, fr 3 diff things - 1 being 9/11.

The thing is - on that day of my 1st panic attack - on the tranny thingy fr my twn taking me to JERSEY CITY - I didn't know what it was = the racing heart thing. As a result, I didn't over-react to it/get frightened/nor did I panic. I had told myself in my head, "it was the coffee - lol, I made it way too strong".

LENORE

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:03 am

Oh, do I ever. Was 18, in a movie theater. Classic attack. Felt panic, have to run, no where to go, insane, etc. Shook me to my core. Was away from home and in summer session college. Caused me to pack up my bags,get on a plane, leave my belongings and car behind. Could not sleep for a week. My father actually had to fly from Florida back to NY, to retrieve mycar and belongings. I could not do it. After that, incident, my entire outlook and relation to the world changed. That was 30 years ago. Only recently has the anxiety come back strong and now with phobias, etc. Stange deal this anxiety. Hang in there all.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:50 pm

My ex was deployed and on the front lines to Baghdad. A friend of his was going to have me do their taxes. His wife would bring the papers b that week. Well, the husband came instead. When I opened the door, he stood straight and asked "Mr. Filbey?" We was also activated in town and dressed in uniform. I had never met him face to face. I thought he was there to tell me my husband had died. A million thoughts rushed as a tried to get air. It didn't last long but felt it was forever.