Are your panic attacks like this?

[TillySm]

Hi,

I am trying to discover whether my panic attacks are physical or mental.

My panic attacks usually start out when I am sitting down relaxed, I may feel fine no worries. I get this bizarre fainting feeling slowly coming over my head and if it would continue I would probably faint. Then I feel panic and have to get up and pace - I will often feel lightheaded whilst pacing and this will make the fear and panic worse, I may feel a bit confused whilst it is all happening. My heart rate remains raised for hours afterwards and I still feel a little weird in the head, body and feel an anxious feeling in my chest.

So it usually starts with this strange feeling in my head that gets stronger and stronger -> after that the panic starts and the heart racing.

Is this what others experience too?

[waunder]

A lot is familiar Tillysm .I have heard them say it could be a chemical thing and than it could be in your head. Not much help am I but I think mine are mostly head but sometimes the old hormones do not mae it easy.:)

[mandie]

Hi TillySm

This is exactly how my panic attacks are, i could of written that post!

mandie x

[BobbyDog]

You are not alone, mine are pretty similar, except, when I am sitting down I feel as though I can't breathe and start to hyperventilate, but I get all the same bodily sensations as you.
I think when we are busy, we have not time to think about our anxiety, then when we are still it comes racing back into the mind.

[kittikat]

Panic attacks are a vicious circle of fear, which induces the 'fight or flight' response in the body. What you describe is probably very similar for most panic sufferers, myself included.....you get a thought or feeling, in this case the faint/dizzy feeling, you get scared and your body goes into action to perpare for the 'fear' you are feeling...a rush of adrenalin makes you agitated, you may pace or shake, you may get palps and gasp for breath etc...all the while, you are feeding the fear with your own thoughts, this is why you get confused if it's mental or physical. It's a vicious circle....oh the joys eh?

I am learning to accept the thoughs or sensations that trigger panic with CBT and it is really helping...the more you 'fight' it the worse the fear and the physical symptoms become. It's easier said than done sometimes, I have to say, but you can overcome this or at least understand how and why this happens to you.

I do hope you are getting some help.....but rest assured you are not alone.
Sending you :hugs:

Kitti :)

[TillySm]

I just want to say thanks to everyone :).

I went to the doctor after today's panic attack (which lasted 1 hour, then felt the effects of it for 6 hours after :( ) and she said she is going to give me some meds, a beta blocker and as I posted before I am trying Prozac again. She said that she wants to run blood tests to make sure that there isn't something else causing them. She said that some conditions of the adrenal glands and other things can cause a chemical release in the blood stream that can trigger a panic attack. But she said mine probably have no reason at all like everyone elses.

Thanks again folks :) . I honestly can't express how I have been helped by your kind replies.