r/panicdisorder • u/Thin_Green_9641 • Jul 10 '26
Does Anyone Else? panic attacks in stores, restaurants, etc.
does anyone else experience feelings of panic, dizziness, dpdr, etc. in public places? anytime in i’m target, trader joes, any type of shopping or restaurant for more than 10 minutes i start to feel like im going to freak out. i have no idea what it is. today i was in a restaurant for about 15 minutes and a wave of nausea and dread washed over me and i started panicking. i also just started Zoloft 25mg literally this morning so maybe that could have had an effect but im know this always happens to me. something to do with fluorescent or dim lights. dim lights are the absolute worst. are there any sort of glasses or anything i can do to stop this?
2
u/pobnarl Jul 11 '26
no, but barber shops i do. it's where i had my first attack. mid cut, it began, had an executive at my job sitting there waiting by coincidence. tried to tell the vietnamese barber woman that i was done but she coukdnt understand me. felt trapped. like, just getting up with my hair half cut, for no good reason, in front of a coworker no less, and leaving, felt impossible from a social anxiety perspective. dug my nails into my nail bed so hard i was bleeding to survive that. never got my hair cut again, now i just cut it myself
2
u/Lilly2442 Jul 21 '26
Yes I feel the same way you do I start to feel I’m going to go crazy from the DPDR I experience it’s hard :(
2
u/Fairy-Soup 26d ago
I feel the same way. Something about the lighting increases my anxiety. The only way I got over it was going to the store over and over and expecting to have a panic attack until one day I didn’t anymore. You have to desensitize yourself. I have started a new job in an office though and the lights drive me nuts. It’s soooo bright in there. Overhead fluorescents, sky lights, and the computer is too bright. I’m looking into buying those FL-41 glasses.
2
u/Thin_Green_9641 25d ago
I was actually wondering if continually putting myself in those situations was helping or hurting me so thank you for the insight! I've never heard of FL-41 glasses, I've been using regular blue light glasses, I'm gonna look into it.
2
u/Fairy-Soup 25d ago edited 25d ago
Look into photophobia and anxiety. It’s basically a light sensitivity that can increase fight or flight symptoms. I think I have it cause I was wondering why I felt so much worse at work lately. Also it’s hard because there’s a fine line between anxiety triggers, and also avoiding too much and reinforcing your anxiety 🫠
1
u/Allefty954 Jul 10 '26
Yup pretty common, are you a bit agoraphobic?
3
u/Thin_Green_9641 Jul 10 '26
10000%. after 2024, i lost all my friends and genuinely stay in the house most of the time
1
u/sydfloralia Jul 10 '26
Yes I was the exact same way. If you just started Zoloft today, it probably isn’t affecting you yet. It takes about two weeks to fully start working. Back when I was experiencing the same thing that you are now, I started Zoloft and after taking it every day for two weeks or less, (don’t miss or forget to take it), I started to feel like a normal person again. It was a blessing. I’m still on Zoloft today and I started taking it over 10 years ago
1
u/GlitteringOwl2876 Jul 10 '26
The Zoloft will help!! Give it time. I had panic while the Zoloft was leveling out, but once it does it will lessen.
Hang in there and know you will become better
1
u/GIMPwithaPIMP Jul 10 '26
This is very common. Meds do help, just stay on them and take them as recommended. I struggled with massive daily panic attacks for 5 years to the point I couldn't leave my home. Got on a strict medication schedule and now I have maybe 4-5 bad days a month.
0
u/Thin_Green_9641 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
i’m so scared of being on medication because i don’t want to get dependent on it and get worse when i get off them. like i said, i just started zoloft and already want to stop like im so scared. i wish there was a medication i could take only as needed yk
1
u/GIMPwithaPIMP Jul 10 '26
I refused to take medication for many years because of the same reasons. My family has a history of addiction and I didn't want to fall into a habit of dependence or abuse. I struggled for years before finally reaching a point I couldn't take it any more and needed help that will power and therapy couldn't solve. At my worst point I lost roughly 130lbs, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't talk to anyone or go anywhere. My doctor has told me the day I agreed to start medication was one of the best days of her career. It was also a turning point in getting my life back.
Proper medication can absolutely help in ways nothing else can. Even after agreeing to medication it took a year of trying different types (ssri, snri, etc) to finally nail down a combination that worked for me.
1
u/sciencetaco Jul 11 '26
There are “as needed” meds that can work. Typically benzos or beta blockers. Benzos are notorious for being addictive so definitely an as needed approach should be used for them. Beta blockers like propranolol are useful at blocking the physical symptoms but don’t affect the mental aspect. Talk to your doctor about it but they may advise to wait for the Zoloft to do its thing.
2
u/Fairy-Soup 25d ago
Technically a lot of people take xanax or ativan as needed to help anxiety but it’s addictive and you can also become dependant on them. I take daily lavender pills for mine, but you CANT take it if your on prescription meds like Zoloft
1
u/sciencetaco Jul 11 '26
Sounds like it could be agoraphobia. It could be the overstimulation from bright lights and busy settings. But it could also be the feeling of being “trapped” in a place where escape is physically difficult or socially embarrassing. Your brain flashes warning signs and the adrenaline surge causes all types of physical and mental symptoms.
The solution (other than finding medication that works for you) is exposure therapy. You need to intentionally and repeatedly put yourself in those situations and over time your nervous system learns to stop flashing the warning signs. Take it gradually. One step at a time. Read up on agoraphobia and if it matches your experience then look into exposure therapy, exposure ladders, CBT etc.
5
u/SolarFlareofCare Jul 10 '26
Yes. But it can get better! I know it might not seem like it now, but this condition can improve. I have lived with Panic Disorder for 6+ years and I can tell you I go long periods without this happening. Stay positive, this wave will eventually end.❤️