differences between panic &anxiety attack

bijoux · Post by **bijoux** » Tue Aug 13, 2002 4:41 am

maybe i am just nuts. whenever i talk about panic attacks with people in the chat rooms, their symptoms of panic attacks are so much different than mine. they talk of choking or dying sensations. mine are not so severe, they make me feel like i am in a bad dream, like things are not real, or too real (?) i feel dettatched from my body and this then causes the panic. is this panic or anxiety, i am not sure. it has only happened a couple of times, once while i was driving and once when i was out in public at a beach. i felt as though i couldn't look at anyone, and i felt like i was going to throw up. i also felt this overwhemling sensation, of what, i don't know. for any people who have ever used hallucinogens in the past, it felt like i was on a bad acid trip, paranoia included, but it was real and i knew i was just not going to snap out of it. iam currently taking prozac and clonazepam, which are helping immensly, but my fear of having another one of these episodes is really interfering with my life. can anyone offer some advice? thanks. love and peace to you all!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 13, 2002 2:33 pm

bijoux,

I think panic and anxiety attacks can take on bunches of different forms for different people. I think panic is just a stronger version of an anxiety attack.

The feelings that you have are completely normal anxiety/panic symptoms. The best advice i can give you is, when you feel like you starting to get that "Spacey" feeling, allow it. Dont try to figure out where it came from or what it means. Cause most of the time, if you try to do that, it tends to make the panic worse. Try to accept it and ask yourself "was there anything i was thinking about or watching that could have made me feel this way?" If not, just allow it to happen, because they ALWAYS pass. If you can find something, try to eliminate some of the stress from that situation.

The fear of having another panic attack can also bring on more panic attacks. What i mean is if you worry about that feeling each time your out in public or driving, chances are, it will happen again just because you are thinking about it and afraid of it. Next time try thinking "Ok, i know what you are, your just anxiety. You cant hurt me and i know i can make it through this, cause i always have" then try to repeat some positive sayings, images,songs, or poems in your mind. That will help you to calm down a little bit. Remember that your symptoms are totally normal and there is nothing wrong, its just that darn anxiety. I hope this was of some help. Take care!

Doyle

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"Could God microwave a burito so hot, that even he himself could not eat it?" ~Homer J. Simpson~

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 5:07 pm

I seem to have the same type of episodes as you do. I don't get the same feelings that people talk about with the choking or heart attack symptoms and stuff. I just feel really weird and unreal. I feel detached from my body and feel like I am going to just dissolve or something. I fear I will lose my mind and not be able to be human again. I was told this is anxiety. I know it is anxiety. I am working on accepting these feelings but they are still so darn weird!!
Jill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 4:05 am

thanks guys! I am glad to know i am not alone with these feelings. i guess what we have to do is just accept that we are feeling anxious and not be afraid of it. that's my problem, i get so afraid, i worry that i am going to start hallucinating or do something really irrational, eventhough i know in my heart i won't. i worry that everyone is going to notice that i am feeling less than normal and people will think "What's she on?" I guess, the point is that i have to accept that i am getting better and that there is no turning back. My husband said it best, i will never be the same old Bijoux, but i can work on becomiing the better, new and improved, at peace with herself, bijoux. that would be the greatest thing of all. peace and much love.
bijoux

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:02 pm

hey i have been feeling spacey and 'dream-like' every minute of every day since the last week of february. does anybody know how i can snap out of it? i have had the spacey feeling temporarily many times as part of a panic attack, and then it would subside. but this is absolutely constant and i am miserable. any ideas?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:07 pm

hoosiergirl~ i feel that exact same way everday too!! so you are not alone. Mine seems to get better everyday though. I think if you just try to accept it and not think about the way you feel and try to stay busy it will go away slightly everyday..its an awful feeling so I can relate to how you feel. I'm pretty sure the way we feel is this thing called derealization. When I started feeling this way I had no idea what was going on until someone posted something about derealization and when I found out about it, it was the same way that I was feeling. Maybe if you read up on it it will help you understand what is going on. I've heard that derealization can be triggered by stress, anxiety, and depression and its just the minds way of "shutting down" cause of eveything else going on..but its nothing to be worried about though..so thats a plus =) Im going to the doctor on tuesday and seeing what I can do to make all this go away but I'll let you know what I find out!..Hang in there though cause it will get better, Trust me..Mine is!