Finding it hard to cope after first big panic attack in a long time

I've suffered from panic attacks all my life and still have 'mild' ones very often but I don't have huge ones that genuinely make me feel like I am dying very often. Maybe a couple a year. I had one like that a couple of days ago and I can't shake off the fear from it.

I had been very stressed for the last few days and weeks and the day the panic happened was the day before a big appointment with CMHT that I was dreading (they ended up cancelling an hour before the appt the next day so all that worrying for nothing!).
I was a passenger in my car and we were driving along and I felt ok for the most part, just my usual kind of every day anxious plus the anxiety about the appointment but it was all bearable. Then we came to a small traffic jam and from 0 to 100, I felt trapped, I got that red hot feeling down my neck and into my chest that I get with a panic attack and I felt dizzy despite sitting down and felt the car closing in on me. I told my husband I was having a panic attack and he helped as best as he could while watching the traffic. He turned down a side road as soon as he could and I instantly felt a little better until we joined more traffic and then it started again. We were home about.10 mins later and I could feel my heart pounding, my hands were mildly tingling and I still felt dizzy while sitting but I needed the toilet so I decided I'd best go into the house. As soon as I got out the car and started to walk, I got tunnel vision and I felt like I was going to pass out/faint/fall to the ground and I shouted for my husband. I never did fall but I felt like the ground was uneven and like I was walking on a boat. I also had the horrible doom and loss of control feeling. I felt like I was so close to banging on my neighbours door which was closer than my own door and ask them to call 999.

I eventually get into the house after my husband taking my arm and the dizziness got instantly better but I got vertigo every time I looked up or down or sat down. I literally paced the floor for an hour debating whether to call an ambulance or someone for support. Deep down I knew it was a panic attack but the level of dizziness/vertigo I had terrified me and it still does. Logically I know it was no doubt stress and then hyperventilating that caused it but it's really scared me. I'm scared to go back out in the car or just outside in general, scared it'll happen again when I get the rescheduled appt date through, scared of everything.

Has anyone else had a panic attack like that? I'm just fed up. It reminds me of my worst days with panic attacks and I don't want to go through that all again 💔

I’m sorry this happened! It sounds terrible. It also sounds a lot like the first panic attack I had after years without one. I was driving, which make it even scarier and I had my young daughter in the car. I got all the same symptoms and had to pull over. I called my husband and I got out of the car and walked around for a minutes. I was able to sit in the car and drink some water and relax enough to drive home. But it was just terrible.

I ended up speaking with my doctor and getting a lorazepam prescription to have on hand. I don’t get panic attacks often, my anxiety is more general, but having the prescription gave me a security blanket for when I do. So I know that I won’t be left helpless.

But everything you had sounds like textbook panic! And as a reader of Claire Weeks, you know she’d agree!

Just went through an episode i think. Was just beginning to start my lunch and instantly i was hit with dizziness. Heart rate went up and was instantly overwhelmed. But i stood up and walked around, and lie down on my couch to do some deep breathing. So i was panicking cus i did an ECG On my apple watch and saw high heart rate and 1 atrial fib, but other wise after multiple times it was sinus.

Weird thing was that i just went to the gym and didnt have an issue. Im generally healthy. But damn it’s scary. Still reeling from it, can feel my whole body trembling still.


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