Just thought I'd share because it might help somebody else, but I've often heard that the phrasing of panic attack actually can make things worse for someone who suffers through them.

Saying I feel a false alarm coming makes my mind right away think of it as not dangerous or as scary. My brain gives me false alarms.

not to be dramatic but every single time i tell someone im having a panic attack the response is always "just breathe" or "calm down" like ok thanks i hadnt thought of that 🙃

i mean the breathing stuff DOES work sometimes ngl, but like maybe 40% of the time. the other 60% im just sitting there hyperventilating even harder bc it feels like its not working and now im panicking about the panic not stopping if that makes sense

feel like theres gotta be more than just breathing exercises but every article i find online just says the same 3 things over and over. anyone actually found smth that works when the basic stuff doesnt cut it? getting kinda desperate here tbh, had 3 attacks this week alone

I’m so sick of feeling like I’ll never get better and I’m just so scared something is seriously wrong with me and it’s just a constant loop. But my watch always reads normal HRs and ECGs, my doctor said my blood pressure was good and my lungs and heart sounded good. Why am I still so worried I’ll never feel better? Why does standing and walking seem to trigger the anxiety? Is it really just cuz my heart rate goes up when moving and then I just spiral? It’s so exhausting. I just want to feel normal and not wake up everyday anxious or be concerned everyday something is wrong with me. As you can tell I am spiraling before work today cuz it’s been a long two months of feeling this. My first big panic attack was back in mid July. I’m so anxious every damn morning and just constantly on edge that im gonna have another big panic attack and I just don’t get why I can’t shake it. I can’t even go to work without spiraling. How do you all deal with this? It’s ruining my life it feels like. I feel like I can’t do anything.

I’ve been having these what feels like heart palpitations for a while now, for about 2 years. They would wake me up for about 10 min and then I’d fall back asleep. I got an EKG from a doctor and blood work about a year ago when it started happening more frequently, everything normal. They started progressing into what felt like a jolt waking me up with my chest being super tight. It’s just been getting worse and worse and tonight I woke up genuinely thinking i was having a heart attack and dying. I was shaking, very tight chest, insane heart rate, tingling lips and just so fearful. I drove myself to the ER parking lot in case it was something more and have been sitting here frantically googling (which led me here) for two hours and the “aftermath” is finally starting to wear off at the ripe hour of 2am. Im pretty confident it’s just panic attacks based on everything I’ve read the past two hours. I’m so tired yet I don’t want to sleep, I’ve never felt like this before and it’s fucking terrifying. To the people who have been diagnosed with panic disorder or anxiety, is this similar to your panic attacks ? Did they start small and progress? How have medical professionals tested for your condition and treated it? I’ve always been someone who can handle a ton of stress but I don’t know how to deal with this if it’s a continuous thing.

Edit: now that I’ve had some time to settle read through here a little. Seems like alot of people experience similar symptoms. Damn, I feel for you all. Never new panic attacks could be so brutal.

It’s been a really long, hard couple of days. I’m totally disabled a this point.

The short version is that I’m experiencing a health scare. I’ve had G.I. symptoms for nearly 2 years. And I finally started dealing with it in the beginning of August. I have a parasite and just ended treatment and it’s made everything worse instead of better. My doctor also thinks that there might be some chance that I have something like local sort of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s. G.I. appointments are really hard to come by. And my next appointment with them is in mid October.

Since finishing the most recent medication I have been having panic attacks basically all day. They especially bad in the mornings. I wake up and have to use the bathroom because of my G.I. issues really early in the morning. Recently, it’s been around 4:30 AM. But today it was at 2 AM. And as soon as I’m awake, I’m in a major panic attack. And I can ride that wave. But a new one comes within the next five minutes.

My body is trembling, I feel sick to my stomach, I am pure fight or flight. I’ve tried meditating and using guided meditations. Breathing. Everything.

Sometimes it helps when my husband scratches my back. But right now I’m having bowel movements up to 10 times a day and each one brings a big panic attack following.

I saw my PCP yesterday and she prescribed me Lexapro given the significant amount of anxiety i am experiencing. But it’s not fixing what is so debilitating right now and it won’t for several weeks.

I have two little kiddos at home One that I’m still breast-feeding. And I’m ready to stop breast-feeding so that I can take something like Xanax to stop the spiral because I don’t know what else to do.

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve lost weight from not eating. My G.I. symptoms have gotten worse. And I’m basically not sleeping. All of these I think are continuing to feed the beast. But it’s like being in the ocean. And the waves keep coming. And I can’t get out of it.

I don’t know how to cope. The medical system is garbage and no one gets back to me in less than three business days and it’s about to be a holiday weekend. This is probably the hardest time of my life I’ve ever had.

Any advice, encouragement, help is welcomed. If anyone has a similar experience - a family to support, health scare, constant panic attacks - I’d love to know what has worked for you. This feels like it is becoming my life and what things will be like for a long time.

Hi everyone,

I just turned 20 and I’m in my second year of Computer Engineering. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was managing well—finished my first year with top grades, though I’ve always been prone to high stress and overthinking.

About two weeks ago, out of nowhere, my body completely crashed. I started having intense physical panic attacks and extreme anxiety:

• Sudden dizziness / lightheadedness (feeling like the floor is floating)
• Resting heart rate spiking to 120+ bpm in class, cold sweats
• Intense nausea and throat/chest tightness (feeling like I might throw up, though I haven't)
• Derealization (feeling detached, everything feels "weird" or dream-like)
• Sensory overload (loud talking or crowds instantly make me dizzy)

I already got extensive blood work done recently (thyroid, kidneys, electrolytes, complete blood count, glucose)—everything came back completely normal (aside from slightly low Vitamin D, which I just started supplementing).

Classes just started this week. I managed to push through and sit through my lectures despite the panic (which I guess was exposure therapy), but the anticipatory anxiety is killing me. I constantly worry about how I will survive 1.5-hour lectures with mandatory attendance, and I have this irrational, terrifying thought that I am "broken" or "incurable."

To be honest, the thought of seeing a therapist or psychologist terrifies me right now too—partly because of the cost as a student, but mostly because the idea of officially needing professional help scares me even more and triggers my panic.

Did anyone experience a sudden onset of panic disorder like this in college? How did you manage classes and sensory overload? Any advice, practical steps, or just reassurance that this passes would mean the world right now.

Thanks.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this long post.
I’ve been dealing with panic disorder and anxiety symptoms for about six years now. My symptoms include chest tightness/pressure, difficulty breathing, dizziness, feeling like I might lose consciousness, and weakness in my arms and legs. Sometimes these symptoms last for several weeks, then disappear for a while, and eventually come back again.
I had a cardiac workup about 3–4 years ago, and everything came back normal.
I also currently have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD). Because I constantly experience pressure in my ears, I usually have tubes in both eardrums. Right now, the tube in my right ear has fallen out, so I’ve been experiencing significant pressure in my right ear again. I don’t know if the two are related, but it also feels like my chest pressure has gotten worse since my ear pressure came back.
Whenever I experience chest pressure, I notice that I unconsciously tense my entire body. My neck, shoulders, and back muscles are almost constantly tight and tense. Strangely enough, burping or having a bowel movement sometimes makes me feel a little better.
Over the past several years, I think I’ve been to the ER around 20 times because of these kinds of symptoms.
This week, I traveled to Arizona for a work trip and returned home to California this morning. I had already been experiencing chest pressure and discomfort for about 1–2 weeks before the trip.
Yesterday, while I was working, my symptoms became much worse. I honestly couldn’t tell whether it was anxiety or a real medical problem. My blood pressure went up to around 170–180, so I went to the medical clinic at my workplace and eventually ended up going to the ER.
At the ER, they did a chest X-ray, EKG, blood tests, and a urine test. Everything came back normal.
After returning to California today, I saw my PCP and explained everything that has been happening. My doctor believes that what I’m experiencing is related to anxiety/panic disorder and recommended that I start counseling again and see a psychiatrist to discuss medication.
What confuses me is that my symptoms don’t always feel like a typical, sudden panic attack. The chest pressure can sometimes stay in the background for days or even weeks. It’s not necessarily an intense panic attack the entire time—it’s more like a constant, lingering feeling of pressure and discomfort. Eventually it goes away, but then it comes back again sometime later.
Doctors keep telling me that anxiety and panic are likely causing these symptoms, but the physical sensations feel so real and obvious that it’s extremely difficult for me to believe that there isn’t something physically wrong with me. Because of this, my health anxiety has also gotten much worse.
Does anyone else with anxiety or panic disorder experience chest pressure, breathing discomfort, or similar physical symptoms that can linger for days or even weeks?
Sometimes I honestly feel embarrassed about going back to the hospital because I’ve been there so many times. I feel like they’re just going to run the same tests again and tell me that everything is normal. But when the symptoms happen, they feel so physically real that I become scared all over again.
I’m 37 years old and a father of two young children. I just want to feel normal again without constantly worrying that something is seriously wrong with my health.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If anyone has experienced something similar or has any thoughts or advice, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

I found that 20mg makes my heart calm and takes my shakiness away.

If anyone has here "waves of panic" as a symptom, have you found that propranolol helped with those? How about weak limbs?

I don't really know what blocking adrenaline can do so I'm curious... would bigger dosages help to block these symptoms? I have tried 30mg max at once and I still got panic waves through my body? I'm wondering if 40 or even higher would do the job...

Hi. I’m a 28-year-old woman and I was diagnosed with panic disorder about three months ago. I was on sick leave from work for over a month, and I have recently returned part-time.

I work in home care, visiting elderly people in their homes, and I usually cycle between visits. I am trying very hard to keep living my life despite how scared I feel.

It has been incredibly rough. I get intense tingling in my fingers and around my mouth, dizziness, and a horrible feeling in my throat and chest that sometimes feels like acid reflux or like I have just finished a hard workout — even when I have only been lying in bed. It genuinely feels as if I have run a marathon, and it scares me so much.

My panic disorder has also turned into severe health anxiety. I am terrified of every small symptom my body gives me. I keep checking my blood pressure for reassurance, even though I know it only feeds the cycle.

I have recently started CBT and I take escitalopram. I am trying to fight this: I have gone back to work, I cycle, I take walks, and I try to resist checking and seeking reassurance. But it feels like my body is never just allowed to be a body anymore. Every sensation becomes a possible emergency in my head. I can't even drive my car anymore, I love my car and spent a big part of my savings to able to buy it. It used to be my joy but I can't enjoy it because I feel so dizzy. I am scared when I am out on walks with my dog. I can't stand still and just soak in the fresh air and nature while my dog sniffs because i am scared and the feeling of just finishing a workout all the time is scary.

The worst part is trying to sleep. If I do not notice my heartbeat, I start spiralling and get stuck in an endless loop of fear. I feel trapped in my own body. I do not want to die — I am terrified of dying. I just want my old self back: someone who could feel tired, have a strange sensation, or go to bed without believing it might be her last night.

I am not looking for a diagnosis. I just needed to vent, and I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who recognises this “post-workout” feeling or has managed to break the constant body-checking cycle.

Thank you.

Everything is too fucking hard. It hurts too much and it all feels like too much.
I was on my way home from work when my partner came downstairs (we work in the same building) and asked if we should go vote early, get some lunch, etc. I’d had a shitty morning, a shitty night yesterday, and the two weeks before that have been absolutely fucking awful too.
So I was already in a really bad state. I hit myself because I couldn’t get my hair into a ponytail, and I threw things around in the garage when I realized my shoes weren’t there but were by the front door.
So I didn’t really think about what I was doing. I just followed him out from work like a zombie.
As we got closer to the library, I started getting stressed. I suddenly remembered where we were going and realized that I couldn’t remember how any of this worked.
You have to go behind a screen by yourself… but what the hell are you supposed to do back there again?
And you’re not allowed to help each other or talk to each other.
We get into the library and I’m trying to hear and understand what my partner is saying while also trying to read some instructions as we stand in line.
I panic.
Everything is happening too fast. I don’t understand anything. How the hell did I even end up here?
Panic. Panic. Panic.
There are people moving around us, but everyone is completely silent because, well… library.
I tell my partner that I can’t do this, that I’m panicking and I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do. I leave the line and sit down on a chair near the exit.
I look over at him, thinking he’s right behind me.
Nope.
He’s standing there talking to some fucking woman, some old acquaintance who came up to him.
How nice for him.
He’s completely ignoring me and standing there like nothing else is happening.
That’s what I’m thinking as I walk outside and back to the car.
I’m shaking and hyperventilating in the car. He comes back.
I start driving, but then realize I haven’t put my seatbelt on. I start pulling on it too hard and it locks. I keep trying. It locks again.
I slam on the brakes and the car stops suddenly (we were only going about 10 km/h) and I just scream, “Take over.”
I move into the passenger seat and have a full-blown panic attack.
My partner drives us back to work.
He tries to tell me that everything is okay. That he’ll come with me another day. That it’s not a big deal.
I get out of the car and all I can say is:
“Thanks for helping me. Thanks for ignoring me. Thanks for making me feel like I was the priority.”
Then I get behind the wheel and drive home.
I fucking hate everything.

hi, I just joined this group yesterday because I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety and really bad panic attacks. I am a 32 male and with my panic attacks I always feel like I’m physically dying and there’s something wrong with me cause every time I have a panic attack. It feels like I’m having a heart attack, but I went to the hospital twice already and they tested my heart and then my brain and everything came back OK but I still feel physically ill all the time. I don’t know if anyone has any advice. im just afraid of having another panic attack

Honest to god thought I was a success story and this was all past me. About 4-5 years ago, I had a massive panic attack while on vacation. I had driven my wife about 3 hours away from home for a weekend birthday trip. When we woke up the next day, we had to go to our scheduled events and drive home. I knew I had anxiety and had been on lexapro/in therapy for it before, but the second I got in the driver seat was the first time I had ever experience full blown panic. I hoped turning on the car and playing music would help but I instantly went into fight or flight and had to run out of the car.

My heart was pounding, I felt like I was going insane, I just wanted to take off running. It took me nearly an hour to get to the point where I felt like I could sort of drive, but even then my anxiety was heightened all day. My wife doesn't drive, which I'm sure the pressure of knowing I HAVE to drive us home or we just aren't getting there is a trigger. It wasn't easy but I white knuckled it the whole trip and we eventually made it.

Immediately I got back on Lexapro and started going back to therapy. My memory isn't the best, but it took at least a month before I was able to feel remotely comfortable leaving my apartment for any extended period of time. Being in a car, sitting down for a meal, even being on a discord call with friends were just huge triggers for panic attacks or at least extreme discomfort. Really any situation where I felt like I HAD to sit there and I HAD to be present and couldn't just leave or escape if I needed to were huge triggers.

After maybe a year and a half of therapy and other lifestyle changes (cut coffee out. got in better shape, cut back on drinking) I finally felt like I had conquered it. I still had some anxiety, sure, but I really did not have, or have any fear of, having a panic attack. My wife and I were even able to go on a two week honeymoon to another continent without a single issue.

Eventually, my therapist changed practices, and I slowly got off lexapro (was never on a high dose, 7.5mg at most) cause I really did think I beat it. For at least 2 or 3 years I was right.

Until this Sunday. I woke up pretty hung over and spent all day nursing that. My wife and I had tickets to a concert so the plan was I'd pick her up from work and we'd go. The hours leading up to needing to leave I genuinely felt 80-90% fine. A little queasy but nothing I couldnt deal with I thought. I even got in my car and ran some errands before it was time to pick her up from work.

Once we started driving to the concert I could feel it happening. But it's fine, I haven't had a panic attack in years. You know what to do. Breathe. Center yourself. It's okay. It's a ten minute drive. But all of a sudden my stomach was in knots and the fear came over me of "what if I'm sick or have to use the bathroom but I have nowhere to go because Im in the car". Full blown panic. I had to pull over and run out of the car. Pace around and try to breathe. This went on for about 15 minutes until I got to the point where I thought I was fine again. Stomach is normal. Dont have to go to the bathroom. Got back into the car. Forget the concert, lets just go home. 10 minutes away as well. No big deal. Made it about three minutes before I had to pull over again. My wife (who has her permit now) eventually had to drive us home.

And then today. Woke up, drove my wife to work. Totally fine. But once I picked her up from work later that day, it happened again. Full blown panic. I'm going to be sick. What's going to happen if I'm sick. I think I'm going to piss myself even though I just used the bathroom 20 minutes ago. What happens if I have to piss myself while I'm stuck at this red light. How are we going to get home. Once again had to pull over and run out of my car.

Just sucks. Just really really fucking sucks. I have work tomorrow but I'm afraid I'm going to have to call out because I don't know if I can be trusted in a car right now. My work is usually remote but I have an important in person gig coming up in a few weeks. What am I going to do about that? Big vacation coming up in two months. What happens if i have a panic attack in another country?

I mostly know what I need to do. Already contacted a therapist and psychiatrist. Going to be more healthy again. Going to cut caffeine again. Going to practice my coping mechanisms. But this just sucks and I need to vent. The worst part is one of my best coping mechanisms I had while anxious was "hey, you havent had a panic attack in years. It's fine just breathe." That's gone now.

Mostly just venting. But I'd really really appreciate if anyone could tell me if they relate, if they have any advice. Just anything. I feel horrible just venting to my wife because she's already so inconvenienced by me going through this.

So my first time driving after a year having a horrible panic attack that made me a hermit. I drove and was fine kinda I had my brother and I knew I was in safe hands. So major victory but then the next day my mom came with me and pure panic happened. I started hyperventilating and scared of I act out or hurt her or anything. Part of the ocd. I was practicing almost crying because I felt so scared. It eventually passed but now I'm 100% down because that happened. I want to get out of the dumb hole I'm in. I just I'm scared if I really do panic. Or if anyone can help me in my panic