Your Worst Panic Attack

Panic attacks can be frightening. This is a place to share your story about your worst panic attack and to read about the worst anxiety attacks of others.

Panic attack symptoms include racing heart, terror, shaking, dizziness, chest pain… and various other frightening symptoms of anxiety. Read on for more information about the panic and anxiety symptoms others experience.

Other Visitors’ Worst Panic Attacks

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page…

Table Of Contents
  1. Other Visitors' Worst Panic Attacks
  2. Felt like heart had stopped and something shocked me to wake and keep breathing and I let out a gasp
  3. really scarey
  4. the worst panic attack I've ever had, at school.
  5. My panic attack experience
  6. The Attack of the Overwhelming
  7. Random intense panic attack
  8. Every Panic Attack is the Worst Panic Attack
  9. my mornings when my kids goes to school
  10. It was pretty bad.
  11. My first ever panic attack.
  12. Panic
  13. insanity
  14. My first panic attack
  15. out of nowhere
  16. In the middle of a restaurant
  17. Worst feeling I've ever had
  18. Panic Attack First Timer
  19. Panic Strategies
  20. Almost every day…
  21. the fear
  22. I felt face-to-face with death.
  23. Every one is the worst
  24. First day freak out
  25. The worst feeling in the world.
  26. i think/thought my heart was failing
  27. High school stress
  28. When I was walking home from the park
  29. My one and only so far
  30. the panic attack i thought was death
  31. Vacation
  32. My panic attack
  33. First Panic Attack at 14 years old
  34. Are You Serious!!!!
  35. I thought It was my last few minutes.
  36. My first ever panic attack?
  37. At a Birthday party
  38. Worst. Hangover. Ever.
  39. Panic attack in School
  40. Real and frightening
  41. what just happened…
  42. First Panic Attack
  43. I just want to feel normal again 🙁
  44. Worst Panic Attack Ever
  45. The first panic attack was my worse because I didnt know what was happening
  46. sudden feeling of terror
  47. I thought I was going to die 🙁
  48. Panic Attacks Suck!
  49. My First Panic Attack
  50. my worst panic attack(s)
  51. Hungover and out of meds
  52. Woke up feeling pressure and panic
  53. I'm losing it
  54. 7 years later
  55. Anxiety
  56. Panic in the middle of worship
  57. My worst panic attack
  58. Another day of endless panic
  59. Exam Fever
  60. theme park
  61. Panic attack on the bus.
  62. hopeless but strong
  63. scary day
  64. I Thought I Was Having A Heart Attack At Fourteen
  65. Is it real or fake?
  66. I am always worried but don't know whY…
  67. first time panic attack
  68. Disability without meds
  69. Black Out
  70. That month
  71. Awful Experiences-age 15
  72. It comes when I sleep.
  73. The Worst Panic Attack in History…
  74. I thouhgt I was going to die.
  75. Operating Theatre Panic Attack
  76. Terror
  77. Unusual panic or what?
  78. I thought I was having a heart attack
  79. I thought I was going to die
  80. I thought I was dying
  81. Crippling my life
  82. what triggers my anxiety and panic
  83. Panic attack turned to generalized anxiety disorder
  84. Night time scares
  85. Almost every night
  86. Unsettling…
  87. Scared and I Don't Know Why!!
  88. I felt really scared…
  89. anonymous and scared
  90. setback
  91. Hospital un-hospitality
  92. My 1st panic attack
  93. Indescribable Terror
  94. Out Of The Blue
  95. Am I dying?
  96. Germany..
  97. ALMOST LOST IT!
  98. Being at the edge of death
  99. Numb and dumber
  100. Nightmarish Reality
  101. Panic attack on driving lesson
  102. Worst few days of my life
  103. My summer
  104. Losing control of my insides?
  105. i thought i was paralyzed
  106. How to describe what I felt/feel…
  107. First panic attack, started on my horse before a race
  108. Night panic
  109. I didn't know what was going on
  110. I was 12 and I think it was a panic attack
  111. unexpected panic attack at a big fair
  112. Panic attack that made me think I was getting posessed.
  113. This can't be life!
  114. Stupidity= Panic
  115. First panic attack
  116. Unknown Emotional State
  117. My worst panic attack, age 12 and a half
  118. I couldn't breathe.
  119. I'd never been happier in my life
  120. A life long anxiety disorder.
  121. A Night Out With The Girls
  122. Wonderful day turned into a Nightmare
  123. Today was my worst one…
  124. Doubting in my self a lot !!!
  125. New years eve 2008
  126. Worst three hours of my life
  127. My Worst Panic Attack…
  128. Living with constant anxiety and terror
  129. Work meeting
  130. The Competition.
  131. Worst attack I've ever had
  132. Sleeping when suddenly I felt that I am dying.
  133. Losing My Mind
  134. Am I dying?
  135. My First
  136. Panic Attack at School
  137. Worst Panic Attack: Re-living a Frightening Situation through Flashbacks
  138. Dads, Am I Right
  139. When will this end?
  140. Living with constant anxiety
  141. On my birthday
  142. I was driving and felt as though I would pass out

Felt like heart had stopped and something shocked me to wake and keep breathing and I let out a gasp

by Josh Clapper
(Colorado Springs, CO)

I thought I was dead for a split second. I woke from nothingness with a bolt of lightning that shocked my whole body. Then I let out a big gasp as if i was trapped under water for a long time. I truly feel like my heart stopped for a few seconds and I was on the brink of seeing the light.

really scarey

by jaimie alba

so yesterday i was jusr watching tv on my couch and i started getting a panic attack which i was aware of what was happening cus its not my first one i started breatheing really hard felt like i wasnt getting enough oxygen… but then my face got hot and then started to tingle and then my body did u then my fingers curled up as well as my feet i coldnt move them or my body…. it was so scarey i didnt know what was happening to me ,my boyfriend had to call 911

the worst panic attack I’ve ever had, at school.

by Emma
(London)

Okay so I’m 15 now and have been experiencing anxiety from the age of about 12.

The worst panic attack I have ever had happened when I was 14, at school.

That day was a theme day (which means we were off timetable and doing activities) my class had the opportunity to welcome a French and Italian school to our school as part of a project.
The hall was filled with students and teachers. This is when it started.

I suddenly felt a weird feeling in my chest, a tight feeling. I knew what was coming.

My teachers were standing at the door. I stood up as fast as I could and walked towards the door, I ran to the place that I felt safest, an office of one of my teachers. I walked in and she knew what was happening, I couldn’t speak, I just tried to gesture that I wasn’t okay. She told me to sit down and breathe but I couldn’t, I lost the feeling of my hands, my legs started shaking, I nearly threw up, I then had to breathe into a paper bag. I couldn’t get up because I was so ligtheaded.

This lasted about two hours. With the help of about 3 teachers I managed to calm down but felt so down and tired afterwards.

Worst experience of my life.

My panic attack experience

by Shazwan
(KL, Malaysia)

I have experienced two panic attack before when i was around 13 years old. I told my mum during the attack and i were rushed to the nearby clinic. The doctor say nothing is happening. My lungs, blood, heart, everything is fine. Until the third visit, the doctor told me that i might have Anxiety Disorder which leads to panic attack. Strangely enough, the panic leaves me after that for quite a few years.

But not for long though. last year(i was 24 that time), it happen again. It was 2 am. I was driving a car that time. on my way home after a long night hanging out with my friend. I suddenly feel like i dont have enough air on my body. i feel like i have a breathing problem. it feels like there is something wrong with my lungs or my heart. i start to panic. i feel like my heart were about to stop. i feel the urge to stop the car or drive myself to the hospital instead. the panic continues. i try to focus. i open my eyes as big as i could. i were afraid of fainting and afraid of involving in car accident. I start to suffocated. i open the window to get some air. i close the aircond. but nothing helps. i keep adjusting my seat for no reason. i started to clearing my throat a number of times. i called my mom, she answered but i didnt tell her that i am experiencing panic attack. i was talking to her about something else. i start to made up topic to discuss with my mom in order to make me forget about the panic attack. it feels very hard to speak but i force it. and then the panic started to cooldown. i finished the discussion with my mom. turn on the radio and started to relax. it was very tiring. the whole experience lasted for about 15 to 20 minutes. that was the most terrifying episode of panic attack i ever had.

The Attack of the Overwhelming

by theremymarie
(Philippines)

Last night was very bad. I had a panic attack. I sobbed and I sobbed and felt a cold burn in my chest and a numbing in my arms. I had to breathe through a paperbag just to calm myself down.

This usually happens when I feel I almost am about to sink down an emotional hole. When I am to embark on an outpour of strong emotions such as anger, love, selfhate, dissapointment and total darkness.

My brain goes bonkers and it gets uncontrollable from there. It used to be very scary now I have managed to ease the attacks for a shorter period of time. When this happens I shutdown.

What I have is a very hyper active brain, trained to go zero to sixty most of the time. It was and always is, growing up as independent as I was. The only thing that I have in mind in calming it down passively is alcohol, when time is due and able I meditate or have a sober introspection where all the gunk is washed by terrible tears of a 5 year old. After which all the excess emotional stuff gets flushed out and I am ready to face the world again. I have always adapted this coping mechanism to extreme fear for most of my life. I know it has isolated me from my family and a lot of potential relationships because I did not want to be a burden to other people. I am a terrible people please machine.

It’s hard to trust someone with this weakness, you feel all the world has a lot of things going on that you simply don’t feel like a contributing member 24/7 so I just always feel the need to deal and try to get up again. And by thinking that way I learned to tame this down and cope with life.

As terrible as what’s been going on the result of coping manifest as though I am the strongest of the strong, funnest of the fun and the person who has it all together. Inside, I am crumbling like a dry cake. What keeps me sane is knowing that the only entity that selflessly know and understand me is God, my own personal God. Hey, somebody owes to believe in something and I have pretty much established that after the worst panic attack of my life 8 years ago. I almost killed myself. I was 27 years old.

If you can relate, this wont go away easy I know. You just need to let it out of your system. Your thoughts are temporary.

Sharing this story is caring.Like most of my panic attack and or anxiety stories here: http://theremymarie.blogspot.com

There are a lot of people that die committing suicide not knowing whatever they feel.

Random intense panic attack

by Johnny
(Killeen, TX)

So I’ve been having “panic attacks” for a good minute… I discovered that they were very weak though, after having this last attack the other night.

I had just got done smoking a little with my brother. We were chilling for a good 10 minutes after at my driveway in my car just jamming music and talking. My tongue felt weird, and I suddenly felt an urge to throw up. Then I felt this chill up my spine and something “snapped” into me that was intense enough for me to tell myself out loud to “chill the *** out”. My vision started to become slightly blurry and my head felt light, so I laid back in the car for a little. My hand and feet began to feel numb, and I felt my heart start to race. I checked my pulse just because… And that made it like 5 times worse because I realized how fast it was beating. I laid still in panic for a good 5 or 10 minutes while my brother had no idea what was happening.

Later I told him that we should go inside, so we did. At this point my legs and hands were pretty shakey, and what bothered me a lot was my right leg was really numb. It felt like it was broken. When I got into my room I can barely undress because I was in shock. I laid in bed and couldn’t feel comfortable, and I thought I was gonna die. I thought a lot about calling ambulance too.

I ended up laying in bed… not moving, just thinking. I felt depressed and confused after laying for 2 hours or so. I finally got enough in me to fall asleep.

The next morning I felt even more confused and depressed. I felt like a whole new person after it happened. It was the most horrible thing I ever experienced in my whole life. Ever since then I’ve been doing a lot of research on panic disorder and trying to find out ways to calm myself or what might be inducing my attacks. Like I said, I’ve had mild attacks before (which I thought were full blown panic attacks) until the other night when I had a REAL attack. I feel like my life is going to change drastically, but I just want to return to my normal self.

I hate anxiety and everything about it. When will I get better?

-Johnny

Every Panic Attack is the Worst Panic Attack

by Macy
(So. California)

It never gets any better, or at least, for me it doesn’t.

I have suffered from Panic Attacks since the age of six. Yup, that’s right, six! I’ve never known what it’s like to live a “normal” life.

It’s impossible to have a relationship. Why would any one want to date someone that can’t go anywhere?
It’s impossible to have friends. Again, who would want a friend that can’t go anywhere?
I can’t travel, I can’t explore, I can hardly leave the house. This is “living” for me. Yet, this isn’t living, this is existing. I exist. I’ve existed for 35 years.

The only way I make it through work is knowing that I live less than 10 minutes away (2.8 miles to be exact)and if need be, I can be home quickly if they get out of control. Which is most of the time for me.

I have been on every medication on the market, and none have worked. I’ve ended up literally hating everyone around me because they can live, be happy, get married, have children, actually live a life that I’ve always wanted. They get to live. I’m the biggest fake I know. The people at work think I’m the happiest person they have ever met. Only if they knew. I’m always smiling but inside I’m screaming!

I’m not suicidal, believe me, but I look forward to the day that I die. No more panic attacks, no more pain. 35 years I’ve existed with this nightmare.

I would wish this on NO ONE! Not even my worst enemy.

my mornings when my kids goes to school

by martha
(brampton, Ontario, canada)

I have had anxiety ,panic attacks for about 6 years, I’m 32 and have 2 children.I’m have been diagnosed with GAD which is generalized anxiety disorder with severe agoraphobia. my worst times are in the morning and when my children go to school and my brother leaves for work or husband goes to work.and I’m home allone , well my mom is but that makes me feel I’m alone. I hate being home alone, I have not been out alone, nor do I ever ever stay home alone,I have fear of fainting. when I was little i had epilepsy, and had many seizures in public,in school, in movie theaters, in banks, in the mall,,u name it I had seizures, I have been seizure free for 13 years,but when I get these full blown attacks it’s like I’m having an aura of a seizure, which terrifies me to a point I wanna die. I live in constant fear,most normal parents would walk their 6 year old to,school, I take a cab so just I won’t have a fear that I will have a seizure walking her, it’s horrible, people that have never experienced an attack will never understand the struggle we go through day to day. .suicide has crossed my mind many times, cause I’m exhausted and mentally drained from worry feelings…I know I’m not the only one that has this horrible feeling,I am now on ciprelex and klopin. which helps , but I hate medication but it’s what gets me through the day sometimes…wishing everyone would have a miracle and be normal,I know that it’s horrible, but 1 thing I do is pray..

It was pretty bad.

by Mira
(Australia)

I have 2 recent panic attacks that really stand out in my mind. To put this into perspective I was diagnosed with panic disorder about 20 years ago, it gets better and worse but I have never got “better”.

The first was about a year ago. At times my Mum presses my buttons deliberately to cause panic attacks. This day I was in the kitchen doing something and she was pressing my buttons and I could feel the panic rising. I remember getting to the point where I yelled at her to get away from me and swore (first time I have ever actually got that bad). I walked away to another room and she followed me and was telling me not to talk like that to her. I just wanted to get away but she put her arm across the door and blocked my exit. I cant describe the feeling, I remember being doubled up in panic and yelling. I have never hit anyone in my life, I didn’t hit her but when she wouldn’t move I did put my hands on her arm and push it out of the way. I ended up in my bedroom, I blocked the door so noone could get in and sat on the floor shaking like a leaf. I had my mobile phone with me and was trying to call Lifeline (an Australian suicide prevention hotline) but because of my social anxiety I simply couldn’t ring. I just sat numb on the floor until I could pull myself together and pretend that nothing had happened.

Soon after I went to my doctor to ask for some help to move out of their home. I was refered to a community mental health program and a worker came out and said they could help me. Due to the problems at home I had to meet the support worker at the end of my street, we went for a walk around a local bush track. On the third visit he told me that I had to make a phone call (phone calls are one of the things I have trouble with). I could feel the panic rising and said no. He kept pushing me that I HAD to make this phonecall and telling me that if I didn’t they wouldn’t be able to support me. It went on for 20 mins with him arguing with me that if I didn’t make the call they wouldn’t be able to support me. I got into a completely irrational state and told him to go away. I simply couldn’t think straight. He went back to his car and left me there, still panicking. I went for a walk to calm down and went back home.

When I am alone I can manage panic attacks, but other people can make them so much worse.

My first ever panic attack.

by Bruce
(Canada)

Two years ago I lost my brother and then my father 3 months after. I was left with all the responsibility as executor of my fathers estate and also to get a trustee to look after my brothers estate. I have done everything by the book and when not sure I would ask my lawyer. I have proof and witnesses for everything I have done. The last 4 months I have had nothing but grief from my other brothers, who have accused me of cheating them. They have also spread lies about me in our small town. My wife and kids are the ONLY ones who did anything for my father, and we are the ONLY ones who asked him to move in with us so he wouldn’t be left alone or put in a nursing home which he didn’t want. I have been stressed to the max, and two weeks ago I had my first major panic attack. I couldn’t catch my breath, I got dizzy and my chest pain made me feel like I was going to die. I thought I was having a heart attack. I was rushed to the hospital where I found out it was a panic attack. I have had several more since then. I believe it has been brought on by my worrying and my hate and disgust for my brothers. These attacks have me scared that I am going to die. I have been dealing with major depression for most of my life and all this stress is making it worse.

Panic

by Rachel
(Salt Lake City)

My name is Rachel, I’m 21, and this is my life: I’ve had to struggle with social anxiety, depression, OCD tendencies, and some PTSD my whole life. Starting about 8 years ago, I began to suffer from panic attacks which have only gotten increasingly worse over time. In the beginning, my attacks had minimal symptoms including: shortness of breath, increased heart rate, claustrophobia, tears, trembles, slightly raised body temperature, emptiness, dissociation, and fear. They came with no apparent cause, and left me feeling tired. They usually only lasted between 5-20 minutes, and happened no more than 3-4 times a month. As time passed, I noticed my ‘moments’ increased in duration, occurrence and severity. Every week is different but I can have anywhere from 2-10 attacks which usually last no shorter than 30 minutes to no longer than 2 hours with 1 occurrence which ended up lasting 4 hours. I suffer from claustrophobia where I feel like I’m stuck in my own body. Severe panic and anxiety over whatever caused me to act this way, how it is affecting the others in the room, how it is affecting me in the present, and worrying if I will survive this one. I get incapacitated by strong muscle spasms and twitching, similar to a seizure in appearance, or so I’m told. I am forced to curl into fetal position so I don’t cause additional damage to my person by my flailing about. Though sometimes they are so violent that my arms are ripped from their tight grasp anyway. I undergo extreme temperature fluctuations from very cold to very hot. Sometimes this causes shivers, teeth chattering, and cold sweats to feverish symptoms, sweating, and stripping of clothes (if my muscle spasms allow). There is a substantial increase in my heart rate, I can feel it throughout my whole body and I can literally hear it pounding like a large drum. I get lightheaded and dizzy, forcing me to close my eyes so I don’t get nauseous and puke. There’s a pressure in my head that makes it feels like I’m underwater which causes me to only panic more because I’m hydrophobic. I struggle with shortness of breath which causes me to hyperventilate, choke, hold my breath, or sometimes I forget how to breathe at all and can only repeatedly inhale without exhalation for a couple minutes in my attempts. Occasionally there is loss of vision or hearing and I’ve come very close to fainting. I feel overwhelming terror but I’m not even sure what it is I’m scared of. Sometimes I get lost I’m the darkness or have hallucinations of either strange imaginary depictions of my current state or I see myself relive past traumatic incidents on a loop in my mind. Other symptoms include cottenmouth, migraines, soreness, depression, extreme exhaustion, pain, weeping, loss of voice or ability to speak, dissociation from self and reality, confusion and disorientation, time relativity is nonexistent, overwhelming shame and guilt, and on one occasion paralysis. After the attack ended, I was unable to move or speak for 30-45 minutes, while I practically drowned in my own drool, snot and tears. Sometimes the attacks are so bad I worry that I’m going to die, others are so bad that I pray to God to kill me himself. I never feel like myself after an attack, I force myself to act normally for everyone else but inside I feel like a zombie. It can take up to 24 hours before I feel like myself again, albeit a muted version of myself. Recently I’ve started to learn some of my triggers and can avoid possible destructive situations, I’ve also learned some ways to calm myself before an attack reaches full strength and I can occasionally prevent the worst. There was a period of time were I felt as if I was possessed by some other entity who was trying to overpower me and gain control over me, I could hear her inside my head. She warned me when she was coming, and taunted me as she tried to take over. I don’t hear her so much now. Now I spend as much time worrying about my imminent attacks as I do actually suffering through the attacks themselves. Some weeks are better than others but it’s always gonna be like this. But I’m strong and I will survive. This is my life.

insanity

it was late at night and this was before i knew what panic attacks can actually do to you so my friends found this video that supposedly made a bunch of people go insane and i decided to watch it and out of no were i started freaking out and i thought i was going insane because panic attacks can feel that way and i tried for 20 minutes to calm down and i couldn’t so i called the cops. when they showed up they had to test me for perscription drug use XD. it was the worst night of my life

My first panic attack

by Nathan
(Spokane WA)

I have never had a panic attack in life until last night. I am a very laid back guy. I was having a couple beers with a close friend when it came out of no where. I suddenly felt light headed and dizzy and my vision was going in and out. I then felt very scared because I felt like I could not breathe and was about to pass out. I was asking my friend to take me to the hospital because I had no idea what was going on. Then I went deaf and it felt like my head was going to explode. My friend who was with me really helped, he has had a couple panic attacks before and he talked me through it. It only lasted a few minutes and afterward I felt drained and sad. The next day I still feel sad and a little weird and I have no idea why. I do not want to experience anything like that again. it was horrible.

I am a 21 year old male college student.

out of nowhere

by Ashley
(Orlando)

I’ve had little episodes in the past, but this attack put me in the hospital. I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling like i couldn’t breathe. Immediately, i started freaking out. Like i said, i’ve had little attacks before, but nothing like this.

I got up from bed and ran to get a glass of water. I felt so out of place, like i was in a dream, and my entire body was shaking. I ran with it and let it get worse, so my heart began to race.

At this point, i had to wake up my parents. My dad already knew it was a panic attack and he tried everything to calm me down. But it was only getting worse. I could feel my heart pounding and skipping beats, i’d get sharp chest pains, and my left arm felt tingly. I kept thinking i was having a heart attack and finally convinced my dad to take me to the hospital. Low and behold, my potassium was low. Not knowing what my body was trying to tell me, i quickly turned it into a panic attack. They gave me a banana and meds to relax and i immediately fell asleep when i got home.

I still have tiny episodes, here and there. I know my anxiety’s high when my head starts to feel numb and my heart feels like it’s pounding. Most of the time, i have a really hard time sleeping. Usually, a tall glass of water and a banana make me feel better. Having company also makes me feel a lot more comfortable.

In the middle of a restaurant

I was on a date with my boyfriend, it was our first anniversary. It was a fancy place. We were seated outside as we wanted to smoke. Wasn’t exactly thinking of anything in particular and suddenly it was like my body forgot how to breathe. I couldn’t take a breath and my body and face started sweating. My boyfriend took me inside but I couldn’t walk, I had jello legs. Then the room started spinning and my vision blurred. I still couldn’t breathe. I really thought I was gonna die. Then my hands started to go numb. Zero sensation. I couldn’t move my fingers at all, like they were paralysed. It went on like that for a few minutes, people were staring and the restaurant staff came by to see if I was okay. Then the intensity gradually decreased until I could feel my hands again. It was one of the scariest thing I’ve ever felt. Since then I have milder anxiety and panic attack every now and then. What really sucks is I feel like I no control whatsoever over my body. To top it off, I am currently on treatment for depression and anxiety. 🙁

Worst feeling I’ve ever had

I’ve had anxiety since i was about 12. My first anxiety attack happened when i was sitting on the couch with my mom then i suddenly had trouble breathing and couldn’t sleep. This happened once in a while then eventually stopped. I began having attacks again when i was about 15 but they got worse and this was when i began to smoke cigarettes as well. I would randomly feel like I was on drugs and that i was in a dream. I went to the doctor and had them do tests. Everything looked okay and I was told that i had anxiety. These attacks stopped until recently and I am now 18. I had one a few months ago when i was watching television and had trouble breathing again and couldn’t swallow. A month later i was smoking weed with a friend and had a really bad attack and objects in the room began to grow and shrink. Earlier this morning i decided to take adderall, which has never triggered my anxiety in the past. I drank a ton of caffine and was puffing on my ecig all day because i have recently quit smoking. When i was at work i began to feel very nervous for no reason and began having trouble breathing. I didn’t think much of it because it wasn’t too bad at this time. I thought that it was over until i was in the car on my way to the casino with some friends and my arms began to tingle and my stomach began to feel as if there was an elastic band around it. My whole body became numb and i couldn’t breathe and my heart began to beat very fast. My hands cramped up and i couldn’t move or feel them. I thought that i was having a heart attack and my friend sitting next to me knew this was anxiety because her father has anxiety and gets attacks like this quite often. She calmed
Me down and got me some food and water and told me to take deep breaths which helped a lot. Hours later after I thought it was all over I woke up around 5 in the morning not being able to breathe and feel the tingling again in my arms and legs. I took deep breaths and walked around for a while which helped a lot. This was by far the worst attack i have ever had. I will NEVER abuse stimulants again after this experience.

Panic Attack First Timer

by Rob
(Canada)

For me the first was the worst!

It wasn’t my first panic attack but definitely the first 10 out of 10er.

I was just finished work and was walking from the office to my car, when I suddenly got an overwhelming sensation of fear for no particular reason. Being relatively close to my car I quickly got in and expected the feeling to subside. Didn’t happen.

Not wanting to sit in the parking lot any longer I decided to take off on my 20 minute commute home. Still not feeling comfortable, I thought if I kept going things would get better.

As I pulled into traffic my body (especially my neck and shoulders) tightened up and I could feel the tension all over my body. I was becoming more panicked every second.

My heart is pounding through my chest, my hands are sweating bullets, my legs feel like spaghetti, etc. Finally, I managed to pull over into a parking lot. Not knowing what was happening, I tried to alert fellow commuters that I was in distress but everyone appeared to be in there own daze.

Realizing now that I was too froze to do anything I literally was preparing myself for death as it would seem quite preferable to this sensation.

After about 5 minutes of expecting to die at any minute, I decided that I probably could do something. I was only 5 minutes away from the hospital so I took off there. I scurried to the emergency room.

Although still extremely anxious, I was relieved that I was about to be saved and no longer felt like I was dying. Unable to sit still I attempted to check in with the nurse. However, being a ‘non-emergency’, there would be at least a 2 hour wait. Believe me, this was an first class emergency to me, however not wanting to create a fuss I stood in the waiting room.

At least I felt that if my panic attack got worse I would be safe here. After about 4 hours of waiting, pacing, sweating, etc. I finally noticed that my panic attack was becoming less intense. Not really knowing what to say to a doctor, if I was ever going to see one, I left and made it home.

That was about 9 years ago. After several discussions with various doctors and different medications, I believe that I have a decent understanding of my panic attacks and what triggers them. Stress, lack of sleep, consumption of alcohol along with numerous other factors contribute to my attacks.

The thing about the attack above is that I had no idea what was happening to me which makes it all the more scarier.

Rob

Panic Strategies

by John
(Germany)

I been dealing with panic attacks all my life; it comes and goes. The past 8 years it was bad,i started medication and feeling a little better,i don’t do much, i just go to work and back home.

I hardly travel, i don’t go out much, avoid places with people and stress. I recommend for people with anxiety and panic to NOT smoke, drink coffee, drink alcohol or do drugs, it only enhances the anxiety and panic. Also, keep a clear mind, keep yourself busy, and hang around positive thinking people. Avoid people or places that depress you or that make you feel uncomfortable.

Almost every day…

by Caity
(Kansas)

Well, I thought I had gotten panic/anxiety from my mother but I am thinking otherwise…

My father died in ’06, and I was 11 years old.
I have been mollested multiple times by a family member.
I just recently lost the only father figure I had, my uncle, last year.
I live on my own, pay my own bills, etc. (With my fiancee)
I have severe back problems and migraines.

Whenever I am at a store – even just a convenience store – and I am (what I think at the time) “stranded” inside of the store (basically at the time I cannot find who I was there with, most of the time my boyfriend) I have a panic attack, I think.

What happens is, i’ll start to wander around and search for him – or whoever i’m with – and if I can’t find them, my heart races fast, my knees and legs get shakey and turn numb, I feel like I’m going to black out, I have to hold on to things or I can’t walk… It’s very very scary. And every day from the moment I wake up I feel as if I’m in a dream – or nothing’s real. I second-guess everything. “Is this happening” or “Am I really here?” stuff like that. I’ve had cat scans and MRI’s done, and nothing has come up… so I don’t know what to think of it and NOTHING will help!

Caity,

It is no wonder you experience panic and anxiety, when you have so many stresses going on. The loss of your father must have been incredibly hard to deal with, and the recent loss of your uncle must be devastating. Being molested is a tremendous violation, both mentally and physically. Abuse like this can cause deep emotional scars that can become apparent as anxiety, physical illness, depression, and other difficulties.

You have gone through extreme loss and trauma, and as a result your body tends to be in a state of high alert. This is a normal, protective response – but instead of being helpful, it leaves you feeling stressed, anxious, and physically ill with migraines and back problems.

Your panic attacks do sound very frightening. When you are in the store and cannot find the person you’re with, it probably feels like a life or death situation. Very scary! The feeling of unreality you experience is called depersonalization. Below I have included links to some relaxation scripts that may help decrease your symptoms and help you feel more calm.

In addition to relaxation, I recommend that you seek some professional support such as face-to-face counselling, self-help resources (I have included a list of useful books below), support groups, online counselling, or telephone counselling. Your family doctor can refer you to local resources available in your area.

I do hope you decide to seek some support, because you do not have to go through this alone. It is possible to overcome past trauma and it is possible to cope with anxiety and panic. You deserve to enjoy life.

Sincerely,

Candi

Relevant Relaxation Scripts:

Relaxation for depersonalization

Relaxation for Coping with Panic

Relaxation to Relieve Anxiety

Emotional Awareness Sensory Relaxation

Helpful Books:

When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life

The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress

the fear

by scott
(glasgow)

Well what a nyt aye have just had started of feeling sick with a cough so took sme benalyn drowsy so could sleep bt had the opposite effect all of a sudden my eyesight went blurry and a jumped up fast cause gt a freight then came the heart beating so fast couldnt get a breath was horrible hands went numb tried too go for a bath and for some reason it felt cold my mind was completely fooling me into a state of fear so went a walk outside was diffrent eery if u like jst wasnt right walked for ages scared was going too die then gt tunnel vision what is going on here so started jogging too feel my heart was ridicalous then when a stopped a thought ma heart stopped aswell aye am drained physical and mental worst nyt ever thought was a goner can sme1 explain what aye have jst went through

I felt face-to-face with death.

by destiny
(oregon)

I was sitting on the couch watching tv. It suddenly became difficult to breathe, so focused on how I was breathing. I started to feel uneasy so I went to my bed and laid there, focusing on how my heart was beating and how steadily I was breathing. I noticed my heart was beating irregularly so I stood up and paced around my apartment hoping these weird feelings would go away. By body was tingly, legs shaky.. I tried telling myself I was only imagining these feelings and decided that going for a walk would snap me out of whatever was going on. I made it to the end of my apartment complex when I was sure something was terribly wrong. The back left side of my neck went numb, I got cold sweats, couldn’t breathe, and by the time I got up the stairs into my apartment, my heart was pounding and racing, my vision was blurry and I was sure that these were the last moments of life I had left. I had my phone in hand ready to call 911 when I started to catch my breath. I had passed the peak of my attack and was able to cope on my own. The following hour or two consisted of feeling that it would come back and I’d have to deal with it all over again, mixed with mental and physical exhaustion. I am at ease knowing that if this happens again, I will recognize the feeling and hopefully not panic even more at the thought of death..

Every one is the worst

by Ashkey
(Pa)

The first time I had one I was twelve . I remember being in the car with my dad and asking him if I was dreaming because I couldn’t tell what was reality and what was a dream. I convinced myself I would wake up. Everything got super bright and artificial. My chest got tight and this weird fear of nothing will ever be the same swept over me . From then on I developed headaches and became very introverted and quiet . I’m now 21 and still get them a couple times a month and its debilitating . Throwing me into the arms of self infliction eating disorders alcohol and agoraphobia. Some days I’m fine and other days I can just tell that today is the day . And I do everything in my power the other days not to have one . I’ve had break downs at art , during yoga , at work , during sex , eating . Randomly . It’s embarrassing because I don’t want people to have to deal with it because it’s hard enough for me to deal with it . I pick up on other people vibes easily and that can trigger one . I don’t take meds I’m too afraid . But every time I have an attack it leaves me begging on my knees for something to take it away. I’ve driven myself to the ER multiple times . I’m at a loss for words with this disorder . Other than to take the good days with the bad .

First day freak out

by Bryna
(USA)

It was about 10:40 at night, I was lying in my bed trying to get sleep because I was starting middle school in 2 days. All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe.

I started freaking out, and started crying. I was really confused because I was struggling with bipolar depression, and it felt like a combination of manic and lows. But then I considered that it could be a panic attack. I looked up ways to stop it, but my vision turned into the vision you see in movies, clear in most of your sight, but the edge of your vision was blurry like I was stung by a tracker jacker.

I tried taking deep breaths, but nothing helped. So, I decided just to wait it ou.

5 minutes later, it was over. That was my first panic attack, and words can’t even describe how terrified I was.

The worst feeling in the world.

I’m a 23 year old agoraphobic. I went to the gym as usual to do my workout and once I was done with it I started heading back home.I suddenly felt a really intense fear, I couldn’t breathe normally and my body was shaking uncontrollably I thought I was about to pass out so I sat down for a few minutes. I then got back up but the fear was still there, every step I took made me feel like I was going insane and that I was about to pass out because of hyperventilation or due to the fact that I was feeling weak. I managed to get a bit closer to home and I sat down again for a bit. I said to myself that I can do this since I’ve been in the same situation many times when walking back home from the gym. This time the panic was way more intense than any other time. I got up again and started walking again, I saw a girl waiting at the bus station, she smiled at me and said hi as I passed in front of her, I said hi back at her, but in the state I was in I couldn’t do much else. I wanted to get to know her more since I’m single (always been). I then continued to walk with that intense fear still in me. my whole body was so tense and my movements were kinda robotic. I managed to arrive home and it took me about 1 hour to completely relax.Thank God my home is quite near the gym. I don’t know what I would do if it was further than that. The most important thing is to not give up no matter how bad we may feel, we can beat this thing and live a happy life.

i think/thought my heart was failing

by Lianne
(suffolk, uk)

4.26am I am currently coming to the end of a panic attack, well hopefully anyway, as soon as I start feeling better I start feeling it again, lying in bed now under the covers with my phone I’ve been reading peoples experiences to try and get my head believing it was a panic attack, not a heart attack!

About 3am I suddenly woke up in bed, I think i’d had some sort of dream although I can’t remember it. My right arm was completely numb, I must have been laying on it, so I straightened it out and waited for some feeling to come back, it seemed to take an eternity but slowly the feeling was coming back and I planned on going back to sleep. Then my left hand felt numb, then I noticed my feet felt numb,uneasy and feeling Slightly anxious, I was wondering why my arms and feet are numb when a thought entered my head, what if my heart is failing? And it can’t pump the blood around my body? So the anxiety levels went up and I laid on my back moving my limbs to see how they feel, I didnt feel good, very uneasy now. So I sat up and that’s when my whole upper body became consumed with this numb, squeezing feeling, I shot over to the light switch then back to the bed where I kneeled on the top of the bed holding my chest, the feeling is almost indescribable, it felt like a wave going through my upper body, a wave of numb, burning dreadful pain but not pain, and i felt a sort of pain in my left arm and as if I was going to pass out, these waves of feeling in my chest, I was convinced then that this was a heart attack, I pulled my mobile phone out from under my pillow and shouted to my boyfriend asleep beside me to wake up now! I’m having a heart attack, this is real! You need to phone an ambulance right now! Please phone an ambulance I’m having a heart attack! But he just looks at me and says I’m not, I’m just doing what I always do when I get like this, he’s not calling an ambulance, but I beg, I am this is different! I dialled 999 into my phone and passed it to him, please! He just tells me to go to bed I’m fine, so I went to the kitchen and phoned 111 then answered all the questions about my address and phone number etc, and I asked what the symptoms of a heart attack are because I think I’m having one now! So I answered all her questions and she concluded that she thinks my heart is fine and gives me some tips about how to calm down but I’m not convinced! I still feel weird and my chest feels tight and my skin is burning and the tops of my arms feel heavy and my hands and feet numb, i feel, in my head that my heart must be failing, and it can’t pump the blood around, the lady was lovely and talked with me, then said she would pass my number on to my doctors surgery and the on call doctor would ring me back, so i went and put the tv on in the living room and sat with my cat james and waited. I felt horrible, still convinced something is wrong but Part of me starting to feel silly and that I might be wasting people’s time if there isn’t anything wrong, but I still feel strange and numb and dizzy inside. The doctor phoned and said that it’s very unlikely I would have a heart attack at 26 and he talked to me for ages, in which time I began to feel slightly better, and very stupid like maybe this was a panic attack, he was brilliant and said I had done the right thing, I said thank you and we said goodbye and I felt reassured knowing a doctor at my surgery is just a phone call away. I watched some more tv, and believe me I still felt strange and not right and numb in my arms and feet, and my mind still kept throwing in thoughts like, “it still could be that my heart is failing” and “what if I go to bed and it happens again” and what if I had a heart attack andwas unable to call an ambulance because of the pain and I die alone” but at least now I was trying to block those thoughts and think about something else, and was concidering going back to bed, and I still do feel ever so slightly that way, laying here in bed again under the sheets with my phone at three minutes past five am but I feel drasticly better and although I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sleep, it kind of helps a bit looking on the internet and reading other people’s experiences and symptoms, like other people have felt the same and that I will be ok!

High school stress

by Gabbie
(Pittsburgh)

I was 14 (15 now) and something must of happened that made me upset, and I started freaking out taking everything out of context. First I got really dizzy and then I started shaking really bad. Then I started seeing spots and going numb. I called my mom to come get me but they made me sit in the office and people kept staring at me which just made me start sobbing and I ended up going so numb I couldn’t walk out to the car. I had my first panic attack at 9 so I’m used to them by now.

When I was walking home from the park

by Alex
(Carmichael)

I felt as if I couldn’t catch my breath and I freaked out over it and thought I was having an asthma attack even though I’ve never shown signs of asthma. I thought I was going to die even though I could still walk I wanted to cry but I couldn’t I had to stay strong I almost told my mom to take me to the hospital but I remembered my severe history of anxiety this happened yesterday I’m 16 years old

My one and only so far

by Amy
(UK)

I was sat at my computer and I was having a bad day (not doing too great in recent months). Suddenly I got up really fast and laid on the floor but I wasn’t controlling myself. I was finding it really hard to breathe, I was crying uncontrollably and I had no clue what was going on at all. It didn’t last long, although I feel that was because I was thinking it was a panic attack possibly and so breathed deeply and assessed how I was doing without really knowing what was happening outside of my head. Still terrifying few minutes though, hope I never have to repeat it, and hopefully never in public.

the panic attack i thought was death

by ricky west
(missouri, USA)

So im 16 im a diagnosed hypochondriac with a panic disorder these panic attacks to this day are ruining my life i cant function correctly im constanty in fear for my life and im experiencing this panic attack riight now my chest hurts i feel nauous and im crying aloud but even while im freaking out i know its in my head but my body will not believe me every single little twitch and heartbeat i convince myself im a step closer to death i hate this and im stuck in this feeling EVERY SINGLE NIGHT i am stuck with this torture and am at a dead end in my highschool careeer because i cant focus i havent slept in two days because im afraid to sleep.

Vacation

by Elise Helene hjertaas Hanssen
(Norway, oslo )

I was in Greece, and I was sick. Like all the time I spent there. I had a lot of panic attacks when I was there the two weeks, but one really “stood out” I guess. Here’s where I had my first by the way. Last summer.

So. We were gonna have Norwegian food with the owners of the hotel. We’re friends with them. And I was sick, but I was still going. I went inside, sat down, and boom. I can’t even describe how it felt right there. It was awful. I wanted to die. Seriously. I couldn’t sit still, and had to walk around. I went down to get my mom, but I guess she went the other way to go up to eat and I missed her. I was talking so fast, explaining it to my grandmother who sat and read a little before she was going up too. I went up again, crying, asking for my mom. One of my friends there almost panicked cause I was so scared. She yelled for one of the workers to come, but my mom finally came and joined me down. My grandparents had to take “shifts” taking care of me cause they had to eat with the hotel. I laid down on the bed and played solitaire, cause it kept my mind on something else. I tumbled around constantly and couldn’t breathe right. It ended up with me having to sleep in my grandparents room cause I couldn’t be with my brother. I had that panic attack all night. I tried to just fall asleep but it didn’t work so I was up that entire night.

And yeah.. Everytime I get a panic attack I consider just killing myself because it’s so bad

My panic attack

by Tori

Well, about a month ago (in june) My family and i have been out at red lobsters for dinner. When i first got there i was fine and i was totally unaware of what was going to happen… When i was eating my dinner, i was very quiet for some reason and didn’t want to talk to anybody. I was grumpy to my mother,father and brother. All of the sudden, i felt like i wasn’t real… Like this wasn’t happening. (lol, i know i sound mental…) I told my parents that i felt weird. My mother brang me outside and i sat in our van. I remember i felt strange,vision blur,un-real and VERY panicy. She told me that i’m fine, i’m just having a panic attack. But i thought i was dying. I felt so dizzy and like i was going to black out. Oh, i also felt very nausous (Sorry i have bad spelling and grammar, i’m only an 11 year old girl…) Anyway, minutes felt like hours… I felt like time was so slow. A half an hour later, my father and brother came out of the Resterant. My family drove me to the hospital, just to make sure i was 100% safe. The ride wasn’t fun. I was shaking so much and it seemed like ages… My brother kept talking about “Chuck” Which didn’t make me feel any better. When we arrived at the hospital, a nurse took my blood pressure and it was normal. I was relieved. About 3 hours later, i saw a doctor. He said it sounds like a panic attack. He told me to go to the nurse for a EKG. (Heart thingy.) MOST UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!! Gosh, i’m a preteen. I feel uncomfortable showing my flesh to people… She told me my heart was great. Then i went home. I still get panic attacks, in a few days i’m going to a therapist. Thank God… PANIC ATTACKS SUCK! xD

First Panic Attack at 14 years old

by Aviana
(Colorado)

the first time I had a panic attack was when I was laying down in bed and I felt a sharp pain in my arm I looked up online why my arm was hurting and it said I could be having a heart attack and that’s when it started. my fingers started tingling, my heart was beating very fast and I was lightheaded. I ran downstairs to my mom’s room but just sat on the floor for a couple minutes. it stopped and I felt a little better and I screamed for my mom till she finally came out she told me to sit on the couch and I did and it happend again. I was scared thinking I was having a heart attack. my mom put a wet washcloth over my head and my chest was still hurting and i felt like I couldn’t breathe ever couple minutes so I had my mom take me to the emergency room and they checked my heart. I had en EKG done on me and I was perfectly fine . ever since that day I’ve had panic attacks every day and feel like I constantly can’t breathe and I have excessive amounts of mucus in my throat which does not help at all!!! I have a doctors app. Monday . I hope everyone going through this gets help. it sucks it really does and I wouldn’t wish it on my worsts enemy

Are You Serious!!!!

by Autumn
(New London, WI)

Friday, 1/8/2016
Well went to school and at 8:30 apparently. I had a panic attack. Symptoms:Shortness of breath, heart throbs on top, feet and hands tingle, Weak, felt like I consumed laughing gas where you can’t figure out if you’re asleep or awake, tired, shaking, and dizzy. 10:48 same. 12:55 same. 1:30 Shortness of breath, heart throbs on top, feet and hands tingle. and tired. It is now 7:43 and it feels like a stuck pill in my throat, Shortness of breath, heart throbs on top, feet, hands, and nose tingle, and left cheek is numb. It is getting worse. I kept on reading many articles saying they only last a hour or two. APPARENTLY NOT! I have had a panic attack for 2 years and the doctor keeps saying “It is normal and your perfectly fine”. The hell I am. Breathing normal does not land you on your arse (Butt). They miss the really easy stuff now a days it just gets frustrating no one gives you a straight answer anymore. They just think your being too dramatic or something and tell you something else or that you don’t have it.

Wednesday 12/23/2015
I could not even speak right. Have you ever heard a severely dehydrated person speak. The-they-the-they tal-talk like this. Where there studding and can’t make out a single word they are saying.

I am 16 years old a Junior in high school who plays soccer.

This can not keep happening.

I thought It was my last few minutes.

by Kelsey Ryan
(South Africa )

I was in bed with my boyfriend fast asleep when I suddenly woke up at about 3 am. What felt like heart burn started to get worse and worse. I went to the bathroom and lay on the floor to try ease my pain. That never worked!…I began to tremble and sweat unbelievably!. I was gasping with air. I thought i would have to be rushed to the hospital because I was having a seizure. I reached for my phone to call my boyfriend to come to the bathroom. He to had no idea what to do….He went to wake up his mother when things got even more serious. She said I was having a panic attack. I got put in a bath with lavender and my mind slowly calmed down. It’s scary how your mind can take over like that.

My first ever panic attack?

by Rachael
(Leicester)

I’m 37, married with 3 kids and my doctor thinks I’ve had a panic attack. I’m not entirely convinced though. I am going through a stressful time at the moment but nothing worse than I’ve previously experienced and this morning for no apparent reason I got sudden intense yet intermittent pains in my left shoulder between my spine and shoulder blade. I was not feeling panicky or anxious and had not made any sudden movements or recently done anything strenuous that might have caused the pain. I did become panicky when the pain started because it was hurting to breathe and I couldn’t understand what was happening and why it was happening. I did for a few moments actially think i was having a heart attack or going to die the pain was that bad. There were short pauses in the pain when I was briefly able to get my breath back before the wave of pain started again which felt like someone was slowly pushing a knife into my back. This lasted for probably half an hour to 45 mins but it seemed like hours.
I went to see the GP who believes it could be either a panic attack or muscular/skeletal tension due to stress/anxiety.
I have spent the day in bed and although the pain is not as bad I have still got a dull ache in my shoulder and chest on the left hand side and have decent yet restricted movement due to the pain.
I’m really just wondering if anybody else had experienced a panic attack similar to this?
My experience sounds a bit different to the many stories I have read about on here.
Thanks anyone for any feedback.

At a Birthday party

by Hayley
(U.S.A)

I was with five of my friends at Dave and Buster’s for a birthday party. We were all eating and my friend’s mother said we should take a picture. My chest immediately swelled up at the thought of it. I am extremely uncomfortable when people take pictures of me, and she always fought me about it whenever my friends would group up for a picture. I got really sweaty so I took off my jacket. As we got together to take the picture, my heart was racing faster and faster. I tried my best to smile, but probably failed. I had the sudden urge to cry hysterically. I turned my head away from my peers, just in case I started bawling. My hands were all clammy so I wiped them with a napkin. I felt a couple chills go down my spine, so I put the jacket back on. My friend next to me noticed my odd behavior and said, “What the hell is wrong with you?” I put my head in my hands and told her I was fine. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I started taking deep breaths, struggling for air. My friends exchanged looks at the table, like I was a freak. It made me feel really bad. Only the birthday girl knew about my anxiety and came to my side of the table. She whispered to me and asked me if I wanted to step out. I couldn’t even answer her. Everyone else was looking at me. I felt like a freak. I shook my head, and she sat back down. The waiter came back with our picture, a little copy for each of us. I slid mine across the table, afraid to look at it. My friend’s mother saw this, and gave it back to me. When I saw it, I felt as if everyone that was talking were talking about how bad I looked in the picture. My heart was beating much faster, hot and cold flashes coming and going. I felt as if I was going to throw up. I felt so bad and being treated like a freak didn’t help either. Once the dessert came out, everyone’s attention turned to that, so I felt safe. That one birthday party, that was supposed to be a fun experience, was one of the scariest moments of my life.

Worst. Hangover. Ever.

by David
(London)

Went out last night and had a fantastic time, but drank way too much. Way, way too much. Woke up at about midday still feeling drunk. Was fine until about 6pm. And that’s when the anxiety started. Started to panic about every weird sensation in my body, which, given the amount of wine that I had quaffed, were fairly numerous. Then, a series of panic attacks between then and now, each one seemingly worse than the last. This all culminated with me standing in the kitchen, holding a bowl of soup, literally rooted to the spot, too anxious to put it down, too anxious to walk back to the living room. It was hideous. Of course, writing it now, I realise how ridiculous it sounds but was utterly terrifying at the time. Writing this post has helped me calm down massively. I think I will try to put my anxiety into words in the future. That’s a lesson learnt. Have I learnt the one about not drinking too much? Absolutely not!

Panic attack in School

by Billie
(Scotland)

I was 14 and was in class when I felt really weak and the lights were really bad so I asked to leave the class to speak to my guidance teacher because he knew about it. I was walking along the corridor with my heart punding out of my chest, feeling like my legs were about to collapse. I was so focused on staying calm that I hadn’t realised I was going the completely wrong way. I stopped in the middle of the corridor thinking I couldn’t breathe, I felt like my tongue and throat were swollen. A teacher had found me sitting on the floor trying to breathe and he had to help me into his class. It lasted for 10 minutes. He said he had experienced them before. It was the worst experience of my life.

Real and frightening

I’d been ill for several days and was due to return to work, but still felt really unwell. I set off for work in my car and had been driving for about 15 minutes when i started to feel physically sick. I started to take deep breaths and suddenly felt pins and needles in both hands, suddenly my hands went stiff and i was struggling for breath. I dont know how i stopped the car or avoided an accident, but by this stage i was hysterical. After 5 long minutes the stiffness went and i was able to ring work; my boss came and picked me up and took me to a&e, so embarrassing, especially when the doctor said dismissivey “it was just a panic attack”. I’m ok now, but it was very real and extremely frightening.

what just happened…

by ryan f
(steubenville ohio, U.S)

im a 19 year old male, ive been diagnosed with general anxiety, adhd, and i have anger management issues and regularly get cluster headaches. i had to write this somewhere and get everything off my chest…

literally, 45 minutes ago i experienced the worst panic attack ive ever had the displeasure of experiencing… please excuse spelling and punctuation, im still shaking. i was looking up scary stories and began to feel unease, which eventually transformed into sheer terror. i felt so afraid that i felt sick to my stomach and still do, i quickly got dressed and became more and more afraid. feeling contradicting feelings all the while. i felt the urge to get out, not calmly vacate the premisis but to run, to run as fast as i could. i jumped on my bike and began speeding away from my house. i felt as if i wasn’t in control of my body, but i was(which might be why i didn’t trust myself). i felt as if i was limp, but i wasn’t, i felt disconnected from myself and from reality.. like nothing was real, but i still knew it was. those contradicting feelings drove me mad and scared me even more as i sped away from the house and made my way to the local park, i stopped at a small store and nervously bought a drink before hopping back on my bike and speeding away toward the park. once i got there i rode through the trails till i saw no sign of civilization or people and basically hid there. i sat on a swing and drank my drink, feeling insanely paranoid… eventually i calmed down, though i felt weak and on edge still… i mean i have general anxiety disorder, and every other panic attack ive ever suffered was absolutely nothing compared to this.. this even emensly dwarfed the panic attack i had as a result of a serious reaction to some meds my neurologist gave me for my headaches and anxiety.

again i apologize for the grammar and spelling but im still very freaked out right now…. i have no idea what just happened and im still very confused and disoreinted and scared from the incident….

First Panic Attack

I have never had a Panic attack, nor fully understood what they even were until yesterday. I was with some people at a hookah bar, but we left after about 10 minutes of smoking because I had to leave to pick up my friend to go to a football game. After the about a 10 minute car ride home as I’m turning into my neighborhood, out of nowhere I just opened my car door and threw up. I drove into my neighborhood out of oncoming traffic and parked on the side of the road in case I was going to throw up again. After I sit there for a second I start feeling my hands to shake and my body start to sweat. Scared, I ask my friends to look at my hands. But they all say my hands are not shaking, even tho I feel my hands shaking for sure. I drive home quickly noticing this was about to get bad, and once I parked in my driveway the shaking just covered my entire body. I could even feel my lips shaking. I heard voices say “are you ok?” and someone bluntly saying “no.”. After hearing that, there wasn’t a second Inbetween my mind going from confused to instantly panicking and thinking I was going to die. No thought crossed my brain, nothing really scared me about what he said but for some reason I couldn’t control the panic I was in for the next 15 minutes. I don’t know if I walked or stumbled, but somehow I got to my room with a trash can. I layed down in my bed and that was when the panic was at its worst. The internal shaking I felt was getting faster and faster and I started hearing ringing in my ears. At this point, convinced I was either already dead or dying. I just screamed my mothers name to come upstairs. I was expecting shock and worry to hit her face when she saw mine, but she just softly said, what’s wrong? And Inbetween hearing her say that and me explaining to her what was wrong with me, I realized I was panicking. I handed her my hand, strangely relaxed in a stiff position sure it had to be shaking by now and told her i couldnt stop shaking and i think somethings wrong with me. She told me I wasn’t shaking and that I should just calm down. I don’t remember what else she said after that but she talked me through the rest of it. The shaking headache and nausea stayed for about three hours after the panic had left. And eventually I could stand up but I still felt dizzy. The worst part of this was I had no idea what a panic attack was until I was told I was having one. I still have no idea what triggered it but I hope it never happens again.

I just want to feel normal again 🙁

by Donna
(Kingston)

I have had 2 really bad panic attacks but pretty much every day I live with anxiety. Feelings of weak anxious heart palpating nauseous hot flashes and this is pretty much every day and I’m a single mom to a 3 year old lil girl.

My first attack I was home alone with my girl and out of no where I started to feel very weak shaky heart racing hot flashes dry mouth. My dr ran blood work they couldn’t find anything.

My second attack was the worse it started out by feeling like I was going to pass out then my heart starts racing feeling so weak and dry mouth. Went to ER they checked everything even did ECG and found nothing and this went on all night. Thought I was dying.

All I want is to feel normal again. I want my life back

Worst Panic Attack Ever

(USA)

It was during the summmer of last year, I was out at a store and I started to feel uneasy out of nowhere. When my mom and I arrived at home, I started to feel that sense of unreality like I did not know what was going on. I also had a really nervous stomach ache and I was extremely lightheaded. I felt like something really bad was going to happen. I also felt like I was going to pass out. My heart was beating really fast. I felt a tingling sensation in my hands and my head. My legs felt like jelly. I couldn’t eat or drink and nothing could stop it. Finally, after a few minutes, I told my mom to take me to the emergency room. There, I told them my symptoms and they checked my heart and everything and told me there was no emergency. They said it was an anxiety/panic attack. It sure felt like something else. They gave me a huge cup of ice water to sip. I felt a lot better but I started to avoid going places due to this.

The first panic attack was my worse because I didnt know what was happening

by scardycat
(Australia)

I was out of just having a drink of soft drink. Feeling relaxed. In fact more relaxed as usual. When all of a sudden I just felt unwell. I started to get really hot so i went to the bathroom and threw up. Then I started to sweat. I was sweating so bad my clothes became wet. My head started to spin and my heart was pounding as hard it hurt so I sat on the bathroom floor for a few about 10 minutes. I thought I was going to die I was so scared. I thought I was having a heart attack. I sat on the floor until it settled down a bit. When I looked in the mirror I was pale as a ghost. The dizzyness and sweating lasted about an hour then I started to feel ok. But I felt like I had run a marathon. I was totally exhausted. I went from one extreme of been boiling hot to feeling cold. When I got up the next morning I still felt exhausted and had tightness in the chest so I went straight to the doctors. I had a ECG on my heart that came back normal which is good. He said I had a panic attack. Ive never had anything like that happen before omg scared the hell out of me I think its because it hit me so sudden. I have these type of panic attacks 3 to 4 times a week. Sometimes more. They have affected my every day life so much. Some days I cant even go to get milk let alone go to the supermarket. I get as far as the door and I start to panic. I do breathing exercises to try and relax self talk but if the panic wont go away or even settle a bit I just have to go home. I cant go where there are crowds either so I have become very isolated.
I been having these types of attacks now for over 12 months.
I am having regular doctors appointments and see a psychologist every week. When I go for my appointments I go straight into a room on my own cause I cant be around anyone or I panic. This can’t be good for my health having these attacks so often.
I’m on meds and I cant see any difference really and Ive tried many different ones.
I feel very alone right now

sudden feeling of terror

by Matthew
(newark, New York)

This happened about a week ago.I was sitting down playing some call of duty in my basement as usual. All of a sudden I started feeling a strange feeling in my heart that I couldn’t shake or get my mind off of.

I went upstairs to talk to my younger brother, (I am 20, he is 16), thinking maybe that by talking to him would calm me down. It didn’t. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was about to go to bed soon.

As soon as I answered “ok,” all hell broke loose. My heart instantly started beating uncontrollably fast. I was so terrified as soon as I felt my heart beating at this speed when I put my hand on my chest. I walked right out of my house barefoot, walking up and down the street, hoping that it would subside. It got so bad that I fell to my knees pleading to God to keep me alive.

I felt death approaching, my heart exploding. I knew now and then that this was a full blown panic attack. My head started spinning and my throat started to close up. My breathing had already failed me. I fell face first to the ground thinking that this was it. It’s all over. This was the end. But I started praying and begging to God to spare me.

I finally managed to receive the strength to stand up, run wildly inside and grab my Bible laying on my bedstand. I started reading verses, and after about an hour of reading, my heart rate slowed down enough to where I wasn’t worried anymore. I believe God saved me that night.

I thought I was going to die 🙁

by Kat
(Canada)

my first panic attack happened this morning. I was drinking alcohol yesterday & passed out, my sister woke me up around 2:30 am for no reason. I couldn’t go back to sleep because my mind was thinking like crazy about nothing. I decided to take an extra strength nighttime cold/flu tylenol bcoz I didnt have anything else to help me sleep.. the tylenol didnt help, I was so tired but for some reason my body just wasnt. about 2 hrs after taking the pill & laying in bed, I started to tense up really badly & my heart was racing so much that I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. I started shaking & thought I was gonna have a seizure. I was crying bcoz I was scared and just wanted that feeling to go away. also felt like I was swallowing my tongue.. it could have been a reaction to the alcohol & tylenol that mixed. I didnt know it was a panic attack until I read about the symptoms. I hope that it never happens again bcoz I wouldnt know how to control it.

Panic Attacks Suck!

Out of the blue I have this quick overwhelming sensation that I am going to faint. My body jolts and I sit up gasping for air. My body becomes very hot and I experience intense nausea. Once the panic attack peaks, I begin to shake all over my body. I sweat but am cold at the same time. My heart beats so rapidly I can hear it in my head. It last for about 30 to 40 minutes. Then it passes and I feel drained.

My First Panic Attack

by Kalia
(Ohio)

So, I’ve never had a panic attack before, but one day I wasn’t feeling good. I was just sitting on the couch watching TV. I felt like puking and my mouth was dry. Then my heart started beating really fast, I was really dizzy, and my throat clogged up. Tears started to roll down my face. I thought I was going to die or something! My brother was sitting there with me and called our mom, and they kept trying to talk to me, but I couldn’t breathe. Finally it went away after like six minutes.

It was terrible. After that day, I was afraid I would have another that was worse, or in public!

my worst panic attack(s)

by annoyed
(texas)

I’ve always had spells but they are getting worse. I get dehydrated so easily and i was so dehydrated, it caused panic because I felt off. That triggered dizziness, dry mouth, cold sweats and the new fear that something.
THAT spawned, muscle tension, extreme muscle spasms and I passed out. Emergency visit heRrt monitors……another crippling panic attack where my hands turned into claws and literally were tight and spasming. I thought i was having a heart attack. Once they put me on IV FLUIDS and a strong dose of anxiety meds….I was good. I was out of commission for 2 days. I HATE THAT REDLINING moment. Sucks and I wish my brain would stop. I would do anything to not have to live with this.

Hungover and out of meds

by Cody
(Idaho )

I decided to drive to another town to visit friends (about an hour and a half away), catch up, and drink.

I go to university and my doc is only available during semester, and this was mid August. I had run out of my anti anxiety meds probably about a month earlier. I was feeling ok, didn’t really need them but just the thought of not being able to get them left me feeling uneasy. I figured it would be fine though.

On the drive over I began to panic but I calmed down enough to make it there without incident. I was much more at ease when I got there and had a fun evening.

The next day I woke up pretty hung over, and as you may know alcohol can agitate anxiety conditions. We went out for breakfast and I was fine, but later we went to a bar to watch a sports game on tv. About midway through I felt like I needed some air so I went outside.

That heavy feeling on my chest wasn’t going away and I was starting to get that feeling of unreality and dizziness. Then it hit me that I was in a town I wasn’t familiar with, nowhere to go, and no way to get meds to calm me down.

I started randomly walking down the street, that feeling of wanting to grab a stranger and beg them for help creeping into my mind. I even thought about calling an ambulance just to get a sedative.

Eventually I texted my friends saying my hangover was hitting me and that I was getting a migraine. I barely made the 20 min car ride back to their house. I played it off like I was feeling nauseous but really I felt trapped in that car, like I was about to go insane. I wanted to try to just head home but they insisted I stay.

I didn’t sleep at all that night and the next morning I hit the road first thing in the morning. I’ve dealt with anxiety for over 2 years now and luckily that was by far the worst attack I’ve ever had. Glad nothing like that has ever repeated itself.

Woke up feeling pressure and panic

by Elizabeth
(Auburn, Wa. United states )

This doesn’t happen a lot to me, but when it does, I panic and feel like a crazy person. I get really scared, too. Everything around me will begin feeling like a ton of weight on me; including my own hands. I start to panic and shake. It happened to me this morning; I felt like everything was put into “ton” sections and I couldn’t even sit up without a pressuring headache pushing me back down on the bed. All will overwhelm me and the blanket on me will feel like too much to hold; I go to the bathroom and try to sit it out but it follows me there too. I don’t know how to deal with this.

I’m losing it

Worst attack was when I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was at work. I work for a shipping company so I am around boxes all day. I woke up and knew I was in bed physically but my mind thought I was still at work. I was trying to figure out why I was at home in bed when I had all these boxes that needed to get shipped out. I was in a state of total confusion and even after telling myself there are no boxes here you are at home, part of my mind would not believe me. For 15 min there was a battle going on inside my head and my body was taking all the damage from the battle. I was convinced I had finally snapped and lost my mind which only made me feel more confused. At it’s peak everything appeared “flat” as if I was looking at a picture of the world around me which again gave me more fuel to think I was going crazy. The scariest feeling is when you cannot feel safe and comfortable in your own home. This attacked ended in the ER and when one of the nurses told me somthing similar had happened to her when she first started working graveyard, My mind was instantly put at ease and I felt like a fool for being in the ER

7 years later

by Jesse N.
(Kcmo)

I had my first attack in 2008, I was 28. Successful, 2 kids , house….the American Dream. I was driving to a town about 20 miles from work. On the way there my legs and feet started tingling, then the heavy breathing. As I pulled into the gas station I thought to myself, ” I just need to splash water on my face”. As I stepped out of the truck I collapsed. Heart beating out of control, dizzy. Couldn’t feel my finger tips. Ended up taking a trip in th Ambulance to the hospital only to find everything is ok. Just anxiety. Over the years I be been on multiple meds and had several panick attacks but have been able to manage them. Until last night. On my way home same thing, losing vision heavy breathing , feel
Like everything was sideways. Ambulance came. Popped a Xanax. 30 min later it’s gone. Still haven’t figured this out, I can manage it for the most part. But it seems like an endless struggle………

Anxiety

by Sayed
(USA )

I had very badly panic attack a month ago it was a middle night I woke up suddenly I felt that I could not breath any more and my heart racing was bad i was so scary after that i don’t feeling good ….

Panic in the middle of worship

by Maya
(KSA)

I started suffering from severe panic attacks started about two years ago. I also have OCD and generalized anxiety.

Within the last two years my behavior has been erratic. I have been known to barge in on a meeting or group of people at work asking for help because I’ve been in the middle of a panic attack. I have also run out into the street or just outside my home in the middle of a panic attack so as to be able to seek help from ANYONE in case, you know, it didn’t turn out to be a panic attack…

Anyways, on this occasion everything hit me whilst I was in a prayer ritual in my bedroom. I HAD THE WORKS; weak arms and legs, cold/hot flashes, out-of-body or dreamlike thoughts, racing heart, couldn’t catch my breath, sweating, head spinning with so many noises and thoughts, loss of concentration.

I had to leave my prayer and RUN. I couldn’t find my phone so I went outside and just stood there, waiting, wondering, confused, and frantic.

It must have taken 20 minutes until I could complete my prayer and then another 15 min to come down enough to write this.

I hope sharing this helps someone else as I know it has helped me.

God Bless

My worst panic attack

by Drew

I’m 15 and was diagnosed with panic disorder last year. It all started when I was in my law class and I had a distracting headache and felt numb all over my body. I spent the rest of the day with terrible nausea and had a full blown panic attack that night. My heart was pounding and half of my body felt numb. It was so strange. I was solely convinced I was going to have a stroke and that freaked me out even more. I began rambling to myself and to God for help. Eventually I came outside and my brother and his best friend stayed with me until my panic lowered. I have never been so thankful to God and my friends in all my life. I thought I was going to die, but here I am. 🙂

Another day of endless panic

by Kevin
(Missouri)

I have had panic attacks for going on six years now and over time the feelings have become even more intense. As I write this I am feeling like everything is falling apart and I will forever be a prisoner to these attacks. It varies from day to day but death is always a thought about subject and one that bothers me to no end. I realize that we will all die someday but for me I feel as though each day is going to be the day. I have a wide variety of symptoms during a full blown panic attack but the usual ones are trouble breathing, shaking, sweating, confusion, and feeling like I am losing control over my body. Sometimes they last a short while others last for hours and are pure hell. After these attacks I am completely exhausted like I ran a marathon and pretty much useless the rest of the day. It’s horrible to feel like you are dying when you are perfectly healthy. I wish it didn’t have to be like this but I must find a way to push through.

Exam Fever

by amrita
(ahmedabad)

I was very good student but I was then in someone’s love and slowly and gradually I lost my concentration power and my result also went down. Finally whenever there was a test I was terribly feeling bad and down and then appeared my finals of 12th standard and a student like me who always first or 2nd in class finally got 44%. I have gradually now attend exam fear.

theme park

I’m 14 and suffer from anxiety attacks quite a lot. I went to a theme park with my friends and we went on a rollar coaster, I normally love rollar coasters and am completely calm when on them, but this time it was different. I had gotten on and was waiting for for the ride to start while I started to sob, I couldn’t speak properly when my friend was asking me if I was ok, I was stuttering like mad and my friends tried to get the attention of the man who control the rollar coaster so he could let me off. But, of course he didn’t see us. The ride started and my anxiety attack continued to get worse. I have never had one quite as severe as this. I was screaming like I had never screamed because and hysterically crying through out the whole ride, I didn’t open my eyes once, and I could hardly breathe. When I got off I couldn’t stand because I was so shakey. It lasted through the whole ride which was about 3 minutes. It was the most horrible thing of my life.

Panic attack on the bus.

by Wilma Franzén
(Motala, Sweden)

I was about 14 or 15, it was my last year in secondary school. As a teenager I had the knowledge of what a panic attack was, but I really did never think anything of it. I probably that you had to have depression or something that made you emotionally unstable.

As my way to the school – I was going by bus because I was living 1- 2 km from where the school was located – I didn’t feel so feel, I thought it was because I didn’t sleep so well the previous night. All of a sudden I began to feel a little noxious, and my eyes became slightly sensitive to light of the sun. After a while, I couldn’t breath properly. It didn’t feel like a heart attack, but it was like I was dying, (or more like felt I was dying). After some seconds of felling like dying, it died down and I came back to my normal state.

I didn’t really thing anything after that and I forgot about for a while. Now after thinking of what actually happened on the scene I realised that it was a case of panic attack. I’m happy that the panic attacks didn’t really continue after that.

hopeless but strong

by Brendan
(bc)

Hey im 17 i live in canada BC and anxiety has been ruining things for 2 years now. My worst anxiety attack was more than once i get a new 1st place attack every other day, im very ordinary for my age and i eat right workout and bmx i party almost weekend i dont do any drugs definatly cant take a toke without panicing i do get to a good drunk though..anyways i get attacks so often that i sleep on my bathroom floor everynight now! I feel very hopeless but how am i get gonna let anxiety defeat me *%*@* anxiety the feeling that im gonna die or how i cant breathe or feel like i need to phone an ambulance. *&^$ no we all know this feeling but i always just think of my gma who didnt die when she had cancer 4 different types or lupis or when she woke up from a comma r.i.p ♥ we’ll all get through it guys

scary day

by Matt

I’ve had anxiety really bad for a little over a year now. I am a hypochondriac also so one usually triggers the other. my anxiety is especially worse when I’m hungover. I drank a lot last night and today has been just awful. I had a panic attack before work and had chest pains and tingling in left arm and jaw pain so I drive to ER. heart is fine, and they attributed it to anxiety and stress. I wish I could never have a day like that again, but I know it’s possible it will. my family thinks I’m crazy but i just want to be back to life where I didn’t worry at least 20 times a day that I was dying. thanks for reading this.. writing all this out has helped me

I Thought I Was Having A Heart Attack At Fourteen

by Amber
(Beaverton, Ontario, Canada)

I was 14 years old. Just laying in my bed, slowly getting sleepier. Then I noticed my heart rhythm getting faster, which scared me. Then I started thinking that maybe heart attacks start like that. Ridiculous, a 14 year-old girl thinking that maybe her heart rate speeding up was a sign of a heart attack.

Then, because I was scared, my breathing became more shallow and faster. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to think. Then the sharp chest pain started, and soon after that I felt another pain in my left arm, which then made me remember hearing that having pain in your left arm can also be a sign of a heart attack.

I was petrified, too scared to even move. My body became so tense and I was convinced that I was going to die that night. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything so painful before. I started crying because of the pain, but I tried to be quiet because I didn’t want to wake anyone.

It seemed like it lasted for an hour, but I know it was only about 20 minutes. I kept talking to myself in my head saying I needed to calm down and maybe it was just in my head. I started forcing myself to take deeper breaths. It took so much effort to actually calm down. Still though, I had absolutely no idea was going on.

No one had ever mentioned to me what a panic attack was, so for months after I legitimately thought that I had suffered a minor heart attack, but I never told my family or anyone else about that night because I thought that it would seem silly of me and that they would just tell me to get over it and ignore it. Then I suffered 3 more that year afterward. I’m 19 now, and I don’t have many panic attacks anymore. I’ve only had 2 major ones this past year, which is really good.

Still though, I often wonder what started that first one when I was 14. I can’t remember anything stressful that had happened around the time before my panic attack, and it definitely was the worst one I’ve had.

I really hope that if there are any young teens reading this, please let someone know if you’ve experienced something like this. Don’t feel like how I did when I had my first panic attacks. Let someone know; they’ll help you. I went 2 years before telling anyone about mine. They were a hard 2 years to go not knowing what’s going on with your body. So please, don’t be scared to tell someone about them. Your family and friends are there to help you so don’t be afraid to take advantage in getting help when you need it.

Is it real or fake?

by Scared mommy

I have been having panic attacks since I was 16 years old, they seem to go away and then come back worse that before.. Past few months after my son was born I began having problems with headaches, assuming it was cause of stress I would by pass and take tylenol. One day me and my son was driving to my moms when all a sudden I felt as if someone had hit me in the back of the head, no pain really more like pressure. All a sudden my whole body felt as if it was shutting down. I began weaving almost into the ditch when I begin to realize I was off the road and pulled over to call 911..
Few weeks later my son and I were walking in the mall when I had the same thing happen along with a warm sensation alone my body and felt as if I would fall over if I did not sit down. I started feeling as if i had pins and needles shooting through my body. 2 minutes later I was fine and felt as if I was ok to drive home. (Bad idea)… I come to a red light to where i had to turn left, well not only did I have to wait for the light to turn green I also had to wait for the 20 cars to pass also, so I began hyperventilating, I was freaking out! I was so worried I was going to pass out or worse die with my son in the truck with me.. 🙁 so I went to er and of course nothing was found wrong with me… It worries me so much to know if it is panic attacks and they cause so much problems what will actually happen.. I cannot live like this anymore.

I am always worried but don’t know whY…

I was sitting in my bed then suddenly started to freak out. I felt so worried,shaking,crying,even angry and wanting to…hit something.that was my first panic attack. but my most recent was I woke up crying and shaking aNd remembered my dream. My real father is a rapist who molested my sister. I don’t remember him,but I have seen a picture of him from 2004. In my dream I was in math class (my favorite class) and just like every other day doing random problems, but then there was a knock on the door and a man (my father) walked in and said hi I’m (my name)s father. I looked up and started shaking and he started walking towards me and I stood up and I was crying and shaking and trying to call my mom but couldn’t cause I kept dropping my phone from shaking then he started walking towards me more and I woke up and I was shaking and crying and really really worried for about an hour, after I had already woken up.and that happened last night.

first time panic attack

by nabta

This happened to me about a week ago I was just laying in bed about to go to sleep when it hit me it started with my hands and feet getting really cold n then I could feel my heart racing like crazy I was terrified and thought that I was dying from a heart attack but I started breathing deeply n it eventually stopped the next I went to the doctor and all my tests were normal but after the attack I have lost my appetite completely I was tense and I couldn’t relax or sleep at night for the next two days I was just really scared it will happen again, I’m still feeling not 100% myself yet because my appetite is still shut its been a week now since the attack but the anxiety has lessened somehow. Is the loss of appetite something I should worry about?

Yes, it isn’t good to have a problem with your appetite, so please follow up with your doctor again. Anxiety can suppress appetite, but by checking with your doctor you can find out if anxiety is causing this appetite problem still or if it may be something else.

Candi

Disability without meds

I moved from Mi to Arizona. 4 people that i lived with all died in about 4 5 weeks. When I got to AZ Drs took my klonopin away an 900 mg seraquil. Anyway the worst was being 2200 miles away from home an hearing that people in prison are not getting there meds. It like they want me to screw up or hurt someone or myself before they will help. They don’t realize my whole life as recovering heroin addict. Lost over 40-45 people an can’t grieve, for 3 yrs i tried using weed with a script made it worse. Anyway they worst I’ve had it is we’re I’ll start puking an pass out an have seizure. An then they wonder why so many people kill each other. Drs give you drugs to band aid the symptom not a cure so after 5 yrs of meds they make it worse. I been in AZ for 4 yrsan only left my house for groceries in fear I’ll hurt someone or myself. Chest pain , can’t catch my breath scaring me even more. Then I’ll start poring sweat an puke. Sometimes I pass out like my body an mind are out of sync. It’s like having a acid flashback an being afraid of everything paraliziing. So I’m hiring a lawyer I’m eyeing the Drs an the state an anyone else who stopped me from my meds. Cause on disability it your human right to have your meds.

Return to Worst Panic Attack.

Black Out

I can’t remember it very well, You almost black out and the only thoughts in your head are:
1. I’m in danger!
2. I NEED to get OUT of HERE!
3. I’m not safe, something’s going to get me!
The whole time you’re talking to yourself, and you’re running around, pacing around; you’re frantic. You don’t know what’s going on, you just know that you need to go somewhere other than where you are. For me, I was staying afterschool, and my friends took me to a practice room in the band room to talk about my anxiety. They’d all noticed I wasn’t normal. Well, somewhere in the middle of that, I started staring off at the door, and then (as my friends tell me) my breathing got loads faster and suddenly I was out the door, and everyone was trying to catch me. Then, somehow, I lost them and I ran into the auditorium and hid in the darkness behind a door that only opened from my side. I waited there, getting my breathing steady, until someone found me, and I objected at first, but they got me to open up, and we wrote notes (on his phone) until I regained the ability to speak…

That month

by Amber

I had my very first panic attack at school and it was the worst feeling ever. I was walking with my friends and all of a sudden I couldn’t stop trembling and crying and I sat outside and it was around the time my period comes so now every time I get my period I have a panic attack and I’ve tried everything and its gets really embarrassing and scary

I get bad flashbacks of random things ( mind you I’ve had a very good home and family life) and I get these scary images and I freak

the other day I was in math class and I got up and left so I sat outside and I was there for a whole 3 hours my teacher knew and I ended up going to hospital after it didn’t go away

Awful Experiences-age 15

by Anonymous
(United States)

Well, I’m 15 and I’ve only had two panic attacks. Both have happened this year. I’ve been very anxious, worried, and nervous about everything. This year has been a lot more stressful. And I used to be a very chill go with the flow type of person, but now it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by everything. My first panic attack was freaky. I didn’t know what was happening. I was upset and then I got up to get something and boom. I couldn’t breath and then I started crying uncontrollably. I was very scared because I was home alone. I kept thinking about things that were so irrational and it felt like I was going crazy. I don’t know how long the attack was. It felt like it was forever, but then again it went by in a blink of an eye. After that experience I was worried about my health. I looked up tons of stuff about mental disorders and thought I had like every one of them. I had my second attack tonight. It was scarier than the first one. I was very tense and was kinda tingly. And then I started panicking. My muscles felt so jittery and I couldn’t quit moving. Since I had experienced it before, I tried to calm down. I tried breathing slowly but it felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen and it was hard to calm down. I tried listening to peaceful music but it wasn’t helping. I was so scared and so many thoughts were flying through my head. I didn’t even feel like I was me. Again I felt crazy. I felt like I was gonna die. This time my whole family was home but I didn’t want them to see me like a wreck so I hid in the bathroom. I felt trapped because I didn’t want to freak out and I knew that I had to leave the bathroom eventually or they’d know something was up. I cried less this time, even though I wanted to bawl, but I panicked a lot more. I kept asking myself crazy stupid questions like what’s happening? What is this? Who am I? Where am I? What am I gonna do? Telling myself to stop. Telling myself that I was fine. Even though I had an answer to each question and knew that I wasn’t okay. I was freaking out about everything, but I was freaking out about nothing too. I eventually calmed down, but my body and muscles still feel jittery. It sucks afterwards too, because you feel embarrassed, worthless, scared, empty, tired, and lonely. You feel like nothing but then again you feel like everything. I still feel scared. I hope I don’t get another attack but I know that it’s likely that it will happen again. I’m scared that someone will see this one. I haven’t told anyone what I’ve been feeling and experiencing. I think I might have an anxiety disorder, I have panic attacks but not a panic disorder because I’ve only had two, ocd or ocpd which is like being a perfectionist and that probably leads to the anxiety, and a little bit of depression. There are times when it seems weird that a year ago I was normal and didn’t feel all these things. It doesn’t seem possible. I haven’t told anyone about anything and no one seems to notice or care about my troubles. My friends don’t see it and I don’t think my family would take it seriously so I’m afraid to tell them. Maybe I’m just over exaggerating and I’m fine? That’s what I want to tell myself. I know lots of people experience these things so that helps. It’s nice to hear about others with the same problems. I hope you guys read this and it helps you or something. Thanks.

It comes when I sleep.

by Cassandra Jenkins
(Charleston, Sc)

I have been a victom to panic attacks since my unhappy teen years. Let me tell ya right now it REALLY Sucks and it seems to know when to get me when my guard is down, when I’m alone or sleeping. Having someone near me helps me get throuh it though and also reading someone elese experience helps ease the pain of having to deal with it alone. I love my family to death but when I’m panicking they don’t want me near them or they make me feel so stupid for having them.

The Worst Panic Attack in History…

by Hannahbal
(Nottingham)

…was my first panic attack. I was on a train home from a weekend visiting my friend in Liverpool. I was going back to uni where I was miserable and had no friends. I was sitting down and suddenly became aware of a strange feeling rushing through my body, my hands felt like prickly rubber gloves, I stared at them but didn’t recognise them. My breath became laboured and I stood up, feeling a rush through my whole body, as my brain ran at a thousand miles an hour. Pure fear coursed through me. Luckily the train had pulled into a station (St Helens, a place I had never been to and knew nothing about.) I staggered off the train, my breathing ragged and my whole body on fire with a strange prickling, my hands were shaking and it felt as though beetles were crawling under my skin across my whole body. I thought I was about to die. I walked out into the street and there was a man in a hi-vis jacket, I think some kind of workman, and I approached him and managed to say “Where’s the nearest hospital?” By some incredible stroke of luck, there was a walk-in centre just across the car park. After I got in I walked up and down, unable to sit down or speak as the panic attack coursed through my body. My lips were set in a strange grimace. My mind was out of touch with my body, it went zooming up into space and tears rolled down my cheeks. My hands had somehow siezed into claws, I was unable to move them properly, they were like lobsters hands. I know now this was the adrenaline. I stammered to the lady at the desk that I thought I had taken a drug overdose (MDMA and cocaine had been consumed that weekend, along with Fluoxetine for my depression. I hope I don’t lose your sympathy for having taken drugs, I had no idea it would have caused me to have this horrible experience, and I haven’t touched them since.) They took me in an ambulance to the hospital nearby and did an ECG which was fine, and after a few hours I was allowed to go. I felt drained, spaced out and incredibly low afterwards. The whole thing spanned about 3 hours. It was the worst experience of my life.

I thouhgt I was going to die.

by James
(Duluth, MN)

So, to set hings up, here is what had happened the previous day and the day of the attack. The day before I was working on my house getting it ready to sell. My wife was helping me and was overcome by a sudden sickness. She was off in bed trying to get the vomiting under control. I was touching up the exterior painting and my 5 year old was “helping” me. She wanted to sweep off the side walk so i went inside to get a broom. When I was inside I heard a crash and she stared to cry harder than i have ever heard her cry. We brought her to the hospital and My wife went. They were BOTH admitted to the ER. Daughter, broken arm, Wife, IV and anti Nausia drugs. Home at 1:30 AM and little to no sleep that night. The next day was stressful. I had to stay home and take care of them. Later in the day I was working on the bathroom when my wife talked about all the stuff needing to get done before the showing. Then it started.
I felt a little dizzy. Then I felt super dizzy. I noticed my visual perception was distorted, images were wobbly and stretching out. I didn’t know what was happening. My breathing started to speed up and my hear started to race. I tried walking around and seeing if it stopped. No, it got worse. I went down on my knees and told my wife I didn’t feel right. She got her BP wristband checked my vitals. My BP was VERY high, dangerously high, my pulse was that of someone doing intense cardio, but I was sitting on the floor. I felt like my breath was gone. I could not catch up. I wanted to pass out. I thought I was having a heart attack. i laid on my back and took long deep breaths as apposed to my shallow fast breathing i was experiencing. I started to feel better after about 10 min, but not 100%. about an hour later I had another attack and took my BP again. it was better but not normal. The next day I felt on the verge of another attack most of the morning. I hope I never feel that again. None of my attacks have ever been like this.

Operating Theatre Panic Attack

by Lily-Rose
(England)

I’m 19 years old, in university studying ODP. As part of my course I have to do a work placement in an operating theatre working in Anesthetics, Surgery and Recovery. I had only recently starting doing anything about my anxiety and depression – which I had had since I was 15, so safe to say I was exactly coping the best I could at the time.

Last year, I was halfway through my first year, it wasn’t going too bad givens I didn’t have the best work placement; but there was one person who worked there who made the place horrible for me. I dreaded going in so much I’d have a panic attack walking there, I was drained all the time and it was terrible. On this one day, a new surgeon was in so he was shouting and stressing me out, the member of staff had snapped at me for things that weren’t even my fault and after a while I snapped.

I had gotten the patient onto the table but I could feel my heart going way too fast. I was feeling sweaty, I felt a little dizzy, I had pins and needles, I couldn’t catch my breath no matter how hard I tired to breathe. I could feel the tears coming to my eyes as a member of staff asked if I was ok as I’d backed up again a wall with my hand on my chest. I weakly said no I need air while running out into the staff changing rooms before absolutely breaking down on the floor.

A member of staff came and found me and calmed me down after a few minutes, and the next week me and another student made a complaint against this member of staff.

I’ve had plenty of panic attacks but this one made it to the top. It was embarrassing, it was horrible and I just could get control of myself!

Terror

by Ava
(England)

Back in primary I used to get bullied by this one girl. It was horrible , but I won’t get into details. I was really excited to go to high school because we were going to different schools.

Probably about 3 months into high school , I was tidying my room. I found a school picture of me , her and some other friends. It shocked me. I felt paralysed. I started shaking really bad. I was sweating like a pig. I couldn’t breathe. I don’t know how long it went on for because I think I passed out. I woke up on the floor where I was standing.

Unusual panic or what?

by Eddie
(Canterbury)

Since a teenager I have been experiencing this bouts of terror,it’s started when I lost my faith and stopped believing in false promises, my fear starts building up as we all here by mistake and we will be lost in matter of infinity of space and time.the worst part is to get rid of my fear and feeling of impending doom found my self punching hard objects,I broke my right hand three times it’s embarrassing as well.

I thought I was having a heart attack

by sarah
(United States)

I’m 14 years old and have been suffering from anxiety for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that what was happening to me /was/ anxiety until I was diagnosed two years ago. That’s when I was able to put all of the puzzle pieces together. The same time I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I was also diagnosed with depression, and have been on various medications that haven’t worked much (and the latest are causing me to have very intense, vivid, dreams). Last christmas, I went to a movie theater to watch mockingjay part 1. About an hour into the movie, I started having very intense chest pains. I didn’t say anything to my mom because I didn’t know what was happening and I’m not very good about rating my pain without a point of reference. The pain continued for 20 minutes until my mom finally noticed what was happening. By this point, I was crying and struggling to breathe and my jaw was aching and was experiencing such horrible chest pains that I thought I was dying from a heart attack. I whispered to explain to my mom what I was feeling and she told me that it sounded like I was having symptoms of a heart attack, even though those symptoms are typically found in men. Instead of doing anything, my mom told me to wait it out. So I did. For the rest of the movie. Believing that I was dying. When the movie finished, I was still experiencing the pain. My mom took me outside and I started feeling better. It later occurred to me that the size of the theater and the loud noises from the movie triggered my social anxiety (and also claustrophobia) which caused me to have a panic attack that mimicked the symptoms of a heart attack (which is apparently a thing-I had no idea that was a thing). So yeah

I thought I was going to die

My dad decided to partake in a film and decided to take me along to be an assistant, I didn’t feel comfortable doing it at the time since I was 14 and everyone there would be way older but I did it to make him happy. When I got there my dad disappeared and I hid out in the kitchen while the older actors talked. I was anxious and uncomfortable but nothing I hadn’t experienced before. I decided to play a game on my phone. In a matter of minutes I started to feel very uncomfortable, I remember standing up and stretching assuming it was due to my position. All of a sudden this nauseating feeling flooded my body and I felt like I was about to throw up. Quickly everything became blurry and splotchy and I could barely see. In a panic I walked out of the room and I couldn’t remember the exact way out. I walked up some stairs and I couldn’t hear anymore. It was like my ears were muffled and all sound was dulled and fuzzy. I was sweating immensely, my body was experiences hot and cold flashes. As I walked up the stares I stumbled and gripped to the railing trying to prevent myself from throwing up. I came to a window where I could see my dad in the parking lot. At this point I felt like I was about to die, as if my body was slowly shutting down on me. I hit the window to get his attention and collapsed to the floor, I refused to stay there and needed to get to my dad so I pulled myself up and stumbled threw numerous doors and hallways until I made it outside. Once I was out my vision began to clear and i was getting my hearing back as I walked to my dad. I remember looking in the mirror and seeing myself pale as a ghost.

I thought I was dying

by Samantha
(Indiana )

After going through a traumatic experience I began having many panic attacks a week, sometimes multiple attacks a day. After having a bad night at work I decided to kick back and hang out with a friend. As she was driving I felt my heart pounding, it became hard to breathe and my body was tingling. I felt like the world was pulsing through my eyes, slow motion zooming in and out. I was so dizzy I couldn’t see straight, I was eating a candy bar and my tongue was so numb it all came pouring out of my mouth. After about 20 minutes of trying to calm down she got me a glass of water and a Xanax that I obviously couldn’t drink because I was hyperventilating. I then feared for my life, this wasn’t a normal panic attack I’d have over and over again. I was almost positive I was having a heart attack and was about to die. I started screaming for her to call the cops because I was dying. Frantic, she tried to get me to the car as I was walking it felt like I was drunk, the world was spinning and I couldn’t feel the ground. Finally after about an hour the symptoms started to fade and the panic was gone.

Crippling my life

by Jb
(Florida)

I usually get panic attacks every now and again. And now I’ve gotten severe panic attacks the past week. My first panic attack was when I was 14, I had gotten into a minor car accident and came out of the hospital. I got really dizzy for no reasons, and my vision went black. I honestly though I was fading away or going blind. I never thought about it as anything serious then.
My second panic attack was stupid. I got worked up over the most dumbest thing. My mom was burning a mosquito candle and I though it was a regular candle for some dumb reason and cooked a few marshmallows over it and ate it. I then saw a big warning label about ingesting it. I got freaked out and ever since then I’ve had them at least once a week. Lately I have been having them almost every night. They are severe, I feel as if I’m losing touch with myself. I stay up late with panic attacks and wake up early to go to work. The heaviness from my eyes and head makes me feel odd and like there is impending death upon me. They get triggered by any physical symptoms that are similar to strokes or heart attacks. I have become afraid of elevators, small rooms, large people, underground stuff, airplanes, roller coasters, and the thought of someone finding me dead in my room. I need some serious help!

what triggers my anxiety and panic

I have been suffering from GAD/panic attacks and depression since I was about 13 years old, I am now 24. Throughout the years the things that trigger my anxiety have changed. I have developed rituals and a way of living that is not healthy and does not allow me to live life to its fullest potential. There is barely a day that passes where I can say that my anxiety does not affect me in a negative way. Every single day i text message with my mom and if she does not answer within a couple of minutes i literally lose my mind and think that the worst has happened to her. I start to feel numb and all the possibilities of what could have happened for her to not be responding start to play over and over in my head. I try to take deep breaths but that doesn’t help, nothing ever helps.Everyone in my life calls me crazy which doesn’t help anything because i do not choose to feel like this or act like i do. This is just one of the many many many many things that trigger my anxiety. There are times when anxiety consumes me to the point that i never want to get out of my bed. all i want to do is sleep because its the only time that i am safe and the only time where my mind can escape from the daily torture of anxiety and panic. Along with anxiety i go through stages where i look in the mirror and i have no idea who i am. i feel no connection to my physical body. I literally look at myself and do not recognize the person looking back at me. This only happens every so often or after coming down from a severe panic attack. Although this feeling is horrible it cant even begin to compete with the fear and terror that goes through my mind and body after a bad panic attack.

I have been to a counselor and that didn’t help anything, it only made me feel stupid. the counselor yawned in my face while i was in tears telling him about the misery that i am experiencing. I don’t know if i will seek counseling again.

I am also on a low dosage of an ssri and and low dosage of medication to help control panic attacks. These medicines helped at first but now I think that I may need to seek a therapist and maybe talk to my doctor about other medications.

Panic attack turned to generalized anxiety disorder

by Shannon
(New Carrollton md )

I’ve always had panic attacks since I was 10 or since I could remember I’m 20 now.. And the attacks started happening almost every day a year ago then two months ago I got a horrible attack but I had no idea it was anxiety attack.. I swore I was going to die! My chest was hurting bad and heart was pounding so hard and fast that I couldn’t breathe, I was having hot sweats and had to call the ambulance and telling my boy friend my final goodbyes.. I felt as if I was loosing my mind.. And then after that I was sent home and now I have a humming shaking when I try and sleep then I jolt up in a panic.. I’m trying to get over it using Valarian root and it does work for me… Because xenex makes me have bad symptoms side efects and scare me more..

Night time scares

I find I get it 2 nights after I drink large amounts. I’m 18, and been suffering with this since I turned 18. (Almost a year.)

The first night after drinking I lay in bed, and I can feel a bit of anxiety. But the second night, I feel & know I’m going to get an attack. I feel as if I’m laying in bed forever, trying to breathe properly because I feel like my heart is beating so fast. Then I’ll feel tingling in my hands and feet and I can’t move for what feels like a life time. When I’m in the state where I can’t move, I get weird hallucinations and everything seems like an unrealistic dream. It’s scary as heck. One time I felt like my heart was going to blow up, and I was constantly thinking “I need to go to the hospital… I need to call ambulance but there’s no point because I’ll die before they get here.”

When I go through this state I am constantly thinking to myself that’s the only somewhat control I have. I went out drinking two nights ago of course, and consumed vast amounts of alcohol. I looked at the clock and it was 1am. Then tried to fall asleep.

It first started off with my heart beating and I just wanted to get comfortable so I could breathe properly. Then I had maybe 5 second sessions of me not being able to move. When I get the short ones like that I feel like if I focus on my breathing I can snap out of them! Feel like I have a bit of control I feel like I can make them happen as well. Then a really bad one came, felt like it lasted 5 minutes.

I felt like I was going to do things I didn’t want to do, I felt like my chest was being risen up and I was getting possed. I couldn’t talk but I wanted to yell to my roommate for help. I felt like the only thing I could do was snore so I think I snored on purpose hoping I would catch her attention. I tried focusing on my breathing but I couldn’t snap out of it. Finally I woke up and said ” Taylor ” and then tried to feel okay again…

These attacks completely drain me and it’s a struggle to right this I’m so weak right now. If I stop drinking will I get better? Or should I go to the doctor?

So happy that I get these at night though ( as scary as it is ) but if I got them during the day I would seem like a complete whacked out nut case. This is really embarrassing that these happen to me.

Almost every night

by Amy
(U.S.A)

I’ve had panic attacks almost every night since I was 7. I go to bed and wake up around midnight feeling like I can’t breathe. I sit in the corner of my bed/room and rock, my knees pulled to my chest while my chest burns for at least 5 minutes. I literally can’t breathe at first, then I take short stiff breaths until it’s over. My mother has always told me I’m just making it up that I’m fine, that mental disorders don’t exist. My grandmother would hold me and sing to me until I calmed down enough that I could breathe properly.

Well, my worst panic attack was three days after my grandmother passed away. I woke up having a panic attack, and instantly started singing ‘you are my sunshine’ (the song my grandmother sang to me) in my head to try to calm myself down. The second I started singing it, my chest tightened even more. I couldn’t breathe for what felt like forever, and the panic attack lasted about a half hour. Ever since that night I have no way of calming myself during a panic attack. I juSt have to wait them out. If I try to sing the song in my head it gets worse. If I look at anything that reminds me of her it gets worse. And of my mother hears me or finds me during one, I don’t think I’d survive it. All the yelling of “stop looking for attention” would keep me from breathing ever again.

Unsettling…

by Lb
(NYC)

I am a robust, healthy person, almost never run down or ill, and I tend towards a strong sense of inner strength and vitality. I have always believed in self healing, and have always had a pretty even keel when in rough waters. I also live a varied and occasionally adventurous lifestyle, at ease in new circumstances, and felt for a long time that I was mentally, spiritually and emotionally sound; the opposite of hypochondriac. Most people I meet tell me I have a soothing effect on them and I inspire confidence.
Well, one afternoon while I was amicably chatting among some acquaintances I began to feel a tightness in my chest and abdomen. The sensation persisted for a long time. I recall being in mid-sentance when I suddenly lost control of my breath as if I were choking and had to cough. I took a sip of the wine we were all having, thinking it would help ease my throat, but instead I had difficulty swallowing. This was awkward, so I excused myself and went to get a glass of water instead.
When I got up I realised I was very lightheaded. There also began a noticeable buzzing in my ears, too. I got some water, even dabbed some on my temple and neck, drank a glass and then went back to sit down again. It was soon after that I recall feeling rather uncomfortable. The tightness in my abdomen felt now like the tight grip of a large hand. I was experiencing difficulty breathing. Sharp pains began in my chest and left arm. My palms grew clammy and I began to sweat all over. A barrage of sensations came upon me very quickly. I tried to breathe slowly and calmly but the tightness made this difficult. I was also growing nauseous, tired and extremely lightheaded. Its frightening and uncomfortable to even recall this now.
At some point someone looked at me and gasped “are you alright?” That was the first moment when I recall thinking I ought to be concerned, because apparently I had lost all color. Someone said “your face is all white.”
I had the wine glass in my hand and thought maybe it was a reaction to the wine. I don’t really like wine, nor alcohol in general, and I’d only had a few sips by this point. Could I perhaps have eaten something bad? I leaned forward. I was feeling stiff in my neck. My head was throbbing. A numbness overtook my arms and spread to my hands. My heart jumped into a full throttle pounding, while my fingers curled in upon themselves and I dropped the wineglass which broke on the floor.
After this my memory becomes foggy. I just remember my heart pounding like never before, and a whiteness or flashing light in my vision and loud ringing, and the terrible paralysis in my hands. I think I got kind of frightened then, too. I mean these physical sensations were so incredibly intense and there were so many of them all at once that I hardly had time to become frightened.
After some length of time I began to come out of it. I was on the floor. The hostess managed to inform me I was a jerk for breaking her expensive wine glass. I was too exhausted to speak. I had no way to explain what had happened. The strange looks everyone gave me were making me uncomfortable, so as soon as I felt strong enough I got up and left. I was stunned by all of this, but I’ve dealt head-on with an array of strong situations (though nothing remotely like this one) and felt it would all pass and eventually what was behind it would come to light.
Within a month or two, however, these ‘attacks’ were happening with an uncanny irregularity, sneaking up on me when I’d least expect, like in the shower or during a meal. It was then that I really began to associate fear with these experiences, especially because the symptoms grew much worse each time. The manual paralysis was particularly unnerving, especially as it was also spreading to my neck. I’d heard of panic attacks before but assumed these were the mental aberrations of overactive minds. I even read about them a bit and felt that I was experiencing something with some similarities, but far more extreme and visceral than what I had read about so far. I am now looking with some hope to determine with certainty that I am in fact experiencing panic. The doctors I have been to have given me mixed opinions, one even going so far as to prescribe Propranolol to regulate my heart! but when I heard about acute panic disorder something clicked. Still, the symptoms continue to evolve, and in more and more increasingly unsettling ways….

How frightening. Panic attacks are indeed unsettling. The fear of having another panic attack can be one of the worst parts of the whole experience.

The body seems to get into a pattern where panic is a new “normal” response that starts happening habitually.

I’m glad to hear you have sought medical attention. It must be very frustrating to get varying opinions when all you want are some answers.

It is impossible to tell what may be effective in reducing the panic attacks or breaking that physiological cycle, but here are some things that you may want to try, provided your physician gives you the okay to proceed:

– When you feel the first indications of panic attack symptoms, try to increase them by exercising. This can have a paradoxical effect.

– Use regular exercise to raise your heart rate a few times each day. Initially just the sensation of a faster heart rate can be uncomfortable because it feels too similar to the panic attacks, but if you persist this can help re-train your body.

– Have you stopped doing things that you normally do for enjoyment? Many people find that as soon as they begin experiencing panic attacks, it is like their worlds get smaller because they withdraw from the things they usually enjoy. Getting back in touch with your adventurous side can be very valuable.

– High adrenaline activities also provide a healthy experience of the symptoms that have become frightening. Everyone knows that it is normal to feel panicked while bungee jumping!

– A few relaxation scripts that may be relevant:

Relaxation to Relieve Anxiety

Relaxation for Coping with Panic

Overcoming Panic Attacks

Retraining the Amygdala

I hope this helps.

Candi

Return to Worst Panic Attack.

Scared and I Don’t Know Why!!

by Richard
(S.W. Florida)

I used to get them, when I was in my 20’s.
Awake, or asleep, they would come up on you, instantly.
For a while, before I knew what they were, I thought I was losing my mind…I paniced, which made it worse, then hyperventilate.
My though, was, I’m scared, but I don’t know why I am scared!
If I was sleeping and had one, I thought it was a nightmare, but why is it still here, 5 minutes, later?
When it happened, in waking hours, driving, I became disoriented….I forgot where I was going and even how to get there. Everything seemed strange, even though I drove that rode almost everyday, for the past 10 years. If I was going to work, I couldn’t remember how to get there.
And finally, everything seemed so much clearer, brighter, more vivid and colourful.
When I would get them, when I was resting at home, or, wherever, I would have to go outside and breathe!!! A few big inhale/exhales and I started to feel better.

I felt really scared…

by Austin
(Texas)

Well one night I was feeling fine and all of a sudden it hit me I was scared I thought I was about to pass out or die my head was foggy my heart was racing so fast my stomach started hurting and I couldn’t sleep so I would start pacing and pacing they say it only last about 10 15 minutes well this panic attack or anxiety attack lasted a few hours I even woke up feeling super weird and drained I always get that sense of adrenaline mixed with fear that I’m dying or have a disease making me feel the way I do it’s really scary and it bothers me I think about it all the time luckily my girlfriend’s mom understands what I’m going through as she has had hundreds of trips to the ER over panic attacks she usually lets me have a xannax and they work a little bit but it’s not the answer.

anonymous and scared

by Nat
(Canada)

Well, I’m quite young. I’m in high school and I can honestly say I’m stressed out to try and be somewhat perfect.

I had a project due and it wasn’t working so I walked home to fix the project during lunch and hurried back to school. Everything was fine. The project was saved!

That’s when it hit. I couldn’t stop shaking. I had worried myself sick. I had to sit down at that time because I was very light headed and I couldn’t see straight. My friend walked up to me and ask if I was okay but when I tried saying I was fine, I couldn’t breathe. It was like a choking gasp. Obviously my friend freaked out which didn’t help but eventually she calmed herself down and was able to get me a teacher.

Sadly, I don’t like talking about my problems and lately, I was having a lot of them so I knew why I was having a panic attack. I tried explaining to the teacher what was happening but with no luck because I was scared. And I cried which doesn’t help either. My panic attack lasted a half hour. I couldn’t breathe normally, had to miss half a class, had a pounding headache and still couldn’t calm down.

The only way I snapped out of it was when a teacher told me, make a list of things that are bothering you. That idea calmed me down. And so I went on my normal life… at least until panic attack number two. But that’s another story.

setback

by nicole
(detroit)

panic attack has took over my life that iam tryin to get back I work so hard to get my life in order for my kids they need me the most iam just trying so hard I have body aches every day don’t like to go out unless it taking care of business my brother passed five months that’s when I notice how my feeling start to change I have to get help and I notice I have them a lot at night when iam trying to relax for bed I be up most of the night till bout four or five in the morning then I sleep bout three or four hours I have my good days and bad

Hospital un-hospitality

by lol
(florida)

When i was 11 years old, i went to a mental hospital for attempt in suicide. i was stuck there, locked from the outside world,the first night i had a panic attack, i was in complete terror and went phyco, i thought about killing myself, and then a thought of my uncle, then i just went insane for about 20 minutes,the staff had no concern,but yelled at me and ordered me to stop crying and that i will not be sent home for a while. i was frantic and in complete panic. I felt like a hostage, and was definitely trapped. That however, is the place that i developed a strong anxiety disorder. for anyone who thinks a mental hospital is good for depression or anything else, you’d be better off at home.

————
————

I’m sorry to hear you had such a negative experience. It must have been traumatic to go through the anxiety and feelings of being trapped.

Did you or your parents contact the hospital management to let them know how you felt? When I worked at a hospital, we would definitely want to know if someone went through a situation like this so we could make changes to ensure patients found their hospital experience as helpful and calming as possible.

When a person is in a state of panic or psychosis, even the best intentions and care can come across as frightening. Sometimes hospital staff do their best to calm an upset patient, but the patient is afraid and feels trapped. When the patient does not have the option to leave, it is natural to feel trapped and view the hospital like a prison, even if remaining there is essential to treat an illness or save the person’s life.

I encourage anyone going through depression or any other mental or emotional difficulties to seek help. Hospitalization is not always necessary; often help can be obtained through counseling or therapy in the community.

Going to the hospital could be the very thing that saves your life.

My 1st panic attack

I was 17 years old at the time, now 18 as of last week, and i still continue to have feelings of intense discomfort and many times feelings of fear over little things or sometimes for no reason. One night I was sleeping in the basement because my cousins were staying over for a month in my room, I randomly woke up around 2:00 am and had this extremely sharp pain in my chest. Trying to stand up caused so much pain in my chest,breathing was difficult, I felt numb all over and my heart was beating so fast that I thought I was going to die. Every time I try to calm my self down, it never works and I haven’t told anyone about my problem because I fear that my parents wouldn’t take it seriously since I have been hiding this problem for years now. It’s like i’m suffering slowly and I just don’t know how to handle it.

Indescribable Terror

by Martin
(Paisley, Scotland)

I had just started a great new job that I was loving and had a great weekend drinking to celebrate. Everything seemed to be great with not a care in the world, until one tuesday night while I sat on the computer relaxing and looking for a new gym to join near my work something happened that would change my life forever!

As I sat browsing through the pages on my computer I noticed my heart was racing and had a slight pain in my chest. Managed to ignore it at first thinking it was nothing more than indigestion but it started to get worse and worse. I sprang up from my chair immediately thinking something was drastically wrong.

I tried walking around for a couple of seconds and drinking water but nothing helped. As my heart kept racing I tried to slow my breathing but my heart just started to flutter to the point I thought it was going to stop, In hindsight this is where the real panic set in.

I staggered down the stairs on the verge of collapsing thinking I was having a full blown heart attack.

As I near enough fell through the door I just managed to squeeze out the words “ambulance” to my father. As we live in a remote area it was quicker that he just drove me up which he did as quickly as possible.

On the way up to the hospital I felt that I couldn’t breathe, my wind pipe felt like it was closing and I just couldn’t stop thinking my heart was going to stop and this was the end, in turn making the panic attack worse and worse. Just outside the hospital I got pins and needles in both my arms and started to get them in my feet. I’d heard this was a sure sign of a heart attack but now know it is most definitely sure signs of a panic attack.

Whilst in the hospital I couldn’t speak the symptoms where so bad. Still with the chest pain coming and going. I kept thinking “why are they not rushing me straight in, I am in trouble here!”

After sitting in the waiting room for about 30-45 mins the symptoms began to fade and by the time I was seen I felt so much better it was unbelievable although was still in some discomfort. Sure that I had just suffered a heart attack or had at least unearthed some serious coronary condition the triage nurse said she was very confident I had just suffered a “panic attack” due to key symptoms such as pins and needles in both arms and feet, pace of breathing and no vomit etc.

The relief I had felt when the nurse said this was unbelievable but panic attacks were things that happened to other people and I had no idea how awful they could be. The sheer terror and the fact I thought I was going to die have changed my life forever!!

After further investigation I found that it was due to binge drinking and caffeine. I have changed my life style and have not had a repeat attack. Hope this serves as a warning to heavy weekend drinkers of the perils it can cause. The scariest thing that’s happened to me in my life by far!!!

Out Of The Blue

I’ve been suffering from panic attacks for a few years, but not very often and they were bearable. But two days ago, something took a turn for the worse: I was sitting on my couch playing on my phone, and I don’t recal having any physical stressors. All of a sudden I got extremely cold and I got goosebumps all over my body. My hands and feet started to go numb and they had that “pins and needles feeling”. My stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies and I had an unbelievable adrenaline rush, and then I lost control of my emotions and started sobbing. Soon after it began I started to shake, and the shaking turned into convulsing. It was so intense that I thought I may be having a seizure. After 45 minutes of this (yes, FORTY FIVE MINUTES) I called someone to drive me to the emergency room. They made me wait in line, and my attack was over before I was even called in. A few hours later I had another one which was shorter, but the convulsions were more violent. The after effects were horrible and I’m still in pain a few days later; this was at least 10x worse than any panic attack I’ve ever had before.

Am I dying?

by Trevor
(Texas)

I was still fairly new to panic attacks, even though I knew they were what I was experiencing. I was sitting on the bench at WalMart waiting for my perception to be filled, I could already feel the anxiety coming on when I was heading there, but I didn’t think it would turn into a panic attack. The pressure in my chest was slowly getting stronger, so I started some breathing techniques, I had closed my eyes. And then the headache set in, no pain, but a constant cloudy feeling. I knew at this point that it was going to happen.
I went up to the pharmacists counter, the fifteen minute wait was finished 15 minutes ago, I was ready to get out of there now. The pharmacist told me they still weren’t ready. This led to increased anxiety, at this point I didn’t feel my chest anymore, because the cloudy feeling in my head turned into a strong heat. almost like my head was being cracked open with a red hot fire poker. This sensation was entirely new and scared me very much. it led to me breaking out into a sweat, which has also never happened until then. My patience with the pharmacy was wearing thin. After 45 minutes they call me up to collect my medication. As I stand I feel a wave of confusion and dizziness hit me. My head was pounding, I felt like I was on fire. it took all of the strength and resolve that I had to collect my prescriptions and leave. At that point I had never experienced a panic attack so intense.

Germany..

I had my first panic attack in Germany. it was after midnight and there was a festival so the place was crowded. I lost my parents in the crowed and i fall down and people was stepping on me. after i finally got up a drunk man sicked to me and started touching me and hitting my head. That was very scary. My heart started to race and i faced diffeculties in breathing so i started crying. i didn’t know what was happening…

ALMOST LOST IT!

by AnxiousWarrior
(New York)

Had panic attacks and depression for the past few months…Went to the ER a few times but nothing came up…Long story short one night I was sleeping I woke up about an hour later…Felt my heart going insane!

I got up went to the kitchen and as I was walking to the kitchen the lights starting looking like it was getting dim I began to panic thinking I was about to black out..By now its HEART ATTACK! (In my mind) I was shaking crazy!

I told my mom to check my pulse and it was going faster than ever! 124 bpm! I panicked more! I ran to my sister room and barged in screaming call 911!

They said it was a panic attack I told them it was different…Now my throat starts closing up and again the lights looked like they were getting dimmer! legs weak I started to buckle!

I had water in my hand I threw the water across the kitchen screaming “I cant breathe” heart racing hands shaking, legs shaking, eye blinking, muscles tight….Finally my sister got me to calm down the panic lasted 20-30 minutes..I was trying to run out the house I was scared out of my mind! Worse one ever!

2 hours later I end up in the ER again my heart racing…They said it was anxiety and put me in the behavioral unit for a few hours…that’s when I realized I wasn’t crazy after all….Seeing the other people gave me a reassurance that I wasn’t crazy…I really pray for them…It was a terrible experience in there I wanted to leave…they gave me 2 ativan and a few hours later I left…I’m not seeing a therapist and psychiatrist…Im still struggling with depression and derealization/depersonalization but the panic attacks subsided since that day.

This was 4 weeks ago I had one today but I took an ativan and it passed through….I’m fighting day by day with this anxiety disorder and just praying I will be fine soon since last week I started Zoloft…It takes awhile to kick in…Although I have the meds I will still use my skills so when its time to get off the meds I can control my anxiety myself and not let the meds do all the work for me….

Being at the edge of death

by Dillon
(Michigan )

I’ve had drug induced panic attacks and panic attacks that have occurred while I’m sober. Both are equally as scary. I had another one about a night ago, i could be having a good night and something so small could set it off. Personally my panic attacks are caused by paranoia or fear. There are symptoms and signs but you will never understand until you are in the situation. My 2 most common signs on a daily basis include a Feeling of being chocked and severe chest pain. Those symptoms alone can open so many doors into my already uneasy way of thinking. My panic attacks tend to hang on a scale 1-10. Yesterday’s was about an 8. My body was numb, my vision was blurry I couldn’t breathe I was sweating and trembling. I had to leave my friend’s house because of the fear of being judged which was only making it worse. I rode my bike a mile before I had to get off. When my panic attacks get to a certain point I lose touch of reality. It’s like what ever my brain wants to think is what I’ll believe at the time. So if you feel like you’re actually about to die it’s like staring a gun in the face. I’ve called 911 sounding like a maniac over the phone. When my panic attacks get bad I begin to hallucinate and hear voices. These voices will tell me things that will make me question if I’m even alive. It’s weird to say but it’s scary. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve ran around my house looking for a gun (note that I don’t have a gun) but at that time if I were to find one I think I would of blew my brains out right there. It’s messed up to think. Even after my panic attacks I feel like it takes 4-5 hours sometimes days for my brains to properly work again. Lmao

Numb and dumber

by Jay
(Ny)

After binging out on coke, eventually I got some good stuff that had me stiffened into a chair with a 7 hour panic attack. I thought I had survived an overdose and almost walked to a public area for someone to find my body; had I been able to move I would have. This isn’t the worst panic attack, but in fact my unknowing expedition to it. I quit cold turkey to get my life back together, but I was suffering heart palpitations in the shortcoming weeks that followed.
Eventually, the worst one came from a day at work. I was young still but could swear I was about to die. My heart was racing and I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my chest. I felt assured that because of the blow my life was now over, and even though it didn’t end that day, you could say it has figuratively.
I was around 30 people witnessing me about for some help. I walked to my boss and said get me the hell out of here. Words can’t efficiently describe the terror I felt. I texted my mom I loved her while my heart raced faster than if I had sprinted every second I had been laying down on that filthy work carpet. “I love you”. All I could type while unable to control my own body.
Eventually paramedics came and fed me oxygen while I was calming down again after 30 minutes of self afflicted terror.my resting heart rate was 180. I had lost my job and spent a year with a jerk cardiologist. I kept getting them and to this day have a fear of getting my heart rate high. I don’t get them anymore but can honestly say that having random extreme panic attacks is life ruining. What makes it worse was I did it to myself and couldn’t undo it.

Nightmarish Reality

I’ve had my fair share of these horrid moments of panic many people have experienced, but my worst one yet was just last night.

I was taking a nap and my brother woke me up for us to go on our daily 8 p.m. walk around the community. As soon as he woke me up I felt different. I felt as if my lower abdomen had an empty sort of feeling, then again I was menstruating so I really thought nothing of it since I believed it was another one of my usual menstrual cramps.

We went out to begin our walk and about 15 minutes into it I started feeling as if my throat was constricting and my hands were tingling. I tried to ignore it, but fear got a hold of me. 5 more minutes passed and I began to feel extremely dizzy and nauseous. A few more minutes and I just about lost it. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it would rip right out of my chest. I was sweating profusely. My throat felt dry and still constricted while my mouth was numb. I was nearly gasping for air. My legs felt like jello. I felt hot flashes passing through my body. I could barely speak, but I managed to tell my brother I wasn’t feeling well. Even so, I was so frightened because we were still about 20 minutes away from our home, the only place I feel safe, so I pushed forward.

At this point I felt as if I was losing control of reality. As I was seeing the concrete sidewalk ahead of me and all the surroundings, I felt like I wasn’t even there. I was so terrified I didn’t want to believe it and I even thought I was going to die right then and there. As I was going through this, all the previous symptoms were still taking over my body all at once. I was so overwhelmed I even started to cry. Something that has never happened to me with my previous panic attacks.

We finally made it back home and I immediately went to my room to lie down to try and calm myself. Since I was still, I could feel how fast my heart was pumping and I got even more scared because I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

Again, I tried to calm myself down. I was able to steady my breathing and my heart rate and all other symptoms started to fade away slowly. After about and hour, I decided to take a long shower. Afterwards, I felt nearly back to normal, save for the tingling in my hands and the slight trembling through my limbs.

7 hours after the attack, and as I am typing this, I only have a slight numbness in my hands. However, I feel traumatized by the worst event that has ever happen to me. I can only fight through these moments of fear and hope for them to finally leave me alone one day.

Panic attack on driving lesson

by Tom
(Paraparaumu, New Zealand)

So about 30 minutes ago i had the WORST panic attack ive ever had. I was on my weekly driving lesson (they dont stress me out by the way) and i was pulling out of a street then BAM out of no where i had a full blown panic attack, fast heart rate, shaky feeling, light headed, tingling feeling, upset stomach and i felt i was about to die.

It lasted for about 30-45 seconds and i dont even know what caused it but i have been feeling rather anxious today for some reason. I was supposed to go the gym for a workout after my lesson but i never went, my thoughts were that my heat was going to fail and if i didn’t die on my driving lesson, i’d die in the gym from doing exercise so now i’m at home playing some Rome Total War to try and take my mind off of everything.

Man it was scary, the most terrifying experience in my life.

Worst few days of my life

by Rachel
(Utah)

I went to work yesterday and out of nowhere I dissociated, everything felt like I dream and my hands and head felt heavy and every time I had a heart palpitation it would send a surge of pain and tingles through my arms legs and neck and I kept getting sharp pains in my chest and back and my stomach. I was so scared I left training to bawl in the locker rooms and call my mom telling her I needed to go the hospital so she had me talk to my supervisor (who has medical training) it was super embarrassing crying in front of her but she assured me I was just having a panic attack. I had two more that day and I had another really bad one today too and probably more soon to come. I’m still a little convinced there’s something wrong with my heart but everything I’ve read seems to keep pointing to an anxiety attack. They keep coming out of nowhere and they’re way more terrifying and painful than any anxiety attack I normally have. I really hope they stop coming soon or I’m going to have to quit my job

My summer

by Briana
(Chicago il )

I was 14 years old when I had my first panic attack on June 10 weird how I remember the exact date ! That day was of course the most scariest day of my life I literally thought I was going to die ! I fear nothing or don’t have so much stress built on me so I never thought it’d be a panic attack. But it was . Here it goes… It was 11 pm and I was on my phone waiting to get tired so I can fall asleep out of no where I started feeling sweaty and I felt like I couldn’t even swallow my saliva my throat felt tight my chest as well my heart was racing like crazy it felt like it was about too jump out. ! I didn’t wanna wake up my mom since she had work early the next day so I kept drinking water but it just made me panic even more thinking I would choke ! I sat down and can see and feel my legs were shaking uncontrollably I started getting so scared I thought I was going to have a heart attack I woke my mom up and she looked scared I was on the couch crying for minutes then it stopped the next day I felt better and went on with my life till it hit me again at 4am even worse ! I went to the ER I could barely even breathe ! & came home at 6am I didn’t eat nothing for a whole week I felt very sick after those two panic attacks after I ate then now I just got really bad acid reflux and get a few headaches but when I know I’m about to have one I do and know I can control them (:!

Losing control of my insides?

by Darienne
(Texas)

These episodes happen very rarely, I believe I’ve only ever had 5-6 attacks like this but they are so bad.. I’ve had anxiety all my life. My mother an grandmother also have it so I’ve never considered it to be abnormal. It doesn’t consume my life and I am a very happy person. Sometimes though…

It starts out with my head feeling extremely light. Suddenly my vision not only starts to blur, but I guess my pupils dilate to a point where I can only vaguely see my surroundings due to it being way too light. Breathing becomes difficult and I have almost no balance. Nausea will kick in shortly after these symptoms show, and my stomach will begin to twist as turn stimulating my bowels. Sometimes I have to stumble quickly to the toilet where I spend most of these episodes. My heart will race and I will SOAK myself in sweat. Looking as if I’ve walked a little bit in the rain. My arms will go numb and I will grasp onto consciousness. There was this one time I actually passed out and fell to the floor. As soon as I opened my eyes I had no idea where I was at or what I was doing. I didn’t even know I had passed out until my boyfriend told me I had.
Like I said, I’ve spent a few of these episodes on the toilet. There was another time where I stumbled to the toilet and as soon as I sat down my bowels released uncontrollably while I leaned over myself and puked everywhere. They usually settle down in about 10-15 minutes but the rest of the day is spent feeling drained and scared another might hit. Sometimes I can’t even leave the couch after these episodes. They drain all my strength and although they rarely happen I fear for my health and safety every time.

i thought i was paralyzed

by Lani
(Hawaii )

I snuck out to go smoke hookah at my ex boyfriends house had my best friend over to smoke too and be my back up plan if my parents asked where i was and what i was doing (im 16)and she gets a frantic call from her mom and shes crying saying that he broke her son broke her hand.we drove really fast to her house and i felt dizzy and nauseous. I was getting an anxiety attach and i was trying to chill myself out and all of a sudden my feet started tingling and then my hands. The numbness started traveling to places where my clothes were tight on me and then started to buzz my legs were stuck and. My arms were stuck i couldnt breathe right and i was terrified. This was the only time i ever relied on God. We picked her mom and they took me to,my house and i had to lie to my mother and i wasnt thinking straight and i was telling my best friend the plan infront of her mom. And i looked like a T rex trying to get up my flight of stairs. My mom asked what happened and mh best friend told her and i layed on my moms bed for 6 hrs until i was able to move freely and kinda walk. I was really drained and i haven’t had one like that ever again.

How to describe what I felt/feel…

by Kathy
(USA)

I have had several attacks of what I assume are panic attacks. The first time was on an airplane. I was being forced to sit on a window seat in a small jet with very close walls. For some reason this triggered the thought in me that I need to get off of this plane immediately…I didn’t care if we had taken off or not. Fortunately, there were two empty seats I could move to on the aisle and the attack subsided. The second time was driving home on a 10 hour road trip. Out of nowhere I started panicking while driving and had to pull over, thinking I couldn’t continue to drive or do much of anything else. I hated the feeling and thought I was losing my mind or having a heart attack. Similarly to so many other people on this site, I started having symptoms similar to a heart attack…shortness of breath, light headedness, tingling in the hands, and a general feeling of panic I couldn’t control. I pulled over and got some sugar and food into my system thinking it might be low blood sugar or something similar. After about an hour I am able to finish the drive home. The third and last time so far I was in the book store checking out a book (I was sitting)when the feeling hit. I started thinking “I am going to faint” and then stood up to move, as I was mainly concerned about fainting in public and making a fool of myself. I walked around and sat in the car for about an hour (again) after which I finally was able to drive home. Through all of these attacks, I was concerned about fainting or making a fool of myself while “losing it”. I feel for everyone who has to go through these feelings and hope the medical community can find a better way to help us control them. Thanks for letting me post.

First panic attack, started on my horse before a race

I have trained race horses my whole life, however I had taken a couple years off. This weekend I was back at my first race and I had been nervous all day long. I ran my horse and he didn’t do very good, but after that I was no longer nervous to run him again. I was so mad at him for doing what he had done in the race I could not wait to run him again. It was about 20 minutes before the race, and i was on my horse. I was completely fine when I noticed that I zoned out and felt like I almost passed out. There was no pain what so ever. I was on my horse and made him walk off thinking that I just zoned out and needed to wake up and walk around a bit. It was moments later when again I zoned out and felt like I had blacked out for a split second. I knew something was wrong with me at that point and got off my horse. I kept almost falling over but never did. I had no idea what was wrong with me but I knew it was something. I got very very pale and was starting to panic bad about the fact that I was not going to be able to run in the race. I was panicking about everything actually. I thought I was going to die and I was telling my friends but I was freaking out inside that they were not taking me serious. come to find out they knew I was having a panic attack. it lasted about 1 hour and it was miserable.

Night panic

by Marinochka
(The Netherlands)

I was on a school ski trip and mentally it hadn’t been great. Of the two other girls in my dorm, both had got boyfriends on the trip (whilst I was single), one of which was the boy whom I secretly liked, whilst one of then had also been self harming herself whilst we were there, which was a huge stress factor. Overall, I felt down and sick, alongside the paranoid fear that I get when on my period. One of the nights we were there, there was a talent show that we were expected to attend. To make it blur, I took two energy tablets and drunk an energy drink beforehand, which got me through seeing my friend and the boy I liked being all sweet together. An hour after taking the energy stuff, we were told it was time for bed. Felt sick, in that mentally unclean sort of way, but got ready and into bed. We all chatted for a bit before we drifted off. I remember having no dreams, which is odd as I’m usually a vivid dreamer. At about 3-4:30am, I woke up and knew something was wrong. I felt locked in my own body, like I was suffocating in the covers, the pyjamas, even on my skin. I didn’t know where I was or why I was still alive, I felt like I was falling off a mountain at multiple times, with random flashes of reality and tricks my mind was playing on me flying about before my eyes. I wanted to scream and cry and thrash around, but all I could do is lie paralysed staring at the wall. I must have been there for anything from 10-45 mins (I can’t really remember time, I wasn’t in a very coherent state), before I managed to break out and ran to the bathroom, where I lay on the floor trying to calm down. I wanted to stop my heart, to claw my skin off, I felt like I was drowning in life. Finally, when is calmed down, I got back into bed and went into a scarily deep sleep. Probably the worst experience of my life, NEVER take energy supplements close to bed if you are prone to panic attacks or other mental problems like me.

I didn’t know what was going on

by Megan
(Scarborough)

I am 15 years old and have had 2 panic attacks so far, one when i was in the swimming pool doing a race and another at school.

I was in my physics lesson and had worked all of the equations out wrong making my answers wrong. So when my teacher pointed this out to me i started to get really hot and visibly red. He then asked if i wanted a breath of cold air outside of the classroom. So i stood outside for two minutes before he came out. By this point i was starting to get breathless and I was still rather hot. So he walked me up to the science prep room and told me to stand over by the sink with my wrists under the tap until i felt ‘normal’ again. The science technician then went on to tell me that even though I had managed to stop the panic attack before it got serious, i had still had one.

When i got back to class i felt quite disengaged from class and comments from my classmates didn’t help. They said things like “you went to the prep room because you were too hot? thats just pathetic” I told them it was a very small panic attack but nobody seemed to believe me. However i felt like i was more panicky because of the fact it could happen again.

Now i have come to realise that the warning signs were there all along. I was having hot flushes and feeling dizzy the whole lesson and had nearly fainted in the toilets just 5 minutes before.

I understand that some of you will be thinking that i dont have a clue what a bad panic attack is however my friend suffers from them too and i have witnessed one myself. So please do not think any less of me.

I was 12 and I think it was a panic attack

by Jennifer N
(Australia )

I was 12 years old and I had my first panic attack, well I think it was… I remember it being the scariest thing I ever went though. I had to sleep with my mum for 2 weeks straight, i think. It came out of no where just one night I was sleeping in my bed and next minute, I couldn’t breathe I felt like someone was squeezing me or sitting on me. My mum called the doctors because she thought it was an asthma attack because I use to get it, but the doctor said I was breathing normally.

After that night I slept with my mum and I would wake up every night screaming because I couldn’t breathe and I felt sick and dizzy and I was crying. I lived in a one level house so the fall wasn’t big, and I use to jump out the windows and grab the grass so hard I felt like that was the only good thing happening at the moment and I had fresh air I could breathe again. This would happen every night, I can’t even explain the feeling that I had, it was the worst thing ever, I felt like I was dying every single time. But after a week or two it disappeared and I never had it again and never want to have it again. (I think what help me was using a paper bag to breathe into, I think it helped me a lot actually). I’m pretty sure it was a panic attack but when I was little I didn’t even know what it was.

unexpected panic attack at a big fair

by grace
(uk)

So I was at a big fair with my partner and small children when all a sudden I felt I couldn’t breathe I then had a drop feeling of intense and very uncomfortable butterflies from top of stomach all the way down to my legs I then turned to “jelly” I kept focusing on my breathing which wasn’t getting any better I felt I couldn’t even stand up even though I was and walking making my way to the paramedics there I actually can not recall ever having a panic attack this bad I had a out of body feeling and I felt light as a feather I guess I really did think I was going to die I did not believe the doctors could help me once I was in the cabin I was talking so fast breathing fast and felt like going to sleep I felt awful for my family as they was panicked too I then got checked over and the only thing they could find was raised heart rate and even though I felt I couldn’t breathe my oxygen was 98% so I panicked then because its normally 99% then my hands started shaking and a cold rush in left arm and pins and needles
I have never been so scared he said it was panic but to me im still scared now as it did not feel anything like a panic im now petrified its going to happen again

Panic attack that made me think I was getting posessed.

Im in the navy and have dealt with plenty of stress on the ship. I finally got a break and ended up on shore duty, it was actually very relaxing, stress levels were pretty much gone. However lately i started having a few panic attacks, for a while i seemed to get over them as well as I could. But today it struck out of nowhere while in a lab at school. I rode through a portion of it trying not to freak out in front of the class, but it was quite over powering. I dismissed myself right after the lab and headed over to medical, that’s when it hit even worse. I felt like I was being posessed, or going loosing my mind. It came in waves I felt like shouting at the nurses, and tried to keep myself from running out of the hospital room. I got so desperate I asked for one of the nurses to pray with me. My body kept shaking and I felt unbearable panic. It took half an hour for me to finally calm myself. I’m hoping this won’t come back, but I keep hearing that these attacks may be for life.

This can’t be life!

by Christina ausyin
(Delaware,USA)

I had my first recorded panic attack 4 years ago. I’ve been to the ER twice thinking it was a heart attack,stroke,brain cancer,you name it I had it. So over the years I’ve read every forum and article I could find on this terrible “disease”. FINALLY in October 2015 I decided to put the xanex down and fight this all on my own! Its worked up until 2 nights ago. I smoked a joint of really good medical marijuana and went to the casino. As I sat at my machine,all the lights and bells made me feel weird. I felt faint! I survived however and went home. Wake up this morning and I’ve had this ongoing attack(I hope)since 8am its now 6pm. I feel my legs tingle,feel heavy when I stand, I want to say I’m dizzy but the world isn’t spinning so I’ll go with lightheaded. Its indescribable, weird is the best word for it. Chest gets tight,heart races,biting the insides of my cheeks. It’s terrible! Just keep saying to myself,this will pass!

Stupidity= Panic

by Stephen Robinson
(Sacramento, CA)

I’m 14. About a month ago I was completely normal. Straight A Honor student. Me and my friends decided to take the well known drug, “Ecstasy”. Turns out I am one of the few people in the world that cannot properly digest man-made drugs. So I got treated at the hospital and what not. Came home 2 days later. Had the regular “Drug withdrawal” crap or whatever where my body was recovering. Well… It has been 4 weeks since then and now I am suffering from Severe Panic Attacks.

Here is what I go through:

Since I had taken the drug, At first, I assumed these panic symptoms were not Panic attacks. I thought it was a side affect from my experience. Well now i know it is a Panic Attack.

Ever since I came back from the hospital I have become overwhelmed with almost OCD symptoms. Such as checking my pulse every few minutes. To make sure I’m alive? Weird but true. I also focus on whether I’m Insane or Sane. Like if I have lost my mind because my brain has not recovered from the drug or something.

My Panic ATTACK:

Suddenly, i get REALLY dizzy and sit down. Then my heart pounds like never before. THEN, i go NUMB. Completely Numb. Either in my face or more seriously, in my whole body. But even though my heart is pounding, I feel really weak and pale as if my blood as left me. Then i notice that I cannot stop thinking about my health.
As in, am I alright? Is my heart just going to flat out stop? Will I die from this one day? Do I have a medical issue? And all these though RACE and RACE through my mind.

Then, I feel like an organism. I feel like I’m one of nature. Not literally. But I feel as if I’ve gone insane. My vision tricks me. I almost look around and picture myself as JUST a human with a brain that I cannot control.

This can last from 10 Mins to 1 hour.

Truly terrifying for these being my first experiences with panic attacks…

Thanks for reading my story.

Please contact me by posting comments.

First panic attack

by Crystal
(New York)

I am 32 and always suffered from mild anxiety. Last night my husband and I were arguing, I don’t know if its what he said or the way he said it that triggered it for me but all of a sudden I couldn’t catch my breath I felt like I was hyperventilating I ran out of the room dizzy and shaking and ran to the furthest part of my yard crouched down my whole body was shivering my hands starting tingaling and I started to curse my way out of it I kept swearing and reminding my self to breathe. When it started subsiding I tried to stand but my legs were shaking so bad I crouched back down and stayed there for a good 15 minutes. That was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I hope it was my first and last.

Unknown Emotional State

by Lucent
(USA)

My worst panic attacks always come immediatly after this thought: “Im glad i’m doing so much better and havent been panicking at all lately!” This ensures that it will slam into me with such force that if i could bottle it, itd be a war crime to even possess it.

I have an extremely bad neurological problem. I feel everything to such a degree that all sensation always causes pain. Always. This keeps me panicking a good half of every day (On my fourth right now, 2 hours.)

But the absolute worst one was the first one. Because it is so stupid as to be…stupid. I dont know. Heres what happend: My heart rate in the bath was kinda up a bit high; not all that unusual or anything. But for some reason, i went and checked by pulse.

My fingers on my neck were about..half an inch off of where they needed to be to palpate the region. It took less than 2 seconds for me to fix this. But in that tiny time frame, I didnt feel my pulse. And I panicked utterly. Again, it was clearly the wrong place, and my pulse was fine after i moved them into the right spot.

The damage, however, was done. This scared me so much that i ahve spent the last year or so terrified of the return of problems that NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. Im terrified of passing out, which hasnt happend. Im scared of my heart stopping – again, has not happend. And yet it happens every single day.

Now I constantly terrify myself by watching my pulse in my wrist. if i cant see it, I think im dying. But I dont even know what im looking for!

BAH!

My worst panic attack, age 12 and a half

I am about to become thirteen, but I’ve had a terrible relationship with panic attacks. One night when my mum came to say goodnight, she found me in tears and I couldn’t breathe. She thought I was just having a meltdown but I could tell it was something worst. So, she sat down on the end of my bed and waited until I was calm. But, I wanted to be alone and help myself, so I yell for her to leave me alone. She didnt leave and I was yelling at her. I felt panic in my head and crawled under my bed. I couldnt breathe and I was sure that I would soon faint or pass out. I was screaming, my limbs went numb, I couldnt breathe. My face was wet and sticky from the tears, my hair was grubby and disgusting. My mum finally pulled me out and tried to make me calm, it took me one hour till i was calm again. The next day I went to my guidance teacher at school, and told them what had happened. They didnt arrange to speak to me until last week, and by that time I’d had several panic attacks. That week, I had already had three. It was in the medical suite when they told me I had anxiety probelms. At first I was happy, i found out what was wrong with me. But then I couldnt spend a day not thinking about it. It was like a drill, drilling down into my skull. I wanted to be normal again, not someone who has these attacks at the age of thirteen. The next day, I did some reseach on panic attacks. A website told me that the normal age for having panic attacks was 19, I was horrified when the number appeared. I really thought something was wrong with me.
So if any of you guys know if it is normal to get panic attacks at this age, please, somehow tell me. I am really scared and i dont know what to do.
Also if it is odd to get panic attacks at my age, then to everyone who also gets panic attacks as a kid. You are not alone.
Please take time to read my story, I want answers…❤️

I couldn’t breathe.

by Nina
(Slovenia)

I won’t go on what was/is happening in my life, but I was crying in the bathroom. I remember a razor near me, I didn’t cut, yet it was there. All of the thoughts I was having made me feel nauseous. Suddenly nothing was around me, it was all blurry and spinning. I couldn’t stop thinking about that one thing and about how nothing will ever get better. I didn’t know what was happening (it was my first panic attack), but the thoughts in my head were getting louder and I couldn’t shut them up. I felt like I was drowning, I fell to the bathroom floor and started breathing really heavily, but I was still without air. I was shaking, crying, I was scared. I can’t explain the feeling, I can’t tell you how terrible it was. I just felt like the thing that would make everything better would be death. I felt like I was dying and I just wanted it to come to end. I just wanted to die. Nothing would get better, everything is meaningless, I hate myself, no one loves or likes me. It’s never getting better. It’s never going to be normal. You aren’t normal. I also threw up a little after I could catch a breath. It slowly ended after that when I splashed my face with water and I cried for a couple more minutes.

It was my first panic attack and it wasn’t the last or the worst. Sorry, because my English isn’t perfect.

I’d never been happier in my life

by Tushar
(Gurgaon, Haryana, India)

I’d had a great past couple of months, life felt extremely easy. Even when it was hard(subjective) and I had to work, I knew that all I have to do is work. The point being that I realized that no matter which situation I am in, there is a way out, all that I need to do is find it. And realizing that was enough for me.

Then one night I was lying in bed trying to sleep, and all of a sudden i felt this terrible fear, but I didn’t know what I was afraid of, so I thought to myself why am I feeling so scared? I told myself to calm down and try to think about what could do this to me, but I was unable to think clearly because I was so scared! And that scared me even more, so I thought to myself, What is this? Am I panicking? And that question seemed to elevate my fear. So I led myself to the conclusion that thinking about panicking is scaring me, so try to think about something else. But I couldn’t! All I could think about was what was happening to me and why the heck was I so scared? And then what followed was the worst 1 month of my entire life. Every day I lived under the presumption that my thoughts were causing this terrible feeling, that my life had become so bad because of my own mind. The very mind that I used to be so proud of, the one that made me ME! My own consciousness.

But all that was in reality was just me panicking and then my panic manifesting itself as a panic disorder. It wasn’t my thinking that scared me, I was already so incredibly scared, it didn’t matter what i think, I would be scared. It was very hard for me to accept that fact. I didn’t want to believe that I wasn’t in control of my own mind, because that scared me even more! But then I realized, its just fear. I am being crippled by my own fear, fear of not being able to accept my current situation, of what will happen in the next moment, of whether I will ever feel good again. I then told myself, Just Live Through It. Feel every moment of this fear, remember this fear, because there will be a day, if not a day, at least a moment, where I will feel good. And in that moment I will intentionally think about this fear. This fear that cripples me, if it ruins the moment, I will allow it to do so, because I would’ve already felt great for that moment, and this fear would then automatically and logically become a little hollow. For I fear that I will never feel great again, But I just did, and now I’m scared again. So this fear is not from my thoughts or from my consciousness, its just there. I don’t have to blame myself for it. In fact, I shouldn’t blame myself for it. And you know, suddenly, I wasn’t that scared anymore.

What I’m trying to say I guess is that you cant control how you feel, what you can control though are your actions. If you’re ever feeling extremely scared or are going through a panic attack, just do as much as you can. Give your best effort! And once you’ve done that, look back on that situation. You made it! Doesn’t matter how, if you sucked or if you rocked the world or whatever, you made it! You’ve done it once, you can do it again, that is what matters.

A life long anxiety disorder.

by Louise
(UK)

I have suffered with anxiety from being a young child. Course back then I didn’t know what it was. I first started with full blown panic attacks at age 19 (I’m 39 now) and have been on and off medication all that time. By far the worst panic attack was one afternoon when I left work, I was in a good enough mood but hadn’t eaten and started feeling light headed which then in turn started making me panic. My heart started racing, I was panting for breath, I was terrified. I knew deep down it was a panic attack but it was fuelled by the fact I was on the way to pick up my 3 year old daughter from nursery and just felt completely unable to look after her. I picked her up and walked back down to the hospital where I worked, took her to a friend and told her I needed to go to the Accident and Emergency Department. Again I KNEW it was a panic attack but I wanted someone to make it stop. They put me on a monitor and ended up keeping me in overnight because my heart was racing so badly.

At the moment I am going through another phase of anxiety/panic, I can just about manage the panic attacks by deep breathing and telling myself it will pass. I am pushing through doing what I should be doing, working etc. I have started seeing a therapist, I am going to the gym which helps and avoiding alcohol as much as possible because I have definitely noticed a strong link between that and the anxiety. I think for me the worst symptoms are that deep feeling of dread and being alone and a bleak feeling and the stomach churning anxiety I feel in the morning.

A Night Out With The Girls

I had recently become single after a five year relationship and was under massive amounts of stress with school, work, bills etc. I decided to treat myself to a night out dancing and drinking with a few close friends. Everything was going great until I felt the overwhelming urge to run, not to any particular place but to just get out of there. I immediate left and went out into the parking lot to get some fresh air and began to panic. As I wandered further away from the bar I started frantically calling anyone in my phone to come get me. I was having trouble breathing and was distressed beyond recognition. I finally found a ride and panicked at home the rest of the night. I have had a few bad ones since then but the unknowing innocence of the first attack is terrifying until you get a grasp on what is happening to your body.

Wonderful day turned into a Nightmare

by Mike
(Polizzi)

I was 18 years old and my mother had just given birth to my beautiful baby sister. It was a very happy day for everyone and it had been spent at the hospital with my sister and step father. We were all so joyed to welcome Trista (my new baby sister) into our family. Everything was going great and then the time came where we all would leave for the night (except for my stepfather that is). Instead of going home, I decided to stay at an old neighbour’s house who had been a longtime friend of the family’s. We were sitting down just enjoying a movie when all of a sudden my heart started beating extremely fast. I felt very uncomfortable, but tried waving it off. Shortly after it become clear that this was not normal. I had never experienced anything like this and knew nothing about anxiety or panic attacks. Before I knew it, my heart was beating out of my chest, my limbs became tingly and numb, I was getting piercing pains throughout my chest, and I was extremely disoriented. I began taking deep breaths trying to calm down, but the idea of having a heart attack soon overwhelmed me. I jumped off the couch and ran for the door, hoping that the fresh air might help, but nothing worked. The friend I was with came running close behind and I told him I was having a heart attack and he needed to call 911! He kept asking me if I was sure he needed to call and to just try and calm down. Eventually, after about a half hour of this I began to calm down and told him not to call anyone. The rest of the night my heart rate kept rising and I didn’t get any sleep. I am 23 years old now and I have never stopped having them. They have gotten a lot milder over the last five years, but every once in a while I get some very bad ones and death is constantly on my mind. It has turned me into a hypochondriac and really crippled my life and every day activities. I have gotten pretty good at calming myself down now, but the worry and panic never goes away. I just hope that one day I can live a normal life again without these horrible experiences.

Today was my worst one…

by Tom
(U.K.)

My first panic attack was three weeks ago, I was sitting down calmly watching some videos on the internet, when all of a sudden, I couldn’t swallow. For some reason, that made me believe I couldn’t breathe and thus set me off into my first ever horrific experience with panic attacks.

For the last three weeks, I have on and off been suffering from them, every twitch or sudden weird feeling in my body sets me off into a panic train of thinking I am dying, which of course sets off the attack.

But today was my worst… I was lying on my bed, and got up too fast, winding up with a sudden dizziness. I tried to think nothing of it, but then found my breathing was getting harder to grasp, and so to be safe, rung the non-emergency line for some help or advice. As I tried to talk to the woman on the other end, my breathing was lost, this was the first panic attack I had where I felt like something in my throat was going to stop me from breathing, that if I didn’t try to push myself to breathe, that was it. The end for me.

The woman on the other end called an ambulance and from them taking me to the hospital up until finally speaking to a doctor, I was finding it hard to breathe, shivering, trembling, certain I was going to die.

I just got back from the hospital after being given the all-clear, that it was just another panic attack… But I am jittery and petrified of it happening yet again to the point I am scared of going to sleep, or even living the rest of my life like this.

Doubting in my self a lot !!!

by Safae
(Morocco)

Well , I’m 16 Ive been dealing with panic attacks for 3 Years and I Hate it ! I really hate it ! Im an Art Student ,I have bac this Year And Im really scared that am gonna have a panic attack in class or in the workshop … My Panic attacks are so BAD ! I Can’t Sleep at night , i get those frightning unreality feelings all night and All Day ! Those unreality feelings make me doubt My self a LOT ! cause they are soo bad i feel i don’t know who Iam , looking at my self in a mirror and its like i see another Girl…Ive been searching a lot in google about panic atttacks and how to end but there’s no result .. i can calm them down sometimes but , again , i feel them ! Its driving me Nuts ! and i have a lot of dreams i want them to become true when i grow up … but i feel like I won’t do nothing in my life just because of these feelings of unreality and panic attacks I really need help , Im lost !

New years eve 2008

by Andrew
(England)

It was xmas time. I’d spent the holidays with my young family, I was off work so late nights and early mornings where the norm. I’ve been a worrier as long as I can remember but since my 1st child was born 4 yrs earlier the worry had intensified. New years eve came & by the time we went to meet up with the rest of the family i’d barely eaten or drank any fluids all day. My LO was at her grandmas for the evening. By 7pm I was outside the pub with my father in law and brother in law and friends. We was all having a laugh and a joke. I said something to which everybody laughed, I quickly turned to look at a friend and that was it. The whole world started to spin. My heart began to race, my fingers began to tingle. I tried to calm down but couldn’t. The pub opened and my partner turned up & I felt slightly better. Once inside it began again, I felt freezing cold and my hands began to tighten up. A sugary drink helped but symptoms didn’t fully subside. My hands where completely frozen solid in a gripping position. I decided enough was enough and went home. Laid down and just ached all over. The next 7/8 months I just felt low, tired and absolutely terrible. Drs seemed disinterested, told me it was anxiety. Then on August 31st 2009 the big 1 hit me. By now my 2nd daughter had been born. We went out for a drive and all the time I just felt “not right” legs like jelly and tingling arms, dry mouth. I suddenly pulled into a car park, jumped out the car and walked away so my LOs didn’t have to see what was about to happen. In my mind I was about to die of heart failure. Hands tightened so much I couldn’t move them and my body doubled up. My heart was beating about 200 times a minute. I was just waiting to black out. My partner had rang an ambulance by now. After what seemed like an hour (but really only a minute or 2) I realised I wasn’t going to die. Ambulance appeared and they basically joked about it being a panic attack (which tbf helped) I went to hospital but left straight away. I have had minor eps since but not as major as I know my mind is stronger then my physicality. Eat well, exercise (bike riding to work has helped me immensely) sleep well, drink plenty of fluid. These steps help lots. Drs, tablets I believe don’t help at all but are merely placebos. Only you can help yourself. The worst feeling since it first happened was the thought of a panic attack happening in a crowded place and feeling humiliated. Silly feeling but that’s how I felt. My last minor ep was only a few weeks ago. Stood in the bank & all of a sudden I was aware of my heartbeat becoming faster & stronger. I just felt like running out of the bank. I never, I carried on as normal. Basically told the panic attack to do one & got on with my day. Panic attacks wont take over my life and its the same with everybody. Only you can stop it. Exercise, hydration & a decent night’s sleep are the basics to beat panic attacks.

Worst three hours of my life

by Daniel p

I’m 21 years old and have never experienced anything so awful in my life. I was recovering from a night of over drinking, as I tend to do. That probably had something to do with it. So, I’m just sitting at home on the internet reading tips, and whatnot, about joining the navy. That turned into reading about tips to quit drinking. After that I picked up the book I’m reading ‘inferno’ and probably got through a couple of pages before I notice my heart is pounding. I think this is kind of weird, but after trying to control my breathing turned into feeling like I was suffocating, I got worried. I started to feel light headed and my pounding heart started to hurt. I woke my dad up and told him I think I might be having a panic attack, and asked for a beer. He turned me down, but at that point I was starting to feel shooting pains all over, but particularly in my left arm. That seriously freaked me out. My hands started tingling and different parts I my body would go numb at random, my throat was the worst considering I already thought it was swelling closed. After fourty five minutes of this I asked if he would drive me to the hospital, just in case. I didn’t even mention that while I was laying down with a cold towel on my head, I was staring at the ceiling and it was swirling and warping rediculously. To make an already long story short. We drive to the hospital, sat outside and waited. For two more hours the symptoms escalated and then slowly lessened. It came in kind of waves, which I suppose was one after another. Finally I asked to go home, I felt not alright, but better, still my heart hurt all night. For about three or four days afterwards I was extremely anxious and felt quite out of it. Thanks for reading. It still gives my anxiety to recall the details.

My Worst Panic Attack…

by Sydney
(Ireland)

I started getting panic attacks when I was 13 (I’m now 15), first class of secondary school. My panic attacks are usually me hyperventilating, feeling anxious, my arm and leg muscles twitching uncontrollably, and me playing with my fingers, pulling at my hair and tapping my feet. My heart rate goes up, my vision goes blurry, I get light-headed – sometimes to the point that I can’t move at all – I feel like I’m going to faint. Usually, physical or eye contact would only make me feel worse, unless the physical contact is just holding my hand or putting a hand on my shoulder.
So, I had all those symptoms but then it got a lot worse. I was hypserventilating for about 2 hours already. Then the panic attack changed. My throat closed up completely so I couldn’t breathe in, breathe out, talk – nothing. So it looked like this;
5 – 10 seconds of not breathing at all,
5 – 10 seconds of hyperventilating,
And again and again and again.
That went on for another two hours.

So that’s the story of my worst panic attack.
You can really overcome panic attacks – I suggest trying Chinese acupuncture and acupressure, it helped me a lot.
I haven’t had a single panic attack for 32 days so far!

Living with constant anxiety and terror

by Sammie<33333
(Vineland nj )

I have lived with anxiety for most of my life. I started having anxiety attacks when I was in the 5th grade I am now 19 years old and they only seem to be getting worst by the day. My first attack was in the mall I felt like my throat was closing or I was having a heart attack. I told my mom and she had the lady at the counter in boscoves call an ambulance while another shopper said she was a nurse and checked to make sure I didn’t have any signs of a heart attack. When the ambulance came I was already feeling better so They told my mom to drive me to the hospital just in case. When I got there they said I was just having a panic attack and to try and relax I had them for a really long time but I learned to cope with them. Recently they came back stronger and everytime I have one I feel like I’m dying and terrified I can’t calm myself down no matter what I do and they just seem to be controlling my life I hope one day I can finally feel normal and live a happy life again with my family, my son, my boyfriend, and my step children life just isn’t complete when you suffer from anxiety.

Work meeting

by Laura
(Uk)

As I work for a school as a domestic, we all had to attend a standard work meeting where we would all have to sit and listen to the lecturer for an hour. I felt my throat tighten in the first 5 minutes of the meeting and felt I couldn’t swallow. Then, I realised I was becoming very trembly and felt like I would choke on my own tounge. My thoughts were, ‘I can’t be here, I need to get out now!’ I kept fidgeting and coughing, feeling so weak and dizzy, i alerted the team member next to me and said, ‘I’m not feeling well I’m going to have to leave the room. Can you excuse me,’ this is my life. It has been for nearly 12 years now. I get panic attacks where I feel trapped eg in the cinema, work meetings, waiting in a que, anywhere I can’t just leave. I’m 32 and simply exhausted from panic attacks. I’m taking 50mg setraline but still suffering

The Competition.

I was at a competition. The auditorium was pitch black. Then all of a sudden these spotlights popped on, right on the 4 judges. Then it started. First my stomach felt sick, and all I thought was: Oh, I’m just a little nervous, it will go away in a minute. But it just got worse. My knees locked and got so shaky and weak I could barely hold myself up. Then the worst parts came. My eyes started getting blurry, and the light shining not the judges started to flicker and blur. I started to sway back and forth. Then I felt numb. It was like the numbing shots they give at dentists, but all over. Then I had a hot flash. It started at my toes, and it tingled. It felt like fire burning up my skin. Then I got so dizzy, I felt like I was floating, like I was in a dream. I don’t remember anything else from that day, not even a second. It lasted for about 15 minutes. I kept taking deep breaths to calm myself down. The moment we walked off stage, I felt normal. But I still felt nauseous. Then, as soon as I got home, I slept. It was terrible

Worst attack I’ve ever had

by Marley
(Hampshire)

Just wanted to start by saying I used to smoke weed everyday for about 3 years then one day I had a panic attack then hell started the next day I had another and got rushed to the hospital as it felt like I couldn’t breathe and my face was going numb and the doctors said it was just a panic attack like it was nothing…
2.5 years later ever since I’ve had bad anxiety and panic attacks but never been back to the hospital I’ve got phobia’s about going out of the house , in cars , being alone , it’s just taking over my life… Today I had the worst attack of them all I was in the car with my brother and my dad when suddenly I starting getting breathlessness and starting rapid breathing then hypoventlating I was in a major panic with the dryest throat ever I took a deep breathe and swallowed it where my throat was so dry and got even more into a panic and could only breathe thou my nose then I realised we were over an hour away from home.. This lasted practically the whole way home finally we arrived I could feel it releasing me as I step out of the car I nearly fell over my legs were tingling so much and I could barely walk i hope no one has to go thou this as it the worst.. Thanks for reading 😜

Sleeping when suddenly I felt that I am dying.

by GG
(PH)

I was sleeping, I don’t remember any dreams before the attack, but when I felt it I panicked, from lying I changed my position in sitting, I closed my eyes convincing myself that what is happening isn’t true and I am not dying right now. The attack lasts for 2-4 mins as I remembered. I don’t want to feel it again, but sometimes I tried to trigger it, like when I am not alone and with my friends(it usually occurs when I am alone)I tried to stare into something but It doesn’t work, I don’t feel the fear and feeling of dying. maybe I just don’t want to be alone.

Losing My Mind

by Jeanette
(California )

Im 17. My worse anxiety attack was when In the morning I was out of breath and went for a walk and it got worse. I felt like I was going to faint and in the middle of the sidewalk with my younger sister that doesn’t know what to do went to my cousin house and started crying so much cause I couldn’t handle it anymore but it just made harder to breathe. I was scared and didn’t know what else to do. I thought I was going to die due to my neck pains. And to my throat which I thought it was closing but it was in my head.

My cousin made me chew gum to not think about it and made me a green tea which actually really helped me I normally can’t control it on my own but it’s only my 5th time but this the worse I have ever experience but now I feel calm and really sleepy but I feel good now.

Am I dying?

My first panic attack. -Nearly a week ago I was relaxing outside my house with a friend. I come inside the house, and immediately start feeling nauseous. A tingling sensation runs over my entire body and I start feeling dizzy as if I will pass out at any moment. My hands are tingling and I can’t feel myself touching anything.

I start looking around frantically, confused, and feeling completely out of control of my mind. I can’t think clearly, and don’t even remember my friend being outside. I truly thought that I was going insane. Immediately a sense of doom ran through my body. I felt like I was in a dream state, imagining that I was not really in my house, and I had been killed, or was dying. Pleading with myself to make this feeling stop.

I start gasping for air, and I know that something is seriously wrong. I manage to reach for the phone, and dial 911, pleading for someone to help, but I can’t say what is wrong. I was gasping so hard that I could not talk. My left side of my chest starts hurting, and I believe I will die any second. I run out the front of my house, trying to escape, still confused, looking for someone to help me, but no one is there.

I stumble back into my house, as my friend enters from the back. I slowly begin to come back to earth, and the confusion subsides within the next half hour. It was the scariest moment of my life, and because I had never had a panic attack before, I had no clue what was going on. -only adding to the feeling of doom. Hopefully it will have been my first, and my last.

My First

I felt ringing in my ears. My chest became tighter, and my heartbeat became quicker. I was starting to feel very scared, I had no idea what was going on. I have never felt this way before. I had chill-bumps everywhere. I felt like I needed to run to go tell my mom, I really thought I was going to die. I couldn’t, though. I was too tired to move, so I just stayed. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I started to hallucinate.
When I closed my eyes, I would see flashing lights. When I opened my eyes, nothing was there. Soon, I thought this was a Satanic ritual. I thought Satan would come from the ground, kill me, and bring me to Hell. Death was close, I could feel it. I saw frogs on my ceiling, and a man on my door. I then felt like I was floating, and then I fell back in my bed. Everything was over, but I cried myself to sleep, fearing that it would happen again.

Time: 10-15 minutes? I was listening to a song and it lasts 7 minutes. It was on repeat, I think I heard it twice. This is how I know.

Panic Attack at School

by Elsie
(England )

I was at school on a usual day, everything was normal! I went to my English lesson and started really fidgeting and I felt very restless! I sat there and I became more and more distracted with things around me, ie. walls and sounds… After about 15 minutes after this started happening I felt like I was going to be killed or faint… My friend told the teacher and I started crying and shaking, trembling getting cold and some other symptoms! It passed about 30 minutes later but then the same thing happend but worse! I refused to do pe because I thought I was dying! That was it for that day! The next day the same thing happend but not as bad… This was my first time experiencing a panic attack! I don’t know what it was due to

Worst Panic Attack: Re-living a Frightening Situation through Flashbacks

My worst panic attacks were in the aftermath of an accident. I saw a severe motorcycle crash that involved someone I care about. Of course, at the time I experienced panic symptoms.

What I didn’t expect was after the accident, I would get the same symptoms and see flashes of the accident again. Sometimes it would be random. I would suddenly see the crash in my mind for no reason.

Other times, there would be a trigger – the sound of a motorcycle engine, seeing a motorcycle or a fast-moving vehicle – and I would get all the same panic symptoms again. Racing heart, rapid breathing, shaking…

After self-help, therapy, and the passage of time, the panic attacks eventually went away.

Dads, Am I Right

After a horrendous argument with my dad that ended in me storming to my room, I collapsed onto the ground in a heap. Silent rage overlapped with quiet sobs, spiraling steadily into the semi-annual panic attack. It was all racing heart, quick breaths, sweating, tears, a little snot, the usual, until all of a sudden: I began to lose feeling in my body. At 15, I immediately realized it was the worst meltdown I had ever had–5 minutes in and I could not even blink, much less stand on my own. My two hands became inexplicably stiff, curiously reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands. I managed to crawl to the bathroom using my wrists for leverage, leaving a snail trail of bodily fluids in my wake. 20 minutes of lightheadedness, more sobbing, and the occasional vomit, my dad barged into the room to find me hyperventilating over the toilet bowl. Needless to say, the awful helplessness of being frozen in place, coupled with the humiliation of discovery was an experience I will never forget–no matter how much I’d like.

When will this end?

by Ashley

I have had anxiety, depression, panic, and agoraphobia for almost 5 years now.. It’s the worst feeling in the world I get so tense, it feels like troopers up my spine, numbness on all limbs, dizziness trouble breathing, dry mouth the whole thing. I used to have them every single day! My worst one yet is when I went to see my mema in the nursing home, I begin to feel tons of pressure in my whole body Ii begged my mom to take me to the emergency room but she wouldn’t she took me to the car and wanted me to go home and relax I was freaking out so bad the whole time I thought I was about to die! I then kicked out the windshield, I always seem to have these blank moments I can’t remember. I had to get homeschooled my last semester of high school because I experciened a boy having a seizure in the school cafeteria that’s when my acrophobia kicked in, it seemed as it took forever for the school system to get me homeschooled I ate lunch I’m the bathroom I was so TERRIFIEd. Nobody really understands unless they have anxiety. It’s crippling and it’s so tiring. I am a very bad hypochondriac I believe if I have a headache or a pain somewhere there is something terribly wrong with me. I live in constant fear. I Most of the time put on a smile and go do what’s needed. I had a panic attack last night I was just laying down relaxing on my phone and out of nowhere boom panic fear entered my body I get very agitated and angry and sad. My lips go numb and guess what it makes me freak out even more! When I’m in the grocery store everything feels like it’s closing up I feel like I’m about to fall out I leave my fiancé and run to the bathroom just so I can catch a breathe I have trouble riding in the car I feel like I’m trapped and there’s no possible way for me to get out I feel like I’m going to die every time but hey I always make it, I hope all of you know your not alone it’s awful but it’s all going to be okay I try talking to myself over and over again just saying it’s going to be okay this has happened before sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t please just don’t give up we are strong people and we have a reason to be here, just pray. I am now on 50 mg of Zoloft and I take a Benadryl with it the Benadryl ( yes the allergy medicine) has antihistamine in it that calms me down. Sometime when my body tries to relax it just starts freaking out I jump off the bed and I feel all these electrical pulses run from my head to my toes. I sometimes wake up with my mind and heart going 90 to nothing and all these little “bee stings” everywhere it’s a awful thing to go through but I will continue to try and stay strong!

Living with constant anxiety

by Lindsey
(MA, USA)

To give you a brief history, I’ve had anxiety all my life, ever since I can remember. I used to have panic attacks as a child, I just never knew what they were or that they weren’t normal. I was afraid of everything as a child also: Thunder and Lightning, Fireworks, Motorcycles, Wind, you name it.

Anyway, I had panic attacks all throughout my childhood and into my adulthood. But they only lasted a few minutes and the symptoms went away fairly quickly afterwards.

About a year and a half ago I was laying on the couch, watching a movie and I fell asleep, I woke up in such a panic and fear that I was going to be alone forever. I was so out of it, I felt like I was in a different dimension and I just could not calm down. I had felt derealization before, as it had accompanied my panic attacks in the past. But this was very extreme. And the feeling did not go away. And obviously, the more I thought and worried about it, the worse it got. I ended up going to my doctor and she put me on Celexa, which after a few weeks, seemed to work. I took it for a few months and then I thought it was making me depressed, so I came off of it. I was taking Ativan as needed for the panic attacks but it wasn’t helping the chronic anxiety/fear/loss of reality that I was feeling all day, everyday! I tried taking Prozac, for two days, and cried my eyes out, for two days. My doctor suggested Effexor XR – but I was reluctant to take it after reading about its horrible discontinuation syndrome, so she didn’t prescribe it.

About 2-3 months ago I was feeling very anxious all day at work, just an overwhelming fear. A constant agony and feeling that I am not living in reality. I decided to take an Ativan because I decided that I shouldn’t have to feel this way everyday. And….. IT DIDN’T WORK!

That’s when I really started to freak out. Ativan was like my security blanket, even if I didn’t take it, just knowing that I had it, and I COULD take it if things got too bad, was enough. And now that was gone.

I went back to the doctor – long story as short as possible I am now on 10mg Celexa – 300mg Wellbutrin and 1mg Ativan as needed.

My therapist thinks I should try .5mg Klonopin twice a day to lower my overall anxiety level until we can find the right meds that will work. I’m just very nervous about addiction and dependency. I’m also unaware of how we will know that the meds are working if I’m on the Klonopin. And my biggest fear is that I will never find a med/combo of meds that works for me and I’ll be on Klonopin for the rest of my life!

Any thoughts/ideas/similar stories??

On my birthday

by Christina
(Arcadia High School)

It happened on my 16th birthday. It was already at the end of the day and everything was going pretty smoothly. I DID have a feeling of paranoia and anxiety and whatnot, but I didn’t know what it was.

It was in my earlier years when I started to have this phobia of being touched, so when my friend poked me in the side without me knowing, I just snapped.

What happened was that I started hyperventilating, which led to the numbness and being lightheaded. I couldn’t control my actions and my breath and my thoughts. I just felt like I was going crazy.

I couldn’t control my crying and my breath at the same time, so it was like I was sobbing choking at the same time. Then it my fingertips started to tingle and it moved upwards towards my hands and arm. My face and my foot also became so numb that it literally hurts because I was really tense to the point where I really couldn’t even move my fingers. It was even numb in my private parts.

Luckily my friends were there to help me through. Two of my friends helped massaged both my hands while the others tried to talk me out of being scared.

It lasted for about an hour and a half. That probably doesn’t sound like a long time but if you were in a position scared to death while being numb in one position, an hour and a half is such a long time. It felt like it was never going to end.

I was driving and felt as though I would pass out

by Nichole
(Georgia US)

One day I was driving home from a friends house. I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, but figured I could push through the tiredness long enough to get home and nap. 5 minutes after I got on the highway I began to feel sweaty and cold. I got extremely nauseous and my heart rate and blood pressure sky rocketed rapidly, causing me to feel as though I would pass out any moment. I pulled off to he side of the road and put my car in park, hen doubled over in my seat. Even as I struggled to get myself under control, I started shaking violently and felt hot one second and freezing the next I got out of the car and sat behind it, and began sobbing uncontrollably. Ironically, the crying helped me regulate my breathing some and the worst of the sensations began to fade within a few minutes. Total the attack lasted half an hour, but it was the worst half hour of my life. What helped the most was telling myself that I was only 10 minutes away from home, husband, and kids.

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