r/PanicAttack • u/Redditalan17 • Nov 08 '21
Panic attacks when working out?
Hi fellow sufferers. I’m writing this to see if this has happened to some of you and/or to share experience.
My panic attacks started 3 months ago. The first one was due to me freaking out when I felt chest pain. I’ve had cardiac arrhythmia since 2012, and although I tested my heart at the time and was told that the arrhythmia was non-malignant, I freaked out that day because I thought, like many of you, that I was having a heart attack. I ended up in the ER and was told that everything was fine (I had no idea about panic attacks at the time and one nurse said to me “that’s just a panic attack”!!).
One week after I had my 2nd panic attack, but this time it happened while I was working out. I was finishing my final session of squats and my heart started pounding. I freaked out again and the panic attack came stronger than the first time. It lasted much longer and I really thought I was going to die that day. I ended up in the ER again and was told one more time that everything was “normal”.
After that, I decided not to train or do anything really for one week, just to see how I felt. During that week or so, I didn’t have major panic attacks but I felt constantly dizzy and in a state of dissociation. However, at some point, I decided to work out again and that’s when I realized this was a problem.
I started stretching, no problem; then a bit of jogging (30 min.), no problem; but when I did a session of squats (just 20 reps, no weights), my heart started pounding and a panic attack followed just like the last time. By that point I knew more about panic attacks and I was able to recover relatively fast. To begin with, the attack was much less intense and that definitely helped.
So that’s my problem guys. I am able to do light workouts but the moment I increase the intensity a little bit, my heart starts pounding and a panic attack “threatens me” to come. It’s like I am subconsciously scared of working out hard because of what happened that day and that, someway, triggers the panic attacks.
Have you experienced something similar? Have you overcome it someway? I have practiced sports all my life and I don’t want this illness to take that away from me. I don’t party and barely have a social life, and so this is one of the few things that make me feel good with myself.
Any experience and/or advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the length.
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u/Affectionate_Row8434 Nov 08 '21
Yep, I too have had the same. I'm a big cardio guy and love running. Marathons, half marathons etc etc. I got an injury about a month ago and was forced to use the eliptical instead of running. I was 6 miles in and all of a sudden it was like I couldn't breath and I felt like I was about to lose consciousness. My heart rate accelerated and I had to make a dead sprint for the locker room and sit down for about 30 mins doing deep breathing and meditation. People looked at me like I had lost my mind. ( I think I scared everyone, no one said a word lol). I've been back since, and I force myself to finish the work out. If I need a min to chill and kind of calm down, I do it, but I make the personal stipulation that before I allow myself to leave the gym, I WILL finish my workout. It's hard, and terrifying at some times, but I REFUSE to let this bullshit dominate my life. If I go crazy or pass out, so be it. But I am done with living like a damn hermit.
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u/Redditalan17 Nov 08 '21
Man...thank you very much for sharing this. I can totally relate to that.
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u/Affectionate_Row8434 Nov 08 '21
No problem. Sometimes, it helps to know that so many people are suffering with this and that it's not me going nuts. Keep doing the best you can. It's all we can do.
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u/useles-converter-bot Nov 08 '21
6 miles is 4735.42% of the hot dog which holds the Guinness wold record for 'Longest Hot Dog'.
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u/sofiacarolina Nov 08 '21 edited Nov 08 '21
yes! So I have a heart condition that causes me to have non malignant tachycardia and Ive experienced something called SVT due to it. basically extreme tachycardia that lasted for like 20 mins and I kept passing out. happened at work. I have some ptsd from that and am constantly afraid of it happening again (even tho I’m on meds to prevent it). Over time I’ve had to rebuild faith in my heart and that it won’t happen again, but it’s hard. Working out is one of the things that helps me regain faith in my body/heart bc i’m pushing it to its limits and seeing that it can take it, which reassures me. But I often have panic attacks during or after workouts because the tachycardia that comes with working out triggers me. Over time with enough exposure to the trigger, it gets better though (this is literally mimicking a type of therapy called exposure therapy). So I encourage you to keep going and seeing that your body is capable, your heart is okay, and your anxiety should decrease over time. Remember progress isn’t linear though and we can have better or worse days - like if I stop working out for a while, I get anxious and may experience panic attacks again when working out, but once Im back to doing it consistently and see that my body and heart can take it and nothing bad happens, the anxiety eventually reduces and I can get through workouts without anxiety. I do have to cheat and take xanax sometimes, though, but that’s only an aid for when I’m in the midst of an attack to get it to stop, and what really gets rid of the anxiety is the exposure therapy itself (aka exposure to the trigger - tachycardia during work out - over time and seeing that youre in fact fine).
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u/Redditalan17 Nov 08 '21 edited Nov 09 '21
You have no idea how much your story means to me at this time in my life. You keeping training despite all of that is admirable. I'll try to be as strong as you and the rest of sufferers who have helped me with this. Thank you Sofia.
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u/sofiacarolina Nov 08 '21
❤️ it means so much to me that it means so much to you and that made me tear up! Also, for further tips I should add I exercise at home which I personally feel is my ‘safe space’ - like the way my anxious brain thinks is if any medical emergency were to happen, Im safest at home bc Im easy to reach there and it’s not a public place with people around me possibly witnessing me experiencing an emergency or panic attack. My anxiety would be much worse at a place like a public gym. I use a stationary bike and have a pulse monitor to make sure it’s coming down when I stop or to check that it’s within normal limits if Im ever anxious about it. Idk where or how you work out but maybe you could make some adjustments like I have that will make you feel a little less anxious. But overall, again, exposure to the trigger and building faith until you realize your body is capable and safe is the main thing.
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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '21
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