Aa
out of nowhere!!??
ive just recently started suffering with anxiety and panic attacks. ive never had any history of it before and am a 25yr old male with a great job, brilliant partner and a wonderful son. life for me technically, or from an outsiders point of view should be brilliant however its far from the truth.
i had my first panic attack on holiday with some mates. it was the morning after a night of heavy drinking (i didnt go crazy and drank water for much of the night because im or should say was trying to be dedicated to my boxing and can still have a good laugh sober). in the morning i felt great, i didnt have a hangover and everyone else felt horrible. a couple friends said they were going to walk to the mcdonalds to grab some breakfast and as terrorising my friends in their bed was getting a bit boring, i decided to go along with them. it was there, out of nowhere half way on the walk to mcdonalds that i felt strange. its hard to describe, but i felt very distant, everything seemed to be hazey, a bit like how it is with a head cold i guess. i couldnt hear properly, like i was on an airplane and if im being honest i felt a bit like i had smoked too much pot (i have smoked when i was much younger in my teens but not excessively, just experimented a bit).
i had to go to the toilet in mcdonalds where i released my bowels a few times. i was hot, i was sweating, i was panicking. i didnt like sitting down doing nothing watching my friends eat and made me feel worse so i told them to hurry up and leave the rest of their food and walk with me.
when i was walking i started to feel better, not literally but i think it took my mind away from what i was feeling prior. it was time to leave the hotel as it was our last day and our flight was not until late that evening so everyone took their bags and went to a pub. i tried, but got the same panicky feeling from earlier and was being sick,poo'ing' and generally walking around getting really worked up. i had to get a friend to come with me to a hotel and i got a bed for majority of the day. in the hotel i had feelings like many others on this forum of felling short of breath, having a heart attack, going to die etc.
i managed to just relax a little on the bed, not sure if i even slept but i know i did feel a bit better for it afterwards, i managed to get home on the flight ok.
when i was home, everything was normal but i still had that fear at the back of my head, the fear was that feeling i had that day on holiday and it was hard to get rid of it. i went about my daily business as normal and was ok until i went boxing.
i boxed and took it light as id been wondering whether my episode before was linked with tiredness or low sugars even? and i still had an attack at boxing. luckily i just took a mat and laid outside on the cool concrete with some water and talked to a friend.
now from this point on, its really been set in my head that i can have a panic attack at any moment. and like i said at the beginning, its a constant battle to keep on top of it. ive spoken to counsellors, ive had a emergency dr out after thinking i was having a heart attack. but nothing has really helped get rid of this fear i have. im hoping someone reads this and knows how i feel as its hard reading what everyone else feels and not really being like your own. i would say im constantly in a place where im detactched from my own body and feel like ive smoked too much weed is the best and easiest way to describe it.
i had my first panic attack on holiday with some mates. it was the morning after a night of heavy drinking (i didnt go crazy and drank water for much of the night because im or should say was trying to be dedicated to my boxing and can still have a good laugh sober). in the morning i felt great, i didnt have a hangover and everyone else felt horrible. a couple friends said they were going to walk to the mcdonalds to grab some breakfast and as terrorising my friends in their bed was getting a bit boring, i decided to go along with them. it was there, out of nowhere half way on the walk to mcdonalds that i felt strange. its hard to describe, but i felt very distant, everything seemed to be hazey, a bit like how it is with a head cold i guess. i couldnt hear properly, like i was on an airplane and if im being honest i felt a bit like i had smoked too much pot (i have smoked when i was much younger in my teens but not excessively, just experimented a bit).
i had to go to the toilet in mcdonalds where i released my bowels a few times. i was hot, i was sweating, i was panicking. i didnt like sitting down doing nothing watching my friends eat and made me feel worse so i told them to hurry up and leave the rest of their food and walk with me.
when i was walking i started to feel better, not literally but i think it took my mind away from what i was feeling prior. it was time to leave the hotel as it was our last day and our flight was not until late that evening so everyone took their bags and went to a pub. i tried, but got the same panicky feeling from earlier and was being sick,poo'ing' and generally walking around getting really worked up. i had to get a friend to come with me to a hotel and i got a bed for majority of the day. in the hotel i had feelings like many others on this forum of felling short of breath, having a heart attack, going to die etc.
i managed to just relax a little on the bed, not sure if i even slept but i know i did feel a bit better for it afterwards, i managed to get home on the flight ok.
when i was home, everything was normal but i still had that fear at the back of my head, the fear was that feeling i had that day on holiday and it was hard to get rid of it. i went about my daily business as normal and was ok until i went boxing.
i boxed and took it light as id been wondering whether my episode before was linked with tiredness or low sugars even? and i still had an attack at boxing. luckily i just took a mat and laid outside on the cool concrete with some water and talked to a friend.
now from this point on, its really been set in my head that i can have a panic attack at any moment. and like i said at the beginning, its a constant battle to keep on top of it. ive spoken to counsellors, ive had a emergency dr out after thinking i was having a heart attack. but nothing has really helped get rid of this fear i have. im hoping someone reads this and knows how i feel as its hard reading what everyone else feels and not really being like your own. i would say im constantly in a place where im detactched from my own body and feel like ive smoked too much weed is the best and easiest way to describe it.
Best Answer
Hey, have you gotten any answers from your doctor? Are you back to normal? I read your original post and it had me down to a "T". I had my first full blown panic attack on NYE and never had any type of anxiety before. I usually handle stress like a champ but something just changed out of nowhere and I thought I was going to die. Now I'm just on constant edge and waiting to see my PCP to hopefully get some answers.
Again, just curious for an update in your situation.
Again, just curious for an update in your situation.
There is an awesome book that has gotten me through some of the worst clinical depression/anxiety/panic attacks I have ever felt in my life. It us called hope and help for your nerves by Claire weeks. This in addition to my bible was my mini bible and helped me get through the worst time in my life. I still get panic and anxiety but can control it now. I am 49 female I just had an episode in my car the other day though that was new and I have been scared ever since. I can keep the anxiety down (because if the book/s) but I was driving to work feeling great and out if nowhere I felt like my brain short circuited everything looked heightened Imy heart started to pound and I pulled over. I could not get a hold of myself this time and felt like I was having a stroke or heart attack. I was rushed to the ER. Chest X-ray, EKG, blood work for diabetes, high blood sugar the works. All normal!!!! I have been crying for three days and am very scared waiting for something worse to happen. It's so hard to believe that it was just axiety. and my age is a concern for me. I prayed and will go to my gp and if everything checks out I just have to keep moving on or be afraid to live in my own body! I can't get out if it until my soul is ready to leave it so for now I am going to take care if my physical, mental, and spiritual self and if they are all in sync I'll leave the rest to my creator . God bless all of you
I have this feeling , it's slowly getting worse. Im not usually thinking about anything, nothing happy nor sad. It hits me. Feelings of loneliness distress detached from everyone, everything, the world. Discouraged, worthlessness. Offing myself. Only thing that occasionally can snap me into reality. . Hells a worse place then my feelings, I'd probably feel 10 times worse constantly not stop in hell. Things get better, heck maybe pray! Talk to a close friend. gL my friend
It certainly sounds familiar- panic attacks aren't necessarily related to the evironment or your activities at the time of the attack. This is what makes a good diagnosis so difficult. My doctor explained to me (before sending me to a psychologist who specialized in anxiety disorders) that panic attacks are the brain's way of calling attention to something that needs attention but doesn't come with its' own physical symptoms. The symptoms are very real, but they aren't necessarily related to the problem. When you learn how to ignore symptoms, your brain will find ways of manifesting symptoms in a way that becomes increasingly harder to ignore.
As the others have said, a doctor's visit to rule out biological reasons for your symptoms is important both for your physical and mental health. It's often a relief to know that your chest pains, dizziness, cramps etc aren't coming from disease, or, if they are, you can have an answer as to how to treat the problem. Did you tell the doctor that you suspect anxiety? There's no stigma- the symptoms of pain and discomfort are very, very real.
If you do believe that you've got anxiety issues, finding treatment is very important- there are many treatments, and finding the combination of therapies, medication (if needed) and exercises to help you cope is best done with professional assistance.
I've often gotten stomach cramps from anxiety. After it got out of hand, my symptoms changed to chest pains, which finally got me into treatment. These days my coping mechanisms have kept issues to a minimum. I wish you luck- stay here, read on, and you'll be well on the way to learning how to help yourself!
As the others have said, a doctor's visit to rule out biological reasons for your symptoms is important both for your physical and mental health. It's often a relief to know that your chest pains, dizziness, cramps etc aren't coming from disease, or, if they are, you can have an answer as to how to treat the problem. Did you tell the doctor that you suspect anxiety? There's no stigma- the symptoms of pain and discomfort are very, very real.
If you do believe that you've got anxiety issues, finding treatment is very important- there are many treatments, and finding the combination of therapies, medication (if needed) and exercises to help you cope is best done with professional assistance.
I've often gotten stomach cramps from anxiety. After it got out of hand, my symptoms changed to chest pains, which finally got me into treatment. These days my coping mechanisms have kept issues to a minimum. I wish you luck- stay here, read on, and you'll be well on the way to learning how to help yourself!
Sounds like a classic panic attack to me . It seems to be able to happen to anyone at anytime and anyplace . Tell you a quick story about a longtime friend I have . I was working with him on top of an elevator years ago and out of the blue he looked at me like he just saw the devil himself ! He said Jimmy I got to get out of here and we let him out and he walked away and when he came back he was fine ! Flash forward two days latter and he told me he was just walking down the street and it hit him again ! So goes the beginning of his panic disorder and he was 39 when it happened . I also talked to a woman who told me her first attack happened on a roller coaster at an amusement park . For me it was laying in the bathtub one morning before work . The mind is very powerful and complex . The good news is it is very treatable and like me one day you will hopefully not suffer with it . I have anxiety at times but panic is a thing of the past for me now .. Good luck !! Jimmy
I understand how you feel-- you are not alone in having a sense of panic always lurking in the background. I agree with ThyroidHunter that seeing a doc, and bringing this letter to him/her, is a great idea. As mentioned, there are a number of tests that can be done to rule out certain causes. However, beyond that, and in my limited experience, I would say that just like how we may walk to work one day and trip and sprain our ankle, sometimes we "pull a muscle" emotionally, and that the fear of injuring it again can sometimes aggravate the situation. Unlike with an ankle, where it's clear it's hurt and easy to explain, it's not to easy to explain why we need rest emotionally, why we need a break, time to heal and gentleness. Thinking about it in these terms has been helpful to me. But of course, I'm also perusing medical treatment including the whole range of tests (including thyroid as recommended above), to rule out possible contributors. In short, seek help, but also try to go easy on yourself. Try to be kind and understanding of yourself. Recognize that the part of you that is working hard to stay on top of it, is working very hard to protect you. That fear you have about another panic attack is a normal self preservation response, and it's ok to take it easy.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
You are young, no symptoms of any special kind until just lately. The symptoms are classic of panic attack and/or hyperthyroid attack, thyroiditis, or an infected thyroid gland, among many other possible causes.
I look at the boxing and want to know how long you have been boxing? Is there ever full contact in your workouts or are they just shadow boxing, heavy or light bag type work? The answers to this in detail would be helpful, and did you tell your ER doc about your boxing? Again, important.
Any feeling of detachment from reality should be taken very seriously, and is a side effect of many disorders, some of the quite fatal. I would not waste time making an appointment for a complete physical, and I would take exactly what you have written above to your Doc to read. From there, the Docs professional ability and end experience at "observations" may lead to a quick answer/treatment. Most likely, the doc will want some tests, perhaps neurological to determine if there is a skull fracture (I've had a 4" one from a car wreck and you sometimes cannot tell who you are, where you are at, and get sick as all get out in the stomach) or other potential neurological issue. But get to the Doc ASAP in any case.
Best in Health!
ThyroidHunter