Has a panic attack ever convinced you that you were going to die or pass out?

[GingerFish]

Today was one of my first proper panic attacks in a while and the worst one I have had in public for so long. It absolutely floored me. It was a slow build up and I kept trying to relax myself while shopping but nothing worked and it and grew and grew and grew and then I got this horrible weird feeling, it was like all the life was draining out of me and everything was about to go black and that the walls and my lungs were going to close in. Only lasted a few seconds and I had to shout on my mum for help . I've only ever had that feeling a couple of times with a panic attack and it is terrifying. It feels like I'm on the verge of passing out or dying - or at least what I imagine it would feel like. It left me feeling quote spooked.

Anyone else experience anything like this during a bad panic attack?

[LouiseAndy]

I also feel like I'm going to pass out whenever I have a panic attack! I think it has something to do with the way I keep taking short breaths and not getting enough! My legs always feel super weak, like the world is going to fall from under my feet!
Like I had a super bad one last year, I actually ended up on my knees and grasping for something (It was a very, very low point in my life. Lots of stuff going on.)

My GP said this is super common, a lot of it has to do with the breathing. So try putting your feet on the ground, like you're grounding yourself fully and make yourself take deep long breaths! (This works for me, I know it won't work for everyone!)

[PanickyGuy]

Oh yeah. Experienced that many times at home or in public.

- Slow build up to feeling like something is happening.
- Spaciness or a type of dizziness that feels more like being on a ship.
- Life draining out of me or like I was falling, but I never did fall.
- Lungs closing in or lungs feeling tight.
- Weakness in legs.
- The feeling I'm about to pass out, but never have once.

To me these are the worse kind of panic attacks, especially in public places. Can't tell you how many times I've fast walked out of a Walmart, while staggering to my vehicle. And ironically, before it happened, it was because most of the time I feared of having a panic attack in public and passing out. So then I would have a panic attack, but never pass out, just adrenaline going, heart rate and blood pressure up, dizziness and staggering back to the vehicle, all so I could try and calm down.

So yeah, been there and done that many times. I hate those type of panic attacks. Worse kind in my book.

[Suziewuzie]

Yeah. I thought I was a pro at panic attacks but earlier in the year I had one of these for the first time. I normally take myself somewhere quiet when I'm having a panic attack but when this happened I actually went out into the street in my pyjamas because I really believed I was going to die in my house and nobody would know. I almost knocked on my nextdoor neighbours to ask for help but then my rational brain finally kicked in so I just sat on my doorstep til it passed, thinking at least when I die someone walking past will see me. Sounds drastic when I write about it with a calm mind! At the time though it was very real - I WAS about to die. So yeah, you're not alone.

[ankietyjoe]

Yes, 20 times a day for 3-4 years not so long ago.

[mark84]

Yeah, sadly I know this, horrible.

[roseanxiety]

I am always terrified that i will pass out. I haven’t ever but i keep thinking this is the one where i will pass out. It’s horrible.


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[ana]

DEFINITELY!
I feel like my mind is foggy, I'm spacing out and/or I can't breathe and will lose my mind.

[Ccitis]

Of Course. Panic Disorder does that. I have had my Wife call the ambulance, and they took me to the hospital. Woke up from a dead sleep and panicked hard. I was saying goodbye to my Wife, and telling her I loved her. Not fun. Still my worst one. Also recently, focusing on my heart and sensations and found myself panicking. In that case, my doctor had given me Ativan to take instead of calling the ambulance. This worked wonderfully but needs to be treated very carefully as they can be addicting. I have had them for months and only used it once. Just having the option of taking one helps. Between taking one of those and a trip to the ER the pill is better. Again, does not work for everyone as you have to be very careful not to take too many. But yes, It is normal to think you are going to die when panicking.

[dmc1892]

i've literally just been close to my first attack in years there, i also have tinnitus in the early days of my tinnitus i would get dizzy a lot and i ended up having a couple of panic attacks when i started to feel dizzy, they almost intertwine for me and i always panic i'll pass out.

luckily for me these days i can somehow control it to an extent

[Lissa101]

Probably not what anyone wants to hear but I have passed out from a panic attack, it is possible but very rare. Only happened to me once and I was exhausted, hadn't slept well in days and I think that had a lot to do with it.

On the up side, fainting isn't nearly as scary as you think it's going to be. When I came round I just sat with legs up for ten mins until I felt better. For the rest of the day I felt lovely and calm, almost like I'd taken a valium. And I finally got a good night's sleep!

I still worry about fainting but only because I'd feel embarrassed. Now I've experienced it, I know it's not really a big deal.

[Serendipitous]

Yep. I'm all too familiar with the "I'm dying" feeling when having a panic attack. I've been to the hospital numerous times. Nowadays I do deep belly breathing, body stretches, and "float " as Dr. Claire Weekes has instructed. Just imagining the floating feeling while having a panic attack relaxes me.

[Sandra1980]

No I've never felt like that I have always taken panic attacks since I was 4 i but took severe ones when I was working but they happened and only lasted a few minutes and then it was gone I think that's because I didn't react to them because I didn't even know what anxiety and panic attacks were then i was exhausted after them though,that's what the experts say though just let them happen and they stop pretty quick.

[Serendipitous]

Yep. Always the dying part. I just had a panic attack and it nearly convinced me that my heart was about to give out. A year ago I would have went to the emergency room. I know better today, which is actually saying a lot. I'm easily persuaded by my body. In the past year I've learned to tolerate the odd triggers that my body throws at me. I still feel extreme fear..

[Mav]

Absolutely, I have palpitations and then my heart feels like it is just going to stop on me. The worst it's happened is twice this year, but I do better these days with panic attacks. x

I did find an absolute jewel that helped me during my panic attacks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLO4ZEsQtqo

It really helped me, I just lie on the cold hard floor and listen to that on my headphones, makes me feel instantly better.

[Darksky]

No I've never had this fortunately. Despite numerous attacks I have never worried about my heart or dying.
I picked up Clare Weekes very early on, 40 years back so I leant quickly what was going on, I wouldn't die, my heart would cope fine.

Putting the acceptance into practice, now that's a quite different thing

[Sandra1980]

No I've never had this fortunately. Despite numerous attacks I have never worried about my heart or dying.
I picked up Clare Weekes very early on, 40 years back so I leant quickly what was going on, I wouldn't die, my heart would cope fine.

Putting the acceptance into practice, now that's a quite different thing

I used to do that when I had full blown panic attacks i think it was because i didn't know that I had anxiety or panic attacks(obviously I knew it was something I just didn't know what is was)and they would be over in seconds because I didn't react to them probably because I have took panic attacks all my life they were just worse when I was working.