Breakdown or Anxiety attack?

[keepingitsimple]

So this is my first post on here. After a recent episode that I had never experienced before, I'm wanting to get a second opinion...

A bit of background: Anxiety and depression for 5+ years now, and diagnosed PTSD this year. On the waiting list for therapy. Female, early 20s.

So the other night I had what i believe started like an anxiety attack/panic attack for me. Disorientation, feeling sick, heart palpitations, crying and overwhelming shadow of fear.

But then something strange happened. I looked at my boyfriend next to me and I literally didn't recognise who he was. It's as if all my memory of him disappeared for a few seconds. I freaked and started panicking more, I looked up at the ceiling (I was lying down at the time) and the ceiling was unfamiliar, I didn't know where I was, but I was in my bedroom. I was telling myself it's fine, you know him, it's fine it's your bedroom, but my brain just didn't want to accept it as fact.

The anxiety attack or breakdown or whatever it was went on for around 10 minutes then I slowly came back to reality.

But was this really an anxiety attack, I'm paranoid I had a mini break down or something of the sort? Has anyone experienced this before, is this a normal symptom of an anxiety attack?

Please someone help, it's driving me crazy - literally.

[Dnel82]

When the body is overly stressed especially with anxiety sometimes people experience confusion and even memory loss. The symptoms you mentioned sound a lot like a panic episode. When we're in a state of panic it's hard for the brain especially with anxiety sufferers to focus.

[keepingitsimple in reply to Dnel82]

Thank you, I'm hoping it's just an anxiety attack symptom..

[Beevee]

Anxiety or nervous breakdown? The only difference between the two is the severity of the symptoms.

[keepingitsimple in reply to Beevee]

I see! I’d take a guess and say the anxiety attack was nothing out of the ordinary, but the memory loss and disorientation was very alarming.

[corsaUMM]

Depersonalisation..... It is almost like an out of body experience. I liken it to your brain shutting off cuz it;s in overload

[keepingitsimple]

Yes, this sounds about right. It was only for a few seconds though, then it would come back, and go again

[kvolm2016]

Welcome! It is definitely scary to have a new/different experience in reaction to the anxiety/panic. Glad to hear that you are in process for starting therapy. Do you think it would help to check back in with your medical doctor to make him/her aware of this? Can your medical doctor do anything to help speed up the process of getting the therapy started based on this new reaction?

[keepingitsimple in reply to kvolm2016]

Hello! Thank you for your message. Quite possibly, it’s been around 6 weeks now and I’ve not heard anything since my initial chat with them and we decided what to do. I might talk to my doctor but it would take a week or so to book an appointment with her anyways.

[kvolm2016 in reply to keepingitsimple]

Definitely hoping it was a singular event and that you will get a professional evaluation as to the cause.

[art62grammie]

Honey, I know how you were feeling. My recent year-long divorce made me feel the same. I was trembling and crying for two hours straight. I called my friend. I told him that I didn't want to live anymore. He ran to my rescue. I was having a nervous breakdown. I soon went to my mental doctor. She helped me through that. I too suffer from PTSD. That my friend is why I had Anorexia since 14. I am 56 years old now. I am recovered from that life-long ill. Just six yrs. ago I began treatment for the first time. Never too old to recover. I had repressed every memory for all those years. Two years ago at 54, I begin to remember all of it. My Anorexia was caused by my abuse. At fourteen I could not control the abuse. I starve to control my world. It developed into a life-long mental illness. The repressed memories are rape by my father. I watched my wonderful mother suffer from dad as well. Forty years he held a loaded pistol to her head. I have seen butcher knives to her throat. I have been choked by my dad. I have seen him abuse my siblings. PTSD, yep. I too know that. Thinking of you. Keep on fighting. I am a survivor of all the abuse and mental illness. I AM RECOVERED AND FREE. YOU CAN BE TOO. When my brother went through his horrible divorce, he had a severe nervous breakdown. He went into a mental ward for a while. He, at 30 years old was left like a small child. His mind was never the same. YOU DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. GET PROFESSIONAL HELP IF NOT ALREADY.