Stress Center Peer Support

Hello everyone. I would like to hear your own personal description of what a panic attack feels like. Also if you would please share the experience of your first panic attack and your latest one. Is the way you handled the first from the last different?

My description: The world you look at suddenly changes. It is like everything you are looking at is a threat. A rush of fear travels throughout your body and your ability to think logically is diminished. Your hands become rushed with a tingle sensation as they begin to sweat. It feels like your only way to get out of the panic is to run.

My First Experience: I was in my basement on the computer when a sensation, as described above, soon rushed through me. I had no idea what was happening and began to run up the stairs only to discover it was getting worse. I thought my life was ending so I threw myself on my bed and prayed like never before. I lay there for the rest of the night in fear and shock.

My Latest Experience: I woke up around 6 A.M. and began to panic for no apparent reason. I lay there and let the experience pass, I knew it would. Went back to sleep.

Wow, I have made a lot of progress huh?

Description: Everything suddenly seems surreal. I am more sensitive to noise. There is a feeling that something bad is going to happen. I want to go somewhere safe but don't know where that is. Sometimes my legs tremble.

My first experience: I was actually sitting on the toilet (:p) and I started feeling anxiety symptoms (but didn't know what they were). I quickly left the bathroom and called for my mom. I told her that I felt like something was wrong and I was scared, but I didn't know what of.

My last experience: I was out to lunch with my fiancee, this was just yesterday actually, when I started feeling anxious. I told myself that it was just anxiety and that the feelings would pass soon. Even though I was tempted to leave the restaurant I forced myself to stay. I ate my food and talked to John and just ignored the anxiety. The feeling stayed with me for awhile but eventually it went away. I didn't let it affect my plans for the day.

My first experience. I wasnt feeling very good. I began getting hot flashes and started to sweat. My hands were shaking and I began to throw up. I had no idea what was wrong with me but I was TERRIFIED!!! I was rushed to the ER and it was found that I had an infection in my blood stream and was placed on IV antibiotics. I was so scared when I got home. I had insomnia for about a week and couldnt sleep.
My last one was last week after reading something scary it started. I flipped on my computer got on this website and let it ride. Passed in a couple minutes.
I am pretty sure the first was brought on my the severe infection but think that it scared me so bad I went into that stupid cycle. I have made a lot of progress since then!!!!!

Hi Everyone!
My first panic attack: I was in the car, driving. I didn't feel too well to begin with.
My husbacd had died just a few weeks or months before. I was feeling some depression and loneliness anyway. As long as the car was moving doen the road I could manage. But I was coming up on a red light; I began to feel very light-headed. Felt like I'd surely pass out. My hands began to tingle and feel numb at the same time. My legs felt real weak. I felt vey shaky. I felt desperate. I was almost sure I'd pass out. There was a bank near by with a parking lot. I managed to pull in there. I was so very fearful. I didn't have a cell phone. I managed to get out of the car but my legs were so weak and would hardly hold me up.
I got to phone and called a relative to come for me. But the relative didn't believe me.
(the story of my life). They wouldn't come.
Responded to me like I was retarded.
I got back into the car and I sat there until I felt I could drive home. I don't remember where I was headed in the first place. I did drive home. Dizzy all the way. Felt awful.
But when I got safely into my home , I was fine again.
I didn't go to a doctor until this had happened many times. When I did go , I went to a psychiatrist. He taught me how to use guided imagery to calm myself. That was quite some time ago.
But he never really told me what was wrong with me. I didn't really know until I came accross this program.

My last panic attack was a little over a month ago. I had just come home from the hospital after having a single mastectomay. I'd had a feeling of major rejection from a grown child.
At first I felt anger. Then I felt a lot of fear. And then anger again. And then I had several panic attacks off and on all night.
It has taken awhile for me to work thru' it.
Everything that I'd learned seemed to fly out the window.
What I had to do was read a lot of posts on here.
I read some really good ones on forgiveness and letting go. I'm still in the process.

Somethings just don't happen overnight. You can get in a panic overnight. But the way back may take sometime.
I think I will go thru' the program again.

MJ

Wow these stories are really incredible everyone! It is interesting to hear about everyone's experiences. It helps us relate and realize we are not alone!

They really are good stories. It is refreshing to hear the stories sound very similar and they seem to get better. I really wish the best for everyone. Great topic to post.

Yes it is. If anyone else would post it would help out a lot!

In my life time I've had several panic attacks. My first one was when I was 23 yrs. old and I was in a very intense photography school where I had to find model to use for a year end portrait portfolio. I was driving back to my apartment and I felt a pain in my left arm and started to panic thinking I was having a heart attack. My heart got faster and faster and I pulled into the driveway at the house and knocked on the landlady's door and explained what was happening. She called the ambulance. They came checked me out said they were pretty sure it wasn't my heart, but a panic attack. They gave me some oxygen which calmed me down. Several years later when married to my husband I started to get them more frequently. It would feel like I wasn't taking in enough air, when I really was, than my heart would be pounding in my chest getting faster and faster, it felt like I was having a heart attack. Six months ago I was very stressed and had a huge panic attack where I felt like I was going to die by going into cardiac arrest. I had one panic attack after another even after taking a lorazapem. Finally, I went outside on the porch, lied in a fetal position with my large teddy bear and prayed to God to help me. Eventually, my breathing got easier and my heart slowed down. It was so scary. Recently, because I am taking Atenenol for occasional heart palpitations, I had an anxiety attack without the racing heart because the atenenol alleviates the stress of adrenaline on the heart, but I did feel like my lungs were constricting and it was harder to breathe, after a few minutes I was fine.

Mike:

First panic attack : I was in grade 5 (quite a while ago - mid 70's - but I still remember it). I was in music class. I had a ton of thoughts going thru my head about what was going on at home (not a really good environment). We were all standing up and singing. I broke out into a sweat, the room went really bright and I blacked out.

Last panic attack: It was about 2 weeks ago. The line of work I'm in is really taking a beating from the recession. The thoughts about work started up. I breathed my way thru it. I stayed sitting (I normally feel like I have to run). After a minute or so, the feeling was gone. I make a point of walking out to the shop once an hour just to get the blood flowing again.

Mike:

I forgot to mention what an attack feels like to me........I am lying in bed in the middle of the night and all of a sudden, I hear the front door being smashed open and glass shattering and loud footsteps coming towards my bedroom door real fast.

That's what a panic attack feels like to me. For me, it's a sudden urge to run, to get away.
My heart races and it feels like it would feel if someone were after me or chasing me.