Really spaced out!

[Suthers]

Hello all im new to the forum but very sadly im not new to panic attacks. Im 21 (22 on thursday) and am a trainee teacher... I started having panic when i was about 15 and my first one was the most horrific thing in the world... i felt like i was dying or my mind was going to blow out of my head was really odd like i was in a dream world or something...! Any way i had a horrible year or so with them and it made me feel so low. I constantly thought about it and the more i thought about it the worst i felt so was a horrible circle.. Any way thought they had gone as i hadnt felt spaced out in ages but a week ago lying in bed and bang a horrific attack.. for me it feels like i am coming away from my body or some thing... they dont last long but as soon as its over im shaking, sweating, heart pounding and generally need to go to the toilet asap... Although this is horrible its the spaced out feeling i get after that scares me.. i have looked on the forums and i see lots of people feel like this which is so nice to know as ive always had really bad hypochondria and often feel that my world is ending and im going mad! I look up horrible symptoms and just think all day about them convincing my self i have them... Hard to understand but i worry about my health constantly... I mean my friend recently got diagnosed with schizophrenia and when i went to see him it really set me off.... Then i get scared about how horrible it would to hear stuff and then i panic that i may although i havent and im sure i wont!! Im sorry as this probably makes me sound very mad...The thing is when im not thinking about these things i feel fine! If i just relax and watch tv or keep busy i very rarely feel spaced out its just when im on my own and thinking..

Sorry for huge post just nice to get stuff off my chest! It helps just talking to people who have the same problem... Many thanks Josh

[VaL_TXUSA]

Hey Josh,

I understand how you feel. It's true what you said, there are others with similar symptoms of panic attacks. You are not alone. I am one of them. I suffer frequent panic attacks. Mine are very scary, I feel like if I'm dying but it never happens, I get disoriented, my heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest. I feel like if I'm losing oxigen, they're quite scary. There's one thing I do to help me with them. have you ever heard of the paperbag exercise? That has helped me a lot. Everytime I feel a panic attack coming I take out my bag and start breathing into it. It helps, now if you don't have a bag you can always cuff your hands together, as if you're going to hold water in them. You can do the same exercise as with the bag with your hands. This helps me deal with everyday life. I hope this helps you too.

VaL

[weeble40]

Hi Josh and Val and welcome to NMP, all i can really say is you are not alone, your thoughts and feelings are very common amoungst us sufferers, you will get lots of love and support here, before I found NMP i was a wreak, but since joining in October Ive been so much better,

good luck with your teacher training its a very worthy career, I know!!!

Emma xx

[Yvonne]

Suthers

That feeling you're getting sounds like "feeling unreal" - which I know is a common symptom with panics. I don't get it myself but have read that it's extremely scarey. Read some Claire Weekes - she talks about this feeling.

What you are doing is going into yourself as we all do. You get the first thought which scares you then you start adding to it with more scary thoughts and it just goes on and on,. What you are doing is adding more and more fear to yourself and triggering off more adreneline which makes you feel worse and worse.

What Val was talking about with the paper bag is basically for when you are hyperventilating - it's good and it can get the breathing back to normal. If the hyperventilating bothers you then try this; blow out all your breath. I know you think you wouldn't be able to do this but you can. Just breathe out don't try to breathe in, you can try blowing out like you are blowing out a candle a few times as well. This will automatically get the breathing back into a normal pattern.

I can see exacty what you're doing and you are frightening yourself all the time.

With this illness - scary thoughts of stuff like schizophrenia do come along. I have felt weird in the past and just convinced myself that maybe this illness could lead to something much worse...... llike schizophrenia. Rest assured it is nothing like that illness and a high anxiety state does not mean you are going mad.

I hope someone like Bill comes and explains this to you because I know he could explain it so well.

Stop scaring yourself and tell yourself this is only an anxiety state. I know it makes you feel terribly low - that seems to go hand in hand with the panics. We get a bit despairing cos we can't find a way out. Definitely read some Claire Weekes about acceptance.

Take care xx

[Bill]

Hello Josh,

You say your panics started at 15 but they disappeared for a long while before suddenly returning. Sometimes when we feel under extra stress, the stress can trigger panics to return. When they return, we then often look to associate the symptoms with illnesses which we then start worrying about we have. This then makes the panics worse and keeps the cycle going.

As you say, when you keep your mind occupied you're fine and that's the key. Not to over-stress yourself but keep occupied, learn to keep relaxed and find enjoyment in what we're doing.

As for schizophrenia, that's what my wife suffers from and if you had that, you wouldn't be worrying about the thoughts you're having because you'd "believe" the thoughts to be true. Yours is simply an over-stressed anxious mind looking for something to worry about when you're alone feeling bored. Hope that reassures you.:winks:

[chalky]

Hi Josh,

Welcome to the forum.

:hugs: :yesyes: :hugs: :yesyes: :hugs: :yesyes:

Understanding that you are no longer alone is very important.
You will get loads of support and advice here.
Try reading Nic's article on Health Anxiety which gives great advice/information about looking up stuff.
Best wishes,
Chalky

[redjeff]

the spaced out feeling could be seen as a form of anxiety, some call it dissociation, i get it more than actual panic attacks its an awful feeling ,it can come on at any time and goes away to, i see it as a form of anxiety, but i may be wrong, my gp told me its part of the depression/anxiety illness

[Bill]

I used to get the spaced out feeling when I went into shops. Everyone appeared "alien" as if they were all seeing my anxious feelings and I felt I didn't belong. Once I got out of the shop and started to relax, the feelings and thoughts went.

I don't get these feelings or the panics anymore thank goodness!

[Suthers]

Thank you all so much for your replies. Yeah as i said i know deep down im fine, when im busy and feel completely fine i always think to myself how bloody stupid was that to feel like that?? But then if i have another one ill forget that i ever felt normal again... does that make sense... Any way i had a very spaced out morning yesterday but a really good evening and i went shopping (as its my Birthday today! ) and even managed to concentrate on a game of poker for a couple of hours.. For me the mornings seem to be the worst as i wake up and its the first thing i think of.. I have half term next week, (benefits of teaching) so i going to go and stay in a nice hotel in the lake district. Thanks Bill for your help with me feeling im getting some thing worse! Some times just having reassurance is great.. and i know now all is it is is me thinking about stuff over and over again! Im sure ill feel better soon i have beaten this horrible thing before and im sure i can again.. Also when i feel like this im not hungry in the slightest and not tired and my stomach is usually in knots do others have that? Many thanks again

[Lilith1980]

Hi Suthers,

The knots in the stomach is a common feeling with anxiety. I get it a lot in the mornings. I have butterflies and feel sick for no reason and find it hard to eat my breakfast.

Anxiety can cause weird sensations but the key is to remember its just the anxiety and nothing serious. That should help you relax more and the feelings will fade - the more you worry about it, the worse the symptoms become.

Happy birthday by the way! :D

Jo xxxxx