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

[bekw89]

The derealisation and feeling like I'm not breathing! Just had a massive psycholigcal panick attack only physical symptoms were jelly legs and tingling face. The derealization was insane. I just froze on the spot. Never had it that bad before I'd say psychological symptoms are the worse.

[GingerFish]

The derealisation and feeling like I'm not breathing! Just had a massive psycholigcal panick attack only physical symptoms were jelly legs and tingling face. The derealization was insane. I just froze on the spot. Never had it that bad before I'd say psychological symptoms are the worse.

hope you are feeling better now

[bekw89]

Thanks Gingerfish. Getting there. Congrats on the 5 mile walk!

[GingerFish]

Thanks legs still haven't recovered from the walk, I don't usually walk the length of myself lol

I find it interesting that a lot of us find the mental symptoms of panic attacks to be the worst (and rightly so) yet they never really get brought up as common symptoms of panic attacks. When a doc explains what an attack is they always say a pounding heart, feeling shaky and yes those symptoms do come and they are horrible but you rarely hear about the true nature of the mental side of panic attacks. I think it that side of an attack was spoke about more, there would be a lot less stigma around those feelings and a lot less confusion to sufferers because we all do think we are going crazy when we feel those symptoms because they aren't even spoken about or explained to us. Its easy to see that extra adrenaline causes a pounding heart but you wouldn't think it would cause you to feel spacey, out of yourself etc and that leads to you feeling you're going crazy which only adds to more fear when we should be told that its just excess adrenaline and still a common panic attack symptom and nothing serious.

[bekw89]

Yes exactly, I said so much to anyone who would listen "my panic is now more mental" and only last week I got an answer! It really does make it so much worse when it's not spoken about anywhere. I actually miss physical symptoms at least you can try and calm your heart beats etc.

[GingerFish]

I miss my physical attacks too. They were horrible but a god send compared to the mental ones. I just had a bad mental one there out of nowhere. It feels like the walls are caving in and it'll never end. You feel so helpless during a mental panic attack.

[bekw89]

Ah sorry to hear that, does your perception shift? Mine earlier I felt like I couldn't walk I was just absolutely terrified of everything and nothing in particular.

[GingerFish]

Yeah my perception shifts. It also feels like everything looks different but I know nothing has changed. I can't even say what looks different but it feels different.

[bekw89]

Yep I get that too. I just went into work to have a welfare review meeting and didn't make it to the door without a panic, everything went completely unreal and safe to say the meeting lasted two minutes and I scarpered out of there completely disorientated disconnected and terrified.

[Bookcrazy]

Hey guys, my scariest symptom is the feeling of death. Like when my mind goes into mad overdrive and I convince myself I'm gonna die in the next hour or so. It takes me days to get over the death symptom. After that it's gotta be the chest pain and sweating as that usually convinces me I'm having a heart attack or something.