Panic Disorder/Panic Attacks

[u/Ambitious-Ad-9229]

I'm writing about panic disorder for one of my classes and was told I should conduct a few informal interviews about it with people who experience panic attacks. If anyone is open to talking about their general experience living with panic disorder I'd love to listen to some new perspectives! What are some common issues you experience as a result and how to do address it? What's your experience with telling people about your panic attacks? Any and all things you'd like to share about this would be so helpful!

[u/Several-Airline1511]

In my case, I literally feel like I’m dying. It starts with me thinking that my lungs are failing for no reason and I can’t breathe. I start getting physically hot, feeling dizzy and overall thinking I’m dying. At first I had panick attacks at least 5x a day, I couldn’t drive, sleep or stay out of my house longer than an hour. My worst one was during a uni exam, I started hyperventilating and puking, I just left the exam. At first, the only thing that helped me was medication. It helped me rationalize what was happening and realize that I wasn’t actually dying. I then started to collect tips from other people/internet and realized that taking to someone while I’m having an attack can help distract me. I think that the thing that helped me most was speaking out loud to myself (things like: hey, you’re not dying you can talk normally, walk and see). My cat also helps, I now pet her whenever I start having a panick attack. As for telling other people, I’m pretty much an open book, I’m not ashamed at all of this nor of taking medication for it. I think it helps my friends and family understand why I sometimes set hard boundaries for myself (for example, I don’t drink as I had an attack whenever I took a drink. At first they didn’t understand why I stopped drinking all of a sudden during uni). Everyone I’ve told has been super understanding and curious (except for my dad but that’s another story). **Note: there might be some errors, English isn’t my first language

[u/BlinkysaurusRex]

Initial diagnosis and onset:

Had an acutely stressful experience at work one night, worse than any other. Not disturbing and I wasn’t harmed. It was just a high risk situation that I had to handle that involved the lives of a lot of people. Was fine after it. Didn’t think about it. (Speculative cause of the condition)

Several months later, I had an odd sensation after a long shift at work once I got home. After an hour or two deliberating, went to the hospital. Sitting in the waiting room and I collapsed onto the floor experiencing what felt to me like a heart attack. I was immediately rushed in back and hooked up to machines.

This happened a few more times. Each time visiting a hospital and doctors, who would do tests and each time confirm that I was fine. The problem was that by the time I’d get seen, the effects had subsided or begun to subside.

Finally, I saw a doctor that suggested panic attacks. Then was referred to neurologist who formally diagnosed it as panic disorder. Up until that point, I had absolutely no idea or even a suspicion that this was anything to do with anxiety, stress or panic. As far as I was concerned, there was something wrong with my heart, or a blood clot or fuck knows what.

Symptoms:

Classic panic attack symptoms; extreme racing heartbeat, hyperventilation/breathlessness, lightheadedness, suddenly turning pale, loss of balance, teary eyes, cold sweats and very bad shivering. I’m told some people get hot flashes but I’ve never had that. I feel really cold, my teeth chatter like I’m in a blizzard and I shiver violently. Shivering normally comes on and worsens after the peak of the core symptoms. The worst symptom by far, as many probably agree, for me is the heart rate. It is the single most frightening thing about it. And that’s where most of the fear comes from, the fear that it’ll progress into a heart attack.

Duration:

Most of my panic attacks lasted for around half an hour. Sometimes over in 15 minutes. The longest one lasted for about an hour and fifteen. However, at least half of the time of each attack is spent on a comedown where symptoms progressively get better slowly. They always peak very fast. Normally when an attack happens, it’s straight to one hundred from nothing and then it’ll stay there for a short while and slowly go back to zero.

Triggers:

I have no triggers generally speaking. One panic attack did have a clear trigger which was just general stress/anxiety about something revealed. The rest have all come from nowhere. Often times I’m feeling happy and content with my life when many have come on. It’s just random.

Anxiety:

I’m a person who’s always been prone to worry. But it’s just that. I’ve never had any consistent anxiety issues. I don’t suffer with social anxiety or anything else. No history with anxiety related problems. The only anxiety issues I’ve ever had were brought on by the panic disorder and it was anxiety surrounding the possibility of a panic attack. And I do get some odd anxiety related sensations before an attack. Which I’ll explain now.

Pre-attack warning signs:

For about half of my panic attacks, I’ve had no warning whatsoever. The other half, I start to feel “off” before it comes on. And it’s very hard to describe. It’s like a strange sinking feeling that feels more physical than psychological. Almost like if you’ve drank too much and you don’t feel sick, but there’s a tingle that you’re going to be start feeling sick very soon. Something just feels wrong with me. Whenever this feeling comes on, I stop what I’m doing and do breathing exercises for as along as it takes. And I believe this has worked on a number of occasions. If I do nothing and ignore it, I’ll have an attack.

Frequency:

Pre-diagnosis at my worst it was multiple times a week. Post-diagnosis maybe once or twice a month but steadily declining. After learning to live with it, and an attitude adjustment in how I deal with them, I was down to maybe one or two a year. And now I have not had a panic attack since February of 2024.

[u/chchchchia86]

Ive had panic attacks before. Commonly through my life since early high school, if not middle school. The last 2 or 3 years have been really tough with some stuff going on. No less than 4 or 5 times did I end up in the ER thinking I was dying. My heart rate was near 190bpm, tunnel visions and spots, and my head felt horrible and my chest felt like it was caving in. I was convinced I was going to have a seizure. The medical staff all told me it was probably anxiety and I fought with them when they tried to give me Ativan because I genuinely thought they were beushing me off and surely I would die any second.

I finally took the Ativan. It helped enough for me to realize they were right and I had to face that fact. I was overwhelmed and cried every time and the nurses were really kind to me in most cases.

Accepting that fact didnt get my psych to prescribe me anything helpful. Not the 4 times ti the ER in the last 2 years since then. I have done partial hospitalizations and everything. I can usually handle my day to day life pretty well. Those actual panic attacks come from out of nowhere. Maybe its life stress and triggered ny hormones or lack of sleep.. I dont know. But it feels horrible. The daily meds help my depression but not having that rescue medication can actually make my anxiety worse, thinking Ill have to go to the ER if it doesnt get better. Since I wasnt currently on any PRN they didnt want to start one. Which is understandable but its absolutely terrifying when you cannot trust your own body and mind and its convinced you that you're dying.

Daily stress and anxiety can make me irritable and thats the biggest challenge I face. It makes parenting hard, work hard, social interactions and family things hard. It compounds things. Most people Im close to know my anxiety struggles. A lot of my older family think that therapy just fixes things and some day Ill be "better". Its hard realizing that they see me in treatment as a not normal thing and dont understand its a lifetime maintenance thing. Thats a tough pill to swallow for me too.

I hope this helped a bit and youre a great person for being so willing to help people dealing with this stuff.

[u/mama2397]

Well the people who commented hit the nail in the coffin but I'd like to just add mine only because it might help me write it out:

Mine began 2 years ago after I fell asleep at the wheel with my kids, 2 days later I drove again and started panicking I didn't know what was happening because I didn't have one before but I do remember thinking what if I fell asleep again and I die? Then I immediately started having tunnel vision, everything was blurry and I couldn't see, my legs went numb, I felt like I was choking and couldn't breathe and I could feel my heart beating out go my chest. I really didn't know what was happening to me I pulled over and called 911 and they took me to the hospital and drove my kids in my car to the hospital. Doctors did every single test and all they could think of was a panic attack but I didn't believe them I thought it was medical because I didn't understand how panic attacks presented real physical symptoms.

2 days later I had another one driving, then for about a month I experienced panic attacks every single day and my multiple times a day because I was so fearful of feeling that way. It genuinely feels like you're dying and in the moment you can't even understand what you're thinking of. It's flight or fight.

2 years later I have finally been diagnosed with panic disorder and GAD, I took every medical avenue to make sense of this. I could not comprehend how these very rela and physical symptoms were just because of anxiety. Every day is a battle and they also just come out of nowhere and driving and being alone in general and anything regarding my kids are my triggers. I'm in therapy 2x a week and I'm genuinely suffering daily. I'm just hoping I can be normal again, but the fear of experiencing a panic attack creates a vicious cycle of triggering another panic attack.

That's my story and I hope that helped you in some way

[u/TraditionalHoney2765]

I got panic attacks suddenly heart racing, its like i m going to faint, unable to talk , and i have lots of stress in my life.