For you, whats the scariest symptom of a panic attack?
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Where were you guys when you had your first panic? Did it come on totally out the blue or was it during a stressful time? Could you tell instantly it was a panic attack or were you bluffed into thinking it was a heart attack, you had been drugged etc?
About 3/4 years ago (I would have been 19) I was just sitting in a lecture at college, minding my own business and I was feeling fine and boom out of nowhere the room was spinning, my heart was pounding, I felt like I was being smothered, I was swearing buckets and I had to leave the room. I felt fine as soon as I got outside the room. I never even clicked it could be a panic attack at first. I thought I had been drugged or something. I have contamination fear related OCD so fearing I was drugged or poisoned came into my head before thinking it was a panic. I then started to get them in every lecture, then in every class, then on the way to college, then at home and so on and so on until I got them any time, anywhere. My life was dominated by them. Took me a while to accept it was 'only' anxiety and nothing more. I wasn't stressed at that point in my life. Things were good and content and then that happened. I had always been a worrier and had OCD but never experienced panic attacks like that before and it only got worse from then. Its true, you always remember your first panic
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About 3/4 years ago (I would have been 19) I was just sitting in a lecture at college, minding my own business and I was feeling fine and boom out of nowhere the room was spinning, my heart was pounding, I felt like I was being smothered, I was swearing buckets and I had to leave the room. I felt fine as soon as I got outside the room. I never even clicked it could be a panic attack at first. I thought I had been drugged or something. I have contamination fear related OCD so fearing I was drugged or poisoned came into my head before thinking it was a panic. I then started to get them in every lecture, then in every class, then on the way to college, then at home and so on and so on until I got them any time, anywhere. My life was dominated by them. Took me a while to accept it was 'only' anxiety and nothing more. I wasn't stressed at that point in my life. Things were good and content and then that happened. I had always been a worrier and had OCD but never experienced panic attacks like that before and it only got worse from then. Its true, you always remember your first panic
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Panic attacks scare the hell out of me still to this day and I've had them for about 6-7 years now but I still just can't get used to them! The thing that scares me the most is I find it hard to breathe and with asthma that's pretty scary! It feels like your lungs are closing in and there's no oxygen in the room it's horrible and that first breath you are able to take when everything is ok again is like the best feeling ever! My hands also sweat loads which is so gross because it is literally like water dripping off of my fingers but that's just another fun sympton of having anxiety and panic attacks...
I can't imagine how extra scary panic attacks must be when you already have a condition like asthma 
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First one was at work. Thankfully I was mostly working alone that day and managed to half suppress it until I got home and just let it take over for an hour. Strangely felt better afterwards, like a weight had lifted. I was quite stressed at the time, I kinda knew what was going on, I think mine have been quite mild compared to others here.
hopefully all is good other than the panic attacks; best wishes lovely x
Original post by Spock's Socks
This helps me too. When I'm at home, touching my fluffy covers or petting my cats help and outside I try and focus on looking at people and see how they are acting fine and there's no great disaster going on and that calms me down. Its like every other calming technique though, some days it works and other times it doesn't. Finding a way to get yourself through anxiety or panics is very much trial and error. Even after having panics for 4 years now, I'm still finding new things that can either help or hinder me.
Feeling like you can't catch your breath i.e. feeling like you're dying
Last night I had a bad panic out the blue. I was just sitting there eating my dinner and then the pounding heart came on, the fear and the room started spinning. I managed to tell myself it was just a panic and my heart slowed down within a minute and I forgot about it for the rest of the night which is unlike me after a panic attack but now, today, I have to go out into town later and now I'm dreading in case I take a bad one while out but I'll just need to accept whatever happens.
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Original post by Spock's Socks
Last night I had a bad panic out the blue. I was just sitting there eating my dinner and then the pounding heart came on, the fear and the room started spinning. I managed to tell myself it was just a panic and my heart slowed down within a minute and I forgot about it for the rest of the night which is unlike me after a panic attack but now, today, I have to go out into town later and now I'm dreading in case I take a bad one while out but I'll just need to accept whatever happens.
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Sounds like you did something last night that helped you to forget about it? Were you busy, or was it what you told yourself? If you can work that out and make progress then it would be great! Hope you got on ok in town.
Original post by dhr90
Sounds like you did something last night that helped you to forget about it? Were you busy, or was it what you told yourself? If you can work that out and make progress then it would be great! Hope you got on ok in town.
Nah I wasn't busy, I was just sitting there eating and only had my dinner to focus on. I just managed to tell myself that the only time in my whole life my heart has ever raced out of the blue is when I have a panic attack or I'm anxious and that's nothing to stress over and it went away. Tried it again during a panic and it failed. It's all trial and error! I was OK in town. I had a few JDs and coke while in town with my gran and tbh that made me more anxious than the crowds did! Think its because I rarely drink now so the slightest sip goes straight to my head.
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The way my vision goes all blurry and I cant see or hear anything other than whats causing the attack (whether it's actually there or not) 
Original post by Punk_Rock_Socks
The way my vision goes all blurry and I cant see or hear anything other than whats causing the attack (whether it's actually there or not)
I get that too. It's horrible! It's such a suffocating feeling when all you can see, hear and feel is your panic attack
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Original post by Spock's Socks
I get that too. It's horrible! It's such a suffocating feeling when all you can see, hear and feel is your panic attack
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Yeah, especially when you add nausea and not being able to breathe into that equation too!
Original post by Punk_Rock_Socks
Yeah, especially when you add nausea and not being able to breathe into that equation too!
I have a phobia of sickness/nausea so I know what you mean! I feel like if I didn't have that phobia, how often I get panic attacks would drop down by at least 90%! I've never really had the trouble breathing during a panic attack before but it's really common and sounds terrifying
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Original post by Spock's Socks
I have a phobia of sickness/nausea so I know what you mean! I feel like if I didn't have that phobia, how often I get panic attacks would drop down by at least 90%! I've never really had the trouble breathing during a panic attack before but it's really common and sounds terrifying
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oh gosh I couldnt even imagine having that! Bless you
Yeah I've learnt to make the conscious decision to actually breathe before anything else but when I first started getting them it was even worse!
Original post by Punk_Rock_Socks
oh gosh I couldnt even imagine having that! Bless you
Yeah I've learnt to make the conscious decision to actually breathe before anything else but when I first started getting them it was even worse!
Yeah I've learnt to make the conscious decision to actually breathe before anything else but when I first started getting them it was even worse!
Yeah this phobia sucks. I'm getting therapy for OCD soon so I'm hoping that therapy might tie in with the phobia and might teach me some tricks on how to deal with it better
Do you suffer from panic attacks a lot then?
Original post by Spock's Socks
Yeah this phobia sucks. I'm getting therapy for OCD soon so I'm hoping that therapy might tie in with the phobia and might teach me some tricks on how to deal with it better
Do you suffer from panic attacks a lot then?
Do you suffer from panic attacks a lot then?
It probably will if you ask your therapist! I used to go to a psychologist up until august of this year and she was brilliant for things like that
I used to, not so much now though. I have had really bad depression and anxiety problems which are mostly in control now (medication, relaxation techniques ect.) but I still get them from time to time.
Been staying at my mum's for the last two days since I am cat sitting for her and I'm surprised I managed to cope with the panics I had on my own. I was dreading staying and was expecting to be on the phone to my bf every half hour begging him to pick me up but I've been fine. Just been playing with the cats, talking to my bf on fb and watching some movies. Going back home tonight which I'm a wee bit nervous about as last time I stayed at my mum's for a few days and went back home, I took a bad panic and felt lost in my flat. Was a horrible feeling.
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Feeling so helpless and vulnerable.. you can't breathe and your head aches because you can't stop crying and you're hyperventilating. Sitting down only makes it worse and I have to pace if only to keep breathing. You don't know when it's going to end and you don't know how to make it end.
Original post by IFoundWonderland
Feeling so helpless and vulnerable.. you can't breathe and your head aches because you can't stop crying and you're hyperventilating. Sitting down only makes it worse and I have to pace if only to keep breathing. You don't know when it's going to end and you don't know how to make it end.
I find sitting still makes me worse too. I feel like I have to pace the floor or run and down the stairs to burn off the adrenaline. Sometimes it helps and other times it doesn't. Its a horrible feeling. You feel trapped in your own mind and body with no escape. You just want to jump out of your own skin.
Original post by Spock's Socks
I find sitting still makes me worse too. I feel like I have to pace the floor or run and down the stairs to burn off the adrenaline. Sometimes it helps and other times it doesn't. Its a horrible feeling. You feel trapped in your own mind and body with no escape. You just want to jump out of your own skin.
I think if I ran I'd pass out
asthma + panic attacks is not a good mix. I feel like pacing and counting steps keeps some sense of control :3
