I've been struggling w anxiety attacks for almost 2 years now. It just kicked off, boom as severe generalized anxiety disorder where every waking second was suffocating torture. That passed as I stopped fearing it and then I started getting the dizzy anxiety attacks. That too is now passing as I'm praying for strength and peace beyond all understanding. I went to the gym alone today (I always have a workout partner that doesn't know they're secretly my "safe" partner) I hit it hard and heavy and had no fear of feeling dizzy or passing out.
Thank God I'm finally kicking this thing by the grace of God. The key is to always fight it and put yourself in situations that trigger it and just do it anyway.
Am I right? That might be really hard for some people. How bad were your symptoms to begin with. Did you have the pounding heartbeat? Glad your doing so well.
Yes, Ruby; Exactly! When i first got my 1st attack, I was leaving the gym in Tampa and thought I was having a heart attack. It was so severe and 24/7. I was positive that I was sick and nobody would believe me and just kept telling me it was anxiety. I was in the hospital total I think 8 days. Wish I hadn't been in there that long, but I think the hospital learned a bit about it all, as did I. The attacks were really horrible at first. I've had lots of different kinds of anxiety/ panic attacks. The first was the suffocating feeling and then I had the actual panic attacks where my heart was racing. As I stopped fearing them and realized they were just anxiety attacks I stopped having the panic part of the attacks with the racing heart. Then I got the dizzy ones and then the ones that made me feel so physically sick and theres another one where I feel like I'm going to faint. But I realize that I'm healthy and every time I start feeling them come on, I just pray and calm down.
My whole life, I always held back my feelings and kept them deep inside. I always unleashed them through different sports, but as I lost those outlets, I guess the stress of life crept in a bit.
Thanks so much for this! Glad there is an end to it! Can you explain the dizzy anxiety attacks? I'm going through those right now and trying to convince myself it's all just anxiety is exhausting. Mine just kicked off out of nowhere too and I struggle everyday to not let it get the best of me.
Hello vbylicki, of coarse see a Dr so you know for sure its just anxiety. In my case, I was hoping they'd find something so I could be cured and done with all of this, but nope, just anxiety. (loosely throwing in the "just")
first time I felt it come on (referencing the dizzy anxiety) I was on set of "My All American". June/July 2014. It was 107 degrees out and we were all suited up in winter football uniforms to fit the time frame of the circa 1969 football film. I felt really weird, but I figured it was just the heat. So then I had a weird nervousness about being in the heat because I didn't want to feel that way again. So I was in the heat again for just a few secs and boom, felt like I almost fainted, then nothing. I didn't feel weird, just nervous. It happened a couple more times like this and it got me so nervous about feeling that way that I literally started to always feel foggy and head pressure and bilateral vertigo and the list goes on. I finally got fed up and just forced myself to live life. I had lost my job and been out of the gym for 5.5 months at this point. Lost my place to live.. I was low and forced myself to have faith that God wasn't going to let me die. It sounds so drastic, but the fear is real. It slowly got better. Now its been great to get my life back. The movie comes out Oct 9 2015 this year btw. You should see it and look for #82.. or 81 lol I don't remember anymore.
I have an appt this coming Tuesday because I'm the same as you lol I want them to tell me it's still a bad ear infection or something that can easily be fixed. Not this mental struggle that I have to fight every day. But thank you! You've given me hope that I can overcome this, it's still scary at times and I'm so sure something bad is going to happen but I've come this far and I'm still ok so I try to remind myself of that. I'm leaving to San Diego next month to take my son to SeaWorld and we have to rent a car which I wasn't planning on doing so I'm trying to be 100% by the time we have to leave. Oct 9 is the day before my bday so I'll remember! Lol I'll check it out
That's awesome, have fun at SeaWorld and hopefully all will be well by then. Vestibular migraines is another possibility. Will be praying for a good recovery and a good appt tuesday
So I went to my appt today but I was much more nervous because the last two days I've had this weird fluid-like pressure that starts almost at the top of my head and goes down into my sinus area. I hope that makes sense, it's really uncomfortable and I of course panicked. I told the dr about it and my right ear was really clogged. They had to irrigate it and it took about 20 min to completely flush out all the wax. So I've been dizzy all day because of that but still feel that pressure in my head. She wanted to put me on sudafed to dry out the fluid but I said no because one of the side effects is severe dizziness and anxiety lol and we're trying to avoid that. So for now I'm on Dramamine and if I don't feel better in a few days I need to call back. I'm not sure why she didn't just refer me to an ENT but she said she wanted to wait. So I feel like I'm back at square one and I'm really frustrated. Have you ever felt that sensation before? It doesn't hurt but it's scary.
Yes! That's crazy, I haven't had that feeling for a few months until yesterday I was eating in a restaurant and when I went to wash my hands I had this sudden pressure feeling like you describe. Today I had a tiny bit of dizziness but it doesn't scare me anymore. I've been under a little bit of stress because I have one company trying to start me on Monday, but there's this great position where I can train at the hospital and they want to give me my second interview so its a little stressful. Just enough to make me feel this way sometimes. I'm glad you got to see the Dr. Though it can be frustrating when you feel things aren't going at the pace you'd like. How are you feeling now?
Congratulations! Sorry about the stress you've been feeling but that's awesome about your second interview! I've been feeling almost back to my normal self for the last 2 days which has been amazing but I'm not sure if it was the 80 degree heat right now at night or my body just wanting to remind me about the anxiety lol or a mix of both but I just woke up so scared right now with a headache and sweating to the point I thought rain had come in my window. Ugh what a horrible feeling. I'm trying to calm my mind down right now and hopefully get back to sleep. Sorry for the rant. I'm glad you've been doing so well!
Congratulations on feeling better the last couple of days. One thing that's helped me is, like right now you might think, "great, its back" and you'll worry about having this again. But view it as a powerless annoyance and instantly think about or do something else. Also, forget about having them. As soon as they happen, act like they haven't happened and carry on with your day or night. I know its hard and while I have no suggestions for when they happen at night; I hope you have a great nights sleep. I would sleep like a baby in San Diego haha what a fun place. Oh I have some books to suggest you read. They're mainly success/ self help type books but they're the fun ones to read. They really being about a positive way of thinking and its fun to apply the principles to your life and watch how it changes everything.
How to win friends and influence people, the 7 habits of highly effective people, who moved my cheese, as a man thinketh (really didn't get much from that book tbh) the greatest salesman in the world.
Thanks for those. I'll definitely check them out. I was finally able to relax last night and fall back asleep and I'll do my best to not let it affect my day. I want the good feelings to keep it up lol no more ugly emotions
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.