Describe your worse case panic attack

[steveo]

Hi guys. I've had a very very major blip in my mental health over Christmas which came to a head today when trying to drive back from Bristol after a meeting, back home to Cardiff. I thought that this was it for me. I haven't cried in many many years but I was sobbing. I won't bore you all with the details.

I would just like to know what you all feel prior to a panic attack, during and afterwards in as much detail as you can. It would help me understand how normal my panic attacks are and maybe it would help us all. My symptoms of a panic attack seemed to have changed.

I'm looking forward to reading all your experiences.

Much love.

---------- Post added at 18:14 ---------- Previous post was at 18:01 ----------

I guess I should start with mine today infact.

I went for a meeting in Bristol. Haven't felt right since Christmas but no major problems. Just felt a bit tired and confused today.
Got there OK. Met up with the guy. I remember during that meeting my head went a bit light and I thought that I might pass out. I've never passed out in my life. I felt my heart palpitating. At this point I felt uncomfortable in the environment. I thought that I just want to be home now. I said I had to go. Walked back to my car across the busy city center. The cars and all the people were slightly causing me more panic. I got to my car and then I thought what if I have a massive panic attack and can't get home. I started breathing deeply and calmly, put the radio on to take my mind off but the panic had already started by that point. I think I passed the point of no return. I started sobbing in the car. I rang my mum. She has a loud and fast talking manner which made things worse so I rang my dad. Got a bit better but at one point during that drive home, it got really bad. The problem is I can't describe what it felt like. I felt scared of everything. Fearful. The cars around me, the noises. Everything was too much to take. Of course at that point you think it will never end and even when I'm home safe, it will carry on forever. I'm home safe now and feel ok. I feel very drained. Very sleepy now. I feel safe in my bedroom. I'm sure if I went out to town I might feel different.
Would love to hear what you all feel like.

[Arnie365]

hi steveo sound slike a normal panic attack to me! so frightening and totally takes over your body but just know they cant actually do you any harm and the more you fear them the more often and worse they will be. Its really hard but just try to accept them and let the wash over you. Keep telling yourself its just adrenaline and it cant hurt you

[Col]

Hi soooooo sorry to hear stories of events like this!

You Know what, mine are weird!!!! It's like everything feels strange even things or places or people I'm used to seeing or being around. Everything feels cloudy, just weird, then the panic rises and rises and I start feeling like I'm loosing control! Everything seems fast and I feel like I'm stuck in static. Just frankly bizarre but I get the usual physical sensations, disorientation, overwhelming feeling of collapse and heart going ten to the dozen. Breathing issues also! I feel like I must get the SCALE 10 ( being shockingly bad/acute) panic attacks.
Then the anxiety before I go out after experiencing one of these is just , unbearable.

[jackie13]

Hi there

Sorry to hear you have suffered a PA:(

I am going through this at the moment. Mine start with acute anxiety on a morning, I then start shaking like I am plugged into the mains, my hearing goes numb, can't walk, extreme feeling of impending doom, just want to run to hospital, I am left with anxiety all day.

Jackie xx

[almamatters]

My worst case panic attacks, always starts with a feeling of being unable to breathe , then dizzy blurry vision begins and tingling hands and lips, then just a horrible feeling of dread that will not leave and legs become wobbly, mouth becomes very dry, heart starts racing and beating loudly and generally feel awful.
I have been to A and E twice with panic attacks, once I convinced my husband I was dying and insisted he took me. As this was in the early days of my anxiety, I became quite angry when the doctor said I was having a panic attack and insisted I was having a heart attack.
Eventually I had to concede he was right and felt very embarrassed as I left the hospital with medication to calm me down.
I know what you mean about people's manner as well, my husband sometimes can be quite loud and when I am anxious I just want to be around really calm people
Good luck Steveo and take care xxx

[SLjimbo]

My "worse case" panic attacks happened like completely out of the blue, especially the first ever panic attack I experienced in 2006. It's pretty much the case for most people who experience panic attacks that their first one is the worst.

I was coming back from spring break and got way too plastered the last night of vacation and spent the following day puking my brains out. Then the following day, the physical symptoms kicked in out of the blue (sweating, racing heart, rubbery legs) and thought I was having a heart attack. I immediately called 9-1-1 on my cell phone and said I thought I was having a heart attack. But as the EMTs were on their way, my physical symptoms subsided and disappeared. The EMTs checked me out and gave the all clear, but it wasn't later until I figured out that what I experienced was a panic attack.

Other "worse case" panic attacks included times where I had REALLY strong coffee by mistake and triggered a pretty wicked panic attack. That's why I only stick to half-regular/half-decaf nowadays when I order coffee.