Had my first panic attack the week before a trip

[spoutproof]

I was on a bus on Saturday and I suffered a panic attack out of the blue. I started to feel pressure in my chest and then my left arm and leg got really tingly. Then I had waves of uncomfortable warmth flow through my body. The worst part was that it was a long bus ride through the mountains and I would have to wait til it arrived in my city to get help. I legitimately thought that I was going to die at some points. Despite how I was just on a bus, I felt trapped. I had to fight the urge to pace around and scream like a maniac with my entire being. I finally got to the ER and after a bunch of tests, the doc said that it was most likely a panic attack. That attack lasted for 4-5 hours and still had residual effects when I got home. Makes sense as I have been stressed over many things for the past few months.

The problem is that I have a flight out this Friday to a scuba trip that I’d been looking forward to for months. But I’m terrified of flying. Even though I’ve flown twice a year for the past 6 years, it still freaks me out when I get on a plane. But now that I’ve had a panic attack, I’m even more terrified. If I had a horrible attack like that on a bus, I can’t imagine how I’ll be able to handle it on a plane. I'm at work now and I feel like I had a mini-attack or something a while back. Started hyperventilating a bit again and my chest started hurting.

What should I do? Should I play it safe and cancel the trip? I'm going to see a psychiatrist today after work. I hate feeling like this. I'm worried that now my life is just going to be all about mitigating my anxiety.

[venusbluejeans]

Just because you have had one Panic attack doesn't mean you will have another :) a lot of the time we talk ourselved into having a panic attack just by thinking too deeply about things.

If you have flown twice a year for 6 years and haven't had a panic attack just felf freaked out then doesn't mean to say you are going to have one this time, just because you have had the experience you had on the bus.

Go for it, as you say you have been looking forward to it for ages, think about the fun you are going to have on the trip and not about the getting there......If you cancel your trip then the anxiety wins and it will imprint more into your mind that you can't do things because of anxiety.

Good Luck