For you, whats the scariest symptom of a panic attack?

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I got on well at therapy. I'm getting 30+ sessions apparently. The psychologist was lovely and very understanding. I felt like I could tell her everything about OCD, even the things I feel ashamed and embarrassed of which was great :smile:

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Good to hear! Were you nervous or anything? How frequent will they be? Sorry if I'm asking too much into it.

Reply 61

Rum Ham

Original post by dhr90

Good to hear! Were you nervous or anything? How frequent will they be? Sorry if I'm asking too much into it.

No worries, I'm fine talking about it :smile:

she said the appointments should be weekly but maybe fortnightly at times but I'll know for sure when she calls me back next week. I was terrified before my appointment. I was up since 7am and my appt was until half past 1 so I sat there panicking for hours. I went for a bath and done some housework but neither helped calm me down. I was OK once I got there and I found that as soon as I started talking, everything just came out and it was easy. I'm drained now though. Its been a long day!

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 62

dhr90

Original post by Spock's Socks

No worries, I'm fine talking about it :smile:

I know that drained feeling! I've unloaded everything onto a close friend once or twice, once you start, you can't stop, really drained me and left me empty. Should be easier next time now too?

Reply 63

Rum Ham

Original post by dhr90

I know that drained feeling! I've unloaded everything onto a close friend once or twice, once you start, you can't stop, really drained me and left me empty. Should be easier next time now too?

Yeah should be easier next time though I don't think I'll be getting the same psychologist for my sessions as I got yesterday. I think the woman I for yesterday was just the psychologist who reviews me before I get sent off to the long term or short term therapy team but she wrote down everything I said and will pass that onto whoever I get so I won't have to repeat everything I said yesterday which will be good :smile:

like I said, I'm fine talking about it but it does get draining and tiring.

I felt lighter but heavier after talking about it yesterday if that makes sense? As soon as I got home my stepdad asked me how I got on and he came out with things like "we all have a bit of OCD", " its not debilitating at all", "its just your personality" and crap like that and I cited him all the sites that show it's not something we all have a bit of, that its one of the most debilitating conditions you can have and all that jazz and he just scoffed. That really deflated me and angered me but there's so much ignorance with this condition that I should be used to it by now. He was the same when I first got panics, he told me to "man up". He changed his tune once he started to suffer from them though! Thankfully my mum and my bf are understanding and knowledgeable about OCD and I suppose that's all that matters. I've painted my stepdad out to be a prick and yeah he can be but he's old school and nearly 60, his views aren't easily changed.

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Reply 64

Rum Ham

Haven't felt right since my first session on Wednesday. Been so drained and deflated, both mentally and physically even though I've now caught up on sleep and meals. Been panicking too but its mainly been depersonalization/derealization I've been feeling more. Any of you guys ever experience DP/DR? The first time I experienced them it terrified me. It still scares me a bit but not as much as in the past.

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Reply 65

childofthesun

Original post by Spock's Socks

Yes, for me it's the worst/scariest symptom of a panic attack-that and the feeling of imminent danger and like I'm going to die. While the other physical symptoms are also horrible, the feeling of being a stranger in your body,disconnected from reality, is so terrifying!

Reply 66

Rum Ham

Original post by childofthesun

Sorry to hear you suffer from DP/DR too, it really is horrible! Sometimes with me it lasts a few minutes or it lasts for a few days here and there but the first time I got it it lasted for three weeks straight and I had no idea what it was. I hate it. It makes you feel like a stranger in your own mind, your own body, your own home. I feel like nowhere is safe or mine when I'm in that state and it's so hard to explain to someone how it feels if they haven't experienced it. I hope you don't get it often! :frown:

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Reply 67

Anonymous #2

The sweating and choking feeling in my chest, and gradually getting hotter and hotter and feeling like I'm going to collapse

Reply 68

clairerhyannon_

I don't really know if I'd consider this as a panic attack but I wanted to know what other people thought?? Sometimes if I'm feeling really stressed and/or guilty or something I just start crying and hyperventilating and repeating words like 'sorry' and 'stop it stop it stop it' as if I'm going crazy and I don't really know what to think of it as it's only happened about 3 times

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 69

Nerwen

For me, one of the worst parts about an attack is when I fall unconscious. The distressing thoughts and feelings are awful, but it is terrifying knowing that when you leave the house there is chance you will collapse. It is especially terrifying when I'm walking next to some of the main roads in my area, I just don't know what will happen to me.

Below is a description of what happens to me (please don't read if it is likely to make you feel bad)

When I get an attack I start to hyperventilate and I start to become very dizzy. I feel trapped, like there is no way out and it feels like my body is shutting down. I become very aware of everything that is going wrong with my body, but it feels like I can't stop it and I become hysterical. I will start shaking and my limbs start violently jerking, however I have to get up and get to a toilet quickly as I know I'm going to start being sick everywhere. My blood levels start to go crazy and I am filled with desperation, I become convinced I am going to die. After a couple of minutes I will normally fall unconscious, however this does not mean an end to the attack. I have had attacks that have lasted hours, and it just feels like this never-ending horrific cycle.

I'm very lucky that my fiancé knows how to deal with me. He is good at calming me down and stopping it before it goes too far. I make pom-poms, I have a fairly large one that hangs off my bag, and two small ones that hang off a bracelet on my wrist. I find that feeling these can be a big help when it comes to calming down.

Reply 70

Rum Ham

Original post by clairerhyannon_

Yes that does sound like a panic attack to me. They come in all different forms. One can have you fearing you're dying and then the next time you can feel like you're losing your mind. Sounds to me in your case your panic attack was caused by hyperventilation due to stress. Hyperventilation causes most of the physical symptoms of a panic attack.

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Reply 71

clairerhyannon_

Original post by Spock's Socks

Well I just hope they don't become a regular thing :/

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Reply 72

LavenderBlueSky88

I've only had one experience that I call a panic attack but it probably wasn't...I don't really know what it was. I felt just really distressed for no reason (literally was just out with friends having a nice time then bang I felt like the world was about to end) I started crying but apparently had no expression and people were trying to talk to me and I could hear them but I just felt like I wasn't there. Then when I did try to talk I couldn't, which made me more distressed. My heart was racing and it just felt like a bad dream. It only lasted about 15 minutes but felt like it went on forever.

To this day everyone assumes something really bad had happened to me that night and I just didn't want to talk about it... To be honest I'd rather that than not really knowing what happened!

Reply 73

Rum Ham

Original post by LavenderBlueSky88

That sounds exactly like a panic attack to me! They often happen totally out the blue and last up to around 20 mins. Hope you don't experience it again. They are horrible! :frown:

Reply 74

Rum Ham

Original post by clairerhyannon_

Well I just hope they don't become a regular thing :/

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I hope so too. Try and remain as stress free as possible and make sure you are eating and sleeping well and you will be on the right track for hopefully not having another one :smile:

Reply 75

Little Popcorns

Original post by LavenderBlueSky88

This is me just now but I guess I'm nervous about tomorrow having exposure for agoraphobia but the level of anxiety is way out of proportion right now.

Shaky leaf now and funny tickle in my throat :frown:

Reply 76

Free_Icecream_Yo

For me it's not the actual attack. Those are awful and for me the worst part is the pain I get in my muscles when I can't breath properly.

But it's the feelings of shame I get afterwards is the worst part, because I can't snap out of self-loathing for hours afterwards and I feel totally useless.

Reply 77

jazjaz

Feel like I'm going to die and feeling utterly helpless and out of control.

Reply 78

Rum Ham

I had a few today. I was in town with my gran and my bf and papa went their own way and they never had a phone with them so I kept constantly thinking "what if something happens to me or gran and I can't get a hold of them?! What if something happens to them and they can't get a hold of me?!" Etc and everything was fine but the anxiety was building up for over an hour and as soon as I got home I just collapsed to the floor and took a panic and then had a horrible wave of despair, deflation, depression wash over me. Thankfully it went away after a good cry but I've been feeling quite meh every since. I'm quite disappointed in myself as yday was the first day in ages I had been quite calm and optimistic but I know each day is different and it doesn't mean I'm at square one, it's just a bit disheartening. I think also suffer from SAD too. Will be glad when winter is over.

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Reply 79

dhr90

I get that anxiety too, about a few things. I know that the probability is very very low that anything I worry about would happen, and I've even gone through whatever situation before, but I just can't stop myself from thinking about those things and letting it get to me.