For you, what is the scariest symptom of a panic attack?

[GingerFish]

They are horrible and I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. Some are easier to deal with and you can shake it off with some calm breathing and get back to your day in a few mins and then others absolutely floor you. I like learning about how they affect everyone as my mum and stepdad never get the overwhelming mental feelings, theirs are more churning stomach, tight chest, feel sick, tingling etc whereas me and my gran get more of the mental symptoms.

For me personally the worst feeling is the overwhelming feeling of impending doom or that I am dying. I don't get this with every panic attack, just the major ones but the feeling is horrible. I feel like it'll never leave and I find it so hard to forget once its gone even though I know its just a panic attack.

Physical symptom wise, I would say the pounding heart is the scariest for me. It feels like it is never going to slow down.

[tabbycap]

For me, my biggest fear during an attack is passing out! I used to think I was dying! But lately I've been able to control those feelings but now my worst symptom is the feeling of passing out! During a really bad attack I feel like it'll never go awAy! That's a terrifying feeling too!

[xvolatileheart]

Believing I am going to die or getting really intense depersonalisation where nothing feels real.

[Ditapage]

Definitely the dying feeling. I can't understand why I can't just feel a symptom and call it what it is- ie headache, lightheaded. i hate feeling lightheaded- but as hard as it is to say it, I tell myself "so what if I faint. Won't be the first or last person to do it" it decreases the panic to a tolerable level. Feeling faint in a shopping mall for example and saying "I'm so weak I'm not going to make it back to the car" makes my panic go through the roof. My understanding of fainting is it happens quickly , there isn't some huge build up to it. My anxiety has convinced me for 5 years I was about to faint. Enough already!

[GingerFish]

Sorry to hear you all suffer from the feeling of impending fear and death too. It seems to be a common anxiety symptom yet not one people talk about much. When people talk about PA symptoms its always chest pain, dizziness, feeling sick etc you hear but rarely the death and doom feelings. I was so convinced I was experiencing more than just a panic attack because I had never really heard anyone talk about that specific symptom before and I felt so alone.

[ana]

Depersonalisation has got to be the worst one for me. Nothing feels real, not even me, and this completely freaks me out...

[GingerFish]

DP/DR is horrible. It really feels like it'll never end. The longest I had it was for about a month and a half after my worst panic attack. I felt drugged. Everything looked different, I felt disconnected, voices and sounds sounded different. That was worse than the panic attack tbh.

[bab]

Just to say I'm finding this thread really helpful x

[GingerFish]

I'm really glad you're finding this thread helpful. I was worried it might make some people feel worse.

[tabbycap]

DP/DR is horrible. It really feels like it'll never end. The longest I had it was for about a month and a half after my worst panic attack. I felt drugged. Everything looked different, I felt disconnected, voices and sounds sounded different. That was worse than the panic attack tbh.

Oh my gosh im so glad I'm not the only one to go through this lasting forever!! I get this feeling for weeks at a time! And it is so terrifying!!!