My first Anxiety/ Panic Attack :(

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aray1107
aray1107 Posts: 75
in Motivation and Support
Hi Everyone,

I joined a while back and have been trying to eat healthier and start exercising to just improve my overall health and feel better.

Last night while at a Blue's concert, I started feeling the walls close in around me and everything went black. More people kept moving into the theatre and my heart started beating so fast and hard, I thought I was having a heart attack. My body got so stiff, I felt paralyzed and could barely speak or explain what was happening, but I could hear everyone around me talking and even their footsteps felt so sensitive to my ears. My boyfriend helped me out to get some air, but as I walking I stiffened up again and got really scared and felt like I was going to pass out (mostly, die though). We made it to my car and after taking several deep breaths, the rush to my head and dizziness would not disappear so I went to ER. My blood pressure was high (for me anyways) and my heart rate was about 155. They did blood work, urine, and an EKG. All tests checked out.

They monitored me for about an hour and half, and gave me the smallest dosage of Xanax (which I've never had). After about 30 minutes, the blackness and dizziness started to subside, and I actually felt like I was back in the world, and not continuing to come in and out.

I've had about 3 or 4 people pass away in the last year, and it's really bothered me. My dad was having some health issues lately. My grandma was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Plus just now trying to eating better and be healthier and happy for myself. Has anyone else experienced a full blow panic attack like this? I mean, this was beyond any stress or anxiety I have in a day. How do you cope? Any thoughts or advice would be helpful as this just happened last night and I'm a little shook up about the situation.

Thank you! :)

Replies

  • myopus
    myopus Posts: 321 Member
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    Click on Search (forum search) and type panic attack; there are lots of posts on this so you should find others who have gone through that same experience. Good luck!
  • ajenquin
    ajenquin Posts: 14
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    I have had a few panic attacks in the past, they are scary. I'm glad someone was there with you to help you out. I'll tell you that the first one is the worst because you have no idea what is going on and it really does feel as if you are dieing. hopefully you never have to go through it again! In case you do, however, hear are a few things that I have found helpful to minimize the effect :

    -As soon as you start to feel like the walls are closing in or that you are getting light-headed, excuse yourself from the group of people you are around and find somewhere quiet
    -Ask someone to follow you with cold water, but then ask them politely to go away (but not too far just in case)
    -Take deep slow breaths and small sips of water
    -I will also sometimes pour some of the water on my hand and put that on the back of my neck (that's where your body determines how hot/cold it is, and your body is programmed to slow heart rate and respiration when cold, you don't want to shock it, however)
    -Try to think of something calming, a song, a beach, a significant other, anything will do. You pretty much want to distract your mind so it can slowly return everything to its normal rhythm.

    I hope this is helpful. If you have any other questions or just want to talk it out, I am less than a semester away from graduating with a degree in psychology, so I am more than willing to help.
  • aray1107
    aray1107 Posts: 75
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    Thank you so much for the helpful tips!! I'm hoping it never happens again, but if it does I'm working on way to be prepared.
  • cnick21
    cnick21 Posts: 24 Member
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    Panic attacks are not by any means, fun. So many of us experience them unfortunately. They are horrifying and you feel like you're body is shutting down..scary stuff. I would talk to your doctor to see what your options are. Whenever I feel one coming on (if I can..most of the time they just spring up out of nowhere though), I try to focus on controlling my breathing, and sometimes it helps if I can catch it in time. I wish you the best of luck though...you will get through it! =)
  • magiale05
    magiale05 Posts: 14
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    I know exactly how you feel. I first starting having panic attacks when I was 11 years old. It is a horrible, horrible feeling. What's worse though is that for people who haven't experienced it, look at you as though you are nuts and then you DO feel nuts. (but you are not) I didn't realize what they were at that young age, I would just try and "ignore" all the signs that were happening, which would eventually lead to me just passing out. Usually though my panic attacks were associated with traumatic type things, or things I guess I considered to be traumatic. (I won't even go near a blood donation center *shudder*). As I got older, and they starting happening out of the blue, I sought out medical attention for this, I too was perscribed Xanax Which does help a lot. I do not take it as perscribed, I just always have some at home, and carry some on me, just in case the need should arise and I can't control it. In addition to the meds I also play a lot of internal mind tricks. When I feel it coming on, I'll look at the time, pick a time many hours from that time and say to myself...okay if you are still having these feeling at that time I give you permission to freak out. Which of course I never am. And many more little things like that. I also imagine my anxiety as an ocean wave and I am just floating on it trying to ride it out, letting it rise and fall, rise and fall until it eventually just crests and crashes on the shore to just get washed away. For me, I really don't know why I experience panic attacks, I think it may be genetic since I did find out that my mother suffers from them as well. Not sure. Please know that you are not alone, and you will figure out how to cope. The trick is finding what works for you, and not letting it stop you from doing things you want to do. And like you said...hopefully this will never happen again for you! Good luck :)
  • jaynemaria
    jaynemaria Posts: 58 Member
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    You have my every sympathy, I have suffered panic attacks for the last ten years, I had one so bad a couple of years ago and the numbness was so bad that I was checked in hospital for a possible stroke. I avoided places where there were lots of people becasue that would trigger them off. I learnt breathing techniques from a counsillor for them and they do help although I still get them 3 or 4 times a month its a big improvement on the every day they used to be.

    Hope you dont have any more. xx
  • aray1107
    aray1107 Posts: 75
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    Thank you everyone for the encouragement and support. It's helpful to know I'm not crazy OR alone. While at work, I felt one coming on. It literally was out of nowhere. I had nowhere to go really, so I grabbed a Xanax and took some deep breaths and it did pass. I think one of my biggest fears is simply the fear of it coming back like before. SO incredibly terrifying. Thank you all for the helpful tips!

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