Panic attacks and anxiety?: Ok just a... - Anxiety Support

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Panic attacks and anxiety?

MidnightRuby profile image
10 Replies

Ok just a question here.

What are the symptoms of panic attacks.

I don't have difficulty breathing or anything but I do get chest pains and dizzy spells sometimes, especially when stressed.

So can someone list the symptoms and different types of them please.

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MidnightRuby profile image
MidnightRuby
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10 Replies

Well I get gas sometimes and lost of appetite and nauseated , feeling like I'm gonna throw up , fatigued , weak, feel like I'm off ,depressed , there is loads of symptoms I get many I don't get the whole heart beating fast anymore its more of other things.

Hi midnightruby, I can tell you what happens to me, but I have never seen anyone have a panic attack so don't know what it looks like from the outside and wonder if maybe our experiences are individual. For me though....I start, usually with an anxiety attack, like you explain. chest pains, dizziness, jelly legs, like my insides are shaking, I then get hot pins and needles starting from my feet crawling up the rest of my body until it reaches my head, then my whole body (outside) will shake, I feel like my head will pop from the heat, then I feel my chest and throat constrict, try to gulp air, and feel like I'm not getting any. I flap my arms trying to get more in....it doesn't work, so I feel like I'm dying......this is usually when I know I'm having an attack....when I hyperventilate ..I ground my feet (sometimes whole body) and focus on my breathing 5 in 7 out, sometimes it subsides quickly, other times I'm not so lucky but I try to count it out until it's over. I do get anxiety attacks without full blown panic and feel just as emotionally wrung out. Like I say though this is just my experience, I'm sure other members will be on later and give you theirs.

It was a bit weird writing that, a little therapeutic I think. Thanks midnight ruby I hope your well.

Sending love and light

Eva x

lilianaisabel profile image
lilianaisabel in reply to

Trying 4eva this is exactly how I have felt. I'm slowly recuperating though but it's nice to hear that other people go through the same as you it gives you hope that ur actually not dieing which is the scariest feeling ever. Hope u all get better soon

joe88 profile image
joe88

For me it often begins in my gut - gas, unsettled, needing the loo regularly, very sensitive to pressure, loss of appetite and feeling sick.

Then as it gets worse I can get an adrenaline rush, hot flushes, dizzy, shaking, becoming very sensitive to sound and smells. I'll begin to get racing, and disturbing thoughts on my head, feeling like I may die or the worst will happen. I'll often get pains in my chest, likely to be caused by gas - I've never hyperventilated, but my breathing is much faster and uncontrolled during these episodes.

They don't usually stop until I sleep if they make it to the second stage - and even then I don't get a proper nights sleep. But the worst thing that ever comes from it is that I'm a little dehydrated and tired from the lack of sleep and excessive toilet visits.

Stress is definitely a trigger, and it will not always worsen into the second stages, I may just visit the loo a few times then feel better, or find ways to calm myself.

Dunno if this has helped, but I undertand symptoms can be very different in different people.

Joe

MidnightRuby profile image
MidnightRuby in reply to joe88

Hi, nice to hear from you,

Now you mention it, I often feel nauseous, I have phases where I can't stop running to the loo every 5 minutes which is a pain if I'm in a lecture or something, I get dizzy spells, Chest pain and I have had times where I have been physically shaking and found it hard to breathe (not very often). I have also ran to the toilet thinking I was going to throw up but never have. I never considered any of this as stress related but your post has put things into perspective for me more. As for sleep, I suffer badly from insomnia anyway so I guess that doesn't help.

Before exams last month I felt really ill and didn't go to revision because of that, then had to ask my lecturers for help the day before my chemistry exam - they didn't mind, but now I wonder if it was due to stress more than an illness. hmm. At one point I got really panicky and sat for 5 minutes or so unable to get on with anything.

I find music can help take my mind off things or trying to force myself to thing of happy experiences from my past such as spending time with my friends. Also I am a musician so I guess playing or writing my thoughts into a new song has helped me before too.

Thanks for your post - it has helped clear things up a fair amount for me.

Ruby

hi midnight, my o/h gets a lot of anxiety attacks, she has had one about an hour ago, with her it started with intrusive thoughts about the past, when it starts she gets a lot of reflux coming up,shaking with fear, hyperventilation, fast breathing, always this fear of foreboding, it really is very ,very nasty to see, a good breathing technique does help a lot, plus any distraction cds, hope this helps, take care, jasper. xx

confusedstudent19 profile image
confusedstudent19

Hey Midnight, I have panics and i think it depends on the person what symptoms you get but it is whether you think oh great here comes another one. I often have really bad chest pains and that makes me feel breathless and in pain ... then my breathing gets faster as mentioned by Jasper. I have relaxation Cds from this stress control class i went to and that helps me plus i learnt a techniwue to break down your anxiety and it works. so midnight my best advice to you is breakdown why you feel like this when you feel the onset of a panic, run it through your head and ask yourself why you feel like this and if there is anything you can do to reduce that stress , tell other people like your family and friends to talk it through with you. Also always have a drink and something sweet with you at all times, have somethng to chew on will help you focus on something else and calm you down quicker

I hope this helps

CS19 x

MidnightRuby profile image
MidnightRuby in reply to confusedstudent19

Thanks for the advice. I don't have any family I can talk to and I don't want to worry my friends but I'll be sure to carry water with me - I usually do anyway.

lilianaisabel profile image
lilianaisabel

By the way guys try elderflower cordial water it's helped me with anxieties x

Compassionate1 profile image
Compassionate1

It's strange but chewing on gum or eating a mint seems to help me and a glass of water with bachs rescue remedy.

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