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View Full Version : Is it still considered a "panic attack?"



Ditapage
12-02-12, 20:58
I have only had one occasion where I had the racing heart and dizziness, but all my other panic attacks in the past six months since I was diagnosed with anxiety, involve head and/or face pressure, a feeling of passing out or losing control, a drop feeling in my stomach (like on a rollercoaster), figdeting, a stiff neck that feels like it can't even support/hold my head up, a weird 'get up and go' feeling in my arms, labored breathing, hot flashes, and derealization. It's any combination of those symptoms or all of them at once. I don't understand why the classic panic attack is fear of a heart attack when my heart doesn't give me grief at all. I've only experienced it once, and at another time, chest tightness. My fear is passing out/seizure/brain related problems so I was just wondering if i get these head related symptoms because that's where my focus is. I don't dispute my anxiety, I'm always worried and panicked, but am I still having "panic attacks" even without the classic heart/chest symptom? Does anyone else not have those symptoms?

Stormsky
12-02-12, 21:42
your probably having an 'attack' but not going into full blown panic....
you cant stop an attack, but you can choose not to panic.... i dont have panic attacks anymore... i do get attacks still, they just come on their own, for no real reason either sometimes, but i just ignore them and i dont panic...

Mindful
12-02-12, 22:01
I have only had one occasion where I had the racing heart and dizziness, but all my other panic attacks in the past six months since I was diagnosed with anxiety, involve head and/or face pressure, a feeling of passing out or losing control, a drop feeling in my stomach (like on a rollercoaster), figdeting, a stiff neck that feels like it can't even support/hold my head up, a weird 'get up and go' feeling in my arms, labored breathing, hot flashes, and derealization. It's any combination of those symptoms or all of them at once. I don't understand why the classic panic attack is fear of a heart attack when my heart doesn't give me grief at all. I've only experienced it once, and at another time, chest tightness. My fear is passing out/seizure/brain related problems so I was just wondering if i get these head related symptoms because that's where my focus is. I don't dispute my anxiety, I'm always worried and panicked, but am I still having "panic attacks" even without the classic heart/chest symptom? Does anyone else not have those symptoms?
I think i know what you mean, its like sometimes, not that often these days i will get the full works, heart beating fast, shaking, sweating, dizzy, vision problems, shortness of breath and so on.. that to me is a panic attack.

Other times, most of the time, its more an inward focus on a few physical sensations, right now its all focused in and around my tongue and throat. Other times its often my head feeling dizzy, ear-head pressure, heavy head, it has been an inward focus on my breathing too... but when i am inwardly focusing on these things i wouldnt say i am having panic attacks. I certainly feel uneasy at times, always feel concerned about the sensation but it doesnt feel anything like what i call a panic attack.

I believe its an obsession, cannot stop thinking about the sensation, worry about it which leads to more thinking about it which leads to more worry which leads to more thinking about it... and so on.

The answer is to stop obsessing about said sensations, easy hey? We wish :(
get distracted and those sensations sod off, continue to inward think-dwell in on them and they are always there. x