Mental or Physical?

[Ladym]

Hi guys. I read somewhere that there are two different kinds of panic attacks - mental and physical. This made some sense to me as when i get a PA, my biggest fear is losing my sanity. The docs kept asking me if I thought I was having a heart attack/stroke etc and I was even more worried that because I didn't feel that (I get the physical symptoms, but am able to rationalise them - ish!), that i really must be going crazy. I really don't know how to articulate it, it's like there's a huge weight compressing my mind and squeezing all the sanity out - I have to fight with all I've got just to stay sane, and I'm terrified I won't be able to fight it off forever.
Does anyone else know anything about this?
Hugs
Anna xxx

[mingsy]

Hi Anna
I'm exactly the same, can understand the pounding heart, shortness of breath, wobbly legs, becasuse they are all symptoms of anxiety, but what I'm terrified of is going mad and losing control over my actions.
Saw a counsellor last week and she spent an hour with me telling me that anxiety cannot cause madness, anxiety and insanity are two completely different things, but as you know its difficult to believe, you always think if these thoughts persist they are bound to send me insane.
I have suffered from anxiety and depression brought on by it for 10 years on and off and I've not gone mad yet!!!
So I think it might be true what the professionals are saying all it is, is anxiety and not insanity and anxiety does not lead onto insanity.
Don't know if this helps you at all
Take care

JANE

[bernadette]

hi well if there r two kinds i must have then both because when i have a panic attack i have both when i fight them it is really hard but you come out of them more quicky so u no when i happends u now how to deal with them but it is really hard good luck if u need a gab just write to me xxxxx from bernadette

[samc100]

My panic attacks tend to be of the 'I am going mad' type as I don't get the breathing, heart attack problems.

So I didn't think I was suffering from Panic Attacks cos' I didn't match the usual symptons.

Nice to know I am not the only one. Though I get a dodgy bum if it is a quick attack.

After spending a 'jolly' Sunday hiding behind the settee screaming cos' I thought imaginary people were trying to throw me out of windows (I know, mad eh???) I have improved very slowly and the more I improve the more I feel in control. The more I feel in control the better I cope.

Are you taking any medication Anna? I am and it's helping me though sometimes I get this feeling of vunerability and feel mentally weak.

[Dreamer029]

basically you have summed up what i've been going through the past couple of weeks. i have both types of attacks, started out more physical but am able to point it out as anxiety, but now i feel like i fight the mental anxiety attacks all day long....very very tiring! i am convinced i am going to go over the edge and go crazy, forget who i am and so on. im glad there is someone else out there who understands!! feel free to send me a message if you want to talk or anything

Lauren

[PITITA]

Hi Anna,

I FEEL THE SAME EXACT WAY AS YOU DO!!!!!!!
You can read back every single topic I posted here were all about the same fear!
Im so so glad to know that somebody can relate to me :) xx


"If you magnify your imperfections and minimize your good points, you're guaranteed to feel inferior. But the problem isn't YOU its- its the crazy lenses you are wearing! " Feeling Good handbook

[Ladym]

Thankyou so much guys, this is the first time since this started that i haven't felt alone .
Hugs
Anna xxx

[Alexocelix]

I feel like I'm constantly fighting going crazy, wondering if every little thing that happens to me is a cue for me going mad or hearing voices. Since my panic attacks became mostly mental and not so physical I am exhausted as there is very little time when I feel secure and comfortable, you know, just incase when I let my guard down, I go mad.

[Alexocelix]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Hi Anna,

I think a panic attack is a panic attack, full stop! It's just a collection of physical changes that happen within our body when we sense a threat, and we learn to recognise that collection of feelings and call it 'panic'.

There can however be two causes – mental and physical, or more accurately, imaginary and real – and I wonder if that's what you're thinking of here?

When faced with a real threat of danger or a sudden unexpected event we experience panic, and that's our body's way of preparing to fight or flee. But other times it's our thoughts that are scaring us, and we become afraid of them. A fear of fear. The first example is good – it serves a purpose, it helps keep us safe, and is soon over. But the second serves no real purpose, and it remains ongoing because our thoughts are ongoing.

You can find out more about panic attacks here (http://www.psychology-solution.com/self-help/panic-anxiety/panic-intro.html)...

Take care :)
Nigel

<div align="right">www.psychology-solution.com
Shining new light on old problems</div id="right">

<div align="right">Originally posted by Nigel - 11 December 2006 : 17:05:05</div id="right">
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That article is very interesting. Could that explain all the irrational scary thoughts I've been stuck with since my really bad panic attack? It feels like my normal rational thinking has gone, and I think of loads of reasons to try and justify why, and also notice loads of weird horrible thought 'symptoms', like finding meaning in random songs on the radio and stuff. Everytime I try to relax, I feel so vunerable that I always seem to return to this scared state as a kind of safety procedure, incase I go mad. Sometimes when I really try to relax, I imagine my mind trying to return to where it was before and I actually get pains in my head like brain 'muscles' trying to relax, and that freaks me out! Am i stuck here in scared land?

[Alexocelix]

Argh! I just had another panic attack begin after some Catastrophic thinking of mine. It's like I'm sitting ruminating about life, about existentialism and stuff. Then it gets to the point where I think, theres a question I cant think about or answer thats really scary, and then boom, am I going mad/dieing - then full blown panic. I know what triggers my panics then, this catastrophic thinking about life. The trouble is, how can I accept this issue so it no longer causes me to panic, or always lingers as a fear?

[feels_like_home]

Hi Anna,
I have always tried to explain this. Everything you wrote is exactly how I feel. I don't really get the physical symptoms. I get the mental ones (fear of going mad, depersonalization, derealization). I feel it is a constant fight as well, which takes everything out of me. You can message me anytime and we can help each other through this.
Take care,
Michelle

[kimmy]

if it is any consilation. I felt exactly the same, i feltlike my head was in a vice and i was just going mad, schizophrenic or what ever. what i felt was the most unbelievable, you can read my old posts. I have been on citalorpram for over a year now and it ALL has virtually gone. I do get anxious though, but thats normal i guess because of how I felt. Now I cant believe how I even felt like that.

I have never lost it, Im probably 9.9999% better, it can be done. If you ever want to pm me feel free or I am on messenger kim_wilkinson487@hotmail.com

[Alexocelix]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Hi Alex,

quote:
I feel like I'm constantly fighting going crazy, wondering if every little thing that happens to me is a cue for me going mad or hearing voices... It feels like my normal rational thinking has gone, and I think of loads of reasons to try and justify why... Theres a question I cant think about or answer thats really scary, and then boom, am I going mad/dieing - then full blown panic.

It seems like a lot of this is all about a fear of developing some kind of mental illness, and that was no doubt triggered by that first bad panic attack. When afraid of something it's often useful to be hyper vigilant – to look out for signs of that danger everywhere – even magnify things in our mind that may relate to it in some way. It can give us a head start if it does turn out for real. Do you think that's what might be happening here? Your mind picking up on every tiny detail that could keep you forewarned?

These thoughts are a bit like a messenger arriving at the door carrying some vitally important piece of information. How does he react if you ignore his knocking? Does he knock harder and louder, start to shout to be heard? Then as you accept his message he goes quietly on his way.

Sometimes all we need to do is acknowledge and understand the message. Perhaps you could thank that part of your mind that's trying to keep you safe by alerting you to all these things. Something like; "Thank you for making me aware of that and for having my best interests at heart. I'm now aware of it and don't need to be alerted to every similar thing, because that will just interfere with my life and be a bit of a nuisance. However, I do value your continued vigilance, and welcome knowing about anything new that you think I need to be aware of."
...and the messenger will be on his way.

Some people, having acknowledged the message (those thoughts), find it helps to visualise it in some way. Then you can take that image... put a little frame around it to separate it from reality... take hold of it... and push it way off into the distance. See how it's getting smaller... and make it into a tiny dot on the horizon...
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Hi again, that sounds like a very good summation yes. For example, I was wondering why I felt so anxious and depersonalised, and read somewhere something that triggered the thought I could have a split personality (the anxious bit of me!). All of a sudden I felt like I lost the rationality to think no, that is not what is happening. Really I would like to accept that thought, as you say, and move on. Very Suggestionable (is that a word?!)