- a need to share about my experience -

[so jems like]

I'm 18 & my panic attacks began a little over a month ago. It started when I tried to sleep and my heart started beating fast and I felt like I was going to black out. I was shakin up at first, but shrugged it off and just made myself go to sleep. I thought I was feeling like this because the two nights before I didn't get a lot of sleep and I had pullen an all nighter. However, afterwards I just felt very tired and exhausted. I couldn't fall asleep and had to take medicine to sleep. Then one night I woke up in the middle of the night to have a drink of water and my heart started pounding fast and hard. It wouldn't stop and was going on for a long time so I went to the emergency room to have it checked up. The doctor said everything was fine but that I was malnourished and dehydrated. I also had some sort of infection. So I thought this was the reason why I was feeling so tired and I had lost 10-15 pounds within the last few weeks. I was reassured and believed that I was okay. Then the next day I woke up from a nap and I experienced another panic attack. But this time it was not only my heart that was beating fast and hard but my stomach started to tighten and it spread throughout my whole body. I couldn't move and I started to panic. I then realized that I was experiencing a panic attack and tried to calm myself down. It went away after couple minutes and after that attack, I've been able to control my emotions and attacks more better. However, it really is a pain. The shortness of breath, light headness, getting tired easily, being sensitive to noise. I couldn't even stay through a whole movie because the noise was making me panic and my heart started to pound again. I think this is all up to me now. I have to have a stronger mindset and more confidence. I'm glad I found this site, it's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one feeling like this. I'm going off to college in less than a month so hopefully I'll be able to cope with this by myself. I took some anti-depressants for 3 weeks and it helped a little. But now I'm taking some medicine with herbs and such. I'm not afraid as much anymore and I hope that I could keep this positive attitude up and get better quickly. I just want to feel better and feel the way I did just 2 months ago ..

After researching this anxiety disorder / panic attacks I was so surprised to see all the symptoms that I had been experiencing. I realize I experience a lot of them. Being unable to sleep, twitching during my sleep, mild headaches, fatigue, weak knees at times, dizziness, shortness of breath, fast hard heart beat, frequent visits to the bathroom, weight loss, stomach pains, chest pains, tingling in the body. Wow, so many symptoms in such a short period of time.

I don't know what triggered this. The two nights before I got this I spent time with a person I really liked and I thought it might because I was so nervous. But, I don't think so because I wasn't as nervous. Yeah, I had butterflies in my stomach but could this little feeling trigger such an attack? Or could this panic attack been triggered by long term stress that was just piled up? Because a year ago I was involved in a big car accident which had me hospitalized for a week and unable to go out of the house for few months. I'm just so confused.

Hm, it's been nice writing about this.

[mothermac]

It does sound like anxiety I have to admit,the symptoms you have been having are exactly the same as mine.I have suffered some form of anxiety related illness all my life I think. I was a highly strung child(I have been told by family members)and always prone to nervousness and jittery feelings.I tended to be ok throughout my college years and then bam 5 years ago after having my daughter I was propelled into a world I did not recognise. I suddenly started to worry about my husband driving constantly and would phone him perhaps 10 times a day to make sure he was ok.He was sympathetic at first but soon started to get fed up of it(which was understandable)I am better on the phoning front now but still feel very anxious when he is working away from home during the day.

I have been for counselling and they put it down to the fact that my father died when I was 11 yrs of age and the stress is coming out now,so I am frightened that the same fate is going to happen to my husband and leave me to bring my daughter up alone like my mother was with me.

This is a whole new ball game to comprehend and I try to manage my anxiety as best I can but have difficulty at times.
I am going through an insomnia phase at the moment and am finding it difficult to sleep. I can identify with all of your symptoms,racing heart,stomach problems,anxiety at night,panic attacks etc I have had the lot.(I am on here posting at 12.30 am so can't sleep again!)I am waiting for some new counselling at this time and hope this may work.

I am pleased you are feeling better as anxiety can be a demon to live with but this site has helped me a lot,I am so glad I found it.It does help to know that we are not alone in our battles with the enemy and I have found some great advice on here.

I hope you keep on feeling ok and keep posting.
Love Mothermac