What was your first panic attack like?

[Freaked]

I have health issues mixed in with anxiety, so I can't really say when my first anxiety attack was, as I'm pretty sure my first panic attack was actually my second POTS syndrome attack, though there was certainly enough panic there to be going on with.

But I was curious to hear everyone's stories of their first icky experience with panic attacks.

[Jamesflames]

May 1997, I was 20, working in a pub and was feeling pretty good when all of a sudden, with no warning or obvious trigger, the world suddenly jarred and seemed to shrink around me. I made my excuses and rushed home to bed thinking I was going mad. I lay there shaking for hours.
That was possibly the worst day I have ever had.

[Kim51]

Mine was fourteen years ago remember it like yesterday, I thought I was going to die, heart racing, hyperventilating, tingling then numb arms and my legs felt like they would not hold me up. Have had episodes on and off over last fourteen years, but they are at worst they ever been at the moment, they start as soon as I wake and can last all day, it's exhausting. I start CBT tomorrow and really hopes this helps. :)

[ricardo]

Kim

How long does it take you (and others) to recover fully after a panic attack.Are you saying your attack lasts all day or the after effects of feeling weak and jelly legged etc.last all day.

I had my first many many years ago whilst driving in London and didn't know exactly what it was but like others thought I was going to die from a heart attack.

It sometimes took me the best part of a day to recover whilst other times perhaps an hour or so.

[Kim51]

Ricardo. At the moment the actual panic attack can go on all day I am in permanent, flight or fight, the worst bit is trying to control breathing, the only relief I get is if I take benzos but this is not something I want to do daily, it has only been like it for the last week, my GP has been on holiday and I did not want to go through it with another he is back tomorrow and I will be speaking to him, I have been through a very stressful few months which came to a head Friday before last and this then started on the Saturday and think it was the straw that broke the camels back and this has been the result. X

[Crislopes]

I had my first in 2000 I felt like I couldent breath tight chest dizzy feeling prickly anxiety feeling it was horrible I still have them but im trying to get better

[chris9]

Hell on earth!

[megan82584]

I had my first panic attack about 9 years ago. It started out with a migraine headache that made my face numb(tongue and mouth) then my fingers. i couldnt see out of my left eye. It made me have my first panic attack ... since then ive had them. i thought i was having a heart attack. during the next few months i took myself to the er nonstop and made them do all kinds of tests on me. then i took myself to a crisis center because i thought for sure i was loosing my mind. they explained to me that i was having a panic attacks!

[Regina]

My very first one was years ago, and I didn't register it as panic at the time. I just remember having a weird feeling of numbness and feeling like my hands weren't mine; like I was looking at them from outside my body. It was truly weird but I had no racing heart or anything until after. The second came not long after and I really thought that I was losing it and was trying to decide whether to go to work or go in the other direction to the hospital to have them check me in to mental health because my hands weren't mine and I couldn't feel my head. Luckily I had a therapist explain to me later on that it wasn't that uncommon!

[gregcool]

My first panic attack was around 22 years ago.i just took some LSD and withing an hour.i was experiancing a major panic attack ..i thought i was going to die.i felt mentaly unwell and had this overwelming feeling of dred panic and despare..it was so frightning for a young lad

[ricardo]

Sorry, just seen your reply Kim.

Hyperventilating all day is something many of us suffer from and of course that makes one more anxious. No harm in taking one or two benzos as you are seeing your doctor today.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[skippy66]

Mine happened on the fast lane of the motorway, nearly caused an accident. I just managed to pull onto the hard shoulder and spent the next hour thinking I was dying. Not one of my nicest experiences, but looking back it was completely harmless.

[Magic]

I feel guilty here, hearing your stories as I have only had one panic attack.
It was very frightening and hope I never have another one.
I suffer with anxiety and panic almost every day about something or other.
But a full blown panic every day must be terrible.

[laura1200]

I had a couple on flights but managed to get them properly under control with the help of people around me.

My first serious one was last month. It came out of nowehere, was in bed about to fall asleep and BAM, it hit me. I could barely breathe, my heart was racing, pins and needles, shaking like mad, felt very faint and scared. I honestly thought I was going to drop dead I was that scared. I ended up calling an ambulance and the panic attack ended after about 40 minutes.

[sg1985]

My first panic attack was around 2002, I was sitting talking to someone at home and I just had this overwhelming sense of dread and I realised I was going to die one day. It sounds odd thinking about it now, I had no idea what a panic attack was back then and I didn't have another for a couple of years after that.

[rufess1]

My first panic attack was 2 years ago. It came out of the blue, I thought I was actually going to die to the point where ALL of my body was vibrating on the bed. Felt dizzy, chest pains and everything felt surreal. My partner asked if I wanted to go to the hospital but I didn't think I would make it there alive so we phoned NHS direct and I was told I was having a panic attack. I didn't believe them until I had another then another.... Now I have them every night. It is exhausting, in fact im in full fight or flight response now.
My first attack was the worst, but now I can get symptoms of panic all night especially when im just about to fall asleep, very annoying.

[kipperfish]

I can't remember my first one because I didn't realise what they were until I was older and then realised I had experienced them in the past.

My first major one though I was 14, I was staying at a friends house and we were due to get the train to the local uni for a course day thing, i just remember the night before i was shaking all over in bed, sweating, felt like i was going to be sick, couldn't breathe and just crying constantly.

In the morning we had to walk to the train station and i couldn't do it i was screaming and crying and she physically had to drag me like i was a toddler having a hissy down to the station i was so embarrassed I couldn't face her afterwards out of sheer shame of panicking over such a silly thing.

I think being embarrassed about it is a really big thing for me and that's probably why at the moment i'm massively dug deep into avoidance