Had a panic attack and now I can't stop contemplating reality

[leeeeee]

Hi! I'm new here. I've been going through a tough time and am hoping to hear from others if what I'm experiencing is normal or a cause for concern.

I've struggled with anxiety since childhood, but a few weeks ago I had my first full-blown panic attack. I thought I was having a stroke because my arms and face went numb, and then suddenly it felt like I was in a dream or like I was having a bad psychedelic trip or something.

Everything around me suddenly seemed very strange. For example, the TV was on, and I couldn't handle how strange TV as a concept was. Then I started thinking about how strange humans are. Then about how weird the internet is. And this kept going with all the other things around me, where I'd think about them and get overwhelmed that this is in fact reality.

Since that first panic attack, I haven't been able to shake these random thoughts about everything. It makes me worry that I'll forever be stuck in this weird state where I'm constantly questioning reality instead of just living my life. And then I get really worried that I'm losing my mind, and then I slip into a panic attack.

I'm so worried that there's something really wrong with me and that having these kinds of thoughts where I question reality will lead to me having some sort of psychotic break. Has anyone else here experienced something similar after a panic attack? If you have any insights on how to stop incessantly questioning reality, your help would be really appreciated.

Thanks so much in advance. ❤️

[Argon1223]

Had anxiety and panic attacks when I was younger and felt light headed and detached from reality slightly. The term for it is derealization or depersonalization, if you do a Google search and see if those are similar to what you're experiencing, from what I can gather from your post, it sounds like derealization, which is common in anxiety and panic attacks. It's also common to feel uncomfortable when having a panic attack and out of place, I remember I used to feel like the world was closing in on me and it also made me pay attention to my body closely, and anything that seemed strange I would worry about, increasing the anxiety. You should see a doctor or gp just to be on the safe side however and discuss this. There's nothing wrong with speaking to a professional, I've done it, you're not wasting there time and you deserve their help. Think as well, exercising more, eating healthily, cutting back on caffeine, stopping any drugs if you do take them and chatting to people is great. Meditation is also quite helpful. But I do recommend speaking to a doctor or gp and seeing what they recommend. You'll make it through this. Deep breaths always.

[SoporRose in reply to Argon1223]

All that is excellent advice, and I have nothing to add to it except my support.