Can anyone else NOT sit down during panic?

[Ditapage]

Once I start feeling lightheaded and out of it, and that impending doom feeling comes over me, sitting down gives me no relief, it can even make the panic feel worse. I get a really odd, disconcerting sensation in my legs like they want to start having a mind of their own and run away or make me collapse. Is this a typical panic symptom? I'd love to hear from people who can relate because this feeling coupled with the dizzy head is terrifying.

[nomorepanic]

That is the typical fight or flight response - you want to run away!

[AuntieMoosie]

Yes as Nic has said, this is very typical of what panic does to you :)

I quite often got the reverse though, I'd be sooo breathless and out of energy that I'd just have to sit down wherever I was, once even in someones driveway!!!.....thank goodness they didn't drive their car out!!!

It's real damn hard, but try not to let the symptoms of panic frighten you, no one has ever died from a panic attack and eventually the panic has to die down.

I would say that when you feel light headed, just sit yourself down, try as hard as you can not to be frightened, because fear feeds fear, just let the symptoms roll over you, nothing bad will happen, and eventually you'll feel the panic subside :)

The magic is, once you're no longer frightened of the panic, it will stop happening :)

[Alex31]

I'm exactly the same, I can not sit or lie down. Which is a bit of an issue as my panic is very related to sleep, so I have horrible insomnia as I am unable to chill out enough to sleep!

[Moldysoap]

I always pace before and during an attack. I feel like I want to speed out of there as fast as a bullet. I too think it's just the extra adrenaline

[lauraebowes]

i run outside but never my back door always the front door seems to be an escape route

[almamatters]

I have to get up and move about, sitting down is not an option for me. Usually it is get outside as quickly as possible and just keep moving about, even standing still is difficult.

[cymraig_chris]

The fight flight response only learns when it is switched on, it only learns by the language of demonstration.

When we run to escape the sensations of anxiety we send signals to the fight flight response confirming that it is the correct bodily response in relation to our sensations. Ie it sees us running.

It learns that these feeling are a danger, and keeps you on alert, it keeps you anxious.

If we stand our ground and concentrate on normal activites during the operation of the fight flight response we demonstrate to the flight flight response that it is no longer needed. Ie it sees us not responding.

It learns that the there is no danger present, and removes the alert, your rest digest response is activated and you feel well again.

You many need to perform this correct curative response a number of times until your anxiety starts to dissipate.

But if you do this the fight flight response has no option but to switch off. It has to operate under these limitations.

[Evey1986]

Yeah that's happens to me all the time cause your body is preparing for survival mode ie being attacked so as other say the fight or flight the feeling if dread is horrible especially when u least expect it, but when it does happen and this sounds silly try to distract yourself by doing something spontaneous please don't laugh but when It happens to me I pace around kicking and singing "every body was king fu fighting" it does work for me cause instantly I am distracting myself from the thoughts of dread