Stress Center Peer Support

last night i really thought that i was going to die. i was sitting at a friends house watching tv and all of a sudden i got this strange feeling in my chest and up my throat and i literally could not take a breath...i tried to but no air could come in. it only lasted for a couple seconds and then it passed but it was so terrifying. i was sure that i was going to die. i spent the whole night crying and scared. now i am terrified and feel awful. has this ever happened to anyone else? please please help...

sounds like a panic attack - typical symptoms. Different things can trigger them or they can come on all of a sudden. Just realize what it is - breath thru it and realize it will soon pass. If you continue to worry about it it will bring on another.

Yeah, this has happened to me. I got this sort of panic attack long before I ever had one with heart palpitations. I recall trying to breath and not being able to, but I think the key is to be calm and realize what is going on, then consciously thinking and breathing through it can come.