PenelopeAnne
26-01-15, 04:37
Hi guys. I am new to this forum but I admit that I've perused it for a couple of years just to get good advice about my anxiety issues... so I feel like I know a lot of you even though I've just been a weirdo lurker :whistles:
Anyway, I've been dealing with bad anxiety issues for several years although I recently went through a period of almost 2 years with no major issues. My anxiety primarily manifests as health anxiety. This summer, my father got incredibly sick and ended up in the hospital for over a month, and then into a rehab facility for alcohol. This has been a very hard time in my life and I've found that as the months have gone on... that old anxiety is sneaking back in.
So... I am 37 years old and I admit to not being in the best shape AND I smoke. Isn't that ridiculous? Having HA and smoking? Lord have mercy.
Anyway, I've suffered for quite some time with a chronic cough that has been attributed mainly to severe GERD (yes my issues run the gamut!)
I was living with the cough and it didn't really bother me until a few weeks ago when suddenly the HA grabbed hold and I was convinced I have lung/throat C. My doc has assured me that this is almost unheard of at my age EVEN as a smoker... but you know.. I'm smarter than the doc, yes?
Over the past week, this has culminated in me coughing into napkins constantly to obsessively examine my phlegm... (Sorry. So gross.)
So... last night. I was sitting at my computer doing some work but also Googling like an idiot about lung cancer statistics etc. I convince myself that I'm doing this to "reassure" myself. Eventually, I sidetracked my mind by playing some online slots on Facebook and I was feeling generally fine.
Suddenly, I felt this strange sensation... like all of the blood had rushed out of my face. My head felt very heavy. My instant reaction was to jump up out of my chair and run... where? I don't know. I found that as I was moving toward the bathroom, I was overcome with vertigo and dizziness and just this horrible feeling. Then I made it to my bed where I laid down and noticed my heart was racing faster than it has ever raced before. I felt terrible. Awful. Definitely dying. Started yelling for God to let me live and not die. Trying to cry but couldn't. I hung my head over the side of the bed as I began to feel nauseous and sort of dry heaved with very little actual vomit. Just sort of heaving.
I started to feel slightly better. Decided to get up and go to the bathroom. Noticed that I was still very wobbly. Looked in the mirror and saw my face was completely white. Suddenly was overcome with the same awful dizzy sensation and stumbled back to my room. Laid in bed rolling around freaking out and tried to throw up some more but was just heaving. My arms felt heavy, my hands felt tingly, my face felt weird, my head was swimming... and eventually I fell asleep.
Today... I feel.. ok. A bit like I have a hangover. But I do not drink. I figured last night I was for sure having a heart attack or a stroke or some other phenomenon. I decided to punch some of these symptoms into this site and saw that there were similarities between what I had gone through and a standard panic attack.
So... that was a LONG story but I guess I'm here to say... does this sound like a panic attack? Can they strike out of the blue like that? Can they really make you feel that ill? Today I feel still kinda icky and my face is a bit flushed but I do not feel like I did last night. Like this is... the aftermath.
I had though i'd had panic attacks before but I think they were more "meltdowns" which I'm thinking are kind of to physiological/phychologically different things.
What say ye?
Anyway, I've been dealing with bad anxiety issues for several years although I recently went through a period of almost 2 years with no major issues. My anxiety primarily manifests as health anxiety. This summer, my father got incredibly sick and ended up in the hospital for over a month, and then into a rehab facility for alcohol. This has been a very hard time in my life and I've found that as the months have gone on... that old anxiety is sneaking back in.
So... I am 37 years old and I admit to not being in the best shape AND I smoke. Isn't that ridiculous? Having HA and smoking? Lord have mercy.
Anyway, I've suffered for quite some time with a chronic cough that has been attributed mainly to severe GERD (yes my issues run the gamut!)
I was living with the cough and it didn't really bother me until a few weeks ago when suddenly the HA grabbed hold and I was convinced I have lung/throat C. My doc has assured me that this is almost unheard of at my age EVEN as a smoker... but you know.. I'm smarter than the doc, yes?
Over the past week, this has culminated in me coughing into napkins constantly to obsessively examine my phlegm... (Sorry. So gross.)
So... last night. I was sitting at my computer doing some work but also Googling like an idiot about lung cancer statistics etc. I convince myself that I'm doing this to "reassure" myself. Eventually, I sidetracked my mind by playing some online slots on Facebook and I was feeling generally fine.
Suddenly, I felt this strange sensation... like all of the blood had rushed out of my face. My head felt very heavy. My instant reaction was to jump up out of my chair and run... where? I don't know. I found that as I was moving toward the bathroom, I was overcome with vertigo and dizziness and just this horrible feeling. Then I made it to my bed where I laid down and noticed my heart was racing faster than it has ever raced before. I felt terrible. Awful. Definitely dying. Started yelling for God to let me live and not die. Trying to cry but couldn't. I hung my head over the side of the bed as I began to feel nauseous and sort of dry heaved with very little actual vomit. Just sort of heaving.
I started to feel slightly better. Decided to get up and go to the bathroom. Noticed that I was still very wobbly. Looked in the mirror and saw my face was completely white. Suddenly was overcome with the same awful dizzy sensation and stumbled back to my room. Laid in bed rolling around freaking out and tried to throw up some more but was just heaving. My arms felt heavy, my hands felt tingly, my face felt weird, my head was swimming... and eventually I fell asleep.
Today... I feel.. ok. A bit like I have a hangover. But I do not drink. I figured last night I was for sure having a heart attack or a stroke or some other phenomenon. I decided to punch some of these symptoms into this site and saw that there were similarities between what I had gone through and a standard panic attack.
So... that was a LONG story but I guess I'm here to say... does this sound like a panic attack? Can they strike out of the blue like that? Can they really make you feel that ill? Today I feel still kinda icky and my face is a bit flushed but I do not feel like I did last night. Like this is... the aftermath.
I had though i'd had panic attacks before but I think they were more "meltdowns" which I'm thinking are kind of to physiological/phychologically different things.
What say ye?