Woke up really confused & panic attack. Help B

[Emilyrose]

I have just had a huge panic attack come and bite me on the backside - I actually can’t remember the last time I had one and this was so intense. I woke up and that was it, I felt confused and then started to worry about that and didn’t know where I was - all in literally split seconds then I felt light headed and thought I was guna pass out.
The confusion is really worrying me does anyone else ever get this like you wake and forget where you are or who is with you ? I am so scared it’s a real problem happening:

I scrambled down the hall way to wake up my partner who was asleep on the sofa and tell him “babe I don’t feel right” I thought I was going to drop down dead. Si sweety and couldn’t breath really hyperventilating which again I haven’t done for a long time !!
Then I quite quickly realised he wasn’t very worried, and that I was still okay and breathing even though I was sweating and shaking and then I calmed down pretty quick . What the helllllll !!!!

How can you panic literally from being asleep ? Help :(

Ps. 12 years health anxiety sufferer. Have reduced my citalopram from 20-15 mg the last 3 weeks. Maybe this has contributed?

Thanks ♥️☹️😓

[ClinPsy]

Hi Emilyrose
Panic attacks can be triggered by many causes : acute stress during the past few days, stress accumulation during long periods, taking some stimulants like caffeine, alcool.. sometimes exercices, and of course change in medications. All thse factors make some changes in your body. Your anxiety amplify the results and start to increase until the panic attack. I understand it is hard to cope with the panic attack but you need slowly to adapt to it. You need to remember that a panic attack is not harmful.

[WiredIncorrectly]

This sounds very similar to what I had the other day. I put a post up. I wasn't sweating, but I was very confused, shaky and my heartrate was sky high.

The confusion is normal after waking up suddenly from a sleep. The brain takes time to adjust. Many people have to have a coffee in the morning to break out of this confusion. I don't condone coffee, but I'm just saying.

As the previous poster said, this can be triggered by a number of factors. More than likely there's additional stressors in your life at the moment. Sometimes it can happen if you miss a dose of medications too.

[NoraB]

How can you panic literally from being asleep ? Help :(

I've had nocturnal panic attacks for years now. This is where I wake up with my heart pounding and all the other delightful symptoms, or I wake up with a terrible sensation of 'foreboding' as if something horrible is going to happen? Then, it starts..

When we become sensitised with anxiety we become hypersensitive. Dreams can trigger a panic attack. Sounds like car doors being slammed shut. A change in temperature (I have quite a few panic attack around 3am when the temp dips)

Reducing your meds will be having an effect also. So what therapy are you having? Because meds alone will only control the symptoms of HA, not the cause...

[ClinPsy]

I am working right now on my thesis in Psychology related to Panic disorder, if you are interested, I can share my findings:

1. In general all anxiety disorders share one comem aspect: Neuroticism. All people with anxiety tend to experience frequent and intense negative emotions associated with a feeling of uncontrollability in response to stress. Let's say they overreact to stress and fell that things cannot be controlled.

2. Panic disorder is specific with anxiety sensitivity. It is the belive that the physical sensations perceived are necessarily dangerous and have potentially dramatic somatic, psychological or social consequences. Let's say, small physical changes can be perceived as dangerous. These changes can come from different sources (change in temperature, physical exercice, caffeine, being very happy, ...).

3. In general, many small stress conditions can accumulate before panic attacks, they are not well processed by the person, means people tend to suppress their feelings, ignore them, so with time, these unprocessed emotions accumulate and explode in the form of panic attack.

In general in therapy, we focus more on : 1) emotion management : identify your emotions linked with stress situations, try to process them, link them with the panic attacks. 2) working on anxiety sensitivity with different methods, exposition to psysical sensations, meditation, acceptation....3) working on identifying and restructuring the cognitions associated with the panic attacks...

So my advice, as per my experience, is medication should be associated with psychotherapy, this is the most efficient way as per the studies. The best psychotherapies are : CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy), ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy) and Mindfulness.

Happy to help if you need to discuss more details

[WiredIncorrectly]

I had my first nocturnal panic attack during my first year exams at University. I bet that's a factor in why you're having them.

In general I agree with the premises for your thesis, but I'd like to read it all in whole if possible I'm not sure if you're allowed to share it though, be careful. Doesn't your thesis actually belong to the University?

[ClinPsy]

My thesis is in progress, not yet completed. Basically, I am doing it part by part, and each part is a scientific article. Right now I have the first article accepted and it is about "Theoritical models of panic disorder", it will be published during the next month I believe. It summarizes all the models (Biological, psychological and integrative). I will share it once officially published.

My second article, summarizes all the studies about emotion management in panic disorder. I will send it for review soon.

Basically the thesis belongs to the student. The articles to the publishing magazine. But sharing results and ideas is fine, I can refer to the articles. I am using my results to share them with patients as I am also clinical Psychologist in France.

I can share a lot of documents as per your need. the important thing is to share the knowledge and help people to progress in their journey towards symptom free state.