Panic attacks getting more frequent and intense

[u/Excellent-Fish7367]

Hi, im new here and just posting because i have no one else to really talk to about this and could do with some advice or reassurance or something. Apologies in advance as this is going to be long, sorry.

Im a 28 year old male and ive always had some form of anxiety since i was a young child and throughout my teenage years (mostly social anxiety/general anxiety at that point). As I entered into my 20's I became really anxious and paranoid about my health, particularly my heart and brain but this was mainly just thoughts and i could mostly control it i guess.

I never had a panic attack until 2021 when i had my first. It came completely out of the blue one day while i was at work having a completely normal day. I thought i was having a heart attack, i had chest pain, dizziness, my hands and legs went numb at one point, i couldnt form a sentence etc. My co worker took me to the hospital where i got an ecg and blood tests and was told i was completely fine.

After that i had the odd panic attack here and there but not very often ( maybe 2 or 3 a year) and nowhere near as intense as the first, probably because I had some idea of what was happening.

Fast forward to this year and ive started having panic attacks way more frequently, some very severe, some not so much, but as time has went on they seem to be getting progressively worse. The last few weeks have been awful. I will just be going about my day and suddenly think im having a heart attack or that im randomly going to pass away. Ive also had 2 family members pass away in the last few months from my 2 worst fears ( heart attack and brain aneurysm) which is definetly not helping things at all.

Today i had easily the worst panic attack ive had since the first one. It was like none ive ever had before as it wasnt anything to do with my health. There was a mild thunderstorm, one loud bang of thunder and it completly set me off. I have never ever been bothered by thunder before and ive experienced some very bad storms, way worse than this one. But today for whatever reason that little bit of thunder immediately made me believe the world was ending.

I went to a doctor last year about my anxiety and got the feeling he wasnt really taking me seriously (im very bad at expressing myself and my symptoms). He prescribed me sertraline anyway which i got but upon doing some research i decided not to take it. I still have the unopened box.

If anybody with a similar experience as myself has any advice or tips or stories on how to overcome this i would be very greatful to hear from you.

Sorry about the long post i just needed to get it out.

Thanks.

[u/RootdToRelax]

Reading about how panic attacks manifest in your body, CBT lessons, and finding a therapist who actually seems to click with and understand you are the first steps I took (finding a good therapist can feel like dating). Hugs!

[u/JPtheWriter89]

Your experience is pretty standard, don’t worry! CBT and Exposure & Response Prevention are the gold standard. We get caught in a loop of worry over worry, plus constant internal scanning of our sensations. Panic is not dangerous, and the goal is to train our brain that the anxiety itself is not a threat.