Random episodes of anxiety/panic when nothing is wrong.

[Valerie1024]

This has been happening for about two weeks now, and I want to know if this is normal before going to my doctor. I have been having these 'episodes' of anxiety/ panic, I'm not sure exactly what it is. I will be doing something normal, and I just can't sleep, and every morning at about 2 a.m I have this feeling of my chest tightening as well as hyperventilation to the point where I feel like I'm going to pass out, it usually is accompanied by uncontrollable sobbing for about 10-30 minutes. I have seen other people say that they are thinking of "What If's",but mine literally happens out of nowhere and is not accompanied by any thoughts. I think it is my anxiety because it feels almost identical to the times I have had anxiety attacks in the past. I have not been diagnosed by a health professional with anything, but show strong signs of OCD, anxiety, and PTSD. I also want to add that I am not depressed or suicidal, so that couldn't be a cause of this. Somebody please help.

[Paxiled]

I have no idea what's going on, but don't self-diagnose yourself with these labels such as OCD and PTSD.  What I would look at, since you say you have a history of panic attacks, is, did anything happen before this started two weeks ago that might have triggered an outbreak of anxiety?  As for seeing your doctor, it's always good to make sure you don't have a physiological basis for what you're feeling, as there are conditions that can cause what seems to be anxiety attacks.  These include thyroid problems, blood sugar imbalances, hormonal imbalances, hidden viruses, and many other things.  But if the doc doesn't find anything physically wrong, I would suggest, based on your history, that you get into therapy with a psychologist who specializes in anxiety treatment.  It could be an episodic problem is turning into a chronic one.  Good luck.