Is it possible to have awful and mild panic attacks? [Archive]

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Panic33

21-08-09, 19:43

CONS

21-08-09, 19:49

Yes its possible to have slow anx whereas you bring on fewer of the symptoms instead of the full blown versions. Usually triggered by negative thoughts i found and even though im much better now than i was when it all started i still have days of slow anx. Usually a fairly quick heartbeat for no reason or a very short and painful headache. These are more subconscious i think. Also the eyesight and hearing can become quite over-sensitive and with the bloody on-off weather we are having lately it doesnt help much :)

Its good that you understand your body and monitor yourself as this leads to exhausting all the symptoms as i mention in my post for self-help which is here:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42149

Have a little look and see if it helps :)

jill

21-08-09, 20:15

Hi hun, :D:hugs:

The feeling you are getting, I got a lot when I was acute, a feeling of independing doom. The feeling something bad is going to happen, No other symptoms just that one at times, Mmm in fact when acute, I had this 24/7.

Hunny, its not possible to have mild panic attacks you either panic, or you don't, BUT, BUT, BUT, it is possible to suffer high levels of anxiety which can be very scary just like this your experiencing. although harmless, IT IS very scary if you don't understand whats going on. :hugs:

This great site has been a godsend to me, it has helped me understand, that anxiety does NOT always lead to panic.

I was tought to number my panic, anxiety, 10 being FULL blown panic (YOUR worse) 1 being normal and anything in between are levels of anxiety, the higher the number the highter the anxiety, the lower the number the lower the anxiety.

This helped me WHY, becasue I was in a loop, fearing panic, fearing fear, fearing all the symptoms that came with both, panic and anxiety, everytime I got an anxiety symptom ohhh boy, it would lead to panic.(my 10 ) WELL my brain told me it would and I believed it and at the time, when acute, it always did.

Learning that panic WILL peak then drops to a level of anxiety, noticing this helped me when it full blown panic, I new it would not last, even if the higher level of anx was scary at least it was NOT my 10 (full blown panic) If I had a certain symptom, I would number it, regarding how I felt about it, learn all I could about the symptom and try my best NOT to fear it, the more, I learned NOT to fear the symptom, the lesser number it got, the lower the number got, the lesser importance the symptom was to me and in time that symptom would go, BUT, when acute, it was replaced by another and I would start the prosess all over again.

I feel, it is important to know the difference, try to help yourself, if you suffer with both, that anxiety does not always lead to panic.

There are lots of great threads on this site, Cons has put a link in for one, please hun, read all you can about panic, anxiety it helps you understand things a little more.

What you are expereancing at the mo is anxiety hunny. I know its scary, but your fear alone will fuel it and keep it there, please try and learn some relaxation and some distraction, this helps soo much.

I do hope this has been of some help, even if its knowing your NOT alone with this symptom AND it DOES PASS.

you take care

LOVE JILL XXX

Panic33

21-08-09, 20:15

Thanks for the fast reply :)Great to get an understanding on these. Feeling calmer reading this

mumof4

22-08-09, 12:55

i get both mild and very bad panic attacks mild ones i can handle bad ones mine seem to last for days and days and i cant seem to shake off the feelings.

leaves me exhaused.

Panic33

22-09-09, 00:02

Anyone have a scale of their anxiety/panic?
on 1-10
I.e. normal -1
normal worry - 3
bad worry -5
anxiety - 7
bad anxiety - 9
Panic attack 10/11
I know this is a bit basic - but Id like to gauge what Im classing with what others have experienced - and example would help

Crush

22-09-09, 04:18

I have been having panic attacks, making me feel awful like I'm dying, can't be around people, hot flashes, in fact nearly all the symptoms Ive read about. In between these attacks I am in constant worry of why and when the next will happen - this I understand, but I some times get feelings of dread without all the other symptoms and they don't feel like the full blown attacks - I don't need to get away from people. Is this just a milder panic attack?

I know this may seem a silly question, but I'm really confused by what is happening.Any help or info would be great.

Yup I've gotten all of those symptoms too.. especially the hot flashes.. that was near the beginning before things took a turn worse and I experienced dizzy/light headedness a few weeks later.

Panic attacks are basically a combination of 3 symptoms together at once. Usually you'll have heart beating and a combination of 2 other symptoms. Most panic attacks are either small, or, they are large. Large ones could be bad shaking, not being able to breath gasping for air (i've had this one when I was younger and it was marijuana induced.. the site of this kind of panic attack aint pretty and my friends called the ambulance.. after a couple of minutes i threw up and it was over so we canceled the ambulance), or feeling like you are having a heart attack and can't stand up. But most are just mild and you will get them all throught the day.

The more 'on edge' you are, the more easily you can get them from thoughts. I remember trying to read this forum and it would give me mild panic attacks so I couldn't read it. I was also dizzy and out of it so had trouble reading in general.

I'd say most people that are suffering from anxiety (which I am no longer) have mild panic attacks throught the day. If you sit still in a chair all day (as I did) you can feel them come and go all day long. If I was on my feet or doing a physical job like construction I might not be able to feel them as much.

Crush

22-09-09, 04:23

I know this may seem a silly question, but I'm really confused by what is happening.Any help or info would be great.

Oh you feeling negative is most likely depression brought on by the fact that you know there is something wrong with you.

Worrying is somethign I know you are doing or you wouldn't have anxiety right now because that is the true key to entering into an anxious state.

Now you are worrying over the fact that you have anxiety. The mild depression (and likely mild ocd you probably have also) will just add more to the anxiety.

I find you will reach peak when you get dizzy, light headed, and feel stoned and cannot enter a shopping mall and feel afraid to leave the house. That's when I'd say you're at your worse.

Right now you're not so I recommend you see a Dr.

Panic33

22-09-09, 16:21

Crush

26-09-09, 14:44

Thank you for the reply Crush. I think you may be right with regards to mild depression, sometimes I think there no hope but other times I do. With regards to OCD, is constantly checking health and body classed as this?
I see you said you no longer have anxiety - did you mange to overcome it?

Hey,

Yeah there's severe depression and then mild depression. It comes in levels. The Anxiety will cause mild depression. However, if you have severe depression it can vice versa cuase mild anxiety.

I do believe some people have depression and believe it's caused from stress and anxiety when in fact they have a mood disorder.

Yes you constantly 'doing something' like monitoring yourself all day is mild OCD. Constant thoughts that pop in your head all day. The need to want to do something even all day. That comes hand in hand with anxiety. But also depression and other mental health related things.

The good news is that of all the mental health related issues, anxiety is probably the one you want to have if you had to choose could chose one.

I'm no longer suffering.. I'm sober, fine, no physical symptoms, depression, ocd, or disturbing thoghts.

Do beat anxiety you have to know what cuases it. Firstly it's genetic. We are prone, other people are not. Sure other people can get panic attacks once in their life as stats show, but having 1 panick attack and months of panic attacks all day are 2 differnt things. So first you have to relaize that you were born with your brain chemicals to deal with worry not as good as others.

After this, you have to know what cuases anxiety. Basically 'worrying' causes it. When you have anxiety, you spend all your time with mild depression and ocd worrying about anxiety, having disturbing thoughts, and it just feeds off itself. We worry becuase we feel physical symptoms and assume the worse (disturbing thoughts).

A normal person doesn't worry becuaes they never have physical symptoms when they worry. Their brains will not allow the 'high alert' mechanism to stay in the 'on' position. We have a 'defect' with ourselves that our brain will stay 'high alert' when there is no immediate alert. So when there's a death in the family, everyone might suffer the same, but 1 of the bunch will notice they are started have physical sensations and dizziness as to where the others are not. That 1 person is just prone to anxiety.

What brings us to the 'high alert' position is simply 'constant worrying'. How do you stop worrying? Medication. That's what it's there for. Citalopram is what I recommend. What it does is stop the worrying. You'll notice after a couple of weeks that the ocd will disapear. It's really cool you wont realize it until you stop and say 'wow.. today I didn't monitor myself at all'. It's really that quiet and slick.

People think a lot of the time that medication 'sedates' you back into health. Not true. It works very quietly effectively to the point you dont think it's working. Then one day you just realize 'wow this thought or me doing x hasn't happened in 3 days' Also, it cures your mild depression. You start to like music again, want to leave the house, and don't mind things that used to bother you. You want to get back into touch with people that you were avoiding.

Also, you'll notice that if you smoke you will smoke less. If you drink you will drink far less or not want to drink at all becuase you'll enjoy the great feeling this is giving you and you won't want to tinge it with alchohol. Many of us used alchohol as a medication for years to control our anxiety. It's a shame to see people run to AA and declare they have a problem when maybe it was just them using this as medicatoin for their anxiety. I know I was. And tonight is Saturday and I'm going to drink some beer. Oh yes sir. But my nightly bottle of wine days are over.

My dosage is very low - 5mg. It took about 3 weeks to work. I was perscribed 20mg which was way too strong for me. Fealt like taking extacy.
You will get side effects so just take a lower dosage than the dr. recommends (5mg is what i recommend) and take it before bed so you can sleep through the innitial 'come on'.

Another thing. Dr's mis perscribe all the time. I saw a youtube video where this 19 year old was given heart medication for her anxiety. The Dr. thinks you are coming to hime with physical symtoms and your heart rate is high. So he logically things to lower blood pressure to give you heart medication. That is very understandable. But it's not going to solve your anxiety.

The Dr. has available to him many dosages of Citalopram. So he might start you off on the middle 40mg which is almost 10x too much and you could have crazy head swooshes and side effects. You'll know how it's like to take extacy if you have not. Stick with 5 mg. He might think it's ok because that's what he's always done, but it's too much.

The problem with Dr's is that they are taught to trust in their own words and that what they say is law. And we are taught to believe them. I'm amazed at how many people are mis-perscribed medication for anxiety. It's simply unbelievable. Actually.. it's not.

The Dr's these days especially in the walk in clinics are getting their schooling done in the carribean. I know several there. They are on facebook posing in pics in their white coats they were given on their first day, drinking, partying. It's where you go when you could not make it into one of our medical schools. These Dr's are of a much lower standard and many of the time do not know much what they are doing. The days of the 'Dr knows best' are over. People are entering the profession easier these days simply to gain family stature and please their parents. Not becuase they really care to help you or yoru community.

So basically that's my peice on it and how I got better. I still do have some anxiety related symptoms (mild tingles etc) becuase i've only been 'better' for about 1.5 months. I didn't think it was ever going to leave but thanks to the medication I can not get on with my life.

My zest for life is back, i'm sober, happy and feel great.

(I just wish I could lose a few pounds though hehe)

Panic33

26-09-09, 15:10

Thanks Crush, That makes sense all you have said. I have been on ADS now for 4weeks and like you say its does stop the worrying - the problem I have its that it only seems to do it in small periods. I don't think I have major issues all the time now, but half the day im OK the other half back to square 1. I'm really not sure if the AD dose is strong enf, I need to give them longer or I should be on a different AD. The other odd thing is I take my med 9am in the morning but it usually by mid eve that I'm calmest and convince myself its anxiety - I don't know if its the ADs at their peek at this time or just I'm worn out by the constant thoughts etc...

I did find this post which could be what I'm describing:
'I started having a few good moments here and there, then a good day here and there, and then a few days, and so on, until at about six to eight weeks I was almost stabilized at "normal," whatever that means, LOL! It is a gradual process, and I remember getting really upset when I'd have a good moment or good day, and then feel bad again. I was so afraid of relapsing, but over time I realized that I was continually improving, and stopped myself from worrying about sliding back'

Bubblegumpixie

26-09-09, 17:11

Hi there!
Yes I think it's possible as I seem to have two "types" of panic attack.
One type I seem to have on a daily basis and is typically heart pumping, over breathing, shaking, having to run etc...
The second type I don't get so often but they are horrid. My whole body violently shakes, my heart is banging so loud and hard, I can't breathe, the colour goes from my face and lips although I feel so hot, I can't seem to string a sentence together and can't walk properly. I had one of these yesterday and tried to walk down a corridor and kept falling and stumbling in to the wall.
Hope this helps!:hugs:
Bubblegum xxx