Some help please? maybe?

[Baish]

Hai!

I'm doing a final year university project on Panic Attacks and what they are and what happens to the body when in panic mode.

I was just curious if anyone could remember their last panic attack and whether they'd be kind enough to describe it in detail...

where you were when it happened?
what were your symptoms (hyperventiliating? gagging?(in my case))
some people claim their sight distorts, like Edward Munch did, did yours? (tunnel vision? blurring?)
how long did the attack last?
how did you over come the attack?

things like that!



...so I can use it to create some awesome posters :biggrin:

Many thanks :biggrin:

All descriptions will be credited to the rightful authors :smile:

[gypsywomen]

last one i had ,,i was in a restaurant with family ,,i was very happy just started getting out again after 2 years of depression and bad anxiety..anyway we were waiting long time for the meal and to be seated...someone bought me a juice with ice i had just sat down to order my meal when got a cod feeling in stomach at first put it down to the ice but then this feeling started creeping up my body like i was going to faint ..got very scared so just ran out to my car hands sweating shacking ,,took a diazepam as i drove home began to relax put it down to tablet but it couldnt have worked in 3 Min's but i felt so much better ,,maggie

[sarah jayne]

The last one i had i was in the kitchen making our tea, i was calm and chilled, i wasnt worried or anything like that. I got a sudden pain in my chest, then i felt like i couldnt breathe, i started hyperventilating, luckily my husband was there to calm me down, it lasted about 10 mins but i felt on edge and very worn out for the rest of the evening. The scary thing for me is that i never know when they are going to happen, i can go months without having one then all of a sudden i'll start getting them again.
Sarah.

[harasgenster]

My worst one was my first bad one (before I knew what to expect). I was at university, going up in the lift in the library, and I suddenly felt like I was going to faint. I convinced myself that I'd be ok once I got out of the lift but when I got into the room I felt like I was going to keel over right away. I ran outside and got some sugary food and drinks thinking it would make me feel better but the fear kept growing, I thought I was going to die. I tried to call my boyfriend or my Mam but my hands were shaking so badly I couldn't press the buttons on my mobile. Then I just absolutely lost it. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me, I felt so ill. So I ran into a university building and just started screaming at the receptionist "help me! Please help me!". She looked at me disapprovinly, I think she thought I was on drugs, so I started telling her I was a student at the university and I was going to faint right away. They let me lie down and gave me a cup of tea but my heart was pounding a mile a minute and my head was spinning. I felt a tremendous feeling of terror and I was shaking as if I was having a fit. When I closed my eyes I felt like I was spiralling out of control but when I opened them it felt like there was too much information. Everything was too bright and too detailed, I was very aware of the lights flickering and it gave me an almost unsupressable urge to scream. It was the most uncomfotable I've ever been.

When I started to collect myself I called my brother and he came to collect me. I insisted on eating because I still felt faint but I was too nauseaus. We went for a sit down and we tried a walk but I couldn't calm down. If we walked too fast I got chest pains becasue my heart was still beating so fast. If we walked too slowly my head was spin because I felt like I had too much energy.

As I said this was my worst panic attack and it instigated a few months of agoraphobia. The symptoms didn't completely disappear for about two months. My heart was always a bit too fast and I would hyperventilate and feel faint, then the feelings would peak into a proper panic attack before going back down to mild symptoms again. I'd have about three panic attacks a day and I couldn't sleep because I was so aware of my heartbeat when I closed my eyes and it was quiet. When I was aware of it it would get faster and my chest would start to hurt.

Anyway, I couldn't go outside for three months and I was scared to go in lifts or small spaces for a year after, plus I was REALLY embarrassed about the way I'd acted when I was scared! But I actually got over it relatively quickly with the help of an SSRI called citalopram and CBT which I found really helpful!

[PoppyC]

Hi Baish!
Hope our experiences of panic attacks can be put to a good use!

where you were when it happened?
On the sofa relaxing watching television during the evening- fully relaxed and out of nowhere the panic attack struck.
what were your symptoms (hyperventiliating? gagging?(in my case))
I felt like something dreadful was about to happen, I could feel my heart pounding, felt like I could not breathe,was being choked, had a 'smothered' sensation, felt hot and nauseous, looked pale, felt like I wanted to scream out for help and thought I was going to faint or die. I was very shaky and trembling all over. It seemed as though the floor was tilting and that I was sliding off it.I was sick and had to practise deep breathing with a lot of difficulty to help me calm down.
some people claim their sight distorts, like Edward Munch did, did yours? (tunnel vision? blurring?)
I had tunnel vision and as though everything was becoming smaller and closing in on me.
how long did the attack last?
From start to finish the attack lasted up to an hour.
how did you over come the attack?
Being sick usually helps me calm down afterwards, and I lie down, or get in a warm bath and practise my breathing skills, and try to relax as much as possible in order to calm down. I usually have a cup of sugary tea afterwards which helps.
I always feel exhausted after a panic attack and fall asleep very soon afterwards and feel drained the next day.
I find that Citalopram has really helped me with the panic attacks. At my worst I was having several a day and now since taking medication I rarely get them. I have also done a lot of self help/reading about panic attacks, which has taken the fear out of them somewhat for me.
I always make sure I don't go hungry or thirsty for long periods of time as I find this brings on panic attacks. I try and maintain a constant blood sugar level.
Hope this may be of some help to you!

[Downsinthenorth]

Where were you when it happened?: Crossing a raised railway bridge to reach my platform (I am afraid of heights, and trains moving beneath me).

My symptoms: problem breathing and swallowing, nausea, dizziness, loss of control over limbs.

How long did attack last?: the length of time I stood thinking about crossing (about 10 minutes) and the time taken actually doing it (about 1 minute).

Overcame attack: worst of the symptoms went once I reached the other side.