panic attacks along with constant Fear/anxiety/dread

[sun-shine]

Hi everyone. I'm brand-new too this site and would love any feedback/comments you may have regarding my situation.

I experienced my first panic-attack around 9 months ago, which was triggered by the death of a family member. I had never had anything like that happend to me before and it scared me too my very core. After a quick trip to A&E (thinking i was on the verge of a heart attack and thinking i was going to die any minute) the nurse sat me down and reassured me everything was going to be ok and that i was having a 'panic attack'... For days after i was shook up off the whole ordeal, but after a week or so i was back to my normal self, and panic attacks where the last thing on my mind.

That was until 6 weeks ago when a "out the blue" panic attack happened which scared me so bad. I had been out for dinner with friend and come home to unwind. as i lay on my bed all of a sudden i had this "overhelming" feeling come over me. A feeling of being out of tune with the world and not really being here??. i immediatley thought something was wrong with me, and i was going to die any second! My heart started beating soo fast, and my whole body was pins and needles. my hands locked and i couldnt breath properly. Feeling so fearful and out of sorts i ran around the house not knowing what to do? For what seemed like an eternity the panic attack slowely subsided and i regained some tiny form of normality-feeling. However i was still left with this great fear and anxiety.

3 weeks after this attack i still haven't felt right. I have been experiencing a number of panic attacks during the day and at night and i'm full of anxiety and fear 24/7. I have been scared too sleep and have been convincing myself there is something seriously wrong with me? I have also developed this great fear of death and of "dying"? This anxiety is with me all day every day. Making myself soo sick with worry i went to see my GP. I told her how i was feeling and what i had experienced and she told me there and then it was anxiety related and a panic disorder along with a case of depression. She has given me a course of tablets called "citalopra' and some sleeping pills too help me unwind at night.

It's been little over 4 days since taking the drugs and this feeling of intense anxiety still lingers, i think of nothing else.

I know i'v rambled on so im going to stop now. Any advice/help/guidence would be great at this time.

-symptoms -

• Surges of overwhelming panic
• Feeling of losing control or going crazy
• Heart palpitations or chest pain
• Feeling like you’re going to pass out
• Trouble breathing or choking sensation
• Hyperventilation
• Hot flashes/chills
• Trembling or shaking
• Nausea or stomach cramps
• Feeling detached or unreal
• Intense fear of dying

[AlexandriaUK]

Normal Normal Normal
Well to a lot of us on here all your symptoms are normal for Panic/Anxiety Disorder.
Go back to docs and ask to be reffered to an anxiety management course before you get to a point where you cant control it and it takes over your life.
I have had mine for 40+ years and still get days/weeks where it comes a visiting but like all things as we get to know him we gain some control and have the strength most days to ignore his visits.
I hope you are feeling a little better after reading the posts on the forum and know you are not alone.

[sun-shine]

Thanks jamangie... I've been reading through some of the posts in the forum and it does give me a little reassurance (although everything i do these days makes me so scared and anxious, even reading peoples posts? silly i know) i think as well, its the fear of the 'un-know' and the constant non-stop fear/anxiety 24hrs a day... of course these constant symptoms dont help. I have an other appoitment for 2wks time, will mention the anxiety course. I will try anything, im desprate to feel normal again if ever?...

[xJust_Sarahx]

Hi
what you describing is normal and harmless. I been having feelings like this since i was 15/16 and im 23 now.
I have had times where i feel relaxed and watching a dvd or snuggled with my partner etc when all of a sudden il just come over realllly scared, il litreally jump up and feel like i cant breathe and il start pacing the floor and just wondering to the phone going to phone for help, by this time my hearts beating so fast and i start getting really hot and dizzy and literally feel like im dying, il struggle to catch my breath and can barely talk, and then get flashing images of me lying on the floor suffocating type thing!
Then maybe 20 mins or so later il suddenly begin to calm down and actually be able to sit still and take deep breathes!
When im eventually as calm as il get i will think to my self "where did that come from?" how could that happen when i was enjoying my film.

Believe me all kinds of things go through my head, its very hard to believe that anxiety can make you feel like this and just comes out of the blue like that, een when we not in any akward and unrelaxed situations!

I used to get this at least a few times a day, but now i maybe have 2 or 3 reallly bad attacks aday, but finding ways of managing it and challenging it is the best way!

As for the fear of dying.. that is perfectly normal, everyone on this site has that fear - thats why we are here!

As for the citraplam your taking and that, i got advised to use that and was told it could take up to 6 weeks to work, i guess it may depend on the dose, i chose not to take it when i was pregnant at the time. Give it time to kick in, if you feel no different then talk to your gp.

If you ever wanna talk, feel free to message me

[sun-shine]

Hi
what you describing is normal and harmless. I been having feelings like this since i was 15/16 and im 23 now.
I have had times where i feel relaxed and watching a dvd or snuggled with my partner etc when all of a sudden il just come over realllly scared, il litreally jump up and feel like i cant breathe and il start pacing the floor and just wondering to the phone going to phone for help, by this time my hearts beating so fast and i start getting really hot and dizzy and literally feel like im dying, il struggle to catch my breath and can barely talk, and then get flashing images of me lying on the floor suffocating type thing!
Then maybe 20 mins or so later il suddenly begin to calm down and actually be able to sit still and take deep breathes!
When im eventually as calm as il get i will think to my self "where did that come from?" how could that happen when i was enjoying my film.

Believe me all kinds of things go through my head, its very hard to believe that anxiety can make you feel like this and just comes out of the blue like that, een when we not in any akward and unrelaxed situations!

I used to get this at least a few times a day, but now i maybe have 2 or 3 reallly bad attacks aday, but finding ways of managing it and challenging it is the best way!

As for the fear of dying.. that is perfectly normal, everyone on this site has that fear - thats why we are here!

As for the citraplam your taking and that, i got advised to use that and was told it could take up to 6 weeks to work, i guess it may depend on the dose, i chose not to take it when i was pregnant at the time. Give it time to kick in, if you feel no different then talk to your gp.

If you ever wanna talk, feel free to message me

Thank-you so much for your post sarah. What you described has happened so many times to me too... Where iv been relaxing (or trying too) or just about to fall asleep I get that "overwhelming feeling" and that rush of adrenalin followed by the panic! The symptoms that the anxiety causes pretty much every second of the day is driving me crazy as it keeps scaring me in to a panic. Its like a vicious circle isn't it?!...

Thanks again... I'll keep you informed.

[Gloria]

Hi Everyone,
I have just been reading some of your thoughts and problems with panic attacks. Sunshine you sum up the symptoms perfectly. I can put a tick to all of them. I am due to go to Spain at the end of the week, and the nearer it gets the more panic I am feeling. Not so much with the flight, but worrying about if is too hot and what I will do if I have a panic attack while I am out somewhere. They have happened before whilst I have been out and more than anything I feel so stupid. I was wondering if any of you have any tips to help me cope. I really feel as though I would rather just not go and cancel the whole thing, but that would just spoil it for everyone. It is such a relief sometimes to come on to this website, and feel as though there are people out there who understand how I feel. Does anyone else feel as though nobody understands, what it's like to have a panic attack and live each day in fear ( mostly of things that don't exist). Anyway I've moaned enough, shed a few tears and feel a bit better. Hope to hear from someone. Cheers Gloria

[mtatum4496]

Sun-shine no doubt by now you've read through enough of the posts on this forum to know that everything you describe is very familiar to all of us. The good counsel you've received in regard to seeking treatment is right on the mark. One thing I would stress is that you should not get discouraged if the first approaches to treatment don't yield results. Many of us have found that it is a bit of a task to find the right combination of treatments that speaks to our individual conditions and begin to recover from our nervous illness. As you seek to find the combination that is right for you, know that you'll get plenty of support from people here.

And Gloria - yes, sometimes it is so frustrating when people don't get it, even when they are trying to do so. Over time, I've become convinced that there is no way for even the most sincere of loved ones to fully grasp what is going on inside of us unless they have been through the same sort of thing. On the one hand, I wish people did understand a little better. On the other hand, I wouldn't wish any of what I've gone through on anybody.

Thank God for this forum and the ability to communicate with others who do understand. I can't begin to describe how much solace and comfort it has been to me since I found it in 2008.

[sun-shine]

Hi Gloria, thanks for your post. I feel for you. My family are lovely but I don't think they really understand what's going on, and that is a phase or something? Everyone keeps telling me I'm going to be alright but I don't think I am?...

Today I woke up with the usual feeling of anxiety and doom, after forcing down eggs for breakfast (my stomachs been in knots for days and everything I eat makes me feel like I'm choking, blah!) I decided enough was enough and I went for a swim. I felt better after it, and I would recommend anxiety sufferers to go swimming too. The "normality" feeling doesn't last very long, But its a help! I'm still in the core of my anxiety issues right now so don't have a lot of words of wisdom. I just hope it starts to feel lighter then it does right now.

Kind regards x

[sun-shine]

Sun-shine no doubt by now you've read through enough of the posts on this forum to know that everything you describe is very familiar to all of us. The good counsel you've received in regard to seeking treatment is right on the mark. One thing I would stress is that you should not get discouraged if the first approaches to treatment don't yield results. Many of us have found that it is a bit of a task to find the right combination of treatments that speaks to our individual conditions and begin to recover from our nervous illness. As you seek to find the combination that is right for you, know that you'll get plenty of support from people here.

And Gloria - yes, sometimes it is so frustrating when people don't get it, even when they are trying to do so. Over time, I've become convinced that there is no way for even the most sincere of loved ones to fully grasp what is going on inside of us unless they have been through the same sort of thing. On the one hand, I wish people did understand a little better. On the other hand, I wouldn't wish any of what I've gone through on anybody.

Thank God for this forum and the ability to communicate with others who do understand. I can't begin to describe how much solace and comfort it has been to me since I found it in 2008.

Thanks for the post. Yes after reading through the panic/anxiety forums it did bring to light the amount of people on here who suffer similar symptoms as myself. I also agree with you about the therapy, I guess its gonna be hard to find the one I need, but once I do I am hope its a help. I'm desperate to lead a normal life. I just wish I could go back to the "me" I was before all this fear and anxiety I carry around now....

[ashton 88]

Hi sun-shine i have suffered from panic attacks for 2 yrs now. They were ruining my life, i lost so much weight couldnt eat or sleep and just felt i was living in constant fear of having another one. I had a bad attack 2day and i called a place called breathing space, you should look them up on the internet i found them really helpful. How long have you suffered this? I am on the escitalopram 10mg and you need to just stick to them as they will help u in the long run. Exercise can help to as it will use the adrenalin that feeds the panic attack.
Hope you start to feel better soon. x