lonely panic attacks

[roseyone]

Hi Im new to this.
I don't know any one that has panic attacks and it can be very lonely.
I find it hard to explain to friends and family that I need to leave the restaurant/shop/pub as Im having an attack .
I have had panic attacks for as long as can remember .( Im 34 now)
It will be great to receive tips from others that experience the same feelings

[Mark13]

Hi. I'm sure you'll be glad you joined.

There's plenty of advice and support here.

You're not alone.

All the best.

[FoolOfLife]

Hello roseyone-

I had panic attacks all of my life also, until I was in my mid-forties. I had severe experiences of derealization. I can empathize with your feeling of loneliness. Even those closest to me had no idea what I was going through, because I had no way to describe the experience.
It was on this site (No More Panic) that I learned about derealization- once I understood what was happening the attacks stopped, I was able to suppress them if I did start to get "that feeling" that one was coming on.
I did communicate with a woman on this site who experienced the same thing. She described it all the same way I did. It was so comforting to me to know there was at least one person on earth who understood.
I found that carrying something to read (or, after they became popular, my cell phone) helped me a lot. If I began to have an attack I would use this to distract myself- calming down rather than building up the panic. I still feel a need to carry something with me, although it's been a decade since I've had attacks.
So, even though I still think my attacks had a physiological base along with the psychological, I did recover from them.
Hopefully this reply will be encouraging for you.