How long does panic attack last---why does my panic attack flast for 1-2 hours

[mariae]

ma panic attack last for 1-2 hours, my heart is beating fast, my chest is pounding, couldnt breath...i will feel weak suddenly to a point and will feel sleepy...but the minue i go to bed,im wide awake with thumping head and my heart pounding...is this panic attack or something else...anyone?

[Hidden]

Sounds like a panic attack love ,iv had them myself ther awfull aren't they?scary.had one last nite,and I'm still here

[mariae in reply to Hidden]

how long does your panic attack last....why does mine last so long...i just had it a moment ago...it was scary

[Hidden in reply to mariae]

It varies love iv had some that have lasted all day fom time to time,it's not easybut try and stay calm,tell u wat helps,some camomile tea honest

[KatieRichie94 in reply to Hidden]

Yes. I honestly recommended tha before I saw your post. It works awesomely!

[mariae]

will try that....does your body feels weak and feel sleepy at the same time not able to sleep....sometimes it last for so long that i thought maybe it something else, cause i heard panic attack last for maximum 40mins

[Jason1990]

I have regular panic attacks, and they've lasted for a couple of hours on quite a few occasions. I know it's hard but just concentrate on your breathing and everything will start to follow and eventually it will all go back to normal again, I promise

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

so during this period do you feel weak to the point that its difficult to even lift ur hand..and at the same time do you feel very sleepy but couldnnt sleep because of too much anxiety?

[mariae]

hi jason how do i breath during the attack...do i breath deeply or slowly...i notice if i breath too deeply i get more scared

[fadedlizard]

Hi Mariae,

It sounds a lot like a panic attack to me too.

The breathing exercises do work but it takes a while to get used to using them. Try to breathe as deeply as you can manage. In through your nose, count to ten and out through your mouth as steadily as you can. It will work. If you're really panicky you could try breathing into a paperbag to regulate your breathing. Make sure it's a PAPER bag though, lol!!!!

You feel weak and tired afterwards because you have had so much adrenalin pumping through your system and once the attack is over it's gone and you flop.

Hope you feel better soon.

Love

Lizard.xxx

[mariae in reply to fadedlizard]

thank you ...

problem is if i try deep breathing i get more panicky and tired at the same time--- is sedative good for general anxiety, will it make me feel drowsy and weak---

tell me how do we get panic attack in the first place

[fadedlizard in reply to mariae]

Ok ~ too much oxygen then. Try to breathe normally, not too shallowly not too deeply. The aim is regulate your breathing which will reduce the panic. There are lots of breathing exercises online so it might be a matter of finding out which one works best for you.

Panic attacks are caused by your body responding to a perceived threat. It's an evolutionary response - when faced with a sabretoothed tiger we had the choice of fight or flight so our body is flooded with the adrenalin we need to fight the creature or run very fast. Sadly you haven't met the tiger and burnt off all the adrenalin in a big fight or a three mile run so all this adrenalin is charging round your body looking for something to do and your mind is off looking for tigers. (That's what keeps the panic attacks coming back too - your mind can't accept it had such a reaction to "nothing" so it keeps looking for threats and your body keeps responding to the inpending danger - vicious circle.)

I recommend a book called "Living with IT" by Bev Albett (not sure if that's the right spelling). It explains all this in a really accessible way and I found it really helpful when I first started with panic attacks.xx

[mariae in reply to fadedlizard]

will look for the book.... how long does your panic attack last..i read that it last for max 40mins, but mine goes on till1-2 hours. so i thought maybe its something else....its a real pain to live like this ha?...so how long have you suffering from this anxiety? do you get into depression too?...so many question

[fadedlizard in reply to mariae]

I think a full blown attack probably is over within that time but panic attacks trigger panic attacks. Therefore you get into a state of panic and it feels like you have been attacked relentlessly for hours even if technically it has subsided for short periods. Certainly I know that is true for me.

My panic attacks started when I was in my late teens (20+ years ago) although I was first diagnosed with anxiety when I was 11. I don't get many panic attacks now but the ones I do get tend to be at night which isn't very nice.

The anxiety comes in waves. Although I would describe myself as an anxious person I have had three distinct episodes with periods of reasonable mental health between them. Yes, I have depression too. The two tend to go hand in hand. Possibly because if you live in such a heighten state for long periods eventually your mind and body's only defence is to lie down on the floor till it goes away!!!

[mariae in reply to fadedlizard]

oh my God to live like that so so long im sad to hear that...i get my full blown panic attack just few months back and sometimes im so despair i dont even feel like getting up from bed....these days my panic attack comes just before i go to bed so its bad for me too.....

understanding your condition and the duration does this mean that i too will have this all my life too? is there no cure for this?

[fadedlizard in reply to mariae]

No I really don't believe you will have this for the rest of your life.

I think I have had it so long because it wasn't properly diagnosed or treated in the early days and I compounded the problem by self medicating with bulimia and self harm.

I understand it so much better now. I am learning to live with it and then by extension I plan to learn to live without it.

You will survive this.

It won't always feel like this.xxx

[mariae in reply to fadedlizard]

thanks for the encouragement...dont want to live my life in fear and scared all the time....do you get help from therapist, if you do does it help...do you think hypnotherapy is a good option?

[Jason1990]

Breath slowly . Breathe in for 5 seconds and out for 10. That's what a medic told me to do and it seems to do the trick. Try breathing with your belly, apparently that's the right thing to do. I've tried it and find it really helps. Let me know how you get on

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

thanks jason---let me wait for my next attack and will try your technique and let you know if it works lol

[Jason1990]

Any other problems ill try and help you the best I can. I know exactly how you feel at the minute. Out of interest, how long have you suffered with panic attacks for ?

[Jason1990]

And just remember, panic attacks can't kill you

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

all this started two year back, feeling weak and anxious all the time before that i was completely normal....i think looking back i must have had small panic attack in the last 2 years... but the full blown attack happens 4 months back and instaed of getting better its just getting worse... why do you think is that?

[Bdmed in reply to Jason1990]

You can't die of a panic artack? I have bad anxiety and my heart has been beating fast off and on since I woke up and it's scary.

[Jason1990]

To be honest with you, I'm not really sure because the exact same thing has happened to me. I think you have got to find out what triggers your attacks. For example with me it's, small spaces or just me generally not keeping my mind busy enough. Sometimes watching tv can be a bit of a nightmare because my mind wanders. If that happens then I will either stick the playstation on or just go and have a shower. We are all different but that's what personally works for me the best.

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

im exactly like that watching tv and reading used to be my favourite pastime, but now i cant do both as i get restless and i have this weird physical symptoms like my feet will turn into jelly and my heart ponding....i feel that i need to constantly doin somethins with my hand....do you have physical symptoms too...just curious how often do you get panic attack

[Jason1990]

Yes my symptoms are very physical, I have been to a&e about 4 or 5 times since the start of the year. I'm constantly dizzy, weak and find it hard to concentrate on anything. my panic attacks are a little less frequent now, I'd probably say 2-3 a week. But I'm learning to cope with them now. And as for the weakness in your feet, it's very normal with anxiety to feel like that. Having anxiety is very tiring ! But it's not all doom and gloom, I am slowly recovering. You will learn to cope I promise

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

thanks jason i glad i found this site to be able to talk to people who goes through the same problem like mine..pls do stay in touch ...have you got any help via medication, therapy.... are you familiar with hypnotherapy do you think it will help?

[Jason1990]

That's fine I'm happy to help. And I can definitely relate. Before I found this site, I felt like nobody understood me, kind of like I was going mad. It's very nice to know your not alone. And yeah I've been on propanolol before but the side affects we're making my anxiety worse. Now I only take one if I'm suffering from a really bad attack. It really does help. As for hypno, never tried it myself, but I've heard good things from many people. I will probably try it myself to be honest. I will definitely stay in touch, we can get through this together

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

so do you go for some kind of counceling or therapy. i thought of going, hope it helps. I had my panic attack last night it last for almost 2 hours, it was bad.... so why dont you try hypnotherapy and let me know if it works?

[Jason1990]

Hi, i have my first appointment with a therapist on the 10th, I literally can't wait! And yeah I think ill see how much therapy helps me, if I don't have any joy ill definaty see what hypnotherapy does for me and ill let you know

[mariae in reply to Jason1990]

k---do that good luck with your therapy i hope it helps you...im yet to find a good therapist, am still looking for it

[tintin5187]

Hi Mariae, What happens is its not one panic attack that lasts 1-2 hours, its an attack after attack if you get what i mean? Panic attacks will always peak at a maximum of 45mins then subside but you can get an attack on the back of another attack cos you havnt learnt yet how to control them. This used to happen to me all the time but with lots of CBT i learnt how to control it. Mine now last a minute!! if that! My advice would be Go and see your GP if you havnt already, they will put you in touch with the counsellor and they will put you in touch with the correct proffesional from your local psychology team. Hope this helps x x x

[mariae in reply to tintin5187]

thanks for your reply... how does the therapy work...if my i can come down to 1min panic attack i wont be scared anymore..it must be such a relief for you...so how do i get my panic last a little lesser can you tell me

[Grajessy]

Hi, I suffer from panic attacks since I was about 10 ! I'm 38 now and still getting them but a lot less! I do have propranolol for when its really bad and think they r doing the job! Just knowing that I have the tablets make me calm Down ! I don't have any side effects and always try to cope without!

Something's the anxiety last 40minutes but a week ago it lasts up to 3 to. 4 hours!! Than I started panicking that this one might never go!!! It's so stupid!! Just think you have to learn to live with it.. :0( I don't think they go hand ind hand with depression, I'm a very happy person who loves life and never had depression.

Hope you're ok, good luck and take care x

[mariae]

Thank you , for me my panic attack is minimum 1 hour which can go upto 2-3 hours ....in the beginning i used to get just once on two weeks but now i get them very often i dont know why....did you try different therapy... are you familiar with hypnotherapy have you tried it

[CJA2012]

I don't think it's a panic attack, it's probably more stress palpitations that result in you feeling panicky. Panic attacks usually last a few minutes, where you reach a peak then start to decline and breathe more normally - but they don't tend to last for hours. A panic attack usually ends up in hyperventilating for a few minutes.

Anxiety attacks can last longer where there is no actual sense of panic, just a lot of pent-up anxiety that makes you feel shaky, weak or dizzy and paranoid as though something bad is about to happen and you don't know why. It may bring on a sensation of tingly feet, sweaty palms or palpitations, and these sensations themselves may increase the feelings of anxiety.

A small dose of Diazepam or a similar medication may help you on occasions where your anxiety starts to peak.

[amanda1993]

hey i recently been having these attacks im 22 and i cant sleep at night.

i am always shaking and i am not getting any sleep i feel so weak and like at any moment i will collapse. i need help i am always scared of this feeling

[KatieRichie94]

I get this sometimes. The anxiety is trying to keep you awake. When you go to bed you are trying to calm yourself down and it can be hard with anxiety. I am having some anxiety tonight and what helps me is a cup or 2 cups of chamomile tea.