Panic attack?

[anxiousgirl7]

Is it possible for a panic attack to last 3 hours!? At night time I’ll try to fall asleep then all of a sudden my heart races and I can’t focus, I feel out of my body and like I’ve gone crazy...

[CatIsMyCopilot]

I am not sure about technical definitions, but I tend to call this an "anxiety attack" rather than a panic attack, precisely because it can last for so long, rather than "peaking" with one thinking they're dying.

I actually only have these, never had a panic attack. The key is to accept the symptoms as best you can, and try to go on with life as normal. Sleeping is particularly difficult, of course, but the more you assert to yourself that it's just discomfort you're feeling, you might eventually be able to nod off. When it's been really bad, I just crack open a good book and read, to distract myself a bit. Nothing like a good read at 4am

Sorry you're experiencing this.

[Deb4961 in reply to CatIsMyCopilot]

I agree with the anxiety attack they last longer then panic.

[Canttakethisanymore]

My dr told me panic attacks cannot last longer than 5 minutes. She said if im panic feeling longer its its likely severe anxiety attack

[Jodz in reply to Canttakethisanymore]

Sorry but your dr is completely wrong . I suffer from panic disorder and it’s not just ten minutes . I wish it was .

[Lindsey14]

I feel ya girl, don't worrt it's okay

[Jodz]

I suffer from a panic disorder and sometimes my lead up to the attack could be hours , then it would peak to the point I’m about to die , and then it would take hours for me to feel ok . I suppose it depends .

[Beevee]

Panic, anxiety, nervous breakdown. They are all the same but may differ in severity. The cause is the same. Adrenalin and other chemicals secreted by the adrenal glands in times of danger. Sufferers add more fear to the fear that is already there and likely to be the reason why the sensations may last longer. The doctor may be right as there is only a finite quantity of adrenalin released. I mean, if you are scared by something, it is not set to low, medium or high, is it? It's always high but like I said, sufferers just keep adding more fear and more adrenalin, and more fear etc.

I think the term panic attack is not very accurate either. The very mention of the word can also send some people into a tailspin when in a sensitised state. I prefer to call them energy surges because that is all that is happening. Granted, many people's immediate reaction when a energy surge comes is to panic and the reason those "attacks" keep coming. If you accept that the energy surges will come and change your reaction from one of panic (fear) to one of acceptance, you take away their power and they will eventually disappear. These disorders only hang around because we choose to react in fear to the symptoms when they come. Imagine what would happen if you lost your fear of them? You would be free from them.