mishucence
04-06-10, 19:09
Hi all,
I am 33, and i had my first panic attack when i was 21, but i only finally realized what it was couple of years ago. So at that time, when it happened for the first time, i was going trough a very emotional and stressful period of time. One day i was having lunch with my family and suddenly i felt some tingling just next to my right eye, it was kinda unpleasant. I got up to go and wash my face and as i walked to the kitchen my heart started beating really fast and hard, i felt lightheaded and really weak in general. I had no idea what was happening to me, thought i was dying and had to be rushed to ER. After being checked by a doctor i have been given something to calm me down and sent home. But the next day the same thing happened. And the next... Even though i went trough all of the medical check-ups, and everything was perfectly fine, i was never diagnosed with panic disorder. I was told that it was psychosomatic and that it will go away. And after a month or so of less and less frequent episodes it did, and i never had another one for 6 years.
Then in 2007 it came back. Again, i was under a lot of stress, but positive stress this time. I was moving from one country to another, got a great job, was really looking forward to it. But apparently, stress is stress, no matter if it is good or bad. The attack was really bad that time. Very sudden and unexpected. I was at a friends place, relaxing, chatting the evening away...and thats when it hit me. It felt like a heat wave, it started at my legs and climbed up towards my chest,arms and head. My heart started beating really fast and strong, i felt pins and needles in my arms and kept shaking them, my head was burning...but the worst of all was a feeling that i was loosing my mind and this great fear about it. It lasted for about 10-15 minutes, and i was utterly exhausted afterward. For the next few days i was constantly very afraid of having another episode, but luckily i didnt. This is when i looked the symptoms up on the internet and realized that it was a panic attack.
Its been over 2 years since that time, and i got few attacks since then. None of them was too bad, but it was scary every time nevertheless. But few days ago i had another big one. And this time after the attack was gone, the anxiety stayed. It literally felt like i want to jump out of my skin!!! I couldnt stand being me!! Again i was very afraid that the panic attack will come back, but at the same time i had other symptoms like tightness of the jaw (i still feel that), my arms and legs tense constantly, feeling like i need to move coz i would feel worse when i calm down... this is a feeling that i dont recognize...is this a chronic anxiety? am i gonna have this serious problem now that is gonna get worse? today i am feeling a little bit better, not so nervous, but im really scared of what might happen next. Can someone pls tell me that my case is not so serious and it will only keep happening once in a blue moon, if ever? Or is it gonna get worse?:unsure:
Sorry for such a long post...I just really needed to get it off my chest.
I am 33, and i had my first panic attack when i was 21, but i only finally realized what it was couple of years ago. So at that time, when it happened for the first time, i was going trough a very emotional and stressful period of time. One day i was having lunch with my family and suddenly i felt some tingling just next to my right eye, it was kinda unpleasant. I got up to go and wash my face and as i walked to the kitchen my heart started beating really fast and hard, i felt lightheaded and really weak in general. I had no idea what was happening to me, thought i was dying and had to be rushed to ER. After being checked by a doctor i have been given something to calm me down and sent home. But the next day the same thing happened. And the next... Even though i went trough all of the medical check-ups, and everything was perfectly fine, i was never diagnosed with panic disorder. I was told that it was psychosomatic and that it will go away. And after a month or so of less and less frequent episodes it did, and i never had another one for 6 years.
Then in 2007 it came back. Again, i was under a lot of stress, but positive stress this time. I was moving from one country to another, got a great job, was really looking forward to it. But apparently, stress is stress, no matter if it is good or bad. The attack was really bad that time. Very sudden and unexpected. I was at a friends place, relaxing, chatting the evening away...and thats when it hit me. It felt like a heat wave, it started at my legs and climbed up towards my chest,arms and head. My heart started beating really fast and strong, i felt pins and needles in my arms and kept shaking them, my head was burning...but the worst of all was a feeling that i was loosing my mind and this great fear about it. It lasted for about 10-15 minutes, and i was utterly exhausted afterward. For the next few days i was constantly very afraid of having another episode, but luckily i didnt. This is when i looked the symptoms up on the internet and realized that it was a panic attack.
Its been over 2 years since that time, and i got few attacks since then. None of them was too bad, but it was scary every time nevertheless. But few days ago i had another big one. And this time after the attack was gone, the anxiety stayed. It literally felt like i want to jump out of my skin!!! I couldnt stand being me!! Again i was very afraid that the panic attack will come back, but at the same time i had other symptoms like tightness of the jaw (i still feel that), my arms and legs tense constantly, feeling like i need to move coz i would feel worse when i calm down... this is a feeling that i dont recognize...is this a chronic anxiety? am i gonna have this serious problem now that is gonna get worse? today i am feeling a little bit better, not so nervous, but im really scared of what might happen next. Can someone pls tell me that my case is not so serious and it will only keep happening once in a blue moon, if ever? Or is it gonna get worse?:unsure:
Sorry for such a long post...I just really needed to get it off my chest.