sfournier
14-03-13, 16:19
Hello!
I joined this forum because unfortunately I became a victim of awful panic attacks and I thought I could find advice and information through online forums. I'm a 24 year old full-time university student and I work part-time, and since this started it has completely disrupted my life. I'm new to panic attacks, it never happened to me before until a week ago, but my father had to deal with them for a very long time.
It seems to have started a week before I had a panic attack. I was having chest pain for a week and was worrying about it. My grandpa has been suffering with heart diseases for a few years now, has had multiple heart attacks, and i'm a little overweight so my family is always concerned about my heart. Naturally, when I had chest pain for a week that felt like heart pain I worried a little. So after about 6 days of constant chest pain I went to the clinic. The doctor didn't order any tests, she just listened to my heart, lungs and stomach and then sent me home saying is probably muscular, to apply heat, stretches and take Advil. I didn't believe her diagnoses one bit but I tried the stretches. During this period I was missing classes off and on because I was feeling restless about my chest pain. The day before my panic attack I remember being in class, really restless and feeling like I couldn't wait for the class to end, and my mind was all over the place. At the time I did not associate my feelings as anxiety but now i'm starting to realize that may have been what was going on.
The day of my panic attack, I went to work feeling fine, my chest pain is always gone in the morning so I was thinking "yes! it went away!". But once I got to my work I started to feel dizzy and I work on my feet, talking to customers, in a fast-paced environment. The dizziness was coming on more frequently, like in waves. After about two and a half hours of working I had to tell my coworker I have to sit down i'm not feeling good. So for the next hour I would sit and when it would pass I would go back to serving customers but it just kept getting worse. I finally sat down and gave up, I felt like I couldn't work anymore. Trying to relax wasn't doing anything. I called my friend to pick me up from work so I can go to the hospital. And then all of a sudden my heart started beating really quick, I felt like if I got up I would just fall over sideways, I couldn't breath, my skin and fingers went numb, and I was burning up. I was panicking. My coworker ended up calling an ambulance then I went to the hospital, had an EKG, blood test for heart attack, thyroid, anemia, etc...and it all came back normal. They told me my chest pain could be caused by acid, and that my pain was giving me anxiety. So they sent me home with Zantac for the acid and nothing to help anxiety.
Since my first panic attack i've been dizzy most of the day, except for small times where it fades away but comes back probably because i'm thinking about anxiety. And at night after 8 or 9 i'm fine.
My work gave me the next day off to relax. Once Monday came along (day two after first attack) I wanted to try to go to school, get back to normal. I was still shaken up from having a panic attack, and I know fear of more can bring on more, and this thinking was making me fear that it isn't over. As soon as I got on campus I was feeling really dizzy. I was trying to get through the halls as quick as possible so I can sit in my class room and try relaxing. But once I sat down, maybe five minutes later I felt it escalating, I got the panic feeling, and I just grabbed all my stuff and got out of the classroom as fast as possible because its embarrassing. I felt slightly better once I got out but I went straight to my family doctor and broke down crying because the panic attacks are ruining my life. I can't go to work and I can't go to class right now.
She ended up prescribing me some lorezapam and clonezapam because I havn't been dealing with this for over a month. She also referred me to a psychologist, which I still need to see, and recommended the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook.
Its been three days since my panic attack in class. I havn't been to class or work since because it would bring on another. I return to school in four days and work in a little over a week. I'm still dizzy what seems like all day except at night. I havn't taken any of the meds because i'm not panicky at home, but i'm hoping they work well enough once I try and return to school and work.
Yea, so that is my long descriptive story.
I joined this forum because unfortunately I became a victim of awful panic attacks and I thought I could find advice and information through online forums. I'm a 24 year old full-time university student and I work part-time, and since this started it has completely disrupted my life. I'm new to panic attacks, it never happened to me before until a week ago, but my father had to deal with them for a very long time.
It seems to have started a week before I had a panic attack. I was having chest pain for a week and was worrying about it. My grandpa has been suffering with heart diseases for a few years now, has had multiple heart attacks, and i'm a little overweight so my family is always concerned about my heart. Naturally, when I had chest pain for a week that felt like heart pain I worried a little. So after about 6 days of constant chest pain I went to the clinic. The doctor didn't order any tests, she just listened to my heart, lungs and stomach and then sent me home saying is probably muscular, to apply heat, stretches and take Advil. I didn't believe her diagnoses one bit but I tried the stretches. During this period I was missing classes off and on because I was feeling restless about my chest pain. The day before my panic attack I remember being in class, really restless and feeling like I couldn't wait for the class to end, and my mind was all over the place. At the time I did not associate my feelings as anxiety but now i'm starting to realize that may have been what was going on.
The day of my panic attack, I went to work feeling fine, my chest pain is always gone in the morning so I was thinking "yes! it went away!". But once I got to my work I started to feel dizzy and I work on my feet, talking to customers, in a fast-paced environment. The dizziness was coming on more frequently, like in waves. After about two and a half hours of working I had to tell my coworker I have to sit down i'm not feeling good. So for the next hour I would sit and when it would pass I would go back to serving customers but it just kept getting worse. I finally sat down and gave up, I felt like I couldn't work anymore. Trying to relax wasn't doing anything. I called my friend to pick me up from work so I can go to the hospital. And then all of a sudden my heart started beating really quick, I felt like if I got up I would just fall over sideways, I couldn't breath, my skin and fingers went numb, and I was burning up. I was panicking. My coworker ended up calling an ambulance then I went to the hospital, had an EKG, blood test for heart attack, thyroid, anemia, etc...and it all came back normal. They told me my chest pain could be caused by acid, and that my pain was giving me anxiety. So they sent me home with Zantac for the acid and nothing to help anxiety.
Since my first panic attack i've been dizzy most of the day, except for small times where it fades away but comes back probably because i'm thinking about anxiety. And at night after 8 or 9 i'm fine.
My work gave me the next day off to relax. Once Monday came along (day two after first attack) I wanted to try to go to school, get back to normal. I was still shaken up from having a panic attack, and I know fear of more can bring on more, and this thinking was making me fear that it isn't over. As soon as I got on campus I was feeling really dizzy. I was trying to get through the halls as quick as possible so I can sit in my class room and try relaxing. But once I sat down, maybe five minutes later I felt it escalating, I got the panic feeling, and I just grabbed all my stuff and got out of the classroom as fast as possible because its embarrassing. I felt slightly better once I got out but I went straight to my family doctor and broke down crying because the panic attacks are ruining my life. I can't go to work and I can't go to class right now.
She ended up prescribing me some lorezapam and clonezapam because I havn't been dealing with this for over a month. She also referred me to a psychologist, which I still need to see, and recommended the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook.
Its been three days since my panic attack in class. I havn't been to class or work since because it would bring on another. I return to school in four days and work in a little over a week. I'm still dizzy what seems like all day except at night. I havn't taken any of the meds because i'm not panicky at home, but i'm hoping they work well enough once I try and return to school and work.
Yea, so that is my long descriptive story.