What is a Panic Attack? (Explain in your own words)

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Is it like when someone goes like: "ooohh, I am so afraid of EVERYTHING, I think I'll die. HELP!"

To me it depends. I have panic attacks for varying reasons. For instance I am claustrophobic and I am a bad night-time driver. A couple months ago I was driving to Dallas early one morning, and encountered some construction along the interstate between here and there. It was VERY early and still dark out, and this construction zone came on so fast. There were 2 concrete walls right up to the very edges of the lane, and there was no way out. I started hyperventilating and freaking the hell out. I got sweaty, I thought I was going to die, and I was freaking my wife out. She was trying to coach me through it and I had her panicking because I was doing so badly. I get dizzy, I hyperventilate, everything seems to be closing in on me, and I just freak the hell out. This is what it's like to me.

When I was a teenager I would have a panic attack every time I would ride my bike past the house of a girl I liked. The closer I got to her house, the more my heart pounded. When I got in front of her house I would basically lose control and nearly black out, hyperventilate, get dizzy, etc. Once I was past I would stop off my bike somewhere to catch my breath and bring myself back down to Earth.

It feels like someone or something is squeezing my trachea. It hurts. I can feel every band of cartiledge. At the same time, it feels as if my heart is beating 150 beats a minute and its going to explode. My ears ring...no they boom. My temples sizzle and pulsate.

That's about what I've been able to contain it to.

When I was younger it was a lot worse.

Last edited by MmeLePen on 15 Feb 2009, 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Oh boy do your ears ring! I forgot to mention that, but it REALLY does get loud. And yes, your temples pulsate and I sweat profusely.

do you guys also feel like one second your entire body is being pressurized to the point that you feel like you are being crushed, and the next you suddenly expand to massive proportions? and then the cycle repeats itself, over and over?

I am a horrible night driver AND I am totally convinced I'm going to die in a pile-up or other epic car accident. My eyes get really "fuzzy" when I drive at night.

My biggest phobia is tail-gaters!! ! Are phobias really phobias if they're real-life, authentic threats,? Atlanta is full of tail-gaters and other scary drivers. Dallas is similar but the cars and trucks are even HUGER than they are in Atlanta! And the lanes are huge, too!

I am also cursed with something that makes me fall asleep driving - if the conditions are right.

Ever hear "The Night I Fell Asleep At the Wheel" by the Bare Naked Ladies? I listen to it as a cautionary tale. (Plus its a cool song)

I have warned my family over and over that I will die in a car accident and that I am ok with it. Just don't keep me on life support, please donate my organs, cremate the body, and toss the ashes in the Pacific.

Jeepers - not that I think about death or anything!

Not sure. I don't think so. UNnless you feel literally high when you are in a good mood? Which in my case, is most of the time. Remember "Chance" from "Being there"? I'm so him. But a lot more social.

I am like the opposite of people who distrust and hate nd are "paranoid". I don't know if they have a name for that. So far it's served me well - so I'm not looking to change.

I am a tailgater but only when people are blocking the passing lane. "If you're not passing, move over!" is something I say a LOT. It serves no purpose to get in the far left lane and just cruise, it only makes a lot of people very angry. That's the only time I tailgate. And I have even gotten better about that since I have been in some real close calls in the past year. And yes, Dallas is bad because of the big trucks and SUVs. It's that way here (Shreveport), just on a lesser scale. I love Dallas but I HATE driving there.

Never heard that song, but off to find it. Thanks for the tip.

I feel like I'm being crushed because I hyperventilate and have trouble breathing, but I'm not sure I really understand the rest of this. I don't feel that I suddenly expand, but every person can react slightly different to panic attacks.

But then how do we tell if the feelings I described correspond to those caused by a panic attack? How do we tell if those feelings are caused by a panic attack or something else?

THAT is a sucky question. My husband has been hospitalized several times by panic attacks. Best bet is to get a heart monitor. Sad, eh?

It sucks when you know that you have something but you dont't know what it's called and you can barely describe it.

People here on WP probably understand that statement more than anyone else.

Are you taking any anti-anxiety meds?

I take zoloft and it helps tune out the noise and prevents me from reacting - biologically - negatively to stress. If you don't take something - you may want to.

Its the only rx I take and its enough to allow me to think clearly and not let my spit-fire emotions get in my way.

You may also want to read Listening Prozac by Peter Kramer. It changed my life. Even if you don't take Rx's, it helps you understand how seratonin (and other hormones) effect your brain.

Read up on seratonin uptake inhibitors. If you understand the biochemistry, you'll find a way to put it to your advantage.

I was about 15 feet down in a crawl space about the size of my body (2 foot wide by 1 1/2 foot wide) made out of metal bars. I was making the space smaller working, then kept working... then started feeling stressed, then realized the feeling of being in such a tight space was making me feel stressed... then realized I was claustrophobic ... started to control my breathing and got out of it as soon as I could...

Odd sensation. Near panic attack. Made absolutely no sense, just a feeling of wanting to flee. Happened this past Thursday...

Like a deep sinking feeling where you can't move and you feel as if you are going to suffocaite.