New to panic attacks

[NikNick]

Hi all, I had my first panic attack about 3 weeks ago and now I am in constant fear to go places. I’m afraid to leave me house. When I went to the grocery store my body was tingling, my breathing started to get shorter. I had to regroup and continue but then for the rest of the day I was afraid something is wrong with me physically. When I had the first panic attack the EMTs did an EKG and my heart was fine. My blood pressure is fine but sometimes my mind goes crazy and I start thinking something physically is wrong and causing my anxiety. When I’m relaxed I believe I’m fine and nothing is wrong with me. I am getting blood work done at the doctors tomorrow. Has anyone else had this experience?

[Fearoffear]

You are doing everything right! Relax and let the results do the talking. Hopefully it is something simple like hormones. You are mindfully breathing and you are seeking help quickly, a lot of us waited until we were months or years into this terrible state before asking what is going on. Meditation, yoga, breathing and staying mentally busy will help until you get some answers and a treatment plan. Good luck and gentle hugs!!!

[NikNick in reply to Fearoffear]

Thanks so much for the support!

[Jeff1943]

NikNick, What you're experiencing is familiar to many people here. In particular the panic attack, reluctance to go outside (agoraphobia) and obsession with illnesses that are not confirmed by medical tests (health anxiety).

Panic attacks are like short circuits in our nervous systems which have become overloaded with anxiety. It's an awful feeling but it is not the beginning of some life-threatening event. It always passes after a short period of time. It is a sign that your nerves have become highly sensitised due to stress, over work, disappointment, loss, toxic relationships, grief, worry or the after effects of past traumas.

If you can put your finger on which of these is causing your anxiety then do everything you can to neutralise it. If need be seek the advice of someone you trust and whose judgement you respect. You may have to be quite ruthless in neutralising the cause of your anxiety and it may involve some upheaval such as a change of job.

The reluctance to leave home is because your mind senses your anxiety and thinks you're in danger. So your mind encourages you to stay home in your safety zone. This may have been helpful when dinosaurs walked the Earth but is not helpful today: there are no special threats awaiting you outdoors and it's important to get outside for work, shopping and recreation.

Health anxiety is a common symptom of anxiety disorder. When anxious we generate fear hormones which is what keeps our nerves sensitised. In this state they exaggerate ten fold any small concerns that pass through our mind into worst case scenario major illnesses. But these illnesses do not exist in the physical sense, they are phantom illnesses no matter how real the discomfort. Thus an upset stomach becomes a tumour, headaches must be brain cancer and palpitations must be the start of heart failure. Medical tests indicate "nothing wrong with you" because these are symptoms of anxiety caused by jangled nerves not real physical illnesses.

I hope this information of how our nervous system works brings you understanding and reassurance. From what you have written here you are not in any danger, you are not losing your mind and you are not experiencing some major physical illness.

You're going to be o.k., just remember the cause of your symptoms is nervous not physical. Do not follow the flash of first fear with second fear, accept the symptoms calmly rather than flooding your nerves with fear hormones. Leave your home and head on out no matter how anxious you may feel. Nothing bad will befall you, even if your legs turn to jelly do not worry, jelly legs will still get you home.

Remember, do what you fear and the death of fear is assured!

[NikNick in reply to Jeff1943]

Thank you so much for this! Knowing there is explanations for my feelings and I’m not the only one that has this experience is so helpful!!!

[bonkers65 in reply to Jeff1943]

Very good advice to NikNick

[Calm_mama]

Hi NikNik, so scary I know. Reread what Jeff wrote👍🏻. Also u may like this: jonabram.web.unc.edu/files/...

I also would suggest the book DARE, everything by Dr. Claire Weekes. And Dr David Carbonell’s website. All the best!

[frommywindow]

I promise that you will be okay, I've gone through the same thing you have a million times before. Anxiety, and especially panic attacks can cause physical symptoms even though it's all in your head. When you have a panic attack or even just bad anxiety your mind is going nuts and you can't think very logically, much less disconcert what's actually happening from what your mind is telling you. I've learned a few tricks that I think might help:

*If you feel like your anxiety or stress level is building look around the room and make a list (either in your head or say it out loud) of three objects or things that you see. Then do the same thing with three things that you hear, and then three parts of your body (foot, hand, whatever). This exercise helps slow down your mind when your thoughts are out of control.

*If you're having trouble breathing like you mentioned before, remember to try to stay calm, panicking doesn't help the situation. This is the breathing technique I learned for anxiety: Inhale while counting to four seconds (in your head is fine), hold your breath four seconds, exhale for four seconds, hold that four seconds, then keep repeating that pattern until you think you can breathe normally again. If four seconds is too long, maybe shorten it to three, but it's helpful to count while you breath through these situations.

*Make sure that you're sitting or standing up straight.

*This one might take some practice with organizing your thoughts while having a panic attack, but if you can do it, it will definitely help. So at this point your mind is going insane and it feels like there is something physically wrong. If you can verbalize what you're feeling either to some around you that you trust, say it to yourself, write it down, or even think about it in coherent sentences, try it. Something like "I am having a panic attack/bad anxiety, but it's harmless and its temporary. I feel like I'm having trouble breathing but I know that I'm getting enough air and I will be ok." And so on and so forth. If you can verbalize what your feeling and basically explain what's happening, it slows down your mind and helps you realize that you're ok.

I hope this helped and if you have any questions or just need to talk to someone that will understand what you're going through, I'm here.

[frommywindow in reply to frommywindow]

And if you need help to prevent these panic attacks and feel more comfortable going outside...I might have a few ideas on that too. Just let me know if you want more advise (believe me, I have plenty) or need a friend.

[NikNick in reply to frommywindow]

Thank you so much! This is extremely helpful!!!!

[Hidden]

I just wanted to add some knowledge I learned from my personal experience with panic disorder. Do not fall into an avoidance behavioral pattern. By that I mean do not avoid situations or places that are causing your panic attacks. Your world will shrink. I was agoraphobic for ten years. It’s an easy pattern to fall into. I try to warn anyone new to panic disorder. You can retreat from situations and places, but you must return to them. Avoiding things only reinforces false beliefs.

[Want2BHappy3]

I've been like that, afraid that I would pass out. Talk myself out of going out. I had to retire early because of my anxiety. Afraid of going to the bank that a robbery could happen? Now I have diabetes, I get Shakey n sweaty. It's been almost 3 years, I've stayed inside about 80% of the time inside. Now I'm.paying for it physically, So out of shape.

[NikNick in reply to Want2BHappy3]

So sorry to hear that. Please read the advise from the others on this post and hopefully it will help you too. If I had more experience and advise I would pass it on to you.

[Want2BHappy3 in reply to NikNick]

That's ok, it's my journey. I'll go back into counciling when I find a job.

[Bostonian]

Sound like my first experience with panic attacks almost ten years ago. I was in the back of an ambulance thinking I was having a heart attack. The EMTs told me it was all in my mind, and I was hyperventilating.

Life often seems like it's racing around us, though we have to remember to breathe, so that we can slow things down a bit.

Focus on reducing your anxiety triggers and don't look for something to be medically wrong with you. You'll stress yourself out even more if you try and diagnose yourself (Been there done that).

Most importantly, make sure you are talking to someone. You're not alone in the struggle with anxiety!

[Lyngray]

NikNick, What you're describing is exactly how a panic attack feels. I had them as a teen but no longer. You feel like you're going to die but it's your autonomic nervous system that it too high. When we face actual danger, our nervous system goes on alert. Anxiety is when the nervous system stays on alert. Do some relaxation exercises and don't fight the fear. Observe it quietly instead. Example, "Oh, I'm feeling nauseous. Ummm, my heart rate is high." Things like that. Again, don't fight it. It gets worse if you do. To prevent panic attacks, when you're calm, do some deep breathing thru your diaphram and listen to calming music while you think about a pleasant place. Anything calming that relaxes you will work and that nervous system will calm down and stay calm. Also, use say positive calming things to yourself before you leave the house.

[NeuronerdDoaty]

I felt the same way after I had a seizure. One day you just say to hell with it and go on with life. Always remember to stop and take three nice deep breaths. Thankfully with practice you can get past this.

[NikNick]

Thank you everyone for the advice and support!!!!

[marheart]

Congratulations on getting thru the panic attack and still having the courage to convince yourself to be a part of the outer world.

Keep on going. You are on the right track.

Going for talk therapy and maybe meds?

[Hidden]

Ohhh yeah. It's hard to believe your mind can cause such a strong physical reaction. But that's how it was for me too, I felt like I had heart problems and always felt weak, sometimes too weak to stand for a long time.

[howard327]

NickNick,

With all of these posts you are seeing how common your symptoms are. I suffered from them for years until I joined a support group and saw that people of all stripes were there. I then found a psychologist who really helped me using CAD, cognitive behavioral therapy This is a step by step process that eventually cured me. You have to work at it, but it is very effective. I wish you the best as you challenge these symptoms. Do not let time go by before taking action. You can recover!

Howard M.

[howard327 in reply to howard327]

CORRECTION, CAD should be CBT. That's pretty obvious given the words.

This system really worked for me. Good luck.

[Hidden]

hi yes i had the same,now the thought of going out scares me